Study in doctoral study programmes at Charles University is carried out in full-time or part-time form. Both forms are completely equivalent in terms of content, length and meaning. At the level of the faculty or the doctoral study programme, the fulfilment of certain study obligations may be regulated in more detail with regard to the form of study.

The form of study may be changed during the study on the basis of a student's request. An application for a change in the form of study is submitted to the dean of the faculty for a decision, at the same time the student's supervisor's comments must be supplied and, as a rule, the doctoral board must also be supplied. Faculties may have deadlines set in their regulations for submitting applications in relation to the academic year.

In general, students of full-time doctoral programmes are more integrated into the academic community and the activities of the department they are part of. However, a systemic availability of support services and information is not affected by the form of study. Below is a summary of the differences that arise from the forms of study.

Full-time doctoral student is:

1. Entitled to an accommodation support grant

• Article 8(2) of the Scholarship and Bursary Rules (hereinafter referred to as the "SBR"): "A basic accommodation bursary is awarded by the Rector to all students upon application unless they are subject to an obstacle to granting a bursary under Article 13, except for students to whom the bursary has already been awarded under paragraph 1 and students permanently residing in the district where they study or permanently residing in Prague if they study in Prague."

• Article 8(4) of the SBR: " The bursary is paid by the Rector’s Office, by way of a non-cash payment to the student’s account, unless otherwise provided in a Rector’s directive. This bursary is paid over ten months in an academic year to a student enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s programme, and during the whole academic year to a doctoral student. Where a student is enrolled in several programmes of study, this bursary may be awarded and paid only once for the given period."

• Article 13(4a) of the SBR: "An accommodation bursary may not be awarded or paid to a student where the student is pursuing his studies otherwise than as a full-time student."

• Article 13(4b) of the SBR: "Furthermore, an accommodation bursary may not be awarded or paid to a student, where the student is enrolled in a programme taught in a foreign language."

• Article 13(4c) of the SBR: " An accommodation bursary may not be awarded or paid to a student if the previous studies in the programmes at public higher education institutions were, more than twice, terminated rather than successfully completed "

• Article 13(4d) of the SBR: " An accommodation bursary may not be awarded or paid to a student if the actual length of study of a programme in one of the simultaneously pursued programmes exceeded the standard length of study in such programme by more than one year."

2. Eligible for a doctoral scholarship

• Article 12(1) of the SBR: " A doctoral bursary is awarded to all students enrolled in a full-time doctoral programme whose study does not exceed the standard length of study of the given programme of study "

• Article 13(2) of the SBR: "If a student is enrolled for full-time study in more than one doctoral study programme, this scholarship may be awarded and paid for a given period no more than once, in the study in which he or she has previously enrolled; if such a study cannot be determined, it shall be awarded and paid in the study to be determined by the Rector on the proposal of the student and after consultation with the deans of the faculties concerned."

3. Entitled to a stipend for paid health insurance if not employed or self-employed

• Article 12(7) of the SBR: "Full-time doctoral students who pay the health insurance premium under section 5 (c) of Act No. 48/1997 Sb., on Public Health Insurance and on the Amendment and Supplement to Some Other Related Laws, as amended (“the Health Insurance Act”), may be awarded another bursary not exceeding the insurance premium paid under section 5 (c) of the Health Insurance Act. The bursary is paid twice a year. The details are set out in the Faculty Internal Regulation." A person who is permanently resident in the Czech Republic and for whom the state is not the payer of the insurance premiums is entitled if the above-mentioned facts last for the whole calendar month.

4. A state insured person if he/she is a permanent resident of the Czech Republic

• Section 7(r) of Act No. 48/1997 Sb.: "The State shall be the payer of insurance premiums through the State budget for persons over 26 years of age studying for the first time in a doctoral study programme carried out by a university in the Czech Republic during the standard period of full-time study, unless they are employees or self-employed persons pursuant to Section 5; for the purposes of this subparagraph, the period of that study shall also be deemed to be the calendar month in which the person completed that study." (The law/regulation is available in Czech only. The translation has only indicative character.)

5. Eligible for an ISIC student card

• Article 2(4) of Rector’s Directive No 39/2023: "The conditions for the issue of an ISIC student card shall be laid down in the distribution agreement concluded between Charles University and GTS ALIVE s.r.o.; the possibility of issuing such a card is limited to students in accredited full-time study programmes and to students studying at Charles University as part of full-time study stays."(The law/regulation is available in Czech only. The translation has only indicative character.)

6. Entitled to a discount on transport until the day after his/her 26th birthday

• Paragraph 3.2 of Annex No 1 to Ministry of Finance assessment No 01/2022, as amended by Ministry of Finance assessment No. 02/2022: "Pupils and students aged from 18 to 26 years who are in primary school or are systematically preparing for a future profession by studying at a secondary school, conservatory, higher vocational school, university in daily or full-time form in the Czech Republic or other study which is equal in content and scope to study at these schools shall be transported at a discounted (special) fare of not more than 50% of the full (ordinary) fare applied by the carrier." (The law/regulation is available in Czech only. The translation has only indicative character.)

7. Not favored in any way in access to:

• centrally announced grant and mobility support and offers,

• other scholarships not mentioned in this material (e.g. Bursary for a Student in a Difficult Social Situation, research grants, etc.),

• tax benefits,

• catering and accommodation facilities of Charles University.

The aforementioned laws and regulations:

• Scholarship and Bursary Rules of Charles University

• Zákon č. 48/1997 Sb. - Zákon o veřejném zdravotním pojištění a o změně a doplnění některých souvisejících zákonů (The law/regulation is available in Czech only.)

• Opatření rektora č. 39/2023 - Zavedení a používání průkazů na Univerzitě Karlově (The law/regulation is available in Czech only.)

• Výměr MF č. 01/VODA/2022 ve znění Výměru MF č. 02/VODA/2022 (The law/regulation is available in Czech only.)