Study requirements and characteristics of the admission procedure

Scope and Content of the Entrance Exams

Applicants are admitted on the grounds of the results obtained in entrance exams. The entrance exams consist of an interview, which focuses on the applicant's disposition for learning, their interest in the field of study, being knowledgeable in current issues on the African continent, applicant's basic political knowledge and motivation for the studies.

Applicants who have defended their Bachelor's or Master's thesis will present it during the interview in a printed form. The entrance exams in foreign languages are not held; however, the successful completion of the study require student's language skills in order to study sources in the English language. 

If an applicant of a follow-up Master's degree in Political Science – African Studies cannot personally attend the entrance exams due to a business, research or abroad study stay can request the Dean of the Philosophical Faculty, UHK in order to be provided with an extraordinary admission interview via the video call (Skype application). The applicant is obliged to substantiate the application and submit it to the address of the Study Department of the Philosophical Faculty, UHK no later than 14 days before the date of the entrance exams.

Follow-up Master's Programme – Latin American Studies

The follow-up Master's degree in Political Science with a specialision in Latin American Studies offers a unique opportunity to acquire education in the field of Political Science, focused on the fundamental non-European region. There is an increase in the interest in the Latin American issues and their problem-solving. The Department of Political Science, Philosophical Faculty, UHK is the first institution of Political Science studies in the Czech Republic, which tries to fill the "gap" in the educational market, focusing excessively on the Euro-Atlantic area. Being aimed at the particular features of the political systems and the international political position of the Latin American countries enable students to represent an extraordinary opportunity, deepen their previous knowledge and gain a comprehensive view on the issues. The common base of the field of study which consists of a set of compulsory courses, largely common in the field of Political Science – African Studies, provides students with orientation not only towards the field of classical Political Science disciplines, such as electoral or party systems, theory of undemocratic regimes, etc., but it also includes relevant economic, cultural, geographical or anthropological context. The essential advantage of the follow-up Master's programme is also the offer of both, full-time or combined study forms.

Graduate Profile

Due to the interdisciplinary approach, the graduate will acquire a comprehensive social scientific education related to Latin American countries in addition to the corresponding political science curicullum. Students will be capable of analysing political issues in particular states or regions and also synthetically interconnect them in the context of historical and social development, which will facilitate a better and more in-depth understanding of the issue. The standard part of the study consists of spending a semester financed by our faculty at offered universities in Latin America (e.g. universities Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Mexico and Nicaragua) Students gain not only exceptional language skills, knowledge or unique contacts but also a singular experience, which enhance their CV.

Due to the specificity of this field represented not only in the Czech Republic but also in neighbouring countries, graduates will have the opportunity to be employed in the extensive European area, in various organisations, companies or institutions focused on cooperation with the Latin American area which represents a very promising and fast-growing market. Many governmental or non-governmental organisations are concerned about the issue and problem-solving of the so-called developing countries where graduates can also employ their experience. These organisations create many new projects, agencies and committees, which concentrate specifically on issues of developing countries. Graduates can find employment in the state sphere or at ministries, whose agendas turn attention to this area. An essential platform for graduates' employment is also the mass media, which due to the increasing relevance of the Latin American region, needs experts and analysts capable of defining specific issues related to the area and subsequently offer solutions. Furthermore, it is highly probable that the lack of exploration of these areas in the Czech academic environment will arouse the interest of many Master's graduates in studying mentioned issues in the framework of follow-up doctoral degrees.

Scope and Content of the Entrance Exams

Applicants are admitted on the grounds of the results obtained in entrance exams. The entrance exams consist of an interview, which focuses on the applicant's disposition for learning, their interest in the field of study, being knowledgeable in current issues on the Latin American territory, applicant's basic political knowledge and motivation for the studies.

Applicants who have defended their Bachelor's or Master's thesis will present it during the interview in a printed form. The entrance exams in foreign languages are not held; however, the successful completion of the study require student's language skills in order to study sources in the English language. 

 If an applicant of a follow-up Master's degree in Political Science – Latin American Studies cannot personally attend the entrance exams due to a business, research or abroad study stay can request the Dean of the Philosophical Faculty, UHK in order to be provided with an extraordinary admission interview via the video call (Skype application). The applicant is obliged to substantiate the application and submit it to the address of the Study Department of the Philosophical Faculty, UHK no later than 14 days before the date of the entrance exams.

Doctoral studies

The doctoral study programme with research focus on African Studies or Latin American Studies aims to prepare competent experts on politics and societies in either of the regions. This orientation follows the specialisations offered in the MA programmes (Political Science – African Studies, Political Science – Latin American Studies) also offered by the Department of Political Science.

The doctoral study is designed primarily for graduates of a Master's degree in Political Science, or in related scientific fields. The study focuses mainly on the issues of comparative research of the given territories (Africa, Latin America) intending to apply theoretical knowledge from selected research areas of territorial studies and political science to the African or Latin American area. Within the study, the emphasis will be placed on the complex conception of both given areas focusing on theories of international relations, comparative analysis of policies and institutions, the position of given territories in the system of international relations, interregional and intraregional links and perspectives of non-/democracy.

Graduate Profile

The objective of fields of study, African Studies and Latin American Studies, is to educate and prepare applicants interested in research and educational activities with a focus on the area of the territorial studies related to Africa, respectively to Latin America.

The aim of the study is to prepare a graduate who will acquire both theoretical and methodological knowledge on the one hand and practical skills on the other. It should be based not only on the study of the professional literature, discussions and teaching but also on the realization of a part of the study, respectively of the research, abroad (linked to the dissertation). The direct experience of studying and researching abroad will enable doctoral graduates to adopt dissertation research projects adequately and better absorb knowledge and maximise their implementation into the practice.

The graduate will be fully prepared professionally and linguistically for independent scientific-pedagogical activities in the academic field, for areas where the primary research is being realized, for work in the state sphere or at ministries whose agendas are focused on the given regions. Mass media, non-governmental organisations, diplomacy or other foreign or domestic institutions, as well as business entities demanding specialists in the field of territorial studies, also represent an essential platform for graduates' employment.

 

Administrative queries: vendula.vrabcova@uhk.cz,

Inquiries about the field of study: Mgr. Jan Prouza, Ph.D. at jan.prouza@uhk.cz