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The Faculty of Humanities at Charles University, founded in 1994, is a pioneer in interdisciplinary education, blending fields such as philosophy, social sciences, cultural anthropology, and history to offer a comprehensive approach to the humanities.

With a focus on interdisciplinarity and academic innovation, the faculty provides flexible study programmes at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. levels, some of which are offered in English and German, addressing the diverse needs of both traditional and non-traditional students. The faculty’s interdisciplinary ethos is reflected in programmes like the Liberal Arts and Humanities Bachelor's degree, which allows students to tailor their studies across a wide range of disciplines, from social sciences to languages and applied philosophy.

Located in a modern campus in Prague, the faculty fosters a highly international and dynamic academic environment, enhanced by active participation in exchange programs like ERASMUS+ and cutting-edge e-learning technologies.

With a faculty of 250 members and over 2,500 students, the institution supports a rich diversity of perspectives, preparing graduates for complex global challenges through a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

The Faculty of Humanities is the youngest faculty of Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe, but it is fresh and keeps up with the times. It offers interdisciplinary education in a wide range of humanities and social science disciplines (e.g. history, philosophy, anthropology or sociology), essential for understanding today's turbulent world. Even topics such as AI, corporeality or climate change are not just a matter for computer science, biology or natural science: they touch on humankind and humanity, humanity. It is our faculty that offers the opportunity to understand these phenomena and forces comprehensively and thus to acquire them practically.

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1st in the Europe University Rankings - Eastern Europe

172nd in the area of graduate employability

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Prague, Czech Republic

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3 years

Faculty of Humanities, Charles University

There are numerous ethical issues in every field of human activity. The aim of this programme is to critically reflect on these issues, whilst applying ethics as a philosophical discipline. Students of Applied Ethics will acquire skills in analytical thinking and qualitative research methods. They will be able to hierarchically organize, evaluate and propose solutions to dilemmas or situations requiring ethical insight in their profession, using the theoretical and practical knowledge obtained during this programme.

Blended

On-Campus

Full time

PhD in Applied Ethics

4+ years

The broadly conceived doctoral study programme of (general) anthropology focuses on human behaviour, action, and cognition both in their biological (genetic) aspects and evolutionary, social, and/or environmentally conditioned variability. Its general anthropological approach stems from an assumption that (a) it is only a variety and variability of behaviour, action, and cognition that can speak of the character of human existence, and that (b) it is necessary to speak of this existence by way of a synthetizing combination of biological-empirical, cultural-interpretative and reflexively philosophical methods. It is supported by the (Anglo-American) conception of integral general anthropology as a discipline studying both biological and socio-cultural aspects of human beings conceived as complex organisms endowed with language, thought and culture (endowed with a capacity of semiotic, symbolical representation). This assumption is broadened by certain aspects of (German and French) philosophical and historical anthropology. Such conception of (general) anthropology takes into account both the diversity of human cultures and common characteristic features of humanity (both partial evolutional processes and general qualities of biological and cultural evolution of human).

PhD in General Anthropology

The main topics of historical sociology lie in questions of social change, modernisation, modernisation processes, civilizational analysis, the formation of states and nations, the formation of the world system, and globalization trends. These questions are studied through an extensive comparative analysis involving a wide geographical perspective and long-time intervals. Part of the field of historical sociology comprises a number of partial, specific research areas, which include issues such as collective mentalities, habits and social memory. Historical sociology is a very diverse and internally differentiated discipline that has general theoretical approaches, a number of special theories, a variety of specialised research directions, and develops research at an empirical level.

PhD in Historical Sociology

Longevity Studies enables a better understanding of the interfaces and challenges of prolongation of human life (longevity). It fosters further understanding and finding of appropriate answers and solutions of theoretical, applied, and ethical contexts of longevity. It reflects not only current demographic changes of population (such as gerontology), but also reflects the fact that nowadays people with severe disabilities, chronic illnesses and impairment live longer than ever before, and also that some other specific groups of our population have needs related to longevity. Longevity Studies offers an integrated study on the boarder of humanities, social, biomedical, and other mainly applied sciences. The course responds to needs of specialist analyses and solutions to problems related to longevity and demographic changes in society and in various fields of human life and activity. The PhD Longevity studies produces highly skilled and knowledgeable specialists in research, expertise, and transference of knowledge into practice. On the scientific level they are able to tackle problems related to the longevity of human life. They are aware, and able to use relevant scientific methods, to coordinate interdisciplinary teams. And furthermore, able to publish both scientific publications and materials for decision making at all levels and problems related to longevity.

PhD in Longevity Studies

Communication is one of the determining manifestations of life of contemporary society. We have become part of communities that are formed in communication processes taking place in reality as well as in digital networks. The study programME Semiotics and Philosophy of Communication focuses on the study of communication strategies, their preconditions and their effects. The peculiarity of this programme will appear in connection with the emphasis placed on the study of visual components of communication. This way we take into account the role that nowadays belongs to images in contemporary communication. It is also important to point out that the analysis of the semiosis, mediation and communication processes is extended to expose the manipulative character of some media discourse procedures which contributes to the specific features of this program.

PhD in Semiotics and Philosophy of Communication

At present, there is a consensus that just having a comprehensive understanding of the planet’s natural system does not suffice. It is necessary to understand the complex interactions between the socio-economic system and the vital planetary systems which provide society with ecosystem and natural services. The Social Ecology doctoral programme contributes to the development of the environmental approaches characteristic in their interdisciplinary nature. The goal of the programme is the advancement of knowledge, which should contribute to the creation of a theoretical base from within the strategy of making economic, social, and cultural development sustainable, especially from an environmental perspective.

Faculty of Humanities, Charles University

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