Kinesiology and Rehabilitation

Characteristics of the study programme

The study programme is focused on scientific and research activities in the field of human movement. Those interested in this study programme may be graduates of master's degree programmes in physiotherapy, graduates of medical or health and social faculties and other faculties with biomedical study programmes with an interest in scientific activities. The study programme follows mainly on the master's study of medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and possibly other master's or engineering fields, the scientific knowledge of which is used in rehabilitation practice (e.g. biomedical and clinical technology, biomedical engineering, prosthetics, biocybernetics, robotics and information technology). Study programme focuses on the objectification of physiological parameters of human motor skills, identification of the causes of motor disorders and the possibilities of therapeutic influence. The methodology of individual research projects will be adapted to the specific objectives of the work, the equipment of the training workplace and the research and professional orientation of the supervisor and student.

Admission procedure requirements specific to the study programme

The conditions and course of the admission procedure for the part-time of study are the same as the conditions for the full-time form. 

We recommend to contact your potential supervisor in advance and consult the suitable form of preparation for the interview. Each study programme has its own specifics, so the supervisor can help you to prepare for the specialized entrance examination (the interview).

Topics of dissertation thesis

The candidate chooses the preliminary topic and contacts a potential supervisor. They consult on the chosen topic and agree on its more precise specifications. In case of any ambiguity, we recommend contacting the chairman of the SAB. If necessary, she can recommend a consultation on the topic with another specialist according to the focus of the intended project. The list of topics and supervisors can be found below.

Supervisors of the study programme

Each supervisor must be approved by the SAB. The criteria for admitting new supervisors are determined by the SAB. If the proposed supervisor has not yet been approved by the SAB, this must be done no later than the enrollment of the applicant in the study (provided that the applicant is accepted). 

If the candidate does not know which topic/supervisor to choose, he/she will contact the chairman of the SAB, with whom he/she will consult on a suitable topic and a potential supervisor.

This choice is preliminary, the admissions board may, after consultation with the candidate, nominate another supervisor.

Dissertation topics offered

Requirements during the study

Study obligations for full-time and part-time form of study are the same. 

Submit an ISP to the SAB, elaborated with regard to the topic of the dissertation and approved by the supervisor during the first year according to the study regulations.

During 1st year, the student must complete the compulsory course of “Fundamentals of Scientific Activity” (DS001).

In the 2nd year of study, the student must complete the compulsory course of “Procedures and results of recent research in the fields of kinesiology and rehabilitation” (DS015).

For the entire period of study, the student must complete at least two other subjects from the group of compulsory elective subjects of their choice and after consultation with the supervisor. The list of subjects is given below. To complete the course and obtain credit, the student contacts the course guarantor. After approval by the SAB, it is also possible to include subjects from the offer of other doctoral study programmes at universities in the Czech Republic or abroad.

Passing the examination in the subject English for doctoral students in the first two years of study. If a student submits an internationally valid certificate of passing the English language examiation, this certificate will be accepted instead of the examination. You can find more information about the exam at the Department of Languages' website. The Dean's Provisions no. 2/2024 states that all students should attend the faculty Scientific conference in the 4th year of study (and also again in the 6th and 8th year of study in case the student extends their studies).

The SAB recommends that the supervisor ensure that the international student actively cooperates with one of the student in the doctoral study programme in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation in the Czech Republic. Cooperation between students from the Czech Republic and abroad on
joint or thematically close research projects is desirable.

Joint research, publication and teaching efforts and exchange placements at home institutions students from the Czech Republic and abroad can be beneficial for students, supervisors and the entire doctoral study programme.

Students must provide evidence of teaching experience at their home institution or elsewhere.

Every six months, the international student writes a report on the progress of his/her doctoral studies, or research. This report is submitted to the supervisor, who archives the reports and provides them on request to the SAB for assessment

Additional study obligations

Part of the ISP is also involvement in scientific research activities on the basis of an agreement with the supervisor. For full-time students, pedagogical practice is part of the ISP. Participation in the teaching of subjects related to the focus of study is preferred. Exceptions to this pedagogical practice are permitted by the head of the training workplace in agreement with the supervisor.

Compulsory subjects

1st year of study: Course of basics of scientific activities (DS001)
Guarantor: prof. MUDr. Jiří Bronský, Ph.D.

Compulsory course “Course of basics of scientific activities” – the student shall provide a certificate of completion a certificate of completion of a program focused on research methodology and biostatistics (which is with Czech course comparable in scope and content) in their native language or in English.

2nd year of study: Procedures and results of recent research in kinesiology and rehabilitation (DS015)
Guarantor: prof. MUDr. Alena Kobesová, Ph.D.

Compulsory course “Procedures and results of recent research in kinesiology and rehabilitation” will be replaced by self-study based on the materials in and which will provide the student with provided. Credit for this course will be earned by passing a written test, thereby demonstrating the necessary theoretical knowledge.

During the study, the student must obtain credit from at least two of the following subjects of their choice with regard to the focus of the dissertation topic.

Listed courses

Compulsory optional subjects

Two additional credits from compulsory elective courses will be awarded upon presentation of certificates of completion of professional courses related to the fields of kinesiology and rehabilitation by appointment with the instructor. The supervisor must confirm that he/she agrees to the selection of the courses in order to obtain credit.

Financing of scientific activities within the DSP

During the first or second year of study, the full-time and part-time student will be required to submit an application for a grant to the internal Grant Agency of Charles University, or to the agency for health research of the Czech Republic. Can apply in the Czech Republic together with their supervisor or in their own country.

Requirements for internships

Completing part of the study at a foreign institution is part of the study obligations. The student is obliged to submit a report on the foreign internship, which must last a minimum of one month. In the case of a two-week internship, this obligation can be fulfilled if the next two weeks of international cooperation include the acceptance of a foreign partner for an internship in the Czech Republic at the doctoral student's workplace. Participation in international congresses or co-authorship in international publications does not replace this compulsory internship.

Requirements for the SDE

The aim of the SDE is to verify the breadth and quality of the student's knowledge, his/her ability to acquire new knowledge, evaluate it and use it creatively in relation to the chosen field of the doctoral study programme and the topic of the dissertation, which consists of two parts. The written part, in the form of a multiple choice test, focuses on theoretical knowledge in the study programme of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation and is based on the topics covered in the course "Procedures and results of recent research in the fields of kinesiology and rehabilitation" (DS015). After successfully passing the written part of the examination, the student can proceed to the oral part, which will focus on the actual topic of the thesis that the student is carrying out in the doctoral studies.

To register for the SDE, the student must prove:

1. Completion of ISP (two of the compulsory courses and two optional ones).
2. Passing the English language examination (D0400003) or proof of an internationally valid certificate of successful passing the English examination.
3. Accomplishment of internship abroad.
4. Simultaneously with the application for the SDE, the student submits:
   • A copy of at least one publication in a peer-reviewed journal in which the student participated as the main author or co-author.
   • Overview of his/her pedagogical practice. The student must prove the supervision of at least one diploma or bachelor's thesis
   • A report on a completed internship abroad or on participation in an international creative project with results published or presented abroad or another form of direct student participation in international cooperation.
   • The student must prove that he/she has submitted a mandatory application for grant support (each student must submit an application at least once per study, the non-granting of grant support to a student does not prevent the composition of the SDE or the defence)
   • A written thesis in the form of a literature search, which will form the introduction of the student's future dissertation. This part must result in a clear and concise statement of the hypotheses (the assumption of what the student wants to prove in the thesis) and the aim of the thesis (how the hypothesis will be proved or rejected). The required length of the literature search is 15 - 20 pages, A4 format, Times New Roman 12 font, 1,5 line spacing.

Publication activity requirements

The student must be the author or co-author of at least two publications published or accepted for printing in an impacted journal before defending the dissertation. The summary of IF from the published papers must be equal to or greater than 1.0. The student's share in each published article must be clearly identified. For at least one article with IF, which presents the original, statistically processed data of the student, the student must be the only first author, not the shared first place. The articles must correspond thematically to the dissertation.

Students are not recommended to publish these original papers, which will become the basis of the future dissertation, in predatory journals according to the current opinion of the Second Faculty of Medicine.

Defence requirements

After the previous passing of the SDE, the doctoral student submits his/her dissertation to the defence for the commencement of the proceedings. The dissertation is the result of solving a specific scientific task; demonstrates the ability of the student to work independently in a creative way and must contain the original results of the scientific work published or accepted for publication or accepted by the author. The dissertation is submitted and defended in English by the foreign student. A set of publications or accepted manuscripts with an integrating text can also be recognized as a dissertation. The dissertation must be submitted no later than seven years after enrolment for the study.

Conditions for admission to the defence

• Before defending the dissertation, the doctoral student must be the author or co-author of at least one publication published or accepted for publication in an impact journal and at the same time at least one other publication published or accepted for publication in a reputable peer-reviewed journal. The IF sum from published works must be equal to or higher than 1,0. The student's share of each published article must be clearly identified. The student must be the first author of at least one article with IF. Articles must thematically correspond to the dissertation.
• The dissertation must meet the requirements for the Final Thesis according to the Provision of the Dean of the Second Faculty of Medicine CU. The dissertation should be written on at least 60–80 standard pages (up to 144,000 characters including spaces) without cited literature and appendices.
• A set of at least four monothematically focused publications or accepted manuscripts with an integrating text can also be recognized as a dissertation. This type of work should contain at least 30-40 standard pages (up to 72 000 characters including spaces) without cited literature and appendices.
• The dissertation is submitted to the SAB through the department of the dean's office. The work must be submitted no later than six months before the end of the study.
• The Subject Area Board requests 6 copies of the printed dissertation summary and 3 copies of the dissertation bound in hardback. 

Profile of a graduate of the study programme

The studies graduate possesses a comprehensive understanding, and is well versed in a broad spectrum, of scientific principles within kinesiology and rehabilitation. He/she is familiar with research methodologies and is capable of providing individual and collaborative scientific work with ethical, academic and professional integrity. He/she is capable of critical analysis of current scientific knowledge. The graduate demonstrates competence in communication regarding issues within his/her specialty and also a broad spectrum of allied social links, especially in the application of research findings to clinical practice in rehabilitation.

Information about graduate employment 

In interdisciplinary teams focused on the development of new therapeutic methods and procedures at clinical departments, especially at university and regional hospitals. At universities in scientific research and teaching work in the Czech Republic and abroad. In research institutes such as the Czech Academy of Sciences or other research institutes. In development and research teams of international and national medical entities.