Why CET Prague?
CET Prague students are looking for a meaningful study abroad experience with plenty of experiential learning. Choose between three tracks—Business & Economics, Central European Studies, or Jewish Studies—to guide your semester. Study the basics of Czech language. The rest of your curriculum is up to you.
Academics
Semester
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 15
- Choose a concentration & core course
- Diverse elective selection
- Traveling Seminar around Central Europe
- Variety of internship placement options
- Host University: Charles University
Curriculum & Syllabi
You choose a concentration with a unique core course, a Czech language course, and three CET electives to meet the recommended 15 total credits. If you choose to complete an internship or choose a direct-enroll elective, you may choose two CET electives instead.
Choose one of these concentrations to guide your semester and determine your 3-credit core course.
Business & Economics
Central European Studies
Jewish Studies
Your choice will also influence what activities and excursions you attend during the Traveling Seminars and throughout the semester.
You take 20 hours of intensive Czech in the first week, and reduced class hours after that. You also attend three Czech Language Tables organized by Czech local roommates in order to practice your new skills in a real-life setting.
Most students are Czech language beginners, but if you’ve taken Czech before, we have a course for you, too.
- PR/LANG 100 Beginning Czech Language (3 credits)
You choose three 3-credit CET electives to meet the recommended 15 total credits.
- PR/ARTH 332 Czech Art & Architecture: From the Middle Ages to the 21st Century
- PR/CEST 320 Franz Kafka and Central European Literature
- PR/CEST 354 Berlin, Vienna, Prague, and Budapest: A Political and Cultural History, 1848-1939
- PR/CEST 355 Resistance & Dissent: Punk & Alternative Culture from Nazism to Communism in the Czech Lands
- PR/CEST 360 A Social & Cultural History of Communist Europe Told Through Communist Humor
- PR/CEST 361 Socialist Consumer Culture
- PR/COMM 370 From Propaganda to Post-Truth: A History of Fake News
- PR/ECON 340 World Financial Institutions and Markets
- PR/FILM 215 Central European Film
- PR/IBUS 347 Entrepreneurship in Europe, Case Study: the Czech Republic
- PR/INTR 342 Nationalism, Minorities & Migrations in Europe
- PR/INTR 344 Conflict and Cooperation in International Relations: Case Study — Central and Eastern Europe
- PR/JWST 357 Jews, Anti-Semitism, and Holocaust Memory in Central Europe
- PR/JWST 362 Jewish Life in Contemporary Europe
- PR/LANG 205 Intermediate Hebrew
- PR/LANG 305 Advanced Hebrew
- PR/MGMT 321 International Management
- PR/MKTG 325 International Marketing
- PR/PSYC 252 Cross-Cultural Psychology
- PR/PSYC 365 Social Psychology
If you choose to intern while in Prague, you may choose to reduce your course load to two electives instead of three with the permission of your home institution.
- PR/INTS 350 Internship: Bridging Theory and Practice
150 hours, 3 credits
You can swap one CET elective for a direct-enroll elective at Charles University and learn alongside Czech and other international undergraduate students. Choose courses from the Faculty of Humanities or Institute of Economic Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Course offerings differ each term and range from 1 to 3 credits each. Courses are taught in English.
Explore direct-enroll courses at Charles University :
- Terms: Winter is the FALL semester; Summer is the SPRING semester
- Students are not permitted to enroll in courses that begin with the codes YMO and YBAU.
- Some CET courses are listed in the catalog under the code YBAC, this is where Charles University students can sign up to take CET-owned courses.
CET converts final grades from Charles University to US letter grade equivalents.
Focus Your Semester
Your concentration determines your core course and what activities and excursions you attend. Study Business & Economics and learn why companies are investing in Prague. Select Central European Studies and learn about Prague’s history as a hotbed of resistance and artistic experimentation. Or choose Jewish Studies and get to know the Jewish community in Prague, its history, and its place in contemporary Europe.
Traveling Seminar: Learning on the Road
- Visit Krakow, Poland. Meet with Polish entrepreneurs, attend Shabbat service, see Schindler’s Factory, and explore museums.
- Reflect at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Have a guided visit through the camps led by a historian, meet and discuss the experience with Polish students, and attend a film screening.
- Experience Brno. Visit the Museum of Roma Culture and nearby Mikulov.
- Spend time in Vienna. Meet with Jewish community leaders, explore Naschmarkt, and learn about the Austrian economy at the Museum of Economics.
You will also take a four-day long weekend Traveling Seminar to Budapest, Hungary where you will hear from local professors, explore the artist community at Szentendre, and have a guided visit of Jewish Budapest.
Intern in Prague
No matter which concentration you choose, you can pursue an internship placement and course to test the waters of an international career. Study International Relations at the globally respected FORUM2000 Foundation. Conduct marketing research for the British Chamber of Commerce Czech Republic. Map foreign feminist NGOs and study gender equality worldwide with Forum 50%. You’ll also examine work through an academic, professional, and experiential lens in your accompanying internship course.
"I think through my combination of courses, their fieldwork, and other co-curricular activities, I have really gained a unique understanding of Central Europe and the Czech Republic—I'm amazed at how much I learned without even realizing it."
American University | Fall 2019
Housing & Meals
COVID Modifications
Because of precautions CET is taking related to COVID-19, your housing experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the COVID playbook page for more information.
- Apartment
- Off-campus housing
- Live with CET peers & local Czech students
- 2-6 people/apartment
- 2-3 people/room
- Fully equipped kitchen, living room, shared bathroom per 2-3 students, in-unit washer
- WiFi access, A/C, linens, basic furnishing, kitchenware
Share a conveniently located apartment in downtown Prague with CET peers and local Czech students. Take in the beautiful cityscapes during your 20-30 minute commute to class, either walking or taking public transport with your CET-provided pass. Apartments are in different buildings around the city center, but you’ll always have peers nearby; cook dinner together or get help finding the best větrník (cream puff dipped in caramel).
Czech Roommates
In addition to your peers, CET-picked Czech students also live in your apartment building to help you acclimate to life in a new country. Want to learn about Botas 66, the classic Czech sneakers? Find the best farmer’s market on Saturday morning? Try out one of the many Vietnamese restaurants in Prague? They also organize a regular “Czech Table” so you can practice your language skills around the city. You might visit the Prague Zoo, sample various Czech desserts, or visit the hometown of one of your roommates.
Eating in Prague
For meals, take advantage of the exceptional and affordable food scene in Prague. Try out Czech favorites like chlebíčky (open face sandwich with unique ingredients) and smažený sýr (fried cheese with potatoes and tartar sauce). Grab a treat at one of the city’s farmers markets. Ready for a home-cooked meal? Grab ingredients at the grocery store and have a night in with your roommates.
Life in Prague
- Known locally as: Praha
- Population: 1.3 million
- Local Currency: Czech Koruna (Kč)
- Famous for: Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, lower cost of living in Europe, great public transport, beautiful architecture
Once class is out, Prague is waiting for you. Enjoy the perks of living in “the world’s greenest city” by reading in the park. Roam the streets and find your favorite view. See a world-class play at one of the city’s many beautiful theaters. Museum hop from the National Gallery to the DOX Center for Contemporary Art, then unwind at a cozy café. Prague has a little something for everybody.
Activities & Excursions
Around Prague
Photograph the stunning Charles Bridge at sunrise. Get to know your peers during board game night at a local café. Go paddle boating on the river. Take in a concert by the Czech Symphony in the Senate Gardens. Climb the towers of Prague Castle to see an incredible panoramic view of the city. Each term offers different opportunities to get to know the city and your cohort.
Away from the City
Prague is a centrally located city with easy access to other European capitals – but with so many CET-arranged excursions, you may not need to bother leaving. Here’s a taste of what you might expect to see on offer:
- All students visit Český Krumlov during orientation. The area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site due the town's architecture, the castle, and the magnificent Baroque theater contained within the castle.
- See Kutná Hora, famous for its medieval architecture and the church decorated with bones.
- Understand the Czechoslovak history of gulags at Jáchymov. Speak to a survivor of the forced-labor camps, then walk the Memory Trail in the woods.
- Soak in the mineral water springs at Karlovy Vary, a spa town in Bohemia.
- Visit Plzeň to see the highest church tower in the Czech Republic, the second largest synagogue in Europe, and walk through the historic Pilsen Brewery.
Volunteering Weekend
Give back to the city that’s hosting you by participating in a weekend of community service. Head outside of the city limits to help further a local NGO’s mission. Working alongside CET students, Czech roommates, and other Czech volunteers, you may help out on an organic farm and education center or help with housing construction projects for those in need. Volunteering is a great way to make local friends and see another side of the Czech Republic.
"The activities and excursions have tremendously enriched my understanding of this country and region. They have showed me what Czech culture is outside of Prague which I really appreciate and it's been amazing to see so much of the region."
Elon University | Fall 2019
On-site Staff
Jiří Bukovinský
Director of Prague Programs
Kevin Johnson, Ph.D.
Academic Director of Prague Programs
Martina Tomanová
Resident Director, CET Prague
Program Fees
Spring 2022
$19,490
Fall 2021: 19,490 $18,600
Spring 2022: $19,490
Of the total program fee, $16,790 goes to tuition and fees, and $2,700 goes to housing and other student life fees.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We take you around Central Europe on a Traveling Seminar. Just bring a camera and your intellectual curiosity.
If you choose to intern while in Prague, we help you land the internship and make sure you’re prepared. And after you get started, we stay in close touch with your host organization to provide support all semester long.
We arrange for you to live in a centrally located apartment with other CET students. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, regular cleaning, and other management costs.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is get on the bus.
Your textbooks and course materials are covered and waiting for you on site.
You’ll also receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and Charles University at the end of the term. You also have the option to request a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota for an additional fee if necessary.
Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,000 - $1,500
- Meals: $2,000 - $2,500
- Personal Expenses: $1,300 - $1,500
- Visa Fees: $110
- Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- Open to students from any US college or university
- GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- Open to all levels of Czech language speakers
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous instructors.
This is an online form that your study abroad office fills out to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of of your online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Spring deadline:
October 1st
Fall deadline:
April 1st
Price Subject to Change:
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Kay Nguyen
Student Services Coordinator
Advises on programs in Czech Republic, Italy, & Vietnam
202.846.7656
[email protected]