General Information

Historical Sociology cannot be understood as some hybrid connection of history and sociology. It is a field based on an assumption that a general object of sociology is historical, time and space determined social reality. In accordance with that premise Historical Sociology could be defined as a specific theoretic and methodological perspective focused on long-term social processes, as well as on analysis of differences and similarities between different historical epochs. It is an interdisciplinary science, which cooperates primarily with the fields of history, anthropology, politology, and economy. The aim of Historical Sociological research is the study of long-term social processes and trends that have a significant impact on contemporary societies and phenomena. The Master's program in Historical Sociology cultivates research activities and the education of experts with an emphasis on the specialization in these processes.

Above all, historical sociology deals with problems of modernization and social change, globalization trends and influences, integration and disintegration processes, the relationship of continuity and discontinuity, religious and cultural pluralism, linking the global to the local, the identification of the chances and risks of social development, the analysis of conflict situations and the possibility of overcoming them. 

The need for understanding of all of these issues invokes the need for the development of adequate theoretical and methodological approaches, and also of the specific training of university students, which is possible through the study of Historical Sociology at our Faculty.

Application Form and Deadline

!!! We regret to inform you that the university will not be opening the Historical Sociology programme for the academic year 2025/2026. Consequently, applications for that academic year cannot be submitted. We appreciate your understanding. !!!

Applications are accepted from November 1, 2024, until the final deadline of February 28, 2025. The online application form is available on our Admissions portal.

The deadline for submission of required documents is March 10, 2025. Please, bear in mind that your online application must be submitted by February 28!

Admission Requirements

1. By March 10, 2025, submit a motivation letter, structured CV (curriculum vitae), proof of English competency at B2 level or higher, and an academic paper in English before the application deadline.

   • Academic Paper: The paper should be no less than 15 pages in length and prove your knowledge, skills and talent for study in the program for which you are applying. The paper can be your defended bachelor’s thesis or its summary, an article published in an academic journal or any new essay that you choose to represent you and your academic knowledge. In case you need some topics to base your essay on you can find the list here:

   A.	Theoretical conceptions of Historical Sociology and its main representatives.
   B.	Problems of social change and long-term developmental processes in various areas of social life.
   C.	Modernization, globalization and their role in contemporary society.
   D.	Changes in everyday life, religion, and culture.
   E.	Nations and nationalism then and today.

   Please, note that all the required documents must be attached as files in your online application (My applications → Attachments/Progress → Upload an attachment to my application – Attachment type → Upload file).

   
   

   • Proof of English Competency: Applicants are required to submit proof of English competency at min. B2 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The applicant's level of English should be substantiated by an international certificate (IELTS, TOEFL, Oxford Test of English, etc.) or a similar national certificate. Applicants can also use their diploma as proof of English competency in case it specifies English as the language of instruction.

2. Submit a proof of your previous education (i.e. BA diploma). If you graduated outside the Czech Republic, then you must submit an officially recognized/nostrified document validating your foreign education. More information on the process of recognition and nostrification can be found here.

An admission exam in not required.

Please note: The recognition/nostrification process can take a long time (1-3 months) and its successful completion is a necessary component of formal admission into the program. You will receive an official acceptance letter from the university only after your foreign degree diploma has been recognized/nostrified in the Czech Republic. When planning your enrolment and studies, keep in mind that you should submit all the relevant documents sufficiently in advance.

Deadline for applicants to submit their previous education certificate is September 30, 2025. Applicants who are unable to get their foreign diploma recognized/nostrified until the end of September are allowed to submit a copy of their BA diploma no later than October 22, 2025. This is the extended and final deadline for enrolment in the 2025/2026 academic year. Please, keep in mind that the academic year already starts on October 1.

If you need to apply for student visas in order to study in Prague, please, make effort to complete all of the required steps of the admission process on time.

Profile of a Graduate

Throughout their study of the Master's program in Historical Sociology, graduates will have covered both theoretical topics as well as practical and research-based topics. 

Regarding theory, graduates will have acquired historical-sociological knowledge from the social, cultural, religious, political, and economic spheres. Practical and research-based skills acquired throughout the study of this course include professional skills based on managing the basic approaches of quantitative and qualitative historical-sociological research methodology.

This combination of both theoretical and practical fields qualifies graduates for employment both in the academic sphere, i.e., at universities and research institutions, and in the non-academic sphere, i.e. in state administration, NGO’s, agencies, consultancy firms, educational institutions, cultural organisations, or the media.

Study Plans

Mandatory courses and amount of credits are available via the links provided:

• Students enrolled until 2018

• Students enrolled 2019-2020

• Students enrolled in 2021

• Students enrolled in 2022

The program is taught in three general blocs which are made up of relevant courses taught by the department: Theoretical-Historical Bloc, where you gain knowledge of various theories and historical background of Historical Sociology; Methodological-Research Bloc, where you are taught the ins and outs of solid research together with relevant theories and methodologies; and Optional Thematic Bloc, where you are free to choose one from three optional areas depending on your interests and specialization. These areas are:

• 1. Theory of social change and modernization processes (Jiří Šubrt)

• 2. Historical sociology of culture and quotidian life (Bohuslav Šalanda)

• 3. The historical sociology of politics and international relations (Nicolas Maslowski)

You can find more information on the course structure and details regarding its organization on the webpages of the Historical Sociology department.

Contacts

For all information regarding the admission process, please, contact the Student Administration Office at .

For specific queries intended directly for the Department of Historical Sociology, please contact: