Higher Education in The Czech Republic

This page is an introduction to postgraduate education in the Czech Republic. It will also briefly profile some of the major Czech universities. Eurydice – the EU’s education portal - offers a comprehensive guide to the Czech education system, as well as the education systems of all EU Member States.

There are 62 higher education institutions in the Czech education system. This includes 24 public institutions, 4 state higher education institutions (three military schools and one Policy Academy) and 34 private institutions. In the academic year 2004-05 there were 14,147 foreign students studying in the Czech Republic.

There are a small number of traditional multi-disciplinary universities as well as some more specialised universities such as the Academy of Performing Arts and the University of Economics. The oldest Czech university is Charles University in Prague, established in 1348.

Types of Postgraduate degree

As the Bologna Process is consolidated across the EU, the two major postgraduate degree options available will be the Masters and the Doctorate degrees. As in Australia a Masters can take either one or three years and a Doctorate takes approximately three to four years and involves an aspect of original research. Courses are available in English and in Czech.

Master’s Degrees: A Master’s Degree study programme can run from between one to three years and can be offered in most fields of research in a University, for example Arts, Science or Law. Some universities are beginning to offer a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme in response to student demand. The program culminates with students taking required state leaving exams and defending their diploma thesis.

Doctorates: Doctorates are offered as research only degrees, requiring research output under one or more supervisors over three to four years. Please note that due to legal provision it is not possible to take Doctor’s study programmes in clinical subjects of medicine.

Seeking Admission

Students interested in applying to study in the Czech Republic need to apply directly to the educational institutions that interest them most. There is no central admission system.

There may be some need to complete an entrance examination prior to your acceptance at a university. While you must be a confirmed student to enter the Czech Republic on your student visa you may enter the country to complete an entrance examination without a visa as Australians do not require a visa for casual travel in the country for a period up to 3 months.

Note: If students already hold a degree from a foreign university and wish to continue their studies in the Czech Republic, it is up to the institution to which they have applied to decide upon the equivalence of their qualifications.