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M.A. in Humanities

The goal of the Master's study program in the Humanities is to give students a broad foundation in the history, analysis, and interpretation of the humanities, and the comparison and critique of cultures. This program endeavors to cast its gaze in two directions–towards the past and present: towards the finest traditions of scholarship in the human sciences, and towards the exciting new currents in cultural studies that have emerged in the past two decades.

This study program will combine a theoretical dimension – to enable students to acquire a solid grasp of a variety of theoretical approaches to the study of the humanities and culture; and a practical dimension – to enable students to practice applying a variety of methodologies of analysis, interpretation, and critique to the humanities and culture.

The Master's in Humanities will qualify the graduates to function effectively across a wide range of human sciences and cultural studies and will enable the graduates from the program to embark upon a wide range of possibilities for future employment, or a variety of directions for further post-graduate studies.

The students will master research methods and terminology and will acquire communication and formulation skills. Critical thinking, analysis, interpretation, communication and work with information will focus on both traditional disciplines such as literature, history, art and philosophy, and on newer fields such as media studies, studies of global and regional cultures, and cultural psychology.

The Master’s Program in Humanities includes methodology, theoretical and applied disciplines and a practical experience.

The components of the program are divided into three areas:

Core: Methodological courses and research practicum in Humanities or internship.

  • Area requirements from five key disciplines: Esthetics, Literary Studies, Philosophy, Cultural Studies and History.
  • Elective subjects which are closely linked to culture. The electives cover these categories of traditional and modern scholarship: Topics in European History & Culture; Topics in Central European History & Culture; Topics in Religion and Mythology; Topics in Psychology/Psychoanalysis & Culture; Topics in Art, Art History & Visual Culture; Topics in Regional Culture, Global Culture & Comparative Cultural Studies; Topics in Race, Ethnicity, & Culture; Topics in Gender & Culture; Topics in Media studies, Performance Studies & Drama; Topics in Film Studies.

The goal of the program is to prepare graduates for:

  1. employment in the large scope of fields in Humanities and Culture including the international dimension, in which a high level of qualification is expected;
  2. further studies of Humanities at a post-graduate level at universities in the Czech Republic and abroad. As the language of instruction in MA in Humanities is English, the graduates will be well prepared for studies abroad as well. Students will also learn the principles of academic research and scholarly work in the field of Humanities.

The graduates will be well prepared to succeed in contemporary society and will be able to take advantage of opportunities and and challenges offered by the expanding European Union and the globalizing world.

The academic guarantors of this program are Doc. Douglas Dix, Ph.D. from Anglo American University, Prof. ThDr. Tomáš Halík, Ph.D., from Charles University and Prof. PhDr. Josef Jařab, CSc., from Palacký University in Olomouc.

Find selected student theses and faculty publications at the 'East of the West' publication website for School of Humanities & Social sciences.