This applies to students in M.A. two-year studies (both of English Language and Literature and English Language Teaching for Secondary Schools) and in M.A. three-year double subject studies with English as their major subject
If you are in the three year program, please add two semesters to the instructions below

Technical Norms: The following standards are recommendations for all major theses submitted in this Department. They are based on standards found at universities throughout the English-speaking world and are therefore standards that students in this Department should aspire to.

Margins

• Left – 3.5 cm (for major theses, which are bound in hard-covers), 2.5 for other texts.
• Right – 2.5 cm
• Top – 2.5 cm
• Bottom – 2.5 cm

Appearance

• Double spacing recommended
• Single-side printing only. For works longer than 90 pages (including title page, table of contents and all other parts of the thesis), two-sided printing may be used.
• Page numbers located at bottom centre
• Font size: 12 point (10 point for footnotes)
• Font type: Times Roman, Garamond, Arial, Tahoma (recommended)

Students are encouraged to ask for clarification if they are unsure and seek guidance on variances from these norms.

The regular length of this program is four (single subject) and six semesters (double subject Teaching). You should primarily devote the fourth semester to writing the Major Thesis. However, the process of writing must be preceded by extensive research and preparation. You should manage the research by the end of the semester prior to the last one, i.e. the fifth one. The sole preparation should last at least two semesters, i.e. the whole writing process will last at least THREE semesters.

1. If you are planning to finish your studies in the fourth semester, you must decide on the field of your Thesis by the end of the FIRST semester of your studies. At this point, see the professor whom you wish to be your supervisor and discuss your topic and the idea. Your supervisor will enter the topic and a brief description in the IS.
2. In the SECOND semester of your studies, register for AJ29800 (M.A. Master Thesis Seminar I) in the IS. Also, sign up for the E-course "Writing a M.A. Thesis" in ELF. You will only be signed up for this course after if you have got the agreement from the supervisor and the topic in the IS. During this semester, you will do your research and work on your thesis proposal. By the end of this semester, you should know precisely what you will deal with in your Thesis (the ELF course will assist you), and have done most of the research and reading. To be able to do this, be sure to SEE YOUR SUPERVISOR REGULARLY to assist you.
3. In the THIRD semester of your studies, register for AJ29801 (M.A. Master Thesis Seminar II) in the IS. During this semester, you will continue your research work from the previous semester and see your supervisor more intensively to discuss your future Thesis. You should also start writing the Thesis and discuss concrete problems with your supervisor.
4. In the FOURTH (i.e. the last) semester, you should continue and finish writing the thesis. Register AJ29850 (M.A. Master Thesis) in the IS. Remember: it is difficult and time consuming to produce a Thesis! You should think about your writing schedule in the terms of months rather than days or weeks. If you are graduating in the Spring semester, the deadline is set by the Faculty to April 30 (for defense in June); if you are graduating in the Fall semester, the deadline is November 30 (defense in January or February). Theses submitted after the deadline will not be accepted (it is possible to submit a petition for a postponed deadline, but only serious reasons will be considered, such as a long study stay abroad or serious illness).
5. Both seminars (AJ29800 and AJ29801) and the Thesis itself (AJ29850) are graded with credit ("zápočet" = Z) in the IS. You will get a "Z" for the Seminar I in the IS if you pass the assignments in the E-course in ELF. You will get a "Z" for the Seminar II in the IS if you satisfactorily collaborate with the supervisor and your progress is substantial. You will get a "Z" for the Thesis in the IS if you fulfill the formal criteria as set by the Faculty and the Department (see above). You will receive a grade after a defense. Prior to the defense, you will get reports from the supervisor and the second reader. You will then defend the Thesis as a part of the State Examination before a commission of examinees (supervisor, second reader, the chairperson) and receive a grade which will then appear on your diploma.