Masaryk University

What you'll study

The doctoral programme centres on sustained original research leading to a doctoral dissertation. Candidates work under the supervision of a member of the Department of Art History and normally follow a personalised study plan combining independent research, specialised seminars and methodological training. Core topics supervised within the department include medieval and Renaissance art, Baroque art and architecture, nineteenth- and twentieth-century visual culture, modern and contemporary art, iconography, museology and heritage studies, and the art history of Central Europe.

Training components typically include research methodology (archives, provenance research, visual analysis, historiography), advanced seminars on specialised topics, participation in departmental research colloquia and conferences, language preparation for research (Czech and other relevant languages), and occasional teaching or assistant duties. Candidates are expected to conduct archival and field research, engage with museum collections and conservation specialists, and situate their work in comparative and interdisciplinary contexts.

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a relevant master’s degree or equivalent in art history or a closely related humanities discipline. Application materials usually include a research proposal outlining the intended dissertation topic and methodology, an academic CV, certified transcripts, a sample of academic writing (such as a master's thesis chapter or article), and letters of reference. Proof of language proficiency is required for study and research: applicants are normally expected to demonstrate competency in English and in Czech if their project requires working with Czech-language sources; some supervision and courses are available in English.

Admission typically involves evaluation of the written materials by prospective supervisors and the department, and may include an interview. In some cases applicants are asked to obtain a preliminary agreement from a potential supervisor before formal admission. Candidates who are not native speakers of Czech should plan to develop adequate Czech language skills if their research depends on local archives and collections.

Career prospects

Graduates from the PhD in Art History pursue a range of careers across academia, cultural institutions and the public and private sectors. Common pathways include university or college teaching and postdoctoral research, curatorship and collections management in museums and galleries, roles in heritage organisations and archives, positions in cultural policy and administration, and specialist work in the art market, auction houses and publishing. Doctoral training also supports careers in conservation research, exhibition production, digital humanities projects and international cultural organisations.

The programme’s emphasis on archival work, museum collaboration and language competence is especially advantageous for careers focused on Central European art and heritage.

Why study at Masaryk University

Masaryk University's Faculty of Arts has a long-established Department of Art History with particular expertise in Central European art and strong links to regional museums and archives. Based in Brno, the department benefits from proximity to major collections such as the Moravian Gallery and the Moravian Museum, as well as a lively local cultural scene that provides opportunities for exhibition-based research and collaboration.

Doctoral candidates receive personalised supervision, access to interdisciplinary networks across history, archaeology and cultural studies, and opportunities to present at departmental colloquia and international conferences. The university also supports doctoral training through structured methodological courses, language tuition and doctoral schools that help candidates develop research and teaching skills while facilitating collaboration with Czech and international partners.