Masaryk University

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History

Masaryk University was founded on 28 January 1919 with four faculties: Law, Medicine, Science, and Arts. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, professor of Charles University and later the first president of Czechoslovakia, contributed greatly to the establishment of Masaryk University. (Masaryk in his scientific and political activities paid attention to the development of Czechoslovak universities and since the 1880s he emphasized the need for broad competition in scientific work. In this context, he pointed out that the only Czech university at that time needed a competitive institution for its development.) The founding of the second Czech university was possible only after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy because of the resistance of the German-controlled city council, which feared giving power to the Czech residents of Brno. Brno was at that time a bilingual city. A notable demonstration in favour of establishing a university in Brno happened in 1905.

From the beginning, the university suffered from a lack of money for development. The fragile state of public finances in 1923–1925 and 1933–1934 led to proposals to abolish both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science. Both faculties eventually survived until 17 November 1939 when the whole university was closed following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. A number of professors of Masaryk University were executed or tortured; for example, the Faculty of Science lost one quarter of its teaching staff. Many of the executions took place in the Mauthausen concentration camp in 1942.

The renewal of university life after the end of World War II was interrupted by the Communist takeover. The percentage of students expelled in various faculties ranged from 5 percent at the Faculty of Education to 46 percent at the Faculty of Law, which was completely closed in 1950. In 1953, the Faculty of Education (founded in 1946) was separated from the university. In August 1960, a government decree abolished the Pharmaceutical Faculty and the university was renamed Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno.

Relaxation occurred in 1964 with the reintegration of the Faculty of Education into the university and with the reestablishment of the Faculty of Law in 1969. But conditions changed again rapidly with the Normalization of the 1970s after the 1968 invasion of Warsaw Pact troops into Czechoslovakia.

The university was renamed Masaryk University in Brno in 1990, then regaining its original name by dropping the "in Brno" from the title in 2006. A new era of development began after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and the establishment of the Faculty of Economics and Administration in 1991, the Faculty of Informatics in 1994, the Faculty of Social Studies in 1998, and the Faculty of Sports Studies in 2002.

A new university campus has been under construction in Brno-Bohunice since 2002. The last stage of development should be completed in 2015. Campus houses most Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Sports Studies, part of Faculty of Sciences as well as several research facilities such as Central European Institute of Technology and Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment Cetocoen.

In 2013, university signed a long-term lease with the city of Brno, creating University Cinema Scala in place of movie theatre with over 80 years tradition which was closed down in 2011. The place has various academic functions, hosting official university ceremonies as well as lectures and conferences. Cinema's programming is managed by Aeropolis, which shares the costs with the university.

Faculties

Masaryk University comprises ten faculties. Established in 1919 are the Faculty of Law (PrF), Faculty of Medicine (LF), Faculty of Science (PřF), and Faculty of Arts (FF). The Faculty of Education (PdF) was added in 1946, the Faculty of Pharmacy (FaF) in 1952 (closed in 1960 and reopened in 2020). The Faculty of Economics and Administration (ESF) was founded in 1990, the Faculty of Informatics (FI) in 1994, the Faculty of Social Studies (FSS) in 1998, and the Faculty of Sports Studies (FSpS) in 2002.

The Faculty of Law closed in 1950 and reopened in 1969. The Faculty of Education became an independent school in 1953 and rejoined the university in 1964. The Faculty of Pharmacy operated briefly from 1952 to 1960, then re-established in 1991 under a different university, and reintegrated into Masaryk University in 2020. From 1990 to 1991, two faculties in Silesia (Faculty of Arts in Opava and Faculty of Business and Entrepreneurship in Karviná) were part of Masaryk University before forming the Silesian University in 1991.

Faculty of Law The Faculty of Law, established in 1919, is one of the oldest faculties at Masaryk University. Temporarily closed during the communist regime, it was reopened in 1969. The faculty is housed in a building originally intended for the university's campus on Veveří Street. It offers a five-year master's program in Law and various bachelor's and doctoral programs in public administration and business, with 11 specializations in Czech and four in English.

Faculty of Medicine The Faculty of Medicine, also founded in 1919, moved to the Brno-Bohunice campus in 2010. It collaborates with several local hospitals, including the University Hospital Brno. The faculty offers a six-year General Medicine program, a five-year Dentistry program, and various bachelor's degrees in fields like nursing, midwifery, and paramedic studies. Doctoral studies (Ph.D.) are also available.

Faculty of Science The Faculty of Science began its activities gradually after the university's founding in 1919, with facilities on Kounicova, Veveří, and Kotlářská Streets. It later expanded to the Brno-Bohunice campus. The faculty offers a wide range of programs in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geography, anthropology, and geology at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Faculty of Arts The Faculty of Arts, the fourth oldest at the university, is the largest Czech faculty. It is primarily located on Arne Nováka Street. The faculty offers numerous programs in languages, literature, history, philosophy, psychology, and the arts at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, through its various departments and institutes.

Faculty of Education Founded in 1946, the Faculty of Education was temporarily replaced by a higher pedagogical school and an institute in the 1950s. It rejoined the university in 1964 and is located on Poříčí Street. The faculty offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in humanities, sciences, and arts, covering languages, history, psychology, pedagogy, biology, physics, chemistry, geography, mathematics, music, and art education.

Faculty of Pharmacy The Faculty of Pharmacy originally existed from 1952 to 1960 and was reestablished in 2020. It was housed in the Veterinary University campus and focuses on pharmacy education through six departments. At present, it has been located in the Brno-Bohunice campus since September 2026.

Faculty of Economics and Administration Established in 1990, the Faculty of Economics and Administration is one of the younger faculties, located on Lipová Street in Brno-Pisárky. It offers programs in economics, financial business, management, public administration, and regional development at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

Faculty of Informatics Founded in 1994, the Faculty of Informatics was created by separating the informatics department from the Faculty of Science. It is situated on Botanická Street and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in Informatics and Applied Informatics.

Faculty of Social Studies The Faculty of Social Studies became independent from the Faculty of Arts in 1998, focusing on sociology, psychology, and political science. It is located on Joštova Street and offers programs in media studies, environmental studies, social policy, and international relations at all academic levels.

Faculty of Sports Studies The youngest faculty, established in 2002, the Faculty of Sports Studies is located in the Brno-Bohunice campus. It has departments for athletics, swimming, outdoor sports, gymnastics, kinesiology, sports pedagogy, health promotion, social sciences, sports management, and sports games. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs and has a university sports center at Pod Hradem Gym.

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