Study of Religions
Doctoral degree in full-time form. The language of instruction is Czech.
The programme can be studied only as a single subject.
Admission to Doctoral degree programmes in 2026/2027 (beginning: Autumn 2026)
Submission deadline until midnight 30 April 2026.
What will you learn?
The doctoral study programme provides the highest level of university education in religious studies, understood as the scholarly study of religion from an interdisciplinary perspective at the intersection of historical, social, and psychological sciences. Its aim is the systematic preparation of students for expert academic work in the study of religions or in related humanities and social scientific disciplines. The programme is centred on original and creative research conducted under the guidance of a supervisor. Doctoral students are gradually guided through all phases of the research process, from the preparation of a dissertation research project proposal, through the collection and analysis of data or source materials, to the publication of results and the writing of the dissertation.
“Cutting-edge research into religion in an international and interdisciplinary environment.”
Institutional Cooperation
The study programme is delivered in cooperation between the Department for the Study of Religions at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University; the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University; and the Department of Sociology, Andragogy and Cultural Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts, Palacký University Olomouc.
Programme Structure and Requirements
The backbone of the programme is a continuous doctoral seminar jointly organised by all three universities, where doctoral students from different years of study meet regularly and present the results of their work achieved in cooperation with their supervisors, as well as in partial seminars linked to specific framework study requirements. During the course of their studies, doctoral students finalize their dissertation research project proposal, submit an annotated literature review and a dissertation outline, improve their academic writing skills, design a publication project related to their dissertation research, become acquainted with the peer-review process and other practical and ethical aspects of scholarly publishing, deepen their knowledge of theory and methodology, present the theoretical and methodological foundations of their dissertation, work systematically on the dissertation itself, and gain orientation in the postdoctoral phase of an academic career. Furthermore, they draft at least one grant application and at least one study in English addressing one of the central topics of the dissertation. They develop their presentation skills and participate in at least two international conferences. They also complete further theoretical, methodological, fact-oriented, or language courses corresponding to their scholarly specialisation and dissertation project.
Applicant profile
The doctoral programme in the study of religions is intended for graduates of a Master’s degree programmes in the study of religions or in related disciplines, particularly sociology, anthropology, history, classics or psychology, who wish to further develop their research skills under the guidance of a supervisor and pursue an academic career.
Practical training
The curriculum does not include any obligatory third-party practical training, except in cases where this obligation is part of the Individual Study Plan. The whole study is oriented towards the practical aspects of the research process.
Further information
Career opportunities
Graduates are qualified for positions in teaching and research in the study of religions and related fields; in non-governmental organizations focusing on minorities or intercultural translation; in state administration where the position requires knowledge of different cultures, religions, and ethnic groups and decision-making based on facts; in education; in the media; and in the translation of literature in the humanities and social sciences. They are also able to prepare grant applications in the public and private sectors.
In academia, graduates can offer outstanding and state-of-the-art orientation in the contemporary study of religions with respect to major recent international developments in theory and methodology; interdisciplinary thinking; skills relating to theoretically founded and empirically precise research; and experience in research, as well as teaching, publishing, and preparing grant applications and projects.
Employers outside academia will benefit from graduates’ analytical skills, their ability to work on demanding and long-term projects, their independent and critical thinking, and their skills in the preparation of well-founded materials for decision-making.
Admission requirements
Admission to Doctoral degree programmes in 2026/2027 (beginning: Autumn 2026)
— Submission deadline until midnight 30 Apr 2026
The admission procedure to doctoral study programmes at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University is two-round. In the first round, the documents submitted in advance are assessed. The second round takes the form of an oral interview. Only those applicants who succeed in the first round are invited to the second round.
Application dates: January 1 – April 30
Deadline for the submission of additional materials: April 30
Planned research focus of dissertations:
Cognitive Religious Studies, Digital Research on Religion, General Religious Studies, Historical Religious Studies, Current Religious Situation in Central Europe, Topics of Current Grants, etc.
Additional materials (1st round):
- CV (including a list of publications);
- dissertation project proposal (using the form).
Please send the additional materials in DOCX or PDF format to the department (religion@phil.muni.cz). All documents are to be inserted to the e-application ("Documents section") at the same time, deadline April 30. Applicants are requested to include their full name and application number in all attached documents.
The admission exam (2nd round) is based on the candidate’s presentation of the dissertation project proposal, followed by a discussion.
Note: The M.A. diploma (official copy; for education obtained outside of the Czech Republic also its nostrification) is required upon inscription in studies. It is not required for the admission exam.
Criteria for evaluation
1st round: success limits 60 points (out of 100).
2nd round: success limits 80 points (out of 100).
Admission to Doctoral degree programmes in 2025/2026 (beginning: Spring 2026)
— Data from the previous admission procedure (1 Aug – 30 Nov 2025)
Deadline for submitting applications August 1 – November 30
Deadline for submitting documents for the admission procedure: December 15
The admission procedure to doctoral study programmes at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University is two-round. In the first round, the documents submitted in advance are assessed. The second round takes the form of an oral interview. Only those applicants who succeed in the first round are invited to the second round.
Planned research focus of dissertations:
Cognitive Religious Studies, Digital Research on Religion, General Religious Studies, Historical Religious Studies, Current Religious Situation in Central Europe, Topics of Current Grants, etc.
Additional materials (1st round):
- CV (including a list of publications);
- dissertation project proposal (using the form).
Please send the additional materials in DOCX or PDF format to the department (religion@phil.muni.cz). All documents are to be inserted to the e-application ("Documents section") at the same time, deadline December 15. Applicants are requested to include their full name and application number in all attached documents.
The admission exam (2nd round) is based on the candidate’s presentation of the dissertation project proposal, followed by a discussion.
Note: Accepted applicants must submit proof of completion of a master's degree (an authorized conversion of the diploma, or, in the case of education obtained abroad, also known as nostrification) before enrolling in the program. Proof of completion of a master's degree is not required for the entrance examinations.
Criteria for evaluation
1st round: success limits 60 points (out of 100).
2nd round: success limits 80 points (out of 100).
Study options
Single-subject studies
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Full-time studies in czech
What will you learn?
Supervisors
- doc. PhDr. Luboš Bělka, CSc.
- Mgr. Jakub Cigán, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Milan Fujda, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Tomáš Glomb, Ph.D.
- doc. Mgr. Aleš Chalupa, Ph.D.
- Mgr. et Mgr. Radek Kundt, Ph.D.
- Mgr. et Mgr. Eva Kundtová Klocová, Ph.D.
- doc. Mgr. Martin Lang, Ph.D.
- PhDr. Dalibor Papoušek, Ph.D.
- doc. Alessandro Testa, Ph.D.
- doc. PhDr. David Václavík, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
- prof. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D.
Study information
| Provided by | Faculty of Arts | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of studies | Doctoral | |
| Mode | full-time | Yes |
| combined | No | |
| distance | No | |
| Study options | single-subject studies | Yes |
| single-subject studies with specialization | No | |
| major/minor studies | No | |
| Standard length of studies | 4 years | |
| Language of instruction | Czech | |
| Doctoral board and doctoral committees | ||
Do you have any questions?
Send us an e-mail
to
prof. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D.
Consultant
| e‑mail: |
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