More detailed specifications of final exams

Master studies are concluded by the final state exam. It consists of the defense of  the master thesis and the oral part. Useful information on final exams may be found at the webpage of the State Exam Board.

The requirements for the oral part are briefly specified in the degree plans. A more detailed specification is available at the links below. It may depend on the date of starting one's studies.

The oral part is of survey nature. Students are expected to understand basic notions, principles and results, to be able to illustrate them on examples and to be able of some synthesis.

Each student will be usually given one question from each area. He or she will prepare the answers within 15 or 20 minutes and then, within another 15 or 20 minutes he or she will present it to the examiners. There are always at least two examiners for each area. The exam goes on in an interactive mode, the examiners communicate with the student, ask supplemental questions, point out mistakes, discuss with the student, may sometimes help to overcome difficulties.

In view of the limited time and of the large amount of assumed knowledge, a detailed analysis of long and complicated proofs is not expected. On the other hand, students are expected to understand basic notions, methods and theorems including their assumptions, to know and understand basic ideas and structure of proofs, including complicated ones, to be able to apply theorem in concrete examples and to illustrate limits of their applications using counterxamples.