How to enroll in a Czech university without intermediaries

Affordable and high-quality competitive education abroad for Ukrainian students in recent years has become not a luxury but a necessity. More and more of our young people are sent to neighboring countries to get their education and diploma, and regular innovations in foreign universities only contribute to this. In recent years, the flow of Ukrainian graduates is directed not only to all Poland but also to the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, England, France. The time has come to resolve the myth that Ukrainians are best welcomed in Poland, so in this article, we are talking about all the interesting moments of entry and higher education in the Czech Republic.

The main difference between the higher education of this country is that education in all-state universities is free of charge. But such luxury has its own price, which is not equally profitable for everyone. For example, if you don’t go to classroom they can not only dismiss you from the university but also cancel the student visa in general. We answer the most popular and important questions that may arise from future entrants.

“Hunting” on the university in the Czech Republic

For graduates of Ukrainian schools that are planning to obtain a document awarding the title of master’s or bachelor of the Czech universities, we have two news at once: good and bad. The good news is that Ukrainian graduates can join the Czech universities immediately after completing their studies at the school; it is not necessary to take out an EIA. But bad news is for those, who wanted to go to a foreign university without training. that is why, it is necessary to start this process in advance – for a year, or even one and a half. During this period you need to learn the Czech language in level not lower than the average. The hardest thing to do is to prepare, to learn a language, at the same time as studying in the eleventh grade. In addition, the potential student should pass introductory tests.

How to choose an educational institution

But, first of all, you need to decide what the university will become your alma mater for the next few months. On our portal, you can find the maximum list of universities in the Czech Republic, where Ukrainian graduates can study. Also, on our site, you can find interesting information about the features of studying abroad, the fields, specialties that will be in demand in the coming years, an exhaustive list of universities not only in the Czech Republic and Ukraine but also in 34 other countries, as well as all the necessary information for graduates. It is also useful to check out local Czech online guides. For example, www.studyin.cz is a local website about Czech universities, published in Czech and English.

If we talk about the search for the future alma mater, the site www.naric.cz – the English-language portal will be the most useful for Ukrainian entrants, created on the basis of the Czech informational center. This site is convenient for finding the best that has an automated platform for the selection of universities and the necessary training programs. You can search by using specific search terms, such as “right” or “medicine,” depending on the language of instruction (available in Czech and English), as well as depending on the degree that the student wants to receive in the future. The system will show you how to visit the official site of the selected university, information about educational areas, academic degrees, cost of living, the language of teaching and the form of ownership of the institution.

Also, sites such as www.vejska.cz and www.vysokeskoly.cz will be useful to search for the future alma mater. On these sites, you can also find information about entrance exams and training courses. Despite the fact that these sites are in Czech, for convenience, you can set up an automatic translator for information in English. This feature is available on both sites.

Our site has a convenient filter for finding educational institutions, not only depending on countries but also on the fields of study, levels of accreditation, forms of ownership, specialization, and type of educational institution.

How to enroll in a Czech university.

Applying for entry to a state-owned institution of higher education should be long before the usual time. An application for entry, in most cases, must be submitted by the end of February (the exact time frame can be found on the official website of the selected educational institution). Entrance exams are held from April to June. An exception will be only the situation when the entrant wishes to enter a creative specialties. In this case, the application for entry must be submitted no later than November, and the exams, the results of which are credited to the study, will be held in January-February. This applies to public institutions. Private universities can accept applications and exams even in the summer.

The list of documents that must be submitted when applying to the Czech higher education is as follows:

1. A document certifying the availability of education translated into Czech and marked with a notary public. At the time of submission of these documents may not be in the hands, so you can agree, and post them later. In most educational institutions it is possible.
2. The document, that proves the certificate or diploma of education.

• Apostille for a certificate and an annex to certificate;
• Notification for a diploma and an annex to diploma.

3. Certificate of the appropriate level of mastery of the Czech language.

To enroll, you also need to pass the appropriate exams, read more about it further. The decision of the university should be expected already in the summer, roughly in July-August. By the way, in the Czech Republic, as in most European countries, you need to pay fee for the package of documents. Usually, it costs from 10 to 20 euros.

Exercises for “endurance”

Unlike most European higher education institutions, Ukrainians cannot enter Czech universities unless they submit their documents. Regardless of whether in state or private educational institution our graduates plan to study, you still need to pass entrance exam.

Introductory tests

When you enter a private university, it is usually the case in the Czech Republic that an interview is conducted, during which the level of knowledge of the Czech language is determined. But at the state universities , everything is not so simple. Future students need to undergo so-called entrance exams on main field of study and test for a foreign language (usually Czech) or to undergo so-called comparative NSZ exams (www.scio.cz). NSZ is a specially selected test that contains two blocks of questions. The first part of the questions helps to determine the general knowledge and inclination to study each student. The second part of the tests consists of questions on general subjects (physics, law, economics, mathematics, philosophy, etc.). usually, the cost of one such test is 500 CZK or 20 euros.

Language question.

In addition to introductory tests, individual HEIs may apply for a certificate confirming that they have mastered the Czech language at level B1 or B2. There are two ways how you can get such a certificate:

1. Take pre-language courses in the Czech Republic, located directly at a university, or at one of the training centers.
2. Pass Czech language test, you can do it twice a year (in the autumn and spring) at the Czech Center in Kyiv, which takes place jointly with the Karlovy University in Prague (Test schedules can be found on the site kiev.czechcentres.cz). The test contains the following parts: reading, listening, writing text, vocabulary and grammar questions (B2 only), and oral narration in accordance with the European-level criteria for the level of proficiency in a foreign language. The certificate is recognized by the majority of universities in the Czech Republic. Testing is also useful because such a certificate promotes admission to higher education and career growth in the future. The exam is conducted and checked by the professors of Charles University.

Czech Test evaluation at the Czech Center in Kyiv

The test result results are determined by two criteria: “composed / compiled” and accordingly “did not make up”. For positive evaluation, it is necessary to get at least 60% of the correct answers. The received certificate has an unlimited term and is issued in two languages: Czech and English. The cost of testing depends on the level: for A1 and A2 – 150 and 160 euros, for B1 and B2 – 190 and 200 euros respectively, for C1 – 230 euros. For students of language courses at the Czech Center, there are discounts. It is very easy to enroll for the exam, just submit an online application on the center’ website.

Apostilization.

To approve the certificate of a graduate of any Ukrainian school, it is necessary to undergo apostilization – one of the main ways of legal recognition of documents that will be used abroad. In Ukraine, such an authority has the “Information and Image Center”, which operates under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. From legalization at the consulate, this procedure is different in speed and more common use of documents. After all, the embassy can legalize documents only for their country, but apostilling, the document is legally valid anywhere abroad.

As a result of checking the documents, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has the right to place the Apostille on the certificate, which indicates the lawfulness of its use in other countries. The Center at the Ministry operates as a certain intermediary and provides certain opportunities for filing documents:

• Document processing “day to day” – if you do not need to send a request;
• Appointment documents can be submitted during the office hours of the Ministry;
• The reception and delivery of documents for auspices by a courier is possible;
• The possibility of preliminary recording on the center website.

Nostrification.

This is not all. In order to allow an entrants from Ukraine to study in the Czech Republic, they need to nostrificate (confirm) a diploma of education. As a rule, you need to pass test on two subjects from a school in the Czech Republic. What subjects will be tested – local departments of education decide where to submit documents for approval. A complete list of such institutions can be found at www.naric.cz.

List of documents for passing the approval procedure:

1. Application for passing the procedure of examination of the certificate.
2. A copy of the diploma and a copy of the application, translated into Czech and certified by a stamp and a notary’s signature.
3. Academic statement from the educational institution with estimates and the number of hours listened to in the past two years.

The cost of the nostrification service is 1,000 CZK or 40 euros.

Tuition Fee.

One of the main advantage of the Czech universities for foreign entrants is the opportunity to study free of charge at a public university for all students without exception. Therefore, for those who wish to study here, the only one paid service – accommodation. You will have to pay for studies in the Czech university just if it’s a private one. Typically, payment in such institutions starts with an amount of 2000 euros for one year of training. But, don’t give up, because in the Czech Republic, as in other European countries, various scholarship programs for foreigners are successfully operating. A complete list of such programs can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic www.msmt.cz/international-cooperation-1/scholarships. Let’s check on the most popular of them.

• Studding in Brno.

The South Moravian Center for International Mobility (www.jcmm.cz) conducts a competition for non-EU foreign students every year and wants to study on Master and Postgraduate programs in Czech with Brno. It should be noted that they major are tech and natural sciences. It starts, usually, in December. In order for a potential scholarship holder to take part in it, you need to follow:

1. Fill out the online application for participation in the competition, which is placed on the website of the Center.
2. To apply, you need to add a diploma about the education (if it is not already completed, then instead of a diploma you can submit an extract from the university that the student is really studying in the last year).
3. СV.
4. Motivation letter.
5. Two letters of recommendation.
6. Czech language Certificate (if available).

It’s all to be done by January 30th.

It should be noted that, in parallel with participation in the competition for scholarship, students must independently prepare documents for admission to the Czech universities. By the way, the list of such institutions is somewhat limited, because the scholarship can be calculated only in partner universities. Here is a complete list of these institutions:

• Masaryk University;
• Mendel University;
• University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences;
• Tech University.

The very list of 20-30 scholarships, as a rule, are announced at the end of June. These people will receive a monthly scholarship of CZK 6,000 of 236 (Euro) during the first year. If these students demonstrate good marks and knowledge, then the university will continue to provide financial support.

• Visegrad Foundation.

International Visegrad Foundation (visegradfund.org) provides scholarships for studying at the universities of the Four Visegrad countries, where, in addition to Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, the Czech Republic is also included. This fund has an appropriate scholarship program for students from Ukraine who wish to study for one or two semesters (max – 4) for a Master or Postgraduate study at one of the universities of the Czech Republic. The competition for this scholarship starts every year in December, and the deadline for submission of documents is January 31.

Anyone wishing to receive a scholarship must submit the following list of documents:

1. Fill out the online application form on the fund website.
2. To apply, add a notarized translation into the Czech language of the diploma of education.
3. Academic certificate of assessment (for masters only).
4. Training plan.
5. Letter of invitation from the university that you have chosen to study.
6. Letter of recommendation (for graduate students only).

A list of lucky people will be able to announce a special commission in May. Every year the number of Ukrainians who were able to obtain a scholarship for studying in the Czech Republic is changing. Each scholarship has the opportunity to receive financial aid of € 2,300 for one semester. In some cases, partial reimbursement of the cost of transportation to the place of study may be possible (if the distance from the place of residence exceeds 1500 km).

• Other features.

For students from Ukraine and postgraduate students, there is also another type of scholarship (for a term of 2 to 10 months) within the framework of an agreement between the Ukrainian and the Czech Ministry of Education. For more information, go to http://www.msmt.cz/international-cooperation-1/scholarships. According to the organizers, most students from Ukraine receive scholarships for study programs, during which they study the chosen disciplines and conduct the necessary research for their studies. But within this program, you can also get a scholarship for a full academic year.

The list of documents that you must submit to participate in this program is as follows:

1. Application for participation in the program.
2. CV
3. List of publications.
4. 2 letters of recommendation.
5. A copy of the Diploma of Education.
6. Statement of Expenditures.

Deadline for submitting documents is March 31. These lucky people are exempted from paying tuition, and they will receive 9,000 (non-masters) or 9,500 (masters degrees) per month of Czech (355 and 375 euros).

8 reasons to go to study in the Czech Republic:

1. The educational in state-owned universities in the Czech Republic is absolutely free of charge for both local students and for foreigners.
2. Latest technologies have been use in Education: a large number of materials necessary for the education are contained in electronic media, and on lectures use computer equipment and projectors.
3. Each student has the opportunity to formulate his own schedule of classes independently. Due to this, you may have 1 or 2 days off at the week.
4. The exam on a particular discipline takes place several times during the same semester. Sometimes a break between one of its dates and the next can be about a week. Thanks to such a system, the student receives additional training time.
5. For foreign students, “housing allowance” is paid monthly in the amount of 50 euros.
6. Foreign students have the right to work while studying the same hours as local ones. At the same time, in most EU countries there are restrictions for foreign students.
7. In the Czech Republic, there are many student discounts from 10% to 50% for travel, food, and clothing, sports classes, bistros and coffee shops, museums, as well as trips to cinema and theaters.

8.You can live and work in one of the developed European countries after your education completed.

8 reasons why not go to the Czech Republic.

1. Not all universities in the Czech Republic are in international ranking list of universities.
2. Unlike other European universities, foreigners are not accepted immediately for study, only when submitting documents. They are enrolled in the same principles as local entrants. Therefore, in order to get to the state higher education, Ukrainian entrants need to undergo serious enter tests.
3. Not in all Czech Republic universities can provide practice during the educational process.
4. Visiting all lectures is not necessary. Therefore, those who have problems with self-organization may have difficulty learning.
5. Immigration police officers may check on you on your lectures. They can go to college and see if attending lectures by this or that student. If the person who is interested in education does not attend too many classes, then she (or him) can deny student visa and deport him (her) home.
6. There may be problems with your accommodation. Not all private universities are able to provide students with a room in the dorm.