Study Programmes
Levels of study
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Vary in length from several months up to one year.
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Preparatory courses (for different study programmes)
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Language courses (for studies in English or Czech)
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No previous degree is needed.
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Bachelor’s programmes (typically 3 years)
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Long-cycle Master’s programmes (undivided; typically 5 or 6 years)
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Available as a single, joint or double degree options.
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Follow-up Master's programmes (= post-bachelors; typically 2 years)
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Doctoral programmes (typically 4 years)
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Forms of study
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Full-time form (regular everyday attendance according to schedule)
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Combined form (min. of 80 hours of direct instruction per semester)
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Distance form (mainly online; max. 80 hours of direct instruction per semester)
Curriculum and credits
Every degree programme is based on a specific curriculum, which sets out its structure – the courses (course units), their sequence, prerequirements, syllabi, and allocated credits. There are three types of courses:
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Compulsory = core course units that the student must complete to be eligible for sitting the final State Examination.
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Recommended optional = course units are chosen by the student from a predefined set of units according to his/her specialisation and interests.
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Optional = other course units offered by any of our faculties or even other higher education institutions in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Explore the available course units
Students accumulate credits during their studies. Each course unit has been allocated a specific number of credits reflecting the workload necessary for its completion (in proportion to the total workload needed to complete all the course units in the curriculum). The student acquires the stipulated number of credits for the successful completion of a course unit, irrespective of the grade he/she has received for that unit.
The optimum scenario is that the student progresses according to the curriculum, which prescribes 60 credits for each stage of the study, i.e. per one academic year (or 30 credits per semester). The rules governing study at the faculties usually stipulate the minimum credit requirement (i.e. lower than 60) that the student must obtain to be able to progress to the next stage of the study. To be eligible for sitting the final State Examination, the student must complete all the courses prescribed by the curriculum and accumulate a total of 180 credits for Bachelor's programmes and 120 credits for Masters programmes.
International Education
The quality of education at Charles University meets the highest European standards. All of our degree programmes are accredited in compliance with the the Bologna system which is reflected in the academic rigor of our programmes. Our students can also transfer credits freely between the participating institutions thanks to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Our system of study has been designed to support student mobility and create flexible learning pathways between different programmes and courses organised not only by Charles University but also other partner universities around the world.
Being a part of the international community of higher education institutions opens up a wide range of opportunities for student mobility, such as the Erasmus+ programme and many others. Moreover, we also offer inter-university study programmes accredited in collaboration with other universities abroad. Their graduates receive either a joint diploma or double diploma from the institutions where they have completed the said programme.
Learn more about the CU Code of Study and Examination.