Digital Culture and Creative Industries

The mission of the four-year doctoral degree study programme Digital Culture and Creative Industries (hereafter DCCI) is to prepare researchers for educational and cultural institutions that are focused on research into the implications of the proliferation of digital and networking technologies and their potential for creative application, and also their application in the creative industries. The aim of the study programme is to train and educate top experts in the fields of new media arts, digital culture and culture management with a focus on the creative industries.

“‘Creativity is the highest form of freedom.’”

The doctoral degree study programme DCCI is unique in the context of other art and science doctoral degree study programmes in the Czech Republic. This is the only programme that links together theory of art, social sciences, a technical knowledge of digital and networking technologies and research based on experimental testing of systems (artistic, cultural, technical). It has been established in response to labour market demand and the underdeveloped professional discourse in this area in the Czech (and Slovak) academic sphere.

The concept of the study programme is based on the interconnection of theoretical research and creative practice (artistic, design, curatorial, production) conceived as a specific type of basic (primary) research, that is necessary for a deep understanding of the studied phenomena and their critical reflection in them. Emphasis is placed on cooperation with the sphere in which the practices are applied (topics of dissertations taking into account the current needs of subjects from the sphere of application) and on the international dimension of study (study visits and internships abroad, presentations of academic and research outputs at international forums, special lectures by foreign experts, etc.).

The DCCI programme is intended for graduates from the follow-up master’s degree programmes Theory of Interactive Media and Culture Management at the Department of Musicology of the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University. It is open to graduates from related master’s degree programmes (media studies, new media studies, managements of culture and cultural institutions), which do not have a relevant accredited doctoral degree programme.

Practical training

The Digital Culture and Creative Industries study program is designed to interact with the academic and application sectors using a variety of tools:

• Research topics of PhD students and the development of the DKKP study programme are subject to continuous consultation with practitioners who are integrated into the running of the programme as consultants and in the positions of the members of the Subject Council.
• Practical training/Work placement is included in the doctoral degree study programme as a compulsory subject. It is conceived as a semester course of 320 hours. It will take place under supervision in cultural institutions, media archives, within the dramaturgical and organizational teams of festivals, or in companies in creative industries, depending on the focus of the research project.
• PhD students participate in research projects, writing of academic papers, editorial work and teaching in preparation for an academic career.

Graduate employment means the professions and positions for which the graduate is to be educated and/or the types of employers for whom the graduate will be able to work. The employment of graduates can be viewed from the perspective of their end-of-studies abilities, language competences, career opportunities or a particular advantage in the context of other universities.

Graduates of the DCCI doctoral degree study programme can apply the acquired qualifications in research institutes and workplaces as university teachers, in particular, and in other positions. They are authorized to carry out independent academic and research activities in the field of basic and applied research. In a broader sense, they are able to perform any activity related to academic work, i.e. dealing with conceptual issues, scientific and organizational activities and teaching.

Graduates will find employment in:

• academic and other institutions concerned with science, research, development and innovation;
• galleries, as exhibition curators and authors of exhibition concepts;
• museums and archives of new media arts, as experts in the new media arts and the possibilities of archiving and mediating it;
• dramaturgy, as dramaturges and directors of new media arts festivals;
• creative industries, especially in the field of game design and marketing;
• national institutions dealing with the policy of developing creative industries and innovations supported by the use of digital technologies.

Deadline for applications: January 1 - April 30

Only university graduates of Master's degree programmes with a corresponding or similar specialization can be admitted to the doctoral study programme (full-time or combined mode) after passing an entrance examination.

Deadline for submission of documents for the admission procedure: 15 May.

Materials for the admission procedure (additional materials to the e-application):

• Research proposal for the doctoral dissertation: Recommended structure: 1) Description of theoretical background; 2) Research problem formulation; 3) Listing of the research objectives arising from it; 4) Design of adequate research methods; 5) List of basic literature. Range: 6 to 10 standard pages.
• Structured professional CV, including a list of publications or other creative activities relevant for assessing the applicant's professional qualifications for doctoral studies.
• Certificate of proficiency in English at the B2 level of the European classification (optional).

Documents for the admission procedure must be inserted into the e-application (rubric “Documents”) by 15 May. Applicants are required to include their full name and application number on all attached documents.

The admission procedure takes a form of an oral examination:

• The applicant introduces research proposal for a doctoral dissertation and the discussion is held in order to evaluate their professional preparedness and motivation for doctoral studies. The research project should be 6 to 10 standard pages long.
• The previous professional and creative activities of the applicant are evaluated and discussed too.
• The knowledge of English at least at the B2 level of the European classification is tested.
Examination board: An examination board is establised for the entrance examination. It consists of the chairman and at least two other members of the Board of study subject. At the entrance examination, the research proposal for doctoral thesis will be primarily discussed with the applicant; the theoretical and methodological knowledge related to the project will be tested in the form of an interview; the candidate will have the opportunity to comment on the submitted CV.

Criteria for evaluation

The applicant can earn a maximum of 100 points. The minimum number of points for admission to study is 70. The candidate is evaluated in the following areas:

• Dissertation project (max. 50 points);
• Professional readiness (max. 25 points);
• Motivation to study and compliance of the research project with the professional focus of the department (max. 25 points).
The applicant is informed about the outcome of the admission procedure in a written form, via an e-mail.