Admission information

In the beginning, you might be interested in general information regarding admission processes, living costs, and other frequently asked questions. For this, see the admission web page of our university.

Admission to study in the study program is governed by Articles 48 to 50 and Article 4 of the Statue of TUL. Admission to the doctoral study program is conditional on the proper completion of studies in the Master’s study program pursuant to the Higher Education Act No. 111/1998. Graduates of higher education institutions outside the Czech Republic must apply for recognition of their previous education in the Czech Republic. Admitted applicants must submit a certificate of recognition - a nostrification annex – by the enrolment to the study (at the latest). 

Admission of applicants for doctoral studies will take place on the basis of the results of the admission procedure. It is possible to apply for the studies on a continuous basis throughout the year, applications are accepted twice a year (usually in February and June). For more information, please contact the Study Department. The admission procedure is described below.

Research Topic

Before applying, the most important step is to find a person that is willing to supervise the applicant during his/her doctoral studies. It is highly recommended not to avoid this step, as it is essential for doctoral studies. The chance for passing the admission procedure is very small without having the name of the potential supervisor from the faculty and, also, an appropriate scientific topic.

To accomplish this, the applicants are encouraged to contact our faculty members who work on topics related to their expertise or research interests. It is up to the applicant to give a relevant offer to the potential supervisor and to show his/her motivation for the topic. 

The applicants can also see the Research & Science page which provides an overview of the research activities of the faculty and related contacts. We are currently preparing a web page with updated offers, topics, and contacts. 

Study application form

The application form is filled out electronically, via the STAG portal [http://www.tul.cz/uchazeci-o-studium/elektronicka-prihlaska]. After completion, it must be printed, signed and delivered along with the following documents to the Technical University of Liberec, Faculty of Mechatronics, Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies, Studentská 2, 461 17 Liberec 1, Czech Republic.

An integral part of the application form are the following documents (printed and signed originals/scans):

• Documentation on the completion of a Master’s degree (certified copy of the diploma, copy of the diploma supplement, or other certificates),
• Structured curriculum vitae (including address and contact details), including the applicant’s publications
• List of professional publications or professional scientific research activities or internships,
• A motivation letter spanning 1-2 pages. The motivation letter must include an outline of the future dissertation work (topic, open problems to solve, possible approaches to solving them) in at least 10 lines. This part should be prepared with the intended PhD supervisor.
• After agreement with a future supervisor it is necessary to add the following data into the application form - the theme, the workplace and the name of the supervisor,
• Confirmation of payment of the administration fee (only for P3942 Nanotechnology) (bank transfer) to the bank account of TUL
• Applicants from abroad are required to provide documentation on their attained level of education and their nostrification, the submission of nostrification can be postponed until the date of commencement of studies,
• A copy of an English language examination at least to the level B2, if the applicant applies for admission in a doctoral study programme accredited in the English language; this confirmation is not necessary if English is the official language of the applicant’s country of origin or he completed his previous education in a study program accredited in English.

Admission interview

The admission committee (appointed on an ad-hoc basis or permanently by the Dean) together with the potential supervisor will assess the documentation (see above) and determine whether it is necessary to invite the applicant for an oral interview. An oral interview may be waived in the event that the applicant has achieved excellent results during his/her previous Master’s degree (excellent average, excellent diploma thesis, etc.).

During the oral interview, the admission committee evaluates the applicant’s aptitude for the selected study program. The oral interview lasts for 15-30 minutes, during which time the applicant must, in particular, prove his/her motivation. In addition, knowledge from areas related to the planned study focus may be assessed. At the same time, communication skills in English (for study programs in Czech and English) and Czech (for foreign applicants applying for study programs in the Czech language) are assessed.

The interview may also be conducted by videoconference at the discretion of the admission committee, particularly in the case of foreign applicants.

The recommendation of the admission committee is passed to the Dean who decides on the admission/non-admission of the applicant.

Enrolment

The applicant will receive a written decision on admission, including the date of enrolment into the study in the event of a positive decision on admission. The admission of the doctoral students will take place in agreement with the supervisor, and in the case of foreign students, proof of recognition of prior education (nostrification) must be submitted by the date of enrolment in the study.

Admission procedure step-by-step

1. For the formal process of acceptance at the Faculty, the applicant needs to apply online: here.
   When the application form is completed, you will receive an automatic email message on how to deal with the payment of the application fee. The message is in Czech and in English.
2. It takes a couple of days for the accountants to match your application form with
   the payment. Then, the student affairs office at the Faculty will contact you with more information about the next steps. Typically, the dean sets the date of the admission interview with a committee. The interview can be conducted online (a conference/skype talk and the like).
3. In the case of successful admission, the applicant will be issued a letter of acceptance.
4. The next step is to get accommodation since the address of residence and the confirmation of accommodation is important to get a visa. The applicant can proceed on his/her own or ask the dean office to book the accommodation in our university dormitories; the document proving that he/she has a place to stay during the study course will be sent afterward.
5. The very next step requested by the Czech law is the process of recognition of previous education (so-called nostrification). On our part, it usually takes 30 days to be completed after we get all the requested documents. You need to fill in the application form and attach the requested documents together with the proof of payment of the fee. All information is available here.
6. Then, the applicant has to start preparing the documents for the visa application. Our visa process can be lengthy: it can easily take between 2-3 months. That is why the applicant needs to start preparing things well in advance (so that the Ph.D. course can start at the scheduled time). For the visa application, there are the two documents (as mentioned above) from the TUL, but the applicant will also need to deal with buying comprehensive health insurance for the time of his/her stay in the Czech Republic. It is necessary to prove that the applicant has sufficient financial resources, and, in some cases, the applicant might be expected to provide a Transcript from Register of Criminal Records/Penal Register.

For further assistance, you can contact the International Office of TUL, here. See also general information about the admission processes at TUL.