A Ukrainian student can enter a Czech university immediately after finishing Ukrainian school without even needing to pass external independent testing. But preparation for admission needs to start 1-1.5 years in advance (this time is for learning the Czech language), and applying to the university will have to be done simultaneously with studies in the final year. At the same time, the prospective student will face difficult entrance exams.
Choosing a place of study
But first of all, it is worth deciding on the future place of study. Useful websites on the Internet will help Ukrainian students with this. The website www.studyin.cz provides general information in English about the higher education system in the Czech Republic, a list of all Czech higher education institutions with links to their official websites, and links to other educational resources.
As for choosing an educational institution, the most useful for applicants is the English-language website of the Czech National Academic Recognition and Information Centre (www.naric.cz). The fact is that there is an automatic search database for higher education institutions and study programmes. You can search by keywords, for example, 'law' or 'biology', by language of instruction (Czech or English), and also by the academic degree the student wishes to obtain. The system will provide general information about the university with a link to its official website, information about the specialties available there, as well as the cost of living and tuition if it is a private university or an English-language programme.
You can continue searching for an alma mater on www.vejska.cz (here, by the way, there is information about entrance exams and preparatory courses) and on www.vysokeskoly.cz. Despite the information on the sites being presented in Czech, there is a built-in translation function into English.
Admission process
The admission campaign at Czech state universities begins long before the end of the academic year. Applications for admission to most of them, as a rule, must be submitted by the end of February (exact date is best checked on the specific university's website), and entrance exams take place from April to June. The only exception is if the applicant plans to apply for creative specialities. In that case, documents must be submitted by November. And exams will have to be taken already in January-February. As for private universities, they accept applications even in the summer.
As for the other documents that need to be submitted for admission, the list is as follows: certificate or bachelor's diploma with supplement, notarized and translated into Czech (if these documents are not yet available at the time of application, as a rule, it is possible to arrange to submit them later); a document on nostrification (recognition) of educational documents, as well as a certificate of Czech language proficiency (but this is not always required). Also, for admission, you will need to come for the entrance exams. Well, the verdict from the university should be expected in June-July. By the way, in the Czech Republic, like in many European countries, document processing is paid. On average, you will have to pay 10-20 euros for this.
Tests of strength
Unlike other European ones, Czech universities do not accept foreigners based solely on documents. Regardless of whether they are applying to a private or state university, they will still have to pass entrance exams.
In private universities, admission is usually limited to an interview in Czech. But with state universities, it is more complicated. The student will have to take either university exams in core subjects and a Czech language exam, or take the so-called comparative exams (NSZ, website – www.scio.cz). NSZ consists of two parts: a test that determines the student's general ability to study, as well as a test on the fundamentals of social sciences (philosophy, law, psychology, economics, etc.). On average, taking one such exam will cost 500 Czech koruna (20 euros).
In addition, some universities may require the applicant to provide a certificate confirming Czech language proficiency at level B1 or B2. There are two options for obtaining it. The first is to complete a preparatory Czech language course in the Czech Republic at a university or at one of the specialized educational centres. The second is to pass a certified Czech language exam, which takes place twice a year (autumn and spring) at the Czech Centre in Kyiv (test schedule at kiev.czechcentres.cz). It consists of reading, listening, writing, a lexico-grammatical test (only for level B2), and an oral part. The cost, depending on the level, is 190 (for level B1) or 200 euros (for B2).
But that's not all. For an applicant from Ukraine to be allowed to study in the Czech Republic, they need to undergo the nostrification (recognition) procedure for their certificate. As a rule, they will have to take exams in two subjects of the Czech school curriculum. What these subjects will be is decided by the local Education Departments (list at www.naric.cz), where you need to submit the necessary documents. These include an application for the recognition procedure, a notarized copy of the certificate with supplement translated into Czech, and an academic transcript from school with grades and the number of hours attended over the last two years. Nostrification costs 1000 Czech koruna (40 euros).
Money for studies
One of the main 'lures' of the Czech Republic for foreigners: education at public universities is free for all students without exception, if they intend to study in Czech. Therefore, the student only bears living expenses. You will have to pay for tuition only if you enroll in a private university. There, the price of knowledge starts from 2000 euros per year. However, as in other European countries, the Czech Republic also has scholarship programs for foreigners. Their full list is available on the website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic – www.msmt.cz/international-cooperation-1/scholarships (information in English). Let's focus on the most popular ones.
STUDY IN BRNO. The South-Moravian Center for International Mobility (www.jcmm.cz) annually holds a competition for foreign students from non-EU countries who want to study in master's or postgraduate programs in Czech at universities in the city of Brno (priority is given to technical and natural science specialties). It usually starts in December. To participate, a potential scholarship holder needs to fill out an online application on the center's website, and also attach a diploma of obtained education (if not yet available, a university transcript stating that the student is in their final year can be submitted), CV, motivation letter, and two recommendation letters, as well as a certificate of Czech language proficiency if available. All of this must be done by January 30.
It is worth noting that simultaneously with participating in the scholarship competition, students must independently apply to Czech universities. By the way, their choice is limited, because one can only apply for a scholarship if they enroll in the center's partner universities, which are: Masaryk University, Mendel University, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Technical University. Well, the list of 20-30 lucky winners will be announced at the end of June. They will receive a monthly scholarship of 6000 crowns (236 euros) during the first year of study. And if they study well, then their university will provide financial support.
MONEY FROM THE VISEGRAD FUND. The International Visegrad Fund (visegradfund.org) provides scholarships for studies at universities of the Visegrad Four countries, which include the Czech Republic in addition to Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. This fund has a special scholarship program for Ukrainian students who want to study for one or two semesters (maximum 4 semesters) in master's or postgraduate programs at Czech universities. The competition for this scholarship starts every year in December, and the deadline for submitting documents is January 31.
All potential scholarship holders must fill out an online application on the fund's website, and also attach the following documents: a certified translation of the education diploma, an academic transcript with grades (for master's students only), a study plan, an invitation letter from the chosen university, and a recommendation letter (for postgraduate students only). In mid-May, the selection committee will announce the list of winners. Their number changes each year, but for example, last year 10 Ukrainians went to Czech universities. They received a scholarship of 2300 euros per semester, and in some cases (if the host university was located more than 1500 km from the potential scholarship holder's location), their travel to the place of study was partially paid.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. In addition, for our students, university graduates and postgraduate students, scholarships (for 2 to 10 months of study) are also available under an agreement between the Ukrainian and Czech ministries of education. More details can be found here - http://www.msmt.cz/international-cooperation-1/scholarships. According to the organizers, Ukrainian applicants most often receive scholarships for research trips, during which they simply study selected subjects or conduct research necessary for their scientific work. However, within this scholarship program, it is also possible to receive a scholarship for regular studies.
And the documents that need to be submitted are: a completed application, CV, list of publications, 2 recommendation letters, copy of education diploma, transcript with grades (deadline for submission – March 31). Winners are exempt from tuition fees, and they will receive monthly 9,000 (for those without a master's degree) or 9,500 (for those with one) Czech crowns (355 or 375 euros).
Seven reasons to go to the Czech Republic
1. Education at public universities in the Czech Republic is free for both Czech and foreign students.
2. Studies keep pace with new technologies: many study materials are available in electronic form, and lectures are accompanied by multimedia presentations.
3. Each student can independently create their own schedule. This allows for 1-2 free days during the week.
4. An exam on a specific subject is held several times during one session. Sometimes the break between one date and the next can be a week. Thanks to this system, students get additional time to prepare.
5. Foreign students receive a so-called 'housing allowance' monthly – about 50 euros.
6. Foreigners have the right to work part-time during their studies for the same number of hours as locals. Meanwhile, in other European countries, such as the UK, there are significant restrictions on this.
7. In the Czech Republic, there are many discounts for students on transportation, shops, cafes, museums, theaters, cinemas, and sports complexes. Their value can range from 10% to 50%.
Seven reasons not to go to the Czech Republic
1. Czech universities are still not leaders in international university rankings.
2. Unlike other European universities, foreigners are not admitted based solely on documents. They are accepted on the same basis as local students. Therefore, to get into, for example, a state university, Ukrainians have to pass serious entrance exams.
3. Not all Czech universities offer internships during studies.
4. Attending lectures is not mandatory. Therefore, those with poor self-discipline will find it difficult to study.
5. How foreign students attend classes is monitored by the police for foreigners. They can come to the university and ask whether a particular student attends classes or not. If their attendance leaves much to be desired, they may be deprived of their student visa and sent home.
6. There may be problems with housing. For example, not all private universities can provide a student with a dormitory room.
7. Due to high competition, especially for humanities graduates, it is difficult to find a job after graduation.
Our students – about studying in the Czech Republic
Daria Tkachenko, University of Finance and Administration (Prague):
«I received my bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Entrepreneurship in Ostrava, and for my master's degree I went to the University of Finance and Administration in Prague, where I am currently finishing my studies.
The first thing that struck me about Czech universities is how digitized everything is. For example, every lecture hall has projectors that teachers use to display multimedia presentations during lectures. And students come with laptops. Another feature of Czech education: the class schedule can be 'shuffled' to suit the student. You can arrange it so that you have several free days during the week. Thanks to this, students can work part-time during their studies (they are paid about 4 euros per hour).
As for the workload, it is not very heavy here. However, you still have to study systematically, because there are tests and quizzes during the semester. And for some subjects you also need to write semester papers to be allowed to take the exam. By the way, the exam session in Czech universities is not like ours. Here, not all students take the exam on the same day – everyone has an individual schedule. Also, exams can be postponed from one session to another. But it's better not to abuse this, because you can accumulate a lot of 'tails' (incomplete exams).
Moreover, at my university, it was possible to do an internship during studies. By the way, students were helped in finding a place for it. For example, our teacher would find suitable vacancies for us, tell us how to properly write a resume and a motivation letter. Actually, about half of all students found their first job this way, including me. But generally, it is not very easy to find a job after graduation here, especially in the capital. As for housing, in the Czech Republic, all students who do not live with their parents receive a so-called 'housing allowance' – about 50 euros. This money allows them to partially pay for a dormitory room.»
Maxim Ovchinnikov, Technical University (Ostrava):
«I left to study in the Czech Republic right after finishing school. At the Technical University of Ostrava, I first earned a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree in law and economics. Based on my experience, I can highlight both pros and cons of Czech education. One of the pros is that studying is convenient. After enrollment, each student gets a personal account on the university website. There they can make a schedule, sign up for tests and exams, view grades, and also correspond with teachers. In addition, my university had a special internal information system where lecture texts and additional materials for self-study were posted. Students also took small tests there, the results of which were automatically sent to teachers.
Another plus is that student mobility is well developed, so you can go to another European university for a semester through a scholarship program. And perhaps the main drawback was that there was little practice during studies. In addition, sometimes we had to buy additional textbooks, which are not cheap.»
We thank the director of the Prague Educational Center Ladislav Komarek and the director of Librium LLC Elena Rusyaeva for their help in preparing the material.
Lyudmila KOLB,
'Segodnya'.