Frequently asked questions about doctoral studies (FAQ)

Information for applicants

1. Who are doctoral studies suitable for?

You should enroll for doctoral studies mainly if you want to pursue research or an academic career in future. Alternatively, you may aim at a future career in strategic management and consultancy, where the strong analytic skills are required. To maintain motivation during your doctoral studies, you will need to have an area of interest that you will devote yourself to and invest a great portion of time into for four years.

You will also need to have a strong desire for gaining knowledge and learning new skills (e.g., deep understanding of theories, advanced scientific methods, writing articles, etc.), self-discipline, strong will and motivation to complete projects, willingness to work with other people (on projects, grants and publications), vigour to help with advancement of knowledge, diligence in studying literature and courage in preparing project applications and sending expert articles for review. PhD studies provide wide opportunities for international collaboration, freedom of exploration, and inspirational environment. You will be able to apply your PhD degree in an academic career, when joining a research institution or when working abroad, where it is usually highly valued.

If you prefer to focus solely on practical questions related to your business or management and leadership and gaining deeper understanding of these skills, MBA or DBA study programs may be a better option for you. MBA studies are now available through FBA Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE), see HERE for more information. A brand new Program Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) has been launched, for more information see HERE (if you are interested in DBA, please contact Ing. Marie Lopez at marie.lopez@vse.cz).

2. Why study a PhD program at the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) of the Prague University of Economics and Business?

As the only faculty in the Czech Republic, we can take pride in having an internationally recognized EQUIS accreditation. We offer a newly accredited four-year doctoral study program Management and Managerial Economics, which, under the guidance of experienced professors and supervisors, provides high quality study and support for own research activities.

To support research activities, we have a Research Support Centre and a Research Club, whose goal is to share scientific research information, experience, tips and suggestions, and to discuss upcoming articles, etc. The FBA financially supports participation in respected international conferences such as SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology), European Academy of Management (EURAM), European Group for Organization Studies (EGOS), European Operations Management Association (EUROMA), AIMAC (International Conference on Arts and Cultural Management) and other conferences which are related to the field of study of the respective PhD student, who can meet there colleagues from universities from around the world who work on similar topics. The FBA provides financial rewards for publications of high merit, especially to those published in international scientific journals. Research projects submitted by students within the school are also financially supported (approximately 20 research projects per year).

Recommended research conferences

3. What is the difference between full-time and part-time study?

Both types are for four years long with the possibility to extend up to five years. Combined (part-time / postgraduate research) postgraduate students mainly work on their own doctoral studies, full-time postgraduates also participate in the teaching and operations of the department (they are part of examiners committee, attend department meetings, etc.), for which full-time doctoral students receive a scholarship (15,000 CZK monthly, see the question 10 below for more details). Full-time study is significantly more often associated with further work in the academic sphere after successful completion of study. Some forms of support are available only for full-time PhD students (e.g. Erasmus internship abroad funding).

4. Can I work part-time or full-time elsewhere? Is it manageable?

Full-time students should not work more than part-time outside school due to time constraints. Full-time students are expected to devote min. 20 hours per week, otherwise study conditions are difficult to meet. We recommend that they pursue their doctoral studies to the fullest. The Prague University of Economics and Business offers a number of possibilities to improve financial situation of the students, for example by enabling them to engage in internal grant-funded projects and subsequently through rewards for excellent publishing activities. Full-time students must live in Prague or its vicinity during their studies, it is not possible to commute only once in a while.

External students usually do not teach and the workload at the department is significantly lower, so the time load is reduced. Otherwise, the same rules apply as for full-time doctoral students. Experience has shown that a significantly larger share of successful doctoral students consists of full-time students; students from the other group often do not complete their studies due to limited time capacity. External students sometimes commute to Prague from other countries. However, it is necessary to be present at the Prague University of Economics and Business at least once in a quarter, rather more often than not. During such visits, the student participates in lectures, consultations with the supervisor, exams or colloquia.

5. What are my chances of being admitted? What should I do to increase my chances?

The average success rate for admissions for the years 2017 to 2019 was 56%. It is advisable to elaborate a well-written outline of your dissertation and consult it repeatedly with the selected supervisor in sufficient advance. Feedback from your potential supervisor helps significantly when developing an outline that would later be realisable during your study and has a higher chance of passing the entrance examination. Your dissertation outline (required to be written in English) is one of the requirements set by the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA), with expected length of approximately 5 pages (excluding bibliography). The presented text contains an overview of the state of scientific knowledge in the given field (i.e. demonstrates primarily knowledge of relevant and current scientific articles in prestigious international scientific journals, especially those registered in Web of Science – here is where your selected supervisor can help you again) and outline of the goals and expected added value of your prospective doctoral dissertation.

6. How do I choose a suitable supervisor and dissertation topic? Can I propose my own topic?

To choose a dissertation topic, we recommend that you first look at the dissertation topics listed HERE. You will find names of supervisors with each available topic entered there. Choose the topic you are most interested in, develop an initial idea of how you would like to approach the topic and contact the respective potential supervisor. After reaching out to him/her, you can discuss the text together and make revisions accordingly. To choose a supervisor whose professional interests match your interests, we recommend looking at their publishing activities and experience with research projects. The supervisor must have an academic degree as associate professor or professor. During your study, the dissertation can also be discussed with other professionals who are not your supervisor (only one supervisor per student), but they can act only as consultants to the thesis. You may also propose your own topic, but it is usually better to select from the topics offered by individual supervisors and to specify your chosen topic after consulting with them. For Research Proposal Template, click HERE.

7. What do entrance exams look like? How is knowledge of a foreign language tested?

The entrance examination consists of a discussion of your dissertation’s goal. It is important to have a very good grasp of the issues you want to explore (i.e. especially of relevant and current scientific articles published in top international scientific journals). You must be able to defend the expected added value of your prospective work and convince the committee about its feasibility. The interview will be held in English. This verifies the candidate’s ability to study and conduct relevant professional discussions in English. English language cannot be replaced by another language. No further language test awaits you.

8. What documents do I need for the admission procedure?

For the admission procedure, you must submit the following documents by the specified date (mid-December or late May):

Fill in the electronic application form in InSIS HERE and pay the administrative fee for the admission procedure, information on which you will receive after submitting this application form. In the electronic application form, you include, among others, the name of the supervisor. The FBA requires the supervisor’s approval to supervise the dissertation (email confirmation from the supervisor is sufficient).
Application addendum and Statement of Previous and Concurrent Studies (“Appendix”), available HERE.
A certified copy of your diploma including the addendum and the final certificate (not the original, the certified copy will be kept at the Prague University of Economics and Business) even if you have studied at the University of Economics, nostrification of the diploma for students abroad. If you have not yet completed your degree, you must inform your Student Affairs Department agent and submit the document by the time of the university’s issuing of letter of acceptance at the latest.
Your own idea about the focus of your research and dissertation work specified according to the FBA requirements: FBA requires an outline of your prospective doctoral dissertation in the extent of 5 pages in English. The presented text contains an overview of the state of scientific knowledge in the given field, proposal of an interesting research question and delineation of the goal and expected added value of your prospective doctoral dissertation. For Research Proposal Template, click HERE.

9. How much is the tuition fee? Do I have to pay it all myself, or does the school support me?

There is a charge for studying in English. Tuition per one year is 500 €. Applicants whose articles were published in respected scientific journals in the field of business management (in journals in Q2 in Scopus or in Social Science Citation Index of Web of Science) may be exempt from half or all tuition fees. Each case will be evaluated individually and the decision to waive the tuition fee fully or partially is solely up to the Faculty. In addition, various scholarships can be obtained, whether for full-time students (see question 10) or scholarships based on publications in quality scientific journals (indexed in Scopus or Web of Science) and others. It is also possible to get an internal scientific grant for PhD students (see question 43 for more details).

10. Will I get a scholarship?

Yes, if you are a full-time student, you will receive a regular monthly scholarship for the duration of your studies (4 years) in the amount set by the Scholarship Decree for the given academic year. The doctoral scholarship is awarded in the amount of the minimum monthly wage multiplied by a coefficient of 1.2 and then rounded up to the nearest ten crowns, e.g. for 2026 it is CZK 24,960. The regular scholarship will be reduced in the event of failure to fulfill obligations.

In addition to the regular scholarship, you can also receive an extra scholarship for being published in highly-regarded journals, specific assistance at the department, teaching beyond the scope of duties. Additional funding can be obtained through internal research grants or active participation in conferences (see question 66 for scholarships).

For potential PhD students who already have published papers in international journals, there is a limited offer of additional scholarships. See more information HERE.

11. Do I need to submit a certified copy of the diploma? Can I apply even if I have not completed my Master’s degree? And do I have to hand it in, even though I studied at VŠE?

You can apply for the studies before completing your Master’s degree, but you must be aware that you can only be accepted after submitting a certified copy of your diploma, including the diploma supplement and the final transcript of records (even if you have studied at another faculty at VŠE). Only graduates of Master’s degrees at FBA VŠE are exempt from this duty. For students abroad it is necessary to add “recognition of higher education” for their diploma. These documents (certified copies, not originals) must be delivered to your Student Affairs Department agent in paper form by the date of issuing of the letter of acceptance at the latest.

12. How is recognition of higher education (nostrification) done?

There are two ways of getting foreign education (master’s degree) verified:

As a higher education institution, with institutional accreditation, the Prague University of Economics and Business is entitled, pursuant to Section 48 (4) to (6) of the Higher Education Act, to refrain from requiring a verification documents and is entitled to assess whether the given prospective student fulfils the condition of the law for admission to study. In this case, the applicant submits the application through https://edu.vse.cz/ .
If you want your degree in the Czech Republic to be verified for use for purposes other than admission to doctoral studies at the Prague University of Economics and Business, you must apply for nostrification. Since this process can be very time consuming, it is recommended to start as soon as possible. Here is how to do it: https://www.vse.cz/english/about-vse/information-and-regulations/recognition-of-the-previous-foreign-university-degree/

13. When will I get the results of the entrance exam?

The results of the entrance exam are sent within thirty days from the examination.

14. When do I become an official student? When does the enrolment take place? Is the enrolment procedure mandatory?

You become a student only after enrolling in the studies, which normally takes place in the first week of the semester, i.e. usually the third week of September for the winter semester or the third week of February for the summer semester. Only after the enrolment will the teacher or IT department with access to access card management be able to see you in InSIS. Yes, enrolment is obligatory, your signature on the attendance list gives your consent to enrol in the study.

15. Will you accredit my subjects from a different doctorate study?

No, as the specific subjects and their content are directly related to the accreditation of PhD studies at the University of Economics. The courses should prepare you for adequate work on the dissertation.

16. What do I need to get a “Student Mode” visa? (It is faster than applying for it just yourself.)

“Student Mode” facilitates the visa procedure for a specific group of students from third countries. It applies to students from the following countries: Philippines, Ghana, Iran, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, India, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Brazil, Colombia and Peru (the list is regularly updated and more countries are gradually added). If you are interested in being nominated for this special mode, it is necessary to inform the PhD Study Officer at FBA. Should you pass the entrance exam and should your diploma be recognized, you may be nominated for this mode. Responsible person: Ms Sabina Zukalová (sabina.zukalova@vse.cz) from the Department of Science and Research. For more information have a look HERE.

Important: If you are enrolled in Student Mode, do not apply for a Visa appointment by yourself – it will be done for you automatically, so please wait for the embassy to contact you. Being on the list of Student Mode does not guarantee a positive response to the visa application.

17. Where can I learn more about life in Prague? How expensive is life in Prague?

In general, Prague provides a safe and exciting environment with high quality of life and low cost of living. We recommend reading the website https://studyinprague.cz and especially the Life in Prague section. You can find more information about living https://studyinprague.cz/life-in-prague/cost-of-living/ , health system https://studyinprague.cz/life-in-prague/health-system / and other useful information.

Miscellaneous

18. Who can help me if I do not find the answer here?

If you need further information, please contact Ing. Marie Lopez Gutierrez (marie.lopez@vse.cz) and Ing. Blanka Helclová (blanka.helclova@vse.cz). They will either provide an answer or they may connect you with the responsible person.

19. Can I park on the campus?

No, students are not entitled to parking spaces. They may be given exception if they are also employees of the University or if they participate to a large extent in major projects carried out at the Prague University of Economics and Business.

20. What are the housing options?

The Prague University of Economics and Business provides accommodation through dormitories. More information here: https://accommodation.vse.cz/dormitories/dormitories/. The procedure for applying for accommodation can be found here: https://accommodation.vse.cz/students-accommodation/applicants-for-accommodation/ . Another option is to find a sublease or room-mate in Prague.

21. And what next after the PhD?

If you have studied PhD externally (combined), it will probably open some opportunities in your career. You will gain the respect of your business partners or colleagues and you may grow on the corporate ladder, however, you will stay in the current field. Significant decision-making usually occurs when successfully completing full-time doctoral studies, where graduates often continue their academic career. Whether you agree to continue working for FBA in the form of an employment contract or go on to develop your career at other universities or research institutions in the Czech Republic or abroad, some key research-related skills and outputs that you have learnt throughout your study will be essential for you. First, your prospective employers will want to know in what quality journals you have published. The better the results, the higher interest you can expect both in the Czech Republic and abroad. Another key skill will be your ability to write project proposals. There are specific grant opportunities in the Czech Republic and abroad aimed at PhD graduates that offer so-called post-doc positions for them. One example of a specific grant scheme is the GACR’s junior projects. Out of foreign schemes, there are grants such as Marie Curie Sklodowska Individual Fellowships.

22. Do I need a bank account in the Czech Republic?

Yes, it is necessary to have a bank account in the Czech Republic to receive regular and extraordinary scholarships.

23. Access to InSIS after graduation & Email account

Access to InSIS after graduation will remain forever, only its functionality will be limited.

Email address: It works for another 150 days in Microsoft 365 and another 30 days in InSIS. Then the mailbox is canceled.