The Bachelor’s Thesis is an extended piece of original academic writing, with which you are expected to complete your studies.

There are several steps to follow in preparing, registering and completing the thesis, which we have outlined below.

Steps to follow

1. Determine your thesis topic and tentative research questions

You have some flexibility in your choice of thesis topic. Generally, a thesis topic that falls into any of the main subject areas of the programme will be acceptable. However, individual thesis proposals are subject to the approval of the programme director once you have discussed the topic with your potential thesis supervisor.

2. Find Your Potential Thesis Supervisor

Although the final thesis must be your work, you will be assigned an academic fellow who will advise and guide you in your research, especially in the early stages of the thesis, as your thesis supervisor. You are encouraged to identify and propose a potential advisor from amongst the regular teachers of the programme/institute, according to your research interests. The choice of a thesis advisor, however, is subject to the approval of the programme director.

3. Submit a Thesis Project

You have to submit an outline of your proposed thesis no later than 12 months before you intend to graduate. This outline is the so-called thesis project. Generally, it is about 2-4 pages in length, and it must include:

• The proposed title of your thesis;
• The name of your potential supervisor;
• A short outline of your proposed line of argument (including potential chapters) and the methodology you plan to use;
• A bibliography of your primary sources, related to both the content and the methodology of the thesis.

At this early stage, we do not expect you to provide any particular detail; however, the text should be sufficiently well-developed that we can discern your main topic, the structure you plan to use, and the sources you intend to utilise.

The thesis project is subject to the approval of the programme director, who may ask you to revise your project if he/she thinks this is necessary. It is therefore advisable to secure the approval of the programme director before you start writing in earnest.

The BA Thesis Project template is available here.

4. Submit a Thesis Progress Report

At the end of BA Thesis Seminar I, you will need to submit the BA Thesis Progress Report. The template is available here.

5. Submit and Complete your Thesis

The exact deadlines for submitting your final thesis will vary slightly from year to year, but you will always find them in the current academic calendar of the Faculty.

As a rough guide, the basic timeline is as follows, but please remember to check for specific deadlines:

• If you plan to graduate in the summer (June), submit the project in May/June of the year before you intend to graduate. Submit the final thesis in April/May.
• If you plan to graduate in the autumn (September), submit the project in August/September of the year before you intend to graduate. Submit the final thesis in July/August.
• If you plan to graduate in the winter (February), submit the project in January/February of the year before you intend to graduate. Submit the final thesis in January.

Formal Requirements of the Thesis

When preparing your thesis, please remember that:

Your thesis is an original piece of academic writing and must meet all the usual standards of an academic text (bibliography, attribution of sources, etc). For guidance on correct citation practices, please refer to Decree No. 09/2023 of the IMS Director, which outlines the citation norms recommended also for HAS students. Matters concerning plagiarism and the use of artificial intelligence are regulated under Decree No. 07/2023. See the list of the Decrees of the IMS Director.

The minimum extent of a bachelor’s thesis written in English is 7,500 words, excluding abstract, appendices, and a list of literature. This corresponds to the Dean’s Measure of the minimum extent of 25 standard pages (45,000 characters with spaces). Pages should be numbered.

Please find the Bachelor’s Thesis Template here. Follow the related Dean’s Measure with further specifications here.

Please don’t confuse the terms ‘Conclusion’ and ‘Summary’. The conclusion is a crucial part of the thesis, and it is written in the same language as the main text. The summary is a brief final description of the thesis (max one page). The summary should be written in Czech if the thesis is written in English.

Every student must upload and submit the thesis via the SIS interface at https://is.cuni.cz/studium/, in the module ‘Thesis (Selection of Subject)’. The thesis must be in PDF/A format, version 1.3 or higher, and submitted electronically. A printed version is not required. To ensure you follow all the formal requirements concerning the PDF/A format, you can refer to the Instructions for Thesis Submitting. You can verify the validity of the PDF/A format by inserting it into the SIS.

Content of the thesis

Every thesis must contain the following (in this order):

1. Title page in standard format;

2. Declaration that the thesis is your work, dated by you;

3. Abstract summarising the contents of the thesis, five keywords;

4. Table of Contents;

5. The main text of the thesis itself, including the conclusion;

6. Summary (a brief description of the paper as a whole, max one page);

7. Full bibliography and citations.

The Bachelor’s Thesis Template will serve as your guide. For detailed information about the formal requirements, please ask your thesis supervisor.

1. When and how will I be informed about the date and place of the final state exam?

Ms Eva Špriňarová, who is responsible for preparing and coordinating the state exams at our Institute, will provide students with all relevant information regarding the final exam (including the date, place, and committee members) through SIS as soon as the details are confirmed.

2. Am I required to bring a hard copy of my thesis for the defence?
No, you are not required to bring a hard copy of your thesis for the defence. You may bring a printed version or printed reports on your thesis if you feel they would be useful for yourself, but this is entirely optional. The committee members read the thesis in advance. All materials are provided to them electronically, and if any professors request it, the secretariat prepares printed copies for their use.

3. Am I expected to prepare a PowerPoint presentation of my thesis?

No, a PowerPoint presentation is not customary.

4. Am I allowed to bring notes with key points?

Yes, you may bring written notes with key points for the thesis defence; however, they should be concise bulletpoint notes rather than full sentences.

5. Will I be able to get a document that confirms I have completed my studies immediately after the final exam (i.e. before receiving my Diploma)?

After passing your final exams, you may visit the International Office, where our colleagues will provide you with a confirmation of graduation. This document can be used for further study or employment applications, residence permit applications, and other purposes. You can stop by the International Office even on the same day after your final exams, and they will be happy to issue the confirmation for you.

6. How will I be informed about the date of the graduation ceremony?

The graduation ceremony is a formal event during which you will take the graduate’s vow in front of the representatives of the academic staff and receive your diploma. Graduation ceremonies are organised by the Dean’s Office and the Rectorate. The International Office informs students of the date of their ceremony and sends them an official invitation together with detailed guidelines.

The diplomas are generally issued about three months after you pass your final state exams. Further information is available on the Faculty website, or from the International Office at degreeprograms@fsv.cuni.cz.

7. How can I obtain my diploma if I am unable to attend the graduation ceremony?

If you cannot or do not wish to attend the graduation ceremony, you must inform the International Office after passing your final state exam so that the necessary arrangements can be made while you are still in the Czech Republic. You should update the address to which you would like your diploma to be sent, and you must grant a power of attorney to an International Office officer, who will later collect the issued diplomas from the Rector’s Office and arrange their dispatch. A wet-ink physical copy of the power of attorney is required — scanned copies are unfortunately not sufficient. Please make sure to agree on the procedure in advance directly with the International Office (degreeprograms@fsv.cuni.cz), which will provide you with the official form for the power of attorney and further instructions. Further information is also available on the Faculty website.

We hope this information is helpful. If you need any advice or support, please feel free to contact your programme director (jiri.vykoukal@fsv.cuni.cz), your programme coordinator (study.ims@fsv.cuni.cz), or Ms Eva Špriňarová (eva.sprinarova@fsv.cuni.cz), depending on the issue.