Higher Education Systems - Czech Republic

In Czech Republic there are two types of higher education institutions (vysoké školy): university and non-university. Universities provide all types of degree programs whereas non-university higher education institutions provide mainly Bachelor’s degree programs and may also carry out Master’s degree programs [CZ1]. Both types of institutions may be public, private or state. Public and private higher education institutions come under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, while state institutions are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior.

The higher education system is organized according to the Bologna agreement in three levels: Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral (PhD). Bachelor’s degree programs (bakalářský studijní program) take from 3 to 4 years (180–240 ECTS credits) to complete, and end with a final state examination. Part of the examination is usually the defence of a Bachelor’s thesis. Graduates are awarded an academic degree of Bakalář umění, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BcA.), in the field of fine arts or Bakalář, Bachelor (Bc.), in other fields.

Master’s degree programs usually take from 1 to 3 years (60–180 ECTS credits) of study after a Bachelor’s degree program or, in the case of a long-cycle Master’s program, 4 to 6 years (240–360 ECTS credits) of study from the beginning of the university studies. To obtain the degree, students should take a final state examination and defend a Master’s thesis. The following academic degrees are awarded depending on the filed of study:

• Inženýr (Ing.), Engineer, in the fields of economics, technical sciences and technologies, agriculture, forestry and military education;
• Inženýr architect (Ing. arch.), Engineer Architect, in the field of architecture;
• Doktor medicíny (MUDr.), Doctor of Medicine;
• Zubní lékař (MDDr.), Dentist;
• Doktor veterinarní medicíny (MVDr.), Doctor of Veterinary Medicine;
• Magistr umění (MgA.), Master of Fine Arts;
• Magistr (Mgr.), Master, in other fields.

Holders of the Magistr degree can take an advanced (rigorózní) state examination in the same field of study and obtain the titles of JUDr. (doktor práv, or Doctor of Law), ThDr. (doktor teologie, or Doctor of Theology), RNDr. (doktor přírodních věd, Doctor of Natural Sciences), or PhDr (doktor filozofie, or Doctor of Philosophy), PharmDr. (doktor farmacie, or Doctor of Pharmacy) [CZ1]. These degrees gained after graduation or after graduation and rigorous examination are popularly called "small doctorate" (malý doktorát) [CZ2].

However, they are not comparable and should be clearly distinguished from traditional Doctoral (PhD) degrees gained after the 3-4 years’ doctoral degree program (180–240 ECTS credits). Graduates who successfully passed the doctoral state examination and defended a thesis are awarded one of the following academic degrees: Doctor (Ph.D.), Doctor, or Doktor teologie (Th.D.), Doctor of Theology. Doctoral degrees can be awarded only by accredited Universities. The accreditation is granted for a period of 4 to 8 years by the National Accreditation Bureau for Higher Education. Only universities with significant scientific performance and with the necessary number of full professors in a field of study can award PhD degrees in the given field.

Admission

A general prerequisite to be admitted to a Bachelor’s degree program or exceptionally to a long-cycle Master’s degree program is to hold a diploma from the secondary school (i.e., successfully passing the final examination, maturita). Each university itself determines the number of admitted students and the admission procedure [CZ1]. Most degrees are in the Czech language, but lectures in selected subjects may be in English. Recently, higher education institutions have started offering entire study programs in English.