Study Abroad in the Czech Republic: Central European Studies in Prague – Academics

Prague Curriculum: How the Academics Fit Together

Though the latitude’s rather uncertain,
And the longitude also is vague,
The persons I pity who know not the City
The beautiful City of Prague.

- William Jeffery Prowse, “The City of Prague”

CET Prague students explore Prague, searching through the “uncertain latitude” and “vague longitude” to find a city that embodies the vivacity, contradictions, tenacity and grandeur of Central Europe.

Students select from a palette of courses–many in Central European Studies, one in Czech language, one that takes them traveling. Academics lead students through Central Europe’s political landscape, underground movements and art scene. Sitting beside students in class are Czech peers, because class discussion is boring if everyone has the same perspective.

When not in class, students discover the city: excursions to historic sites, meetings with local leaders, service-learning opportunities with grassroots organizations, outings with Czech roommates.

At the mid-semester point, a traveling seminar takes students around Central Europe. Here, the lens zooms out. Students explore Prague’s sister cities. How do other Central European cities compare to Prague? Where do the historical paths converge?

CET Prague students join countless writers and philosophers as they come to adore Prague, this extraordinary gem of Central Europe.

Prague Fall & Spring Academic Requirements

All students enroll in the core course–Political and Cultural History of East Central Europe in the 20th Century. This course is the academic axis of the study abroad program. Students learn the historical context behind their day-to-day interactions. 39 total hours, plus faculty-led academic excursions. 3 recommended credits.

Students take three electives in Central European Studies. Academic disciplines include history, history of art, film, political science, literature and popular culture. Electives are taught in English. 39 total hours each, plus faculty-led academic excursions. 3 recommended credits each.

All students enroll in a mini-course–Traveling Seminar: Interactions in Central Europe. Students take this course as they embark on their traveling seminar around Central Europe. The course merges readings and discussions with the sites students visit during the trip. 15 total hours. 1 recommended credit.

All students enroll in Czech Language. Czech language classes are “front-loaded.” This means that for the first week of the program, they meet for 4 hours/day. No other classes meet during this time. After that, language classes continue but at a slower pace, approximately 3 hours/week. All language levels are offered. 59 total hours. 3 recommended credits.

Students may participate in service-learning. Students provide service to a local organization. They take a course that contextualizes that work: What does it mean to serve? How does the placement organization intersect with the local community? A section of the course is dedicated to reflection and discussion. Recommended credits TBD.

Students may take one elective at the host university in Prague. Upon arrival in Prague, students may choose to enroll in one course at the Humanities Faculty of Charles University or a non-production course at FAMU: the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts. Courses are taught in English. An additional fee of 150 Euros/credit applies to FAMU electives. Most classes are 1.5 to 3 credits. Students interested in this option should contact CET upon acceptance into the program.

View all course options and download syllabi.

Classroom Matters

Summer Term

CET Prague operates during the fall and spring semesters. Students interested in spending a summer term in Prague should consider the CET Prague Summer Interdisciplinary Studies program. This 8-week program takes advantage of the academic resources already in place for the CET Prague and CET Jewish Studies semester programs. Students take courses in Central European history, politics, film and art.

Prerequisites

There is no language prerequisite for this program. Students of all Czech language levels are welcome.

Language Class Placement

Czech language class placement is determined by:

• The results of a placement exam taken upon arrival in Prague.
• The student’s transcripts.
• The student’s Czech language ability as demonstrated in the application.

Adjustments to placements are made during the first week of classes.

Academic Rigor

CET Prague is a study abroad program for serious students. Classes and site visits are scheduled Mondays through Fridays. Students can expect at least one hour of prep time for every hour of class time. Participation in classes and attendance at all site visits are mandatory.

Czech Classmates

Courses are designed and taught specifically for CET students. In some terms, Czech students may be invited to enroll. CET students soon find that Czech peers lend a new perspective to class discussions. The arrangement sparks cross-cultural dialogue that often continues after class ends.

Outside the Classroom

Academic Excursions

CET Prague hopes that students will trod down every cobbled street Prague has to offer. To help unleash each student’s inner explorer, the program arranges excursions that introduce students to different slices of Prague. Past students have:

• Gone to (and even performed at!) an “open mic” night as part of a study of underground resistance movements.
• Toured the Czech Parliament.
• Held class in a grand café that was a stomping ground for intellectuals in the 1920s.
• Met with the US Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

Traveling Seminar

CET Prague students travel around Central Europe with expert guides. This weeklong journey includes a mini-course, Traveling Seminar: Interactions in Central Europe , and is a well-loved part of the study abroad experience. Past students have:

• Visited a neighborhood of Krakow designed according to communist ideals.
• Met with Czech students in Moravia.
• Explored the Roma (Gypsy) population in Central Europe.
• Experienced the grandeur of Vienna.

Overnight Academic Excursions

Twice each semester, students depart Prague and venture on an overnight excursion together.

• Budapest. Students compare Budapest and Prague on a weekend trip to Hungary’s capital. Past trips have included a side visit to the nearby arts colony of Szentendre. Students have also visited Turkish baths, shopped in the covered markets and learned about Hungary’s political and economic transformation.
• Cesky Krumlov. This is a beautiful medieval/renaissance castle town on the Austrian border. The castles, deserted German villages and natural beauty of Cesky Krumlov’s surrounding region give students a new perspective on Czech history and culture.

Day Trip to Lidice

CET Prague students come face-to-face with a chilling part of history when they journey to this former Bohemian village. Lidice was destroyed by the Nazis in 1942 in retaliation for Czech paratroopers’ assassination of a Nazi leader. The villagers were rounded up—men were executed, most women and children were sent to concentration camps. Some children were adopted into German homes and “Aryanized.” When possible, a survivor from Lidice guides students through this site.

Community Service

All CET Prague students participate in group community service projects—a way to give back to the local community. Past projects have included:

• Conversing with residents at a nursing home.
• Teaching at a program for disadvantaged youth.
• Designing a holiday party for children.

Students wishing to pursue individual service projects may enroll in the service-learning course.