Doctoral studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Brno University of Technology (FFA) are intended for all those who have successfully completed a master's degree and whose achievements in practical and/or theoretical activities are mainly in the field of fine art and/or design. Upon successful defence of the dissertation, graduates are awarded the academic degree of Doctor (abbreviated as “Ph.D.”). Further information about the art doctorate at FFA can be found in the FAQs.

Submission of the Application

Applications are submitted electronically at www.vut.cz/eprihlaska from 1 February 2026 to 30 April 2026 (inclusive).

Before submitting a PhD application, it is essential to identify and contact a potential supervisor to discuss and agree on a dissertation topic in consultation with them, and to confirm their availability to supervise you; this process usually involves reviewing faculty profiles, sending an email outlining your research interests and their alignment with the supervisor’s expertise. An application may be submitted for only one supervisor.

Through the electronic application (hereinafter also the “e-application”), the applicant submits the following documents:

• a written dissertation project concept of 3–5 standard pages (in PDF format) using the prescribed form; the dissertation project concept is understood as a scholarly reflection on the selected dissertation topic, including an overview of the current state of knowledge, a specification of the aims and expected research and/or artistic outputs of the dissertation project, an outline of the intended research methods, and a description of the planned practical outcome(s) of the dissertation project (the mandatory structure of the concept is specified directly in the form);
• a structured curriculum vitae (in PDF format) including the applicant’s exhibition and/or publication activities;
• a portfolio (in PDF or ZIP format) presenting the applicant’s previous artistic, creative and/or curatorial practice through appropriate documentation; the maximum size of the submitted file is 900 MB; if multiple files are required, the applicant shall compress them into a single .zip file and submit only one file via the e-application;
• a scan (in JPG or PDF format) of a document certifying knowledge of the English language at a minimum level of B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), unless English is the applicant’s native language; this must be stated clearly in the curriculum vitae.

The applicant is further required to submit, no later than before the decision on admission to study is issued, an officially certified copy of the document proving completion of higher education, or a simple copy in the case of applicants who are graduates of BUT. If the applicant completed their education abroad, they may also be required to submit an officially certified document on recognition of foreign education or a positive assessment of foreign education for the admission procedure at BUT.

Payment of the administrative fee is made in accordance with the instructions displayed in the BUT system when completing the e-application. The fee for acts related to the admission procedure for the academic year 2026/2027 amounts to CZK 700 for each application submitted when payment is made within the Czech Republic, or EUR 28 for each application submitted when payment is made in any country other than the Czech Republic (bank details are displayed during completion of the e-application). The fee is paid when credited to the account and is non-refundable.

Entrance Examination

The entrance examination consists of two parts and is conducted before an examination board. The first part of the entrance examination takes place in a closed session of the examination board without the personal presence of applicants on 7 May 2026. Each member of the examination board evaluates the applicants’ prerequisites for study and awards points in the following categories: previous artistic, creative and/or research practice (maximum 20 points) and the contribution of the dissertation project and its expected outputs (maximum 20 points). Applicants who achieve a total of 21 or more points in the first part are invited to the second part.

Invitations to the second part of the entrance examination are sent to applicants no later than 14 days before the examination date. Invitations are sent electronically to the email address provided in the e-application and are also made available in the applicant’s e-application. The second part of the entrance examination takes place on 27–28 May 2026 and consists of an interview focused on the submitted dissertation project, the applicant’s theoretical preparedness, previous artistic and/or design practice, and the quality of the proposed project. For applicants to the English-language study programme, the interview is conducted in English. Interpreters are not permitted. The faculty does not offer an alternative date for the entrance examination.

In justified cases and with regard to extraordinary circumstances preventing the applicant’s personal attendance at the interview, the Dean may, on the basis of a request submitted no later than five working days before the scheduled date of the second part of the entrance examination, decide that the admission interview be conducted by videoconference.

A maximum of 5 applicants may be admitted to the full-time mode of study and 3 applicants to the combined mode of study for the academic year 2026/2027 (this limit applies to the total number of applicants admitted across both the Czech-language and the English-language study programmes).

Detailed information on the admission procedure is provided in the Dean’s Directive No. 5/2025 Rules of the Admission Procedure and Conditions for Admission to Study in Doctoral Study Programmes for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

Supervisors

The dissertation topic is specified in consultation with the applicant’s supervisor. The topic must fall within the scope of the study programme, i.e. research in fine art and design. An application may be submitted for only one supervisor.

List of supervisors [and their areas of expertise] in the English-language study programme for the academic year 2026/2027:

• Assoc. Prof. MgA. Ivars Gravlejs, Ph.D. [socially oriented photography]
• Prof. MgA. Barbora Klímová, ArtD. [TBA]
• Assoc. Prof. Mgr. Jiří Příhoda [spatial practice / site-based art practice]
• Assoc. Prof. MgA. Jiří Skála, Ph.D. [working conditions of employees and self-employed individuals in the cultural industries; political economy and the labour theory of value]
• Assoc. Prof. MgA. Aleksandra Vajd [materiality of photography and conceptual approaches to photographic practice; spatial control and the politics of place in contemporary art; pre-digital and post-digital image regimes]

Consideration of Applicants’ Specific Needs

Applicants may request that BUT take into account their specific needs both during the entrance examination (adaptation of the admission procedure) and subsequently during their studies (e.g. physical disability, mental illness, chronic somatic illness, specific learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, and communication impairments). This agenda is administered by the BUT Counselling Centre Alfons.

Note on the Combined Mode of Study

The combined mode of doctoral study does not establish entitlement to doctoral study income or a doctoral scholarship pursuant to Section 91a of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on Amendments and Supplements to Other Acts, as amended. However, students may be awarded other types of scholarships decided by the faculty; they may participate in internal grant competitions and/or take part in international placements, etc.

Related Documents

• HTMLStructure of Courses in the 4-Year Doctoral Study Programme
• HTMLFrequently Asked Questions