PhD programmes

PhD study is formally organised within the four PhD programmes described below. These programmes allow PhD research projects to focus on a wide range of thematic areas guaranteed by particular supervisors. The applicants may discuss the selection of the most appropriate study programme for their dissertation project with their prospective supervisor.

Social Geography and Regional Development

The subject of study is the geographical organisation of society and its development. The programme is particularly concerned with, among others, analytical and synthetic evaluation of the system of settlement and the process of urbanisation; the hierarchical organisation of regions; territorial differentiation of social and economic phenomena and identification of the role of their conditioning factors. In terms of its applied dimension, this study relates to problems of regional development, administrative division, and locational aspects of various socio-economic phenomena.

For more information see the programme description at the faculty website

Regional and Political Geography

The programme explores regional and political geographies of the globalizing world at different spatial scales (from local to global). It deals with research topics such as (multi-scalar) governance, geographies of the state, nationalism, identity, elections, peace and conflict, geopolitics, politics of the environment, integration and disintegration processes, or institutional structures approached from the perspectives of political and regional geography.

For more information see the programme description at the faculty website

General Issues in Geography

General Issues in Geography as a programme of doctoral studies constitutes an effort to find the touching/intersecting topics which link the previous programmes of doctoral studies. It attempts to respond to the current rapid development of geographical fields as well as the development of a current landscape as a focus of geographical study by applying holistic approaches to how crucial problems our society faces are solved. The PhD programme is also focused on the issue of geographical education. The studies proceed in three thematic directions, integrating the character of geographic research:

  • geographic thought;
  • landscape development; and
  • education in geography.

There is an assumption that one of them be a major focus of the PhD student’s research effort. The remaining two will allow a doctoral studies student to be firmly anchored in the general, integrating issues within the geographic fields.

For more information see the programme description at the faculty website

Didactics of Geography

The main aim of the doctoral study program Didactics of Geography is to educate and train experts participating in geographical monitoring and innovation of education in the Czech Republic. The graduate gains a deep insight into the field of geography teaching by acquiring professional skills in didactics of geography, geography, pedagogy, psychology, IT and sociology, that are necessary to solve multidisciplinary problems. The graduate is prepared to do scientific work in a team or individually, to teach and manage activities in the field of geographical education.