How to choose the right study programme in Czechia

There are so many study programmes in English you can study in the Czech Republic that it’s no wonder you might feel quite overwhelmed. Especially if you don’t know for sure what you’d like to do in future. How to choose the right one for you and avoid some common mistakes?

Choose the right city

If someone mentions the Czech Republic, the city that immediately comes to everyone’s mind is definitely Prague, our capital. It’s beautiful, historical, multicultural and home to famous Charles University which is one of the oldest universities in the world. However, if you aren’t a fan of big bustling cities that are expensive and endless commuting, you might want to reconsider.

Brno, the second largest city located in Moravia region, is not that well-known but it offers one of the best universities in Europe, Masaryk University. Brno is also historical, has many nice pubs and a lively student atmosphere. And it’s not so full of tourists.

If you’d really like to study with local students and you love smaller cities, try looking up places like Olomouc, Hradec Králové, Plzeň, Pardubice, Liberec and Ostrava. Since Czech railways lead basically everywhere (did you know that we have one of the densest railway systems in the world?), you can still visit Prague for the weekend and get there in just a few hours.

Consider what you can afford

There’s a big difference between university education in Czechia and in the USA. Here, it’s not a norm to get a loan when you enter college. Nor is a norm to be repaying your student debt for many years when you start working. State universities are for free here, at least for Czech citizens who are under 26 years old.

Even though many English programmes have tuition plans, you’ll still pay much less than in the USA. The cost depends on the study programme. Some technical fields desperately need students and will be either free of charge or might be even offering scholarships. But even humanities aren’t out of your reach if you’re not exactly rich. Just don’t forget about living expenses like accommodation, food and leisure.

Be ambitious but also realistic

We know that it sounds fancy to study humanities with attractive looking study programmes that are trending but think about what you can actually do when you finish studying them. After graduation usually comes sobriety and looking for a job. And there are only a few spots for experts in things that are too abstract.

So we advise you to be ambitious but also realistic. If you really want to go for fancy humanities, at least take some languages as well. Alternatively, and if it’s possible, sign up for additional credits across faculties—something to do with economy, IT or law. Don’t rely on a single thing. Build practical and various skills for future.

Don’t be afraid to change your study programme

Of course, it’s best to make the right choice after a thoughtful consideration (especially when you’re paying a tuition) but if you find out after a year or so that a specific study programme or a city just isn’t for you, don’t be afraid to change it. Even if you lose a year, you’ll still get some invaluable experience.