Provision of the Vice-Dean for Study P5
On the Submission of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and advanced Master´s Theses at the Faculty of Science, USB

on 1.11.2024

1. Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral theses (hereinafter “theses”) are published according to § 47b of Act No. 111/1998 Col. as amended (hereinafter “the Act”). The details of the method applied at USB are set by Provision of the Rector No. R 452 from 4.12.2010 (hereinafter “Provision R 452”) and for students of FSci USB also by this Provision.

2. The student is to submit to the Department of Student Affairs of FSci USB within the prescribed time period:

• a printed page listing the bibliographical details, annotations of the thesis, and a declaration in accordance with Article 4 of this Provision,
• in the case of a thesis containing published publications, a document with the student's declaration of their contribution to the published work as a percentage confirmed by the co-authors (confirmation for all co-authors may be issued by the corresponding author if he/she is not the student himself/herself),
• in the case of a thesis submitted only in full, but which contains published publications, a letter with the consent of the copyright holder^[1],
• in the case of postponed publication of a thesis, a statement of reasons containing the signatures of the author of the thesis and the supervisor, and the consent of the Dean,
• in the case of a thesis containing classified information, a statement of reasons containing the signatures of the author and the supervisor of the thesis^[2].

3. Electronic versions of a thesis entered into IS STAG

3.1 Format of electronic version of the thesis

• the text of the thesis is entered in PDF/A format without watermarks,
• electronic attachments are inserted compressed into a single file in ZIP format,
• the name of the uploaded files is to have the obligatory structure Surname_Name_year_type of thesis [BT/MT/RT] (_attachments), for example pdf,

in the case of attachments Smith_John_2020_BT_attachments.zip.

3.2 Entered versions and their publication

For the purposes of this provision, a full version of a thesis is one that contains the unabridged text of the thesis and any attachments convertible into electronic form. If the result of the thesis is software, the full version is to include its complete source code stored in an attachment to the text section.

For the purposes of this provision, an abbreviated version of a thesis means one that contains a text, some parts of which have been deleted and duly marked, or replaced by complete bibliographic data and an abstract, if a publication of which the student is the author or co-author has been published. If the result of the work is software, the abbreviated version is to include its complete source code stored in an appendix to the text section.

The following options are available for entering a thesis into IS STAG:

   a) If the thesis does not contain publications subject to the copyright of third parties (e.g., publishers), parts intended for deferred publication, or information classified according to a special regulation or contractual cooperation with a partner/s of USB, the student is to upload only the full version for publication into IS STAG.

   b) If the thesis contains already published parts and the student has the written consent of the copyright holder of the published work (typically the publisher of the publication, if it is not published in open access) with the inclusion of the work in a publicly available version of the qualification thesis, the student is to upload only the full version intended for publication into IS STAG, along with the student's declaration of their share in the published work in percent, confirmed by the co-authors, entered after the page with bibliographic data.

   c) If the thesis contains already published publications or manuscripts accepted for publication, but the student does not have the consent of the copyright holder to include them in a publicly available version of the qualification thesis, the student is to upload an abbreviated version for publication and a full version as a non-published attachment into IS STAG. In both forms, a page with the student's declaration of their share in the published work in percent, confirmed by the co-authors, is to be entered after the bibliographic data page. In the abbreviated version, bibliographic data and an abstract are always to be entered instead of the published thesis. In the case of a thesis demonstrably accepted for publication, the publisher of the journal or book where the manuscript is to be published is to be listed as well as information on the present stage of publication of the manuscript.

   d) If there is an intention to publish the qualifying thesis or its part or use it for the preparation of a patent application, the publication of the qualifying thesis or its part may be postponed with the consent of the Dean of the Faculty^[3], for the maximum period permitted by law. The student is to upload into IS STAG the version of the thesis that corresponds to the definitions given in points a), b) or c) of this article as a file permitted for publication no later than after the expiration of the statutory period.

   e) If the thesis contains classified information according to special regulations or based on a contract between USB, or an institution implementing a study programme in cooperation with USB, with an external partner, the student is to upload the full version of the thesis into IS STAG as a non-published attachment and an abbreviated version for publication which is to contain, enter after the bibliographic data page a document^[4] justifying the redaction of certain parts along with a link to the document on the basis of which the relevant part is classified. The justification is to include the signatures of the author of the thesis and the supervisor, as well as the consent of the Dean. The original version of the justification is to be delivered by the student to the Department of Student Affairs along with the documents meeting point 2 of this Provision.

4. Formal requirements of the thesis

4.1 The edges of the presented thesis are to be adjusted so that the edge at the back is 3 cm and the outer edge is 2.2 cm. The work is to be written in Times New Roman font size 12, line spacing is 1.5, text of the thesis aligned in block style.

4.2 The thesis is to begin with a title page containing:

• name of the university and name of the faculty,
• title of the thesis,
• type of thesis ("Bachelor’s thesis", "Master‘s thesis", "RNDr. thesis"),
• name and surname of the student and his/her titles,
• name, surname, and titles of the supervisor, if one has been appointed (if the supervisor is not an employee of the Faculty of Science of University of South Bohemia an abbreviation of the name of the supervisor or their employer) and the consultant (if appointed),
• place ("České Budějovice"),
• year of completion.

The language on the title page is to be the same as the language of the whole thesis. Examples of title pages for different types of thesis are attached (P3a-c) to this Provision. The form of the title page is binding.

4.3 Following the title page is to be inserted the page listing the bibliographic details of the thesis, including:

• the complete bibliographic details of the thesis, in which, after the Czech version of the name is to be inserted, in brackets, the English translation with the note: X thesis, in Czech, where instead of X, according to the study programme of the student, there should be , Mgr., or RNDr.,
• an annotation of the thesis in English to the length of several sentences defining what the thesis is concerned with (what the thesis is about, not a detailing of results),
• if the work includes materials that cannot be published electronically (e.g., models, prototypes ...), information on the place of their storage is to be provided,
• the following is the text of the declaration:

I declare that I am the author of this qualification thesis and that in writing it I have used the sources and literature displayed in the list of used sources only.

If the student has used any of the generative artificial intelligence tools in writing the thesis, the following text is added to the statement:

I further declare that I have used the [INSERT NAME(S)] generative artificial intelligence tool(s) or service(s) in accordance with academic ethics for the purpose of [ADD REASONS].

Place, date.
Student's signature

Example - Master’s thesis:

Hora, A., 1999: The distribution and population structure of golden mice of the genus Aureomys in Central Europe. Mgr. Thesis, in English. – 63 p., Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. 

Annotation:
The distribution of six species of golden mice was studied in Central Europe including territories of the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Austria. For each species, population structure (sex ratio and age composition) was examined in at least two populations from each of the countries listed above.

The student's statement (detailed above), place, date and signature follow here:

4.4 Regarding a thesis of which parts are publications, a page detailing the contribution by the student to individual publications is to follow the page with bibliographical data and the declaration of the student. The expression of the student´s contribution is to be given as a percentage figure. This expression is not to be signed by the student or the co-authors (they are to sign the document submitted to the Department of Student Affairs only.) A page giving thanks to the supervisor, co-authors etc. may follow.

4.5 A contents page including the page number of the beginnings of individual chapters is to follow.

4.6 The title page, page with bibliographic data, and other pages including a contents page (list of chapters and page placement) are to be either without page numbers, with Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, V, VI ....), or, unless there are more than 4 pages, with small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv). Numbering with Arabic numerals is to start with number 1 on the page entitled Introduction and to continue throughout the whole volume including pages of attachments included with the thesis (i.e., after the list of literary references).

4.7 If the work contains results that cannot be converted into electronic form, such as models, prototypes etc., the electronic version of the work is to also include photographic documentation of such results.

4.8 If the thesis contains electronic attachments that are larger than 50 MB after compression according to point 3.1, the workplace where the defence of the thesis is to take place is to take responsibility for their secure storage in IS STAG. In such a case, the deposit is to take place before the application for defence can be filed.

4.9 If the thesis contains classified information, the student is to insert a statement of justification according to point 3.2 e) of this measure after the annotation and declaration sheet and in the place of each of the redacted parts in the abbreviated version insert the text “The following passage ranging from ... pages contain classified information and is contained in the full version of the thesis only, which is stored at the Faculty of Science, USB ".

5. In the case of deferred publication, the Department of Student Affairs of the Faculty will prepare one printed version of the thesis in order to comply with the provisions of § 47b, Paragraph 4 of the Act.

6. The provision P1 is cancelled.

7. This Provision shall enter into force on 1. 11. 2024.

RNDr. Tomáš Hauer, Ph.D.
Vice-Dean for Study

Annexes:

- P1 - application form - Request for Consent to Postpone Publication,
- P2 - application form - Justification for the Redaction of Certain Parts of a Thesis,
- P3 - templates of the title page of a Bachelor's (P3a), Master‘s (P3b), and RNDr. thesis (P3c); modification of the title page according to the example from the appendix is binding,
- P4 - Check-list - a guide for students submitting a qualification thesis

^[1]Not necessary if the thesis was published in open-access form.
^[2]Submission of such a thesis must be preceded by the Dean's consent to the use of classified information granted at least six months in advance (see Provision of the Dean D48).
^[3] The form set out in Annex 2 to this Provision is to be used to request consent to deferred publication.
^[4] The form set out in Annex 1 of this Provision is to be used.

Before taking the Doctor's Final Examination in English (OJZ 950), students are to acquire a credit from “TOEFL ITP for Doctoral Students – Examination” (OJZ 940) by submitting a certificate from TOEFL ITP (min. score 543), TOEFL iBT (min. score 79), or IELTS (min. score 6.5). The TOEFL ITP examination may be taken free of charge on dates provided by the Language Department.

The examination tests the ability to write a scientific text in English on a theme familiar to the candidate, the ability to present findings from the candidate's field, the ability to discuss a given topic and the ability to explain grammar phenomena from a specialist text.

The examination has the following parts:

Written part: written essay on one of six specialist themes familiar to the candidate and of a minimum length of 350 words; the topics are to be provided by the supervisor by no later than 1 week before the examination, one of which is to be chosen as the topic of the examination by the examiner. The examination is to last 2 hours.

Oral part: oral explanation of one of the topics provided by the supervisor (and that being a different theme than that chosen for the written part), discussion on the topic, oral analysis of an extract from a specialist publication, and explanation of given grammar phenomena from the extract. The oral part is to take place no sooner than one week after the written part. The candidate is to provide the examiner with the specialist material (a book, conference proceedings etc. of a length of no less than 100 pages in English and recommended by the supervisor) at the time of the written part of the examination. The examination panel may consists of, apart from the two teachers from the language department, the candidate's supervisor or a representative appointed by the supervisor. The examination is to last at least 20 minutes.
The exams are waived for students from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, English-speaking Canada and South Africa.

České Budějovice, 28th October 2020

Doc. RNDr. Marie Šmilauerová, Ph.D.

on 25th October 2011
as amended on 20th August 2024

This Provision arises from the current wording of Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Universities and on the Amendment and Supplementation of Further Acts (hereinafter “the Act”) in the wording of later regulations and from the Study and Examination Code of University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (hereinafter SEC USB) and specifies the conditions for study at Faculty of Science of the USB (hereinafter FSci). This provision is followed by provisions of the Vice-Dean and further internal regulations, which detail the rules and conditions for study on the Bachelor’s and subsequent Master’s study programmes at FSci USB. The provisions concerning departments are also valid to some extent for other organizational units of FSci USB.

Article 1. Study in Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes

1. General rules for the enrolment in and study of subjects, the granting of credits, and the conduct of examinations are determined by the SEC USB.
2. The content, form, and conditions of examinations in English or other foreign languages are established by a provision of responsible Vice-Deans.
3. The means of organization, provision and implementation of practice, excursions, and training events are established by the subject guarantor; in some eventualities they may be specified by a provision of the head of the relevant department of FSci, or Vice-Dean for pedagogical studies.
4. The placement of first-year students into groups for introductory courses is determined by the Vice-Dean for Study before the beginning of the semester. The student chooses his/her own groups for other courses as part of the enrolment process, unless the course guarantor or the head of the relevant department stipulates otherwise.
5. All study-related requests are submitted via IS STAG. If the application is incomplete or has any other defect, the faculty may request a completion. If completion is not made within fifteen calendar days, the application shall be deferred.
6. The Vice-Dean for Study shall decide on all disputed cases relating to studies and on applications made under the SEC USB and this measure. The student has the right to appeal to the Dean. The decision of the Dean is final unless it is an administrative act. Otherwise, the Rector is the appellate authority issuing the final decision.
7. Enrolment and refining enrolment of individual courses takes place twice a year, always for the relevant semester. Enrolment and refining enrolment are governed by the dates set out in the academic year schedule (academic calendar) for the academic year. Prior to the beginning of the semester, the dean shall establish the recommended minimum number of students for the opening of elective courses in a given semester; compulsory and mandatory elective courses may be opened with a lower enrolment; the final decision to open an elective course with a lower enrolment rest with the head of the department. Students are subsequently informed of the courses to be opened at least three days before the start of the advanced enrolment period by means of a list published in the news on the Faculty's website.
8. The student enrolls in courses in a set structure so that he/she can obtain at least 20 credits each semester by completing the enrolled courses. A student is allowed to enroll in courses with a lower cumulative credit value only if he/she has enrolled in or has previously completed all courses of his/her study plan open in a given semester that remain to fulfill the requirements for proper graduation. A student planning a standard interruption of studies (i.e., for full semesters) does not enroll, but informs the Department of Student Affairs ( hereinafter DSA) in writing of his/her decision at latest fifth day after the enrollment deadline. If the student fails to enroll by the deadline and does not excuse himself/herself within five days and request a change of enrolment date, the student's studies are terminated.
9. Until the end of the 3rd week of the teaching period of the semester, it is possible to cancel the registration of a course at the DSA and to register a new course, if the capacity of its scheduling action allows it. From the 4th week of the semester onwards, in exceptional cases, the Vice-Dean for Study may be asked to change the enrolment of courses only with the approval of the course supervisor. In the context of enrolment changes, cancellation of the enrolment of courses with block teaching ex-post is not permitted.
10. Teachers are obliged to announce at least two regular and two make-up examination dates. In the case of a small number of students (i.e. ≤7) in a course, there may be only three exam dates in total (the middle date is both a regular and a make-up date). It is mandatory to announce the dates in the IS STAG.
11. Teachers Lecturers are obliged to announce at least one regular and two make-up credit dates, unless otherwise specified in the course syllabus no later than in the first week of the teaching period of the semester. Credit dates are not obligatorily entered into IS STAG, but such entry is recommended. Unless the instructor of the course stipulates otherwise with regard to its organisation, the first term of credit is held on the date given in the academic calendar.
12. The student has the right to inspect his/her written work after its correction and classification until the end of the examination period of a given semester, at the time specified by the examiner.
13. The examination in the second make-up term is usually held before a committee appointed by the head of the relevant department of the FSci. At the request of the student, the dean may appoint an examination to be held before the committee on any date.
14. Students of cross-border fields of study are to present their printout from the information system of the partner university by 31 August of the relevant year.
15. The student who does not obtain at least 20 credits in their first semester of Bachelor’s or subsequent Master’s study is to have their study terminated according to § 56 para. b) of the Act.
16. The student who
       a) does not obtain in any four consecutive semesters in total at least 80 credits, semesters being considered consecutive even in the event of the student interrupting their studies, or
       b) even after a second enrollment does not fulfil the requirements of compulsory and compulsory elective subjects

is to have their study terminated. The provision under a) does not apply if the student has completed all the subjects in the study plan.

During the elaboration of the Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis, i.e. after the submission of the tender protocol, the student is required to enroll every semester in the Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis Practice course at the respective workplace where the qualifying work is assigned. The number of credited internships is to be determined by the study plan of the programme. After their exhaustion, the student is to enroll in an internship with a credit value of zero.

Article 2. Theses

1. The student chooses the topic of the thesis on his/her own or in cooperation with the of his/her study programme guarantor.
2. A student studying two programmes shall produce two qualifying theses, one in each programme. This condition does not apply to combinations of two fields of study - in this case the student will produce one thesis in the field of his/her choice.
3. If the thesis is to include information classified according to a special regulation or on the basis of a contract with a JU partner, the student, in cooperation with the thesis supervisor, shall request the Dean's approval for the use of such information on the form in Annex 2 of this measure. Consent must be obtained by the student no later than 6 months before the planned submission of the thesis. If consent is not granted, the thesis must not contain classified information. The above procedure shall also be used if the contract with the external partner is concluded by an legal entity cooperating with JU in the implementation of the study programme.
4. The thesis may include a manuscript of a publication of which the student is the author or co-author. If the thesis contains a manuscript, the following are also mandatory components of the thesis:
      a) A declaration sheet stating the student's contribution to the acquisition of data for the manuscript and the contribution to the writing of the manuscript, both expressed as a percentage and in words;
      b) A thorough literature review of the topic prepared exclusively by the student.

5. If the student is a citizen of a country sanctioned under a special regulation prohibiting technical assistance, the obligation to publish the full text of the thesis immediately after submission for defense applies.
6. Qualification requirements for thesis supervision are set out in the Dean's Measure D84 as amended.

Article 2.1 Bachelor Thesis

1. Students of bachelor study programmes choose the topic of their bachelor thesis from the first semester, but no later than the end of the examination period of the fourth semester of study[1]. The student is to submit the completed form (Assignment Protocol for the Bachelor’s/Master’s Thesis, which is Annex 1 of this provision) including all the necessary signatures[2] to the DSA, and a copy is to be submitted to the head of the relevant FSci workplace. If the thesis is carried out at a workplace outside the FSCi, the student submits a copy of the assignment protocol together with the original to the DSA.
2. The bachelor's thesis can be a research paper (i.e. a review and evaluation of published works on the given topic) or it can have a classical structure of an experimental thesis (i.e. an introductory review of the basic relevant literature, an experimental part describing materials, methods and procedures, results and discussion, or a conclusion). The bachelor's thesis may be a practically oriented project, especially for professional or educational programmes. The form of the bachelor thesis is specified by the department in which the thesis is carried out.
3. The student shall report on the preparation of the bachelor thesis at least twice during the study, namely:
      a) Students of the Biology programme at the seminar of the supervisor's workplace;
      b) Students of other non-educational programmes at a seminar of the supervisor´s workplace and programme supervisor´s workplace, unless otherwise specified by the programme supervisor[3];
      c) Students of educational study programmes at seminar specified in Measure P7 issued by Vice-Dean for Pedagogical studies.  

Article 2.2 Master’s Thesis

1. In the course of study in the follow-up Master's degree programme, all students choose the topic of their thesis, which may be related to their Bachelor's thesis. Unless the programme curriculum or the head of the department stipulates otherwise, the student chooses the topic of the thesis by the end of the examination period of the first semester of study. The completed form (Bachelor's Thesis/Diploma Thesis Assignment Protocol, which is attached as Annex 1 to this measure), bearing all necessary signatures, is to be submitted by the student to the DSA, with a copy to the head of the supervisor's department at the FSci. If the thesis is solved at a workplace outside the FSci, the student submits a copy of the assignment protocol together with the original to the DSA.
2. The thesis may take the form of a manuscript for a scientific journal accompanied by an extended literature review; the original data may be attached to the thesis as appendices.
3. The student shall report on the preparation of the bachelor thesis at least twice during the study, namely:
      a) Students of non-educational programmes at the seminar of the department of the supervisor and the programme/field[4] guarantor, regardless of the faculty of JU where they prepare their thesis, unless otherwise specified by the programme guarantor;
      b) Students of educational study programmes at seminar specified in Measure P7 issued by Vice-Dean for Pedagogical studies. 

[1] Students of the Biological Chemistry programme choose the topic of their bachelor thesis during the third semester of their studies.

[2] Students on the Biology programme are not required to have their assignment protocol signed by the programme guarantor; students on the study programme/field Biology for Education (double major), respectively of the the Biology programme with a focus on education for secondary schools, are not required to have their assignment protocol signed by the study programme/field guarantor if their thesis is to be written on a biological topic at FSci.

[3] I.e. if the workplace of the supervisor and the programme guarantor is different, the student presents the same presentation twice.

[4] I.e. in case the workplace of the supervisor and the programme guarantor is different, the student presents the same presentation twice. If the programme supervisor or his/her authorised representative attends the presentations at the seminar of the supervisor's workplace, the obligation of two presentations is considered to be fulfilled.

Article 3. State Final Examination

1. The State Final Examination (SFE) consists of a defense of the qualification thesis and an examination in the subject areas, which may consist of individual examinations or a single examination arranged in tiers.
2. Students apply in writing for examinations in the subject areas and for the defense of qualification theses. They must submit a completed application form for the defense of their thesis and/or for the subject area examination at the DSA on the dates specified in the academic calendar for the academic year.
3. The defense of the thesis may take place in a different semester than the examination from the subject areas. Examinations in individual subject areas may not be spread over several semesters, unless otherwise specified by special regulations.
4. Students may take the examination in the subject areas after they have completed the study plan of their programme and have obtained a number of credits equal to sixty times the standard period of study in years, i.e. 180 credits in Bachelor programmes and 120 credits in Master programmes.
5. If the defense of the qualification thesis takes place after the semester in which the student passes the examinations in the subject areas of the SFE, the student will only enroll in the thesis practical part for zero credits.
6. A record of the examination, or part thereof, is made. The chairman shall authorize one of the committee members or another person with the appropriate role for IS STAG to draw it up. The obligatory components of the minutes shall be determined by the measure of the Vice-Dean for Study P8.
7. If the particular parts of the examination are held separately, only the relevant part of the record is filled in by the person specified in paragraph 6, for which he/she is also responsible. The overall grade shall be completed by the registrar of the last part of the examination or by the DSA.

Article 3.1 Examination in the Subject Areas

1. On the application form for the examination in the subject areas of the SFE, the student shall fill in (if relevant for his/her field of study) whether he/she will take the examination orally or in writing. The decision on the option of the written form of the examination in the subject areas is the responsibility of the head of the department providing the course area.
2. Application for an examination in the subject areas may be cancelled by the student in the form of a request to withdraw from the examination at least three weeks before the date of the examination. Later withdrawal is considered an unsuccessful attempt to pass the relevant part of the examination. In justified cases, the Vice-Dean for Study authorize withdrawal from the subject areas SFE without loss of the term in less than three weeks prior to the course.
3. Questions from individual areas of the bachelor's SFE are available on the FSci website in the Studium section or in IS STAG for individual exams (subjects with the code XXX/SYY, where XXX is the department code and SYY is the identifier of the individual exam.
4. The content of the Master's degree subject areas/levels examinations defined by the department guaranteeing the programme and is available on the FSci website or in IS STAG.
5. Members of examination boards for subject areas examinations are appointed by the dean on the proposal of the relevant head of department, programme guarantor or vice-dean. The appointment also includes the appointment of the chairperson of the board.
6. The student is obliged to personally appear at the DSA for the final check of studies at least three working days for study programmes implemented exclusively at the JU or seven working days for cross-border programmes before the examination of the subject areas.
7. The bachelor's SFE of are coordinated by the Vice-Dean for Study in collaboration with department heads.
8. State Master's examinations are provided by the department that guarantees the student's chosen study programme. In the case of teacher education students, the exams from professional subjects are provided by the Centre for Science Education and the department of the Faculty of Education of the JU according to the combination chosen by the student in mutual coordination, and the exams from pedagogical-psychological subjects and didactics of biology by the relevant department of the Faculty of Education.
9. The student is informed of the time and place of the relevant part of the SFE at least five days before the event by e-mail. The information will be sent to the student by the organizing person or department.
10. If the examination in the subjects (subject fields) of the Bachelor’s examination or in subjects (subject fields) or levels of the Master’s examination is classified in certain parts with the grade unsatisfactory it is possible to repeat this examination once only. In such a case, the student is to repeat:
       a) In the case of Bachelor’s state examinations: only the examination in the subject field that was classified with the grade unsatisfactory;
       b) In the case of a Master’s state examination consisting of a single subject field: only the examination in the subject field which was classified with the grade unsatisfactory;
       c) In the case of a Master’s state examination consisting of a single unit organised into separate levels: the complete examination in the given unit.

Article 3.2 Thesis Defense

1. The thesis is submitted in electronic form by uploading it to STAG IS, in the form according to the Measure of the Vice-Dean for Study P5 as amended, before submission for defense. The manuscript of the thesis cannot be withdrawn after it has been registered by the DSA and the date of submission has been marked. This does not affect the student's right to submit a revised version of the thesis in the event of an unsuccessful defense.
2. The student may cancel the application for the defense by requesting to withdraw from the defense at least three weeks before the date of the defense. A late withdrawal is considered an unsuccessful attempt at the defense. In justified cases, the Vice-Dean of Studies may allow withdrawal from a defense without loss of term even less than three weeks before the defense.
3. The defense of the thesis is organized by the department where the thesis was assigned, with the exception of cross-border study programmes, for which the defense is provided by the department of the programme guarantor, as well as the theses from the fields of Teaching for Secondary Schools carried out at a workplace outside the FSci, for which the defense is provided by the Vice-Dean for Pedagogical Studies.
4. The bachelor thesis is assessed by at least one reviewer appointed by the head of the department or by the Vice-Dean for Pedagogical Studies on the proposal of the supervisor.
5. The master thesis is assessed by at least two reviewers appointed by the head of the department, or by the Vice-Dean for Pedagogical Studies on the proposal of the supervisor. It is recommended that one of the referees works at a workplace outside the FSci.
6. The reviews by the supervisor and referee(s) must be available to the student via STAG IS at least three working days before the defense; otherwise, the student has the right to withdraw from the defense without penalty. In this case, the head of department is obliged to organize an alternative date for the defense in the same semester. The head of the department is responsible for the delivery of the reviews by supervisor and the internal opponents.
7. If there is a serious discrepancy in the opinions of the reviewers, the head of the department appoints another reviewer. Article 3.2, paragraph 6 is not affected. All the opponent's evaluations of the thesis shall be considered during the defense. A serious discrepancy is defined as a difference in the evaluation of two grades or higher.
8. The defense of the thesis must take place even if the thesis supervisor or reviewers do not recommend the thesis for defense. In the case of negative opinions, the defense may be cancelled at the request of the student, with the thesis being graded as unsatisfactory.
9. The defense of the thesis is assessed by a committee appointed by the dean on the proposal of the head of the department in which the thesis was assigned. In the event that the department of the programme guarantor and the guaranting department differ, the programme guarantor or a representative of the department of the programme guarantor must also be a member of the committee. The members of the committee are all persons appointed for the defense by the Dean on the proposal of the head of department, including the reviewer(s) and the supervisor. The reviewer shall be a member of the committee; the supervisor and the supervisor-specialist, consultant and supervisor may be non-voting members of the committee. If the reviewers fail to appear for the defense, the grade proposed in the report shall not be included in the final defense grade.
10. The grade of the defense is determined as the arithmetic average of the grades of the individual members of the committee, so that the thesis is classified as excellent if the arithmetic average is lower than 1.50, as very good if the arithmetic average is equal to or higher than 1.50 and lower than 2.50, as good if the arithmetic average is equal to or higher than 2.50 and lower than 3.50, and at the same time if the majority of the committee members voted for the acceptance of the thesis and a failing grade if the arithmetic average is equal to or greater than 3.50 or if at least half of the committee members voted against accepting the thesis. In the event of a tie, the vote of the chair of the committee shall prevail.
11. If, during the course of the defence, there is a concern about the unauthorised use of data, information or texts of a third party, the committee may vote to postpone the announcement of the outcome of the defence. Within seven working days, the chair of the committee shall submit a proposal to the dean to initiate disciplinary proceedings, which shall include materials supporting the suspected disciplinary offence.  The Dean shall review the complaint without undue delay. If he/she agrees with the opinion of the committee, he/she shall submit a proposal to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee to initiate disciplinary proceedings. If he/she does not agree with the opinion, he/she shall inform the student of the grade and have it entered in the student's record. In both cases, the Dean shall also inform the initiator of his/her decision.
12.  If the thesis is classified with a failing grade, the thesis defense may be repeated once after the thesis has been completed/revised.

Article 4. Concluding remarks

1. If there are several language versions of this measure, the Czech version shall be binding in case of conflict.
2. The wording of this Provision valid from 31. 8. 2023 is annulled.
3. This amended wording shall come into effect on 1. 9. 2024.

prof. RNDr. František Vácha, Ph.D.
Dean of the Faculty of Science USB

Annexes:

• Annex 1 – application form - Assignment Protocol for a Bachelor’s/Master’s Thesis
• Annex 2 - application form - Request for Consent to the Use of Classified Information
• Annex 3 – application form – State final examination/thesis defense

This Provision arises from the current wording of Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Universities and on the Amendment and Supplementation of Further Acts (hereinafter “the Act”) in the wording of later regulations and from the Study and Examination Code of University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (hereinafter SEC USB) and specifies the conditions for study at FSci USB. This provision is followed by provisions of the Vice-Dean and further internal regulations, which detail the rules and conditions for study on the Bachelor’s and subsequent Master’s study programmes at FSci USB. The provisions concerning departments and institutes (hereinafter “workplaces”) are also valid to some extent for other organizational units of FSci USB. 

Article 1. Study on the Bachelor’s and subsequent Master’s study programmes

1. General rules for the enrolment in and study of subjects, the granting of credits, and the conduct of examinations are determined by the Rules for Study and Examinations of USB.
2. The content, form, and conditions of examinations in English or other foreign languages are established by a provision of the Vice-Dean.
3. The means of organization, provision and implementation of practice, excursions, and training events are established by the subject guarantor; in some eventualities they may be specified by a provision of the head of the relevant workplace of FSci.
4. The division of first year students into groups for introductory subjects prior to the beginning of the semester is determined by the Vice-Dean. The classification is published on the Faculty website. Groups within the framework of other studies are to be chosen by the students themselves during enrolment, or further enrolment, unless the subject guarantor or head of the relevant department determines otherwise.
5. All disputed cases concerning study and applications according to SEC USB and this provision are to be decided by the Vice-Dean for Study. The student has the right to appeal to the Dean.
6. Enrolment and further enrolment for individual subjects are to take place twice per year, and always for the corresponding semester. Enrolment and further enrolment are to take place within the dates established by the academic calendar for the given academic year. Before the beginning of the semester, the Dean is to establish the recommended minimum number of students for the opening of elective subjects in the given semester; compulsory and elective compulsory subjects may be opened even in the event of smaller numbers of enroled students; the final decision on the opening of elective subjects with lower numbers of enroled students is to be made by the head of the workplace. Students are then to be informed of the open subjects at least three days before the start of advanced enrolment through a list published in the news on the Faculty's website.
7. The student is to enrol for subjects within the established structure so that they gain a minimum of 20 credits for each semester by completing the selected subjects. The student is permitted to enrol for subjects with a lower sum of credit value only in the event of the student having enroled in or previously completing all of the subjects on their study plan available in the given semester which remain for them to fulfil the conditions for the regular completion of study. The student who is planning to interrupt their studies is not to enrol but is to inform the Department of Student Affairs in writing of their decision. In the event of a student not enroling by the established date and failing to justify this and to apply for a change in the enrolment date within 5 days, their studies will be terminated.
8. By the end of the third week of the teaching period of the semester, it is possible to cancel enrolment in subjects and enrol in new subjects, provided the capacity of the given group allows it. From the fourth week of the semester onwards, it is possible in exceptional circumstances to apply for a change in the enroled subjects to the Vice Dean, but only with the approval of the guarantor of the relevant subject. The fee for a change in enrolment is established by Provision of the Dean D 69 on the Fee Amount for Non-obligatory Administrative Tasks. Within changes in enrolment, it is not permitted to cancel enrolment in ongoing classes with block teaching.
9. Teaching staff are obliged to announce two regular and two retake examination dates. In the event of a small number of students taking the subject, there may be a total of only three examination dates (the middle date being both a regular and a retake date).
10. The student has the right, at a time established by the examining member of staff, to view their own written work after its correction and grading up to the end of the exam period of the given semester.
11. Second retake examinations usually take place before a panel nominated by the head of the FSci workplace guaranteeing the subject. At the student’s request, the Dean may require that any examination be held before a panel.
12. After the end of the examination period of the summer semester the student is required within the deadline specified in the academic calendar to deliver a hand-signed copy of enrolment form A printed from IS STAG to the study department with all grades and credits filled in. Delivery may take place in person, by post, or by e-mail by sending a scanned document from the student's school e-mail address. The dates of this checking are to be found in the academic calendar of the given academic year. Students of cross-border fields of study are to present their printout from the information system of the partner university by 15 November of the relevant year. Students in their first year of Bachelor’s and subsequent Master’s study are also required to present enrolment form A at the Department of Student Affairs after the end of the first semester of study within the term given by the academic calendar.
13. The student who does not obtain at least 20 credits in their first semester of Bachelor’s or subsequent Master’s study is to have their study terminated according to § 56 para. b) of the Act. Students on the Bachelor’s study programme are to obtain the declared number of credits from compulsory and compulsory elective subjects.
14. The student who
    1. does not obtain in any four consecutive semesters in total at least 80 credits, semesters being considered consecutive even in the event of the student interrupting their studies, or
    2. even after a second enrolment does not fulfil the requirements of compulsory

and compulsory elective subjects, is to have their study terminated.

15. During the elaboration of the Bachelor’s and Master’s thesis, i.e. after the submission of the tender protocol, the student is required to enrol every semester in the Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis Practice course at the respective workplace where the qualifying work is assigned. The number of credited internships is to be determined by the study plan of the programme. After their exhaustion, the student is to enrol in an internship with a credit value of zero.
    
    

Article 2. Bachelor’s Theses

1. Students on the Bachelor’s study programme may elect the theme of their Bachelor’s thesis between their first semester and the end of their fourth year of study[1] at the latest. The student is to submit the completed form (Assignment Protocol for the Bachelor’s/Master’s Thesis, which is Attachment 1 of this provision) including all the necessary signatures[2] to the Department of Student Affairs, and a copy is to be submitted to the head of the relevant FSci workplace.
2. The Bachelor’s thesis may be in the form of research (i.e., an overview and critical analysis of works published on the assigned theme) or may be structured as a typical research paper (i.e., an introductory overview of basic relevant literature, experimental part describing materials, methods, techniques, and results, a discussion of the results, and a conclusion). The Bachelor’s thesis may be (especially when regarding a vocational Bachelor’s field) in the form of a practically focused project. The format of the Bachelor’s thesis is to be specified by the FSci workplace at which the thesis was assigned.
3. The student is to report on the course of the elaboration of the Bachelor's thesis at least twice during the study, namely:
   1. for students of the biology programme: at the seminar of the supervisor's
      workplace.
   2. for students of other programmes: at the seminar of the workplace of the

supervisor and the guarantor of the programme/field[3].

4. If the work is to include information classified according to a special regulation or on the basis of a contract with a partner of USB, the student, in cooperation with the supervisor, is to request the Dean's consent to use this information on the form in Annex 2 of this Provision. The student is to obtain consent no later than 6 months before the scheduled submission of the thesis. Unless consent is given, the work is not to contain classified information. This procedure is to be used even if the contract with an external partner is concluded by an organization cooperating with USB for the implementation of the study programme.
   
   
5. The Bachelor's thesis is submitted in electronic form, in the form set by the Provision of the Vice-Dean for Study P5 as amended.
6. A student studying two Bachelor's study fields is to prepare two Bachelor's theses, one in each field. This condition does not apply to a combination of two fields for education - in such a case the student will prepare one thesis in the field of his choice.
7. The defence of the thesis is to be arranged by the workplace at which the thesis was assigned, except for cross-border study programmes, for which the workplace of the programme guarantor is to arrange the defense. The​ Bachelor’s thesis is assessed by an opponent nominated by the head of the relevant workplace. If there is serious disagreement between the supervisor and the opponent on the assessment of the Bachelor’s thesis, the head of the workplace is to nominate a second opponent. The provisions of Article 2, para. 10 are not affected by this. During the defence, the assessment of both opponents is taken into consideration. The thesis defence is assessed by a panel nominated by the Dean at the proposal of the head of the workplace at which the thesis was assigned. In the case of cross-border study programmes, a member of the commission is also obliged to represent the workplace at which the work was elaborated if this is different from the workplace of the guarantor.
8. The members of the panel for the defence are to be nominated by the Dean at the recommendation of the head of the workplace, including the opponent/s and supervisor. Opponents are to be members of the panel and the supervisor specialist/consultant is to be a member of the panel with no voting rights. In the event of an opponent not attending the defence, the grade proposed in the evaluation is not to be included in the final grade.
9. The grade awarded for the defence is established as an arithmetic mean of the grades awarded by individual members of the panel in such a way that the thesis is awarded with the grade of excellent if the arithmetic mean is lower than 1.50; with the grade of very good if the arithmetic mean is exactly 1.50 or higher, and lower than 2.50; with the grade of good if the arithmetic mean is exactly 2.50 or higher, and lower than 3.50 and as long as a majority of the panel vote for accepting the thesis (i.e. they did not award a grade of unsatisfactory); with the grade unsatisfactory if the arithmetic mean is exactly 3.50 or higher, and at least half of the panel are against accepting the thesis.
10. The student must receive the evaluation of the opponents at least three days before the defence; if this condition is not met, the student has the right to withdraw from the defence. In this event the head of the workplace is to organise an alternative date for the defence within the given semester.
11. The defense of the Bachelor's thesis must take place even if the opinion of the thesis supervisor or the opponents does not recommend the thesis to be defended. In the case of negative assessments, the defense may be canceled at the student's request, since the thesis has been classified as unsatisfactory.
12. If the Bachelor's thesis is classified with the grade of unsatisfactory, the defence of the thesis may be repeated only once after supplementation/correction of the thesis.

Article 3. Master’s Thesis

1. In the course of the subsequent Master's study programme, the student is to select the topic of their Master's thesis, which may continue that of their Bachelor's thesis. Unless the study plan of the programme or the head of the department stipulates otherwise, the student is to choose the topic of the thesis in their first semester. The student is to submit the completed form (Master's Thesis Application Form, which is Attachment 1 of this Provision) including all necessary signatures to the Department of Student Affairs, and a copy to the head of the supervisor´s workplace at FSci. The student is to present their Master's thesis as work in progress at a seminar of the workplace of the supervisor and guarantor of the programme/field[4] at least twice per study regardless of which USB faculty the thesis is elaborated at.
2. The Master's thesis may take the form of an article for a scientific journal supplemented by an extended literary review; the original data may be attached to the thesis as an appendix. The Master's thesis is to be submitted in electronic form, in the format of copies established by the Provision of the Vice-Dean for Study P1 in its current wording. The student who studies two fields on the subsequent Master’s programme is to write two diploma theses, one in each field. This condition does not apply to the combination of two fields in Secondary School Teaching - in this case, the student will complete one thesis in the field of their choice.
3. If the work is to include information classified according to a special regulation or based on a contract with a partner of USB, the student, in cooperation with the supervisor, is to request the Dean's consent to use this information on the form in Annex 2 to this measure. The student must obtain this consent no later than 6 months before the planned submission of the work. Unless consent is given, the work must not contain classified information. This procedure is to be used even if the contract with an external partner is concluded by an organization cooperating with USB for the implementation of the study programme.
4. The defence of the Master’s thesis is to be arranged by the FSci workplace at which the thesis was assigned with the exception of cross-border study programmes, for which the workplace of the programme guarantor is to arrange the defense. The head of the appropriate workplace is to nominate two opponents and propose a panel to assess the thesis, which is then to be nominated by the Dean. In the case of cross-border study programmes, a representative of the workplace at which the work was elaborated is also to be an obligatory member of the commission, if this workplace is different from that of the guarantor. The members of the panel are viewed in the same manner as in the defence of the Bachelor's thesis – see Article 2, para. 8. Grades arising from the defence are awarded in the same manner as in the defence of the Bachelor's thesis – see Article 2, para. 9.
5. The student must receive the evaluation of the opponents at least three days before the defence; if this condition is not met, the student has the right to withdraw from the defence. In this event the head of the workplace is to organise an alternative date for the defence within the given semester.
6. The defense of the diploma thesis must take place even if the decision of the thesis supervisor or the opponents is to not recommend the thesis to be defended. In the case of a negative assessment, the defense may be canceled at the student's request, since the thesis has been being classified as unsatisfactory.
7. If the Master's thesis is classified with the grade of unsatisfactory, the defence of the thesis may be repeated only once after supplementation/correction of the thesis.

Article 4. State Final Examinations

1. The state final examination (hereinafter, SFE) at the Bachelor's level of study comprises the defence of the Bachelor's thesis, and examinations from the subject areas. Questions from individual subject areas are available on the USB web pages in the section entitled Student. The SFE at the Master's level of study comprises the defence of the Master's thesis and examinations from subject areas, or one examination arranged into individual levels for the state Master's examination. The levels of the state Master’s examination are to be defined by the workplace guaranteeing the field.
2. The examinations of subject areas and the defence of the qualifying thesis may be completed in the same semester or separately.
3. The student is to apply for the state Bachelor‘s and Master’s examinations and for the defence of the Bachelor’s and Master’s theses in writing. The student is to submit the completed application form for the defence of the Bachelor’s, respectively Master’s, thesis for the subject area exam to the Department of Student Affairs within the dates listed in the academic calendar for the given academic year. The formal layout of the thesis or any other documents to be submitted when applying for the defense is established by the Provision of the Vice-Dean for Study P5 on the Submission of Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses at FSci USB. Before the submission, the students are obliged to upload the electronic version of their qualifying work onto IS STAG. On the application form for the examination in the subject fields of the SFE, the student is to state (if it is relevant in their study field) whether they will sit the examination in the subject fields of the SFE orally or in writing. The decision to permit a written form of examination in the subject fields of the SFE is the responsibility of the head of the workplace guaranteeing the subject field. The student may cancel their application for the examination in the subject fields of the SFE by requesting to be allowed to withdraw from the examination at least three weeks prior to the date on which it is to be held.  A later withdrawal is assessed as an unsuccessful attempt to complete the relevant parts of the SFE. In legitimate cases, the Vice-Dean may allow withdrawal from the SFE in the subject fields or the defence without the student forgoing the date and in a period shorter than three weeks prior to the date on which they are to be held. Withdrawal from the defence of a qualification thesis is possible only in justified cases based on a request to the Vice-Dean for studies. The manuscript of the qualification thesis after its registration by the Department of Student Affairs and the record of the date of submission cannot be withdrawn. This does not affect the student's right to submit a revised version of their thesis in the case of an unsuccessful defence.
4. The state Bachelor's examinations in the biology study fields, namely Biology, Biomedicine Laboratory Technology, Environmental Care, and Biology for Education are to be organised by the Vice-Dean for Study; state Bachelor’s examinations in other study fields are to be organised by the workplace which guarantees the given study field.
5. The state Master’s examination is organised by the workplace that guarantees the study programme selected by the student. In the case of students of Education, the examinations in the specialised subjects are organised by the FSci workplace according to the combination selected by the student in mutual coordination; examinations in pedagogical-psychological subjects, and didactics of Biology are organised by the relevant departments at the Faculty of Education.
6. If the examination in the subjects (subject fields) of the Bachelor’s examination or in subjects (subject fields) or levels of the Master’s examination is classified in certain parts with the grade unsatisfactory it is possible to repeat this examination once only. In such a case, the student is to repeat:
   1. in the case of Bachelor’s state examinations: only the examination in the subject field that was classified with the grade unsatisfactory;
   2. in the case of a Master’s state examination consisting of a single subject field: only the examination in the subject field which was classified with the grade unsatisfactory;
   3. in the case of a Master’s state examination consisting of a single unit organised into separate levels: the complete examination in the given unit.

Article 5. Final provisions

1. The wording of this Provision valid from 14. 7. 2020 is annulled.
2. This amended wording was approved by the Academic Senate of the Faculty of Science of USB on 28. 2. 2021
3. This amended wording shall come into effect on 15 March 2021.

prof. Ing. Hana Šantrůčková, CSc.
Dean of the Faculty of Science USB

Attachments (in the student form section):

• Annex 1 – application form - Assignment Protocol for a Bachelor’s/Master’s Thesis
• Annex 2 - application form - Request for Consent to the Use of Classified Information

[1] Students on the Biological Chemistry programme are to choose the topic of their Bachelor's thesis during their third year of study.
[2] Students on the Biology programme are not required to have their assignment protocol signed by the programme guarantor; students on the study programme/field Biology for Education (double major), respectively of the the Biology programme with a focus on education for secondary schools, are not required to have their assignment protocol signed by the study programme/field guarantor if their thesis is to be written on a biological topic at FSci.
[3] i.e. in a case of the workplace of the supervisor and the guarantor of the programme being different, the student is to make the same presentation twice.
[4] i.e. in a case of the workplace of the supervisor and the guarantor of the programme being different, the student is to make the same presentation twice.

Provision of the Dean No D62  
on the Organisation of Study on the Doctoral Study Programmes at the Faculty of Science, USB,
of 15 October 2013,
in the wording of September 15 2022

This provision arises from the valid wording of Act 111/1998 Coll. on Institutions of Higher Education and Amendments and Supplements to Some Other Acts (hereinafter the Act) and from the Study and Examination Code of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and specifies the conditions of study at FSci USB.

                          Management of study programmes and students

(1) The Specialist Board

Study in Doctoral study programmes takes place under the guidance of the supervisor and in accordance with the student's individual study plan (ISP). The professional level of the doctoral study programme is the responsibility of the Specialist Board (SB), whose members are to be appointed and dismissed by the Dean after approval by the Scientific Board of the faculty for no longer than the period of validity of the accreditation of the given study programme. Necessary changes or additions to the members of the SB during its term of office are usually proposed by its chair; a change of more than a third of the members of the SB is also subject to the approval of the Internal Evaluation Board (IEB) of USB.

The SB is to have at least five members. These may be professors and associate professors or experts in the field (with an academic degree of CSc. or Ph.D. at a minimum), who have been creatively active in the previous five years in the relevant field. At least two members should work outside the faculty or the institutions participating in the implementation of the given Doctoral study programme. Any institution accredited to carry out such a Doctoral study programme (hereinafter, an institution with extended accreditation) is to have a representative on the SB.

The Specialist Board is to:

1. prepare the admissions procedure for thestudy programme within its scope of responsibilities and propose to the Dean the composition of the admission board;
2. initiate and coordinate a programme of lectures, seminars, and other forms of study;
3. determine the requirements for ISPs of students and the requirements for their theses in the given study programme;
4. propose non-habilitated staff to the Scientific Board for approval as potential supervisors and members of the examination boards;
5. monitor the success of supervisors and take such evaluation into account when matching new doctoral students with individual supervisors;
6. propose to the Dean supervisors for specific Doctoral students and, in the case of external supervisors, faculty guarantors;
7. approve the topics of theses or changes to them;
8. approve ISPs and any changes to them;
9. inspect and approve student literature reviews on thesis topics;
10. discuss the annual evaluation of students' studies and monitor the progress of implementing their ISPs at least once a year;
11. submit proposals to the Dean for scholarships in specific cases (see Provision of the Dean D58);
12. propose to the Dean any withdrawal of scholarships and the subsequent termination of the student’s study, in the event of a serious non-fulfillment of an ISP (Evaluation C in the Statement of the SB to the Annual Report of the Doctoral Student);
13. determine the requirements for State Doctoral Examinations;
14. propose the composition of commissions for State Doctoral Examinations and thesis defences.

The Chair of the SB is to be the guarantor of the Doctoral study programme. Only an associate professor or professor appointed in a field that corresponds to the given study programme or a closely related programme and who has engaged in scientific activity in the given field in the previous five years can be a guarantor. The guarantor must have a full-time job at FSci USB. One academic staff member may be the guarantor of a maximum of one master's and one doctoral study programme comprising the same, close, or related content in the Czech language. The guarantor may also be the guarantor of a study programme of the same content conducted in English.

Any proposal for a change of study programme guarantor is to be submitted to the Dean together with a justification by the SB or the IEB. If the Dean does not agree to the proposal of the SB, the reasons must be explained to the SB. If the Dean agrees to the proposal, this is to be relayed immediately to the Deputy Chair of the IEB. The matter will be discussed at the next sitting of the IEB. If the Dean does not agree with the IEB's proposal to change the guarantor of the study programme, the Rector's Collegium will discuss the Dean’s reasoning and make a final decision. The guarantor is to be appointed by the Dean after approval by the IEB.

The Chair of the SB is to:

1. be responsible for the activities of the Specialist Board,
2. be responsible for the preparation of documents needed for the accreditation of the study programme and the evaluation of the quality of educational activities,
3. communicate the provisions of the Faculty / University concerning doctoral studies to the supervisors, especially external ones,
4. discuss with the student if they so request the adjustment of their ISP (see Point 10), in the event that they are or are to become a parent.

(2) Supervisor

Supervisors, supervisor–specialists, or faculty guarantors are entrusted with supervising students during their doctoral studies. The supervisor may be a Professor, Associate Professor, Doctor of Science, or other expert. If the potential supervisor has not been habilitated or does not have the title of Doctor of Science (DrSc. or DSc.), the SB is to submit a proposal to the Scientific Board in time for their inclusion in the list of supervisors for the given Doctoral study programme. The requirements regarding their professional qualities are similar to the Faculty‘s requirements for applicants for habilitation (the form for a proposal for inclusion among the supervisors is on the faculty website, under Documents/Forms/For employees). If a non-habilitated professional has already been approved by the Scientific Board for the training of Doctoral students in another programme, the Chair of the SB, who wants the person concerned to train students in the programme, is to send the SB’s decision (with the date of the approval) to the Research Office for registration.

Doctoral studies are, in essence, individual studies, the fulfillment of which is determined partly by the professional relationship between the student and the supervisor. The applicant registers with a specific supervisor, usually with a particular thesis topic in mind. The supervisor is to be proposed to the Dean by the SB according to the entrance examination protocol. The maximum number of qualification theses supervised by one supervisor at one time is determined by the Provision of the Dean D84. If the supervisor is not an employee of FSci USB, the faculty guarantor is to take on some of the supervisor’s duties (especially in matters of an administrative nature).

The supervisor is:

1. to provide the applicant with relevant information on the subject of their thesis before the admissions procedure begins, so the applicant can present it to the Admissions Board in the form of a Doctoral thesis project;
2. to participate in the student's admissions procedure;
3. to propose specialist–supervisors (or consultants) and the topic of the thesis;
4. to be responsible for the quality of the thesis topic and the professional guidance of the student;
5. to prepare, together with the student, an ISP and, in the event of study during parenthood, to participate in the adjustment of the ISP;
6. to monitor the course of study and scientific work of the student, provide them with consultation, recommend relevant literature, teach them how to perform when they present their findings in public, teach them how to access financial resources to support their project, help them establish professional contacts at home and abroad, and teach them how to pass on their knowledge to other students;
7. to be responsible for the student's involvement in research work and, together with the training institution, for the adequate material and financial support of their research work;
8. to evaluate the student’s progress each semester and, on the basis of this evaluation, award them a credit for the subject Doctoral Practice, and participate in the student's annual presentation at departmental seminars or doctoral conferences;
9. to regularly evaluate the student's compliance with their ISP and report this evaluation to the SB within the framework of the Student's Annual Report, or propose that the SB terminates the student‘s study in the event of persistent non-compliance.

For serious reasons, the SB may propose to the Dean a change of supervisor; this will be conditional upon the student having so far fulfilled their study obligations according to their ISP. When looking for a new supervisor, the SB is to take into account the student's proposal for a new supervisor, as well as the original topic of the thesis, the year of study, and the statement of the original supervisor. If a suitable supervisor can be found who is willing to take over the student's training (either in the original topic of the thesis or a new one), the Dean is to appoint them.

A specialist supervisor is a top-level specialist within a given area who, due to their professional knowledge or methodological and technical capabilities, can to guide the student within a certain area of subject or time period of Doctoral studies. They cannot replace the supervisor's primary responsibility for the specialist aspect of the student's studies.

Admissions Procedure

(3) Conditions of the Admission Procedure

The conditions of the admission procedure for Doctoral study programmes are announced annually by the Dean's Decision published on the Faculty's website. Applicants with a university degree in the Master's Degree Programme may be admitted to study in the Doctoral Study Programme. The applicant is to be accepted to study only after providing evidence of their previous education. Documents issued by a foreign university must be verified. The required verification methods for individual countries are determined by the Provision of the Rector R350.

Applications, including the required attachments, are to be submitted during a specified period electronically via IS STAG. They must contain the name of the study programme and the proposal of the supervisor under whom the applicant has agreed to conduct their thesis. The form of study is either full-time or combined (i.e., while the student is employed  and the student's thesis topic is not part of their job description). The SB may specify the requirements for applicants via IS STAG (in the study programme information section). Foreign applicants (with the exception of those from the Slovak Republic) are admitted primarily to English study programmes; if they demonstrate knowledge of Czech at level B2 at least (see the Provision of the Dean D80), they may be accepted into Czech study programmes. If the proposed supervisor is not an employee of FSci USB, the SB is to propose – before the commencement of the admissions procedure - a faculty guarantor who must agree to fulfill this function. At least one week before the set date of the entrance examination, the candidate must send an electronic draft of their thesis project (prepared in cooperation with their prospective supervisor) to the Chair of the SB.

(4) The Admission Board and the Entrance Examination

The Admission Board (AB) is to have at least three members (at least one of whom is to be a member of the SB) and is to be appointed by the Dean. If the potential supervisor of a candidate is an employee of an institution with extended accreditation, a representative of the given institution is to be a member of the AB. The Chair of the AB is usually the Chair of the SB. At least three members of the AB must be present at the entrance examination. The prospective supervisor is to participate in the meetings of the committee but does not have the right to vote. The content of the entrance examination is to include assessment of the applicant's proposal and creative work, their prerequisites for independent scientific and research activities, their ideas about their thesis project, including previous discussions with their supervisor, and their knowledge of the field. The examination may also include verification of the applicant's language skills. The AB is also to assess the technical and financial (grant) support for the chosen topic. The AB may stipulate that the candidate, who has been recommended to the Dean for doctoral study, complete up to five courses to supplement their knowledge of previous studies and vocational courses relating to the narrower focus of their thesis. The list of compulsory and optional courses for individual study programmes is to be found on the Faculty website.

In the protocol kept for the course of the entrance examination, the AB is to specify the supervisor and eventually also the faculty guarantor, the focus of the doctoral thesis, and whether other institutions with extended accreditation for the given study programme are to participate in student‘s training. If the focus of the thesis requires it, a supervisor–specialist (consultant) may be proposed, usually on the supervisor's recommendation. The Chair of the AB is to ensure the signature of the head of the given department and the faculty guarantor if proposed, and in the event of the thesis being prepared at a institution with extended accreditation, the signature of the director of the given institution. If more than one candidate participates in the admissions procedure for a given study programme, the AB is to determine, based on the admissions procedure results, the order they are to be admitted if only a limited number of doctoral positions offered. The Dean is to make the final decision.

The training institution is to be either FSci USB or the institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, to which the accreditation of the student's Doctoral study programme is extended and which registered the student for training during the admission procedure (as confirmed by the Director's signature on the protocol). If the future supervisor is not an employee of either FSci USB or an institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences with extended accreditation for the given field, the training institution is to be FSci USB, albeit the supervisor is to be responsible for the financial support of the student above the standard scholarship.

Study conditions, study obligations

(5) Commencement and Changes in the Form of Study

Applicants admitted to study are to enroll before the set date. The basis for enrolment is the protocol of the admissions procedure and the Dean's decision on admission to study. The standard and maximum study period for Doctoral study programmes is four years and six years, respectively. Any interruption in these periods of study (a maximum of two years) is not to be included in this period, and a period of study interruption during a recognised period of parenthood is not to be included in the total period of study interruption. After reaching the maximum period of interruption, the student is to re-enrol. If they fail to do so and do not request an alternative date for re-enrolment within five days of the expiry of the maximum interruption period, their study is to be terminated. In justified cases, the Dean may allow the maximum study time to be exceeded.

During their study, the student may request or the SB may recommend a change in the form of study (if their study programme is accredited in several forms). The Dean is to decide on the application after receiving the opinion of the supervisor and the SB. The student may also apply for admission to another Doctoral programme. As a rule, the application should include an application for recognition of subjects, examinations, or other study obligations. It must include the consent of the Chair of the SB of the field to which the applicant wishes to be admitted or the courses they are proposing to study to supplement their original ISP. The Dean may recognise subjects, examinations, or other study obligations in the decision and may also decide to shorten the maximum study period for the new programme. The Department of Student Affairs is to pass on the decision of the Dean to the Chair of the SB of the field the student is leaving. The student is to acknowledge that by transferring to another study programme, the period of study in the previous, duly incompleted one, is included in the total time spent in their doctoral study. The previous course of studies will therefore be considered unsuccessful.

(6) Individual study plan

Within 2 months of the beginning of the course of studies, the student is to submit an electronic draft of the Individual Study Plan Form for a Student of Doctoral Study Programme XY and required appendices to the SB through the Department of Student Affairs. They will have developed this with the proposed supervisor based on the conclusions of the admissions procedure. The ISP is to include:

1. a list of courses set and recommended by the AB (or the Chair of the SB of the new study programme, if the student change their study programme), including the expected semester/year of completion, in addition to compulsory language courses and subjects listed in Point 8;
2. a general schedule of the work on the thesis topic;
3. a detailed plan for the first year of study (i.e., courses planned and a description of the work to be carried out, or possibly an internship at another institution).

The thesis project proposal that the student used during the admissions procedure will be attached.

The SB is to discuss the ISP and the Chair is to inform the student within three weeks of receipt whether it approves the ISP in its current form or requests its supplementation. The student must submit the revised ISP to the SB within 30 days of the date of the request to revise. The approved ISP is to be sent by the Chair of the SB to the student and the Department of Student Affairs (to record the fulfillment of the student's duties and to deposit the ISP in the student's file).

The ISP approved by the SB is binding on the student; its modification (e.g., any time shifts in the completion of courses, internships and appearances at conferences, minor adjustments to the objectives of the thesis, and so on) may be made by the student in the annual report. It is possible to ask the SB in writing for larger changes (e.g., to the assigned courses) with the consent of the supervisor no later than the end of the seventh semester of study; more substantial alterations, for instance in the objectives or topic of the thesis can be made at any time: these are subject to approval by the SB. Changes to the ISP as a result of parenthood are addressed in Point 10. After the SB approves the ISP, the Dean is to appoint a supervisor and a specialist supervisor and faculty guarantor, if these are proposed by the SB.

The elaboration of a thesis containing classified information on the basis of valid legal regulations or on the basis of an agreement within the framework of contractual cooperation with partners of USB or the institution where the student works on a thesis is possible with the Dean's consent (application form is to be found at https://www.prf.jcu.cz/en/faculty/documents/forms and there in the For students section ). If the elaboration of the thesis contains classified information and no consent has been given to its inclusion, the Dean may, based on the proposal of the Chair of the SB of the programme in which the student is studying, give at least half a year before the expected submission of the thesis additional consent for its defence. If this consent is not granted, the student is obliged to rewrite their thesis before submitting it for defence absent the classified information.

(7) Subjects Under Study

The student is to enrol in the subjects determined by their ISP and English language courses according to their periodicity and mandatory prerequisites and the schedule of their study so that they complete them in the standard period of study. Enrolment on courses  for individual semesters (within the dates given by the academic calendar) is mandatory. This is carried out via IS STAG by the student. The student has to be enrolled at least on the Doctoral Practice course in each semester. The only exceptions are internships and conferences, which the student can apply for immediately before they take place. A student planning to interrupt their studies does not enrol, but is to inform the Department of Student Affairs of their decision in writing before the enrolment deadline. If the student is unable to enrol for the subjects electronically (e.g. due to a stay abroad with limited access to the Internet), they are to arrange in advance their enrolment for the required courses with the Department of Student Affairs. If the student does not enrol within the deadline, fails to explain their failure to do so within five days, and does not request a change in the enrolment deadline, they will not meet the study programme requirements and their studies may be terminated. Students are to be notified if courses are not to be run (e.g., because of a lack of interest) at least three days before the start of the period of further enrolment amendments. They will be sent an email containing a link to the list of open courses published on the faculty website.

As part of further enrolment amendments, the student may request the following changes free of charge:

1. cancellation of enrolment in a subject that will not be offered;
2. cancellation of enrolment on a course whose schedule has been modified or created after the deadline for compulsory enrolment;
3. cancellation of enrolment, if the enrolment conflicts with the rules and conditions for the study plans of the given programme (especially subsequent and prerequisite subjects),
4. enrolment in a different subject or more subjects, if the capacity of the scheduled event allows it: if the capacity of the scheduled event is exhausted, the student must obtain the consent of the subject guarantor for additional enrolment above the original capacity.

If the student wishes to make a change in their enrolments, they are to deliver to the Department of Student Affairs (in person or by email sent from their school email account) a signed Enrolment Sheet B printed from IS STAG with the changes listed. If the student does not deliver this document by the end of the further enrolment amendments period, the enrolment made via IS STAG is to be considered complete and binding. The student may request later changes to their enrolments after paying the fee: (a) by the end of the third teaching week at the Department of Student Affairs (though enrolment in a new subject is subject to the consent of the guarantor); and (b) in exceptional cases by application to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies (the consent of the guarantor of the respective subject is also required) from the fourth week onwards. Within the scope of changes in enrolment, it is not permitted to cancel enrolment for already realised subjects with block teaching. The fees for changes in registration are set out in the Provision of the Dean D69 on the Setting of Fees for Discretionary Administrative Services. Cancelation of a course that is part of a student's ISP does not release the student from the obligation to complete this course by the end of the standard study period. Students are to be informed in advance about enrolment dates and further enrolment amendments via an e-mail notification sent by the Department of Student Affairs to the Doctoral students‘ mailing list.

(8) Other Duties

The duties of a doctoral student also include:

• individual work on their thesis, for which the student enrols for each semester of study as subject XXX^[1] 800 "Doctoral Thesis, Practical Part". Completion is confirmed each semester by the awarding of a credit by the supervisor;
• completion of the course XXX1 806 "Literature Review" no later than in the second semester of study. If the student enrols in July - August or December - January, they are to enrol in the course in the third semester of study. In cases of enrolment outside the normal deadlines (i.e. November, March - June), the course is always enroled in for the second semester of study with the possibility of submitting a free application for an extension of the research submission deadline (e., a postponement in the check for the fulfillment of obligations for the given semester up to a maximum of one year from the beginning of the study). The literature review presents an overview of current knowledge on the topic of the thesis. It includes a critical analysis and synthesis of this information, a setting out and justification of the goals of the thesis, and the methodology by which these are to be achieved. The requirements for the literature review‘s minimum scope are set by the SB in IS STAG. The student is to submit the review (after approval by the supervisor) in electronic form no later than the end of the tenth month from the beginning of the study to the Chair of the SB. If necessary, within one month of the student's submission, the Chair of the SB is to ask the student to supplement or revise the review. The credit for the fulfillment of the subject "Literature Review" is awarded by the Chair of the SB and as such expresses the SB's approval of its quality. Chair of the SB sends the approved version of the review to the Department of Student Affairs for archiving. If a credit is not granted, the student is to enrol in the course in the following semester and their scholarship is reduced until the credit is granted. (See Provision of the Dean D58 on the Amount of Scholarships for the Doctoral Study Programmes);
• an annual presentation of their results and information on their progress at a department seminar (or, with the prior approval of the SB, at a seminar of the institution with extended accreditation for the given programme). In the first year of study, the student is to present a critical analysis of the issues relating to the topic of their thesis with a methodology proposal and a thesis development schedule. Credit for the fulfilment of the course XXX¹ 805 "Doctoral Seminar" is to be awarded by the Chair of the SB;
• submission of an annual report on the progress of their study for the previous academic year (including the supervisor's statement on the student's work) by 31 October. All students studying continuously for more than 4 months as of 31 October are obliged to submit an annual report. In the report, the student is to state their activities relating directly to their thesis, while other activities are to be clearly distinguished by detailing them in the section "Other Scientific Activities". A student who interrupts their studies more than 4 months after the submission of the previous annual report shall submit a Partial Report (on the annual report form) regarding the fulfillment of their obligations during this period;
• pedagogical activity, at least 42 hours during the standard period of study in total (by the end of the fourth year of study). The obligation of pedagogical work applies only to full-time students in Czech study programmes. Pedagogical activity is considered to be:

1. participation in teaching courses at USB. The student is to be listed amongst the lecturers/instructors of the course on IS STAG as leading exercises, lecturing on the topics assigned by the course guarantor, and teaching online. The number of hours taught may be increased by a maximum of one half for preparation, if the student has carried this out at the time;
2. supervision of a bachelor's or master's dissertation. The doctoral student is to be listed on IS STAG as the supervisor. Twenty-one hours per semester of supervision of a qualifying dissertation is to be assigned;
3. supervision of a student project at an international summer school. The doctoral student is to be listed as a project leader in published materials from the summer school. A maximum of 20 hours is to be assigned for the supervision of one project;
4. active participation in the provision of professional content for excursions and field-work. Only those hours spent by the student explaining and demonstrating are counted, to increase by a maximum of one-half again for preparation if the student carried this out at the time;
5. review of a Bachelor's thesis (6-8 hours for each one), SGA projects (1.5-2 hours for each one), or a SOČ thesis as a part of the admissions procedure (1.5-2 hours for each one);
6. supervision of an SOČ thesis – the doctoral student is to be listed on the submitted work as the supervisor of the thesis (a maximum of 15 hours per SOČ thesis is to be assigned),
7. lecturing at student research competitions ("olympiads“), special events for talented high school students (Week of the Contemporary Biology, MOLBIB, etc.), or at the FSci USB Open Day or the Institute of the Czech Academy of Science (if it is the student's training institution).

One hour of teaching practice is considered to be 45 minutes of direct teaching or 60 minutes of other activities. The student is entitled to reimbursement for pedagogical work from the Faculty. They may apply for this at the end of the examination period for the previous semester; they are to submit a completed Application for Reimbursement form to the Department of Student Affairs; the Department of Student Affairs is to ensure the agreement of the responsible persons that the reported hours were taught. The staff of the Department of Student Affairs are to record the hours taught required to fulfill the student’s pedagogical obligations. If the student has fulfilled their pedagogical obligations according to Point (g) above or has already been reimbursed, they are to obtain a certificate of lessons from the person guaranteeing the event and submit it to the Department of Student Affairs;

• personal presentation of their results at an international conference (i.e., a conference where the language of the meeting is English or, with the approval of the SB, another world language other than Czech or Slovak), registered as study subject XXX¹ 907 "Conference Presentation (in foreign language)" at least once during the standard time of study. Credit for fulfillment – the student is to submit a copy of the poster or copies from the collection of abstracts – is awarded by the Chair of the SB. The student may apply to the Faculty for a financial contribution to participate in the conference^[2];
• completion of an internship at a renowned foreign scientific institution. The recommended total length of the internship abroad is 3 months, the minimum total length is 1 month. It is possible to complete the internship as several separate stays, each lasting at least two weeks. Depending on the length of stay, the student enrolls in courses FBI 801 – 803 "Internship abroad for doctoral students, II. or III." (The duration of the internship is, respectively, 2 to 4 weeks, 1 to 3 months, or more than 3 months). It is also possible to recognise as an internship field work abroad with an important foreign researcher, during which the student learns new methods, or techniques of subsequent processing of samples and data. Credit is awarded by the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies upon confirmation from the visited institution or employee that states the length of stay and the nature of the internship. The student can apply to the Faculty for a financial contribution towards an internship abroad²;
• publication of at least some of the results of the thesis (i.e., verifiable confirmation of acceptance of the manuscript by the editors of a scientific journal, and so on). Publication requirements are set out below (Point 13);
• listing the affiliation to the Faculty/University on all published output in connection with the thesis;
• evaluating the completed courses in the Student Evaluation of Study.

Students studying the majority of their Doctoral studies in combined form have the same obligations as full-time students, with the exception of pedagogical activities. Students studying in English have the same obligations as students studying in Czech, again with the exception of pedagogical activities. A student who transfers from full-time to part-time study later at the end of the second year will have completed a proportion of the compulsory pedagogical practice.

The Department of Student Affairs is to check the fulfillment of study obligations at the beginning of each academic year and for students who began their studies at the beginning of the summer semester after the end of the first year of study using data registered in IS STAG. The awarding of a credit for the Doctoral Thesis, Practical Part course is checked by the Department of Student Affairs at the end of each semester. It is in the student's interest to deliver the required documents proving the fulfillment of non-teaching courses (e.g., the presentation of results at an international conference or internship abroad) to the Chair of the SB and the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies and to check (via IS STAG) that their credits and examination results are properly recorded. (See Provision of the Dean D89 on the Recording of Study Results).

If the students do not exercise their right to dispute the evaluation assigned by the teachers via IS STAG within 14 days from the end of the examination period, they will be considered to have agreed with the evaluation. If a student does not complete a course (i.e., they receive a "fail" or do not obtain a credit), they may re-enrol. However, a subject listed in the ISP as mandatory may only be repeated once; a second failure will lead to termination of their study. For the English exam, special rules apply; please see the provision of the Vice-Dean P3. Students from selected English-speaking countries (i.e., the United Kingdom, the United States, English-speaking parts of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, and Jamaica) are exempt from the English examination if they provide a graduate diploma from a respective university of that country.

The SB may in exceptional cases allow a student to perform some of their duties to a more limited extent; the student must apply in writing for such permission to the SB through the Department of Student Affairs, stating their reasons and including an opinion from their supervisor. After the application has been discussed by the SB, the Chair is to communicate the board‘s opinion to the student through the Department of Student Affairs. Requests and the granting or refusal of exceptions are archived by the Department of Student Affairs.

The period of examination validity within a particular study is not limited. In the case of repeated studies or studies on another programme, the Dean may recognise examinations that were passed previously and any credits if no more than 5 years have elapsed since the completion/termination of previous doctoral studies at FSci USB. The student is to attach to the application for recognition of previously completed courses a consent of their guarantors or, in the case of the State Doctoral Examination, and provided they study in the same field, the statement of the Chair of the SB.

(9) Scholarships

Full-time students may be awarded a basic scholarship for the standard period of study, the amount of which is to be set according to the fulfillment of study obligations and determined by Provision of the Dean D58 on the Amount of Scholarships for Doctoral Students. The student's supervisor may apply to the Dean for an increase in the scholarship if they satisfy the conditions; the application form is on the Faculty' website, Documents / Forms / For employees). All previous unsuccessful studies in accredited doctoral programmes are included in the completed period of study. Failure to fulfill the aforementioned obligations is penalised by a reduction in the scholarship (see Provision of the Dean D58); repeated failure to fulfill obligations may be a reason for the termination of studies.

Concurrence of study and child care

(10) Child care

During maternity or parental leave (hereinafter referred to as the "recognised period of parenthood", or RPP), the student may

1. interrupt their study at any The RPP is not then included in the total study interruption period),
2. continue studying. In this case, they have a right

- to extend the deadlines for fulfilling study obligations, as well as for fulfilling the requirements for advancement to the next semester or year, by the duration of maternity leave (up to 28 weeks for one child and up to 37 weeks for multiple children, starting 6 weeks before the expected date of childbirth, or 22 or 31 weeks after childbirth respectively);

- to extend the deadlines for fulfilling study obligations throughout the entire RPP.

These rights are to be applied in the form of modifications to the ISP. The adjustment of the ISP is to take place on the basis of a written request from the student, which is to be submitted to the Department of Student Affairs, usually before the start of the RPP but no later than 4 weeks after its start or 4 weeks after re-enrolment after study interruption. The Department of Student Affairs shall forward the request to the chair of the SB without delay. The ISP is to be modified within 4 weeks of receiving the request by the Chair of the SB in agreement with the student, their supervisor, or the Vice-Dean for Doctoral studies. To be valid, the adjustment of the ISP must be confirmed at least by the signatures of the student and the Chair of the SB. One copy of the modified ISP is to be received by the student, one by the Chair of the SB, and one is to be archived in the Department of Student Affairs (in the student's file). An adjustment may be made for the entire RPP or made gradually for each academic year (in which case the student must request a new ISP adjustment at least 4 weeks before the end of the foregoing academic year). The adjusted ISP is a binding study schedule for a defined period, according to which the fulfillment of study obligations is monitored.

The documents needed to register an RPP are specified in the Provision of the Rector R246. The Dean is to issue the student with a decision to interrupt study during the RPP if they request so along with a statement that they take note of the RPP in the event of the student only reporting the beginning of parenthood without the need to interrupt or change their ISP. The SB is responsible for approving changes to the ISP.

The State Doctoral Examination

(11) Registration for the Examination

After fulfilling their pedagogical duties, presenting their findings at an international conference, completing the courses set out in their ISP, and passing an English exam, the student may apply for the State Doctoral Examination – by submitting a completed application form for the State Doctoral Examination to the Department of Student Affairs. The first attempt at the State Doctoral Examination always precedes the defence of the thesis. In the case of "fail“ grade, the examination may be repeated (once), 2 months at the earliest and within 1 year at the latest; a possible interruption of studies or the equivalent of maternity leave is not included in this period. The student must successfully pass the examination no later than 1 year after the end of the standard study period.

(12) The State Doctoral Examination Board and Examination Procedure

The SB is to propose the members and the Chair of the State Doctoral Examination Board (hereinafter SDEB). Only Professors, Associate Professors, and experts approved by the Scientific Board may be members of the SDEB. The SDEB is to have five to nine members. At least two members are not to be employees of FSci USB. If the SB proposes an expert without a habilitation or the title of Doctor of Science as a member of the SDEB, it is obliged to submit a written justification of its proposal to the Scientific Board for approval. A supervisor and a consultant may also be appointed members of the SDEB. According to the dispositions of the Chair of the SB (or the Chair of the SDEB), the Department of Student Affairs is to inform the members of the SDEB about their appointments and the student (no later than 3 weeks before the examination) regarding the composition of the SDEB and the date and place of the examination.

The State Doctoral Examination is a comprehensive examination of the student's knowledge, their ability to acquire a deep knowledge of the issues they deal with in their thesis (as well as its broader context), and their ability to evaluate and use the relevant information creatively. The student may request that the SB specifies the scope of requirements and focus of the examination.

For Czech doctoral programmes, the examination is conducted in Czech, and for English programmes in English. An alternative language is only possible if the student is acquainted with this fact at least 14 days before the examination date and gives their written consent. The course of the State Doctoral Examination and the announcement of the result are to be public. The participation of at least five members of the SDEB is required. The SDEB decides on the result of the examination by secret ballot. The examination is to be classified as a "passed" or "fail" - the former if an absolute majority of the present members of the SDEB vote for it. In the event of an equal vote, the opinion of the Chair of the SDEB is decisive. In all other cases, the resulting classification is to be a "fail".

If student resits, at least half of the members of the SDEB are to be replaced. The student is to re-register within the set deadline, and the subsequent procedure is the same as for the first examination.

If, due to a crisis or extraordinary measures, the student is not able to be physically present, the examination may take place remotely or in private if an audiovisual recording is made during the examination, which will be kept for five years. Where measures allow, the student is to be present with at least one member of the SDEB (usually the Chair); the other members may be present online. The Chair of the SB is responsible for ensuring that the recording is made and submitted to the Department of Student Affairs and that a secret vote is conducted. The minutes shall state the form of the examination (in person or partly or emtirely online); whether all appointed members of the SDEB took part (and, in the case of a hybrid form, how many were present in person and how were many online); the tool used for voting; the course of the examination itself (i.e., the questions); and the result. In the case of an online examination, a screenshot with a list of remotely connected participants and a screenshot with the voting results are to be attached to the record.

The Thesis and its Defence

(13) Content of the Thesis

The thesis may be written in Czech or English, or another language if approved by the SB. It can take the form of (a) an annotated set of at least three publications or manuscripts of which the student is (co-)author, or (b) a manuscript containing all the results of the research, supplemented by the publications created during the study. The first form is preferred.

In both cases, the thesis must contain a joint introduction (e.g., a literature review) and a summary of the results with conclusions evaluating the impact of the thesis on the further development of the field. The minimum scope of these sections (excluding the list of publications and captions to figures and tables) is to be 10 standard pages and not be a copy of the abstracts or conclusions taken from individual publications. At least part of the thesis must be accepted for publication or published in a journal that has reached an impact factor (IF) of at least 0.5 in the last 4 years. The applicant must be the first author of at least one published paper (or a paper accepted for publication) that is part of the thesis. It is not permissible for two Doctoral students to have the same publication as the only first-author publication with a so-called shared primary authorship. If a publication used as a rigorous thesis is included in the doctoral thesis, it is not to be included amongst the publications used to meet the minimum requirements (one as first-author and one in a journal with an IF of at least 0.5). The SB may specify stricter requirements for the given field regarding the scope of the introduction and summary or the number of included publications and minimum IF, but at the same time, it is to take into account the maximum allowed length of study.

(14) Submission of the Thesis

Before printing the thesis, the student is to submit a manuscript of the prepared thesis in PDF format to the Chair of the SB to be checked for fulfillment of the research quality requirements of the SB for theses in the given field. It is up to the Chair of the SB whether they will carry out the inspection themselves or with other members of the SB. They are to communicate their opinion to the student no later than one month after receiving the manuscript and, in the case of a positive opinion, give their consent (in writing or by e-mail) to submit the thesis. If the thesis is to be published in a series of theses supported by the Faculty, the student is then to send it to the Vice-Dean for Doctoral Studies to be checked regarding formal requirements. Detailed information on the formal requirements for the thesis and on the procedure for its submission are to be found in the Decision of the Vice-Dean P6.

The Department of Student Affairs is to inform the Chair of the SB of whether the student has fulfilled all study obligations. The Department of Student Affairs is not to take any further steps regarding the thesis defence until all the required materials have been submitted in the required number of copies and until the Specialist Board has given its consent to the defence.

(15) Thesis Defence Board and Reviewers

The Chair of the SB is to propose in writing to the Dean the members of the Thesis Defence Board (hereinafter TDB) and two, exceptionally three, thesis reviewers (for non-faculty experts whose degrees, addresses, and e-mail addresses will be provided). The TDB is to have at least five members. At least two members of the SB of the doctoral study programme and one employee of the institution with extended accreditation (if the institution was the student's training institution) must be amongst the members of the TDB. At least three members of the TDB are not to be employees of the USB. In the case of experts without habilitation or professorship, the Chair of the SB shall submit to the Dean a written justification of their nomination. Reviewers may be members of the TDB. At least two reviewers are not to be from USB or from the institution at which the student worked on their thesis. The supervisor, consultant, or co-authors of the publication that is part of the thesis may not be reviewers or members of the TDB. The cover letter to the reviewers specifies the requirements for a thesis in the given field (provided by the Chair of the SB): information on the deadline for sending the reviewer's report to the Department of Student Affairs (at least 7 days before the defence) and a request for a statement as to whether the reviewer recommends the thesis for defence.

If the Chair of the SB is the supervisor of the defending student, they are to entrust the proposal of the TDB members and the reviewers to another member of the SB. Based on the proposal of the SB, in cooperation with the TDB, the Dean is to determine the place and time of the defence. The thesis must be made available to the reviewers at least 5 weeks before the defence. If a reviewer is not willing to work with the electronic version of the thesis, the date of the defence must be adjusted (i.e., to take place at least 6 weeks from the submission of copies of the thesis to the Department of Student Affairs). The defence must take place within 4 months of the submission of the thesis and all of the necessary documents if the student meets all of the study requirements.

(16) Organisation of the Thesis Defence

The Department of Student Affairs is responsible for the administration of the defence of the thesis. This includes the registration of all necessary documents; the distribution of appointment letters; an invitation to the supervisor, supervisor–specialist, and faculty guarantor; the distribution of the thesis, cover letter, and curriculum vitae of the applicant to the reviewers; an announcement of the defence date to selected faculties and institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences; publication of information about the location where the thesis will be available for public viewing before the defence – at least 1 week before the thesis defence – and of the place and time of the defence on the Faculty website; making the reviews available to the applicant and the Chair of the TDB no later than 6 days before the defence; placing the electronic version of the full text of the thesis on the Faculty website; sending information about access to the thesis together with the invitation to the defence to members of the TDB and additional administrative actions at the discretion of the Chair of the TDB. In the event of the deferred publication of the full text of the thesis, the Department of Student Affairs is to prepare one printed version of the thesis or use one copy of the thesis published in the Dissertation Series to comply with §47b Article 4 of the Act to be available for inspection in the final 5 working days before the defence at the Department of Student Affairs. If the defence takes place partly or entirely online, the Chair of the SB or an employee authorised by them shall ensure a connection for the members of the TDB, reviewers, and the public, and the tool for the secret ballot of the members of the TDB. Organisationally and technically (e.g., regarding a room and other requisites), the defence is managed by the appropriate Department according to the affiliation of the SB and in cooperation with the SB and the TDB. It is inadmissible that refreshments during the defence be provided or financed by the student.

(17) Testimonials and Language of the Thesis Defence

The student must receive the reviewer's reports no later than 6 calendar days before the date of the defence. If they do not, they have the right to withdraw – in which case they must inform the Chair of the TDB in writing no later than 48 hours before the scheduled start of the defence. In English study programmes, the defence is to take place in English, in Czech study programmes, in Czech. If a member of the TDB or a reviewer is a foreigner, the Chair of the TDB may decide to organize the defence in English. They must then inform the student of their decision at least 14 days before the defence.

(18) Steps in the Thesis Defence

The defence of the thesis is to be public and in the presence of the TDB, which is appointed by the Dean. At least five members of the TDB and at least one reviewer must participate in the defence (in person or remotely). The supervisor or the Chair of the TDB is to introduce the candidate. The student is to have a maximum of 30 minutes to present their thesis. The supervisor and all the reviewers are to comment on the thesis; the candidate may respond to their comments individually or jointly. If a reviewer is not present at the defence in person or remotely – the presence of reviewers is desirable and expected, particularly if they have expressed a negative opinion of the thesis), the review is to be read by the Chair of the TDB or an authorised board member. If written statements have been received from other persons, they are to be presented by the Chair.

The TDB is to hear and assess the student's presentation, the reviewers' opinions, and the discussion between the student and the reviewers and the student and the other participants in the discussion. This is to be followed by a closed meeting of the TDB, which may be attended without the right to vote by the supervisor, supervisor-specialist, faculty guarantor of the student, and reviewers, even if they are not members of the TDB. The TDB is to decide on the outcome of the defence by secret ballot.

The thesis defence is classified as "passed" or "failed". The former applies if more than half vote for it. In the event of equal voting, the opinion of the Chair of the TDB is decisive. In all other cases, the resulting classification is to be a "fail". If the TDB has arrived at a "fail" classification and determined that the work needs to be reworked or supplemented, it must specify its requirements in writing at the same meeting. The TDB shall decide on these requirements by a majority of the members present. If the student is awarded a "pass" despite the fundamental reservations of one of the reviewers, the Chair of the TDB is obliged to document in detail the answers of the candidate and the course of the defence. The progress of the defence and all required documents are added to IS STAG by the Chair of the TDB or a record-keeper authorised by them.

If some members of the TDB  participate in the defence remotely, the Chair of the TDB is to attach to the minutes of the defence a screenshot with a list of remotely connected participants and a screenshot with the voting results, indicating in the minutes which tool was used for voting. In the event that the defence cannot be public (neither presentational nor as online transmission) for serious reasons (§95c of the Act), the Chair of the SB is to ensure that the audiovisual recording is acquired and submitted to the Department of Student Affairs for archiving for 5 years.

Exceptionally high-quality graduates may be nominated by the Chair of the TDB or the Chair of the SB for the Dean's Award.

(19) Repetition of the Defence

In the case of a "fail“ mark, the the thesis can be defended once again,6 months at the earliest and 12 months at the latest after the reworking of the thesis in light of the comments of the reviewers and the written instructions of the Chair of the TDB, but without exceeding the maximum study time. In the case of a second defence, the student may request a change of reviewers or of the composition of the TDB. Otherwise, the second defence is to proceed in the same way as the first.

(20) Degree Award

Within 1  month of the completion of the Doctoral study programme, the student is to receive a diploma confirming the award of the "Doctor" (Ph.D.) degree in the Czech language (for study programmes accredited in the Czech language) or in the English language (for study programmes accredited in the English language). Along with the diploma, a Diploma Supplement is to be issued in Czech and English. This may be delivered to the graduate at the FSci USB graduation ceremony.

This document replaces the Provision of the Dean No. 62 of 13 March 2015 and takes effect on September 15th 2022.

This provision was approved by the Senate of the FSci USB on 3.9.2022.

prof. Ing. Hana Šantrůčková, CSc.

Dean of the Faculty of Science USB

^[1] the code of the department to which the Doctoral student belongs

^[2] Students are to be informed of financial support options each year.