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Charles University Faculty of Arts

Why choose Charles University Faculty of Arts?

Charles University in Prague was established in 1348, making it the oldest university Central Europe. The Faculty of Arts was established around the same time as the university, and it is one of the most well-respected faculties in the country. The Faculty of Arts houses departments such as history, languages, film, education, philosophy, psychology, social work, and many others. Because the Faculty of Arts is so globally-minded, we host a large number of international students each year through the Erasmus exchange scheme, international exchange agreements, and directly enrolled study abroad students.

Website
ff.cuni.cz
Founded
1348

Reviews

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Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Place to Definitely Czech Off the List

Charles University's ECES program was everything I had hoped for in a study abroad experience. It was my first time outside of the United States and not only did this program open my eyes to the Czech Republic, it exposed me to almost all of Europe. The classes in this program were interesting and one of them turned out to be my favorite class in college. The professors expectations are clear and more than reasonable. The program staff for ECES were incredibly helpful and never left me hanging when it came to answering questions. What's more, they always kept me informed about major cultural events in Prague in case I wanted to go. I did live with plenty of American students, but there are chances to meet international students by participating in the Czech Language Buddy program, volunteering at the local high school, or even speaking to people in classes.

Two great things about Prague: cost and location. Living in Prague was cheap but good quality and I miss it every day. Prague's location is also unbeatable. I managed to see nine additional countries while in Europe and the longest day of travel was a 2.5 hour plane ride.

As a result of being exposed to so many cultural differences in Europe, I have solidified my goal of having an international component be part of my career. Being in Prague through this program gave me more confidence to push my own boundaries and take ownership of every experience I do in the future. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is even slightly considering Prague or Europe.

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Massi
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Prague Fairytale

The ECES program was incredible! The support staff was readily available, set up interesting programs, and made it easy to meet everyone early on in the semester. They planned fun trips for nearby cities and even to Poland. Also, connected us to local Czech students and service opportunities. Had the semester of a lifetime traveling every weekend for 3 months and exploring the beautiful city of Prague!

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Deborah
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Go Study Abroad

Prague is a beautiful city, so unique and different than anything we are used to in America. Its cheap, fun and a great city to live in. You will feel safe walking through the cobble stone streets and over the bridges as you stare at the stunning castles.
Living in the Kolej dorms was convenient to get to school, and a great way to make friends on the program.
The professors are knowledgeable, classes are not as challenging as home university, but you feel like you learned something.
Try and take classes within Charles University- not just at the Faculty of Arts, if you are interested. The staff at ECES is helpful and accommodating.

Put aside extra money to travel, because being in Central Europe that is something you will definitely want to take advantage of. Its awesome to be able to take short, interesting trips so often.

What would you improve about this program?
more cultural immersion
more opportunities to take classes outside faculty of arts
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stacey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Most amazing experience of my life!

The ECES Study Abroad Program at Charles University was by far the most exciting, educational, and amazing experience of my life. Living and studying in Prague is comparable to a fairytale. The city is absolutely breathtaking. My courses and Professors were very interesting and incorporated many trips. ECES is extremely helpful in any and every aspect of your abroad experience. There were several trips that were coordinated to different cities and countries that I fully recommend taking advantage of. The central location of Prague also makes trips to other countries very convenient and affordable.

Response from Charles University Faculty of Arts

Hi Stacey,

Thanks so much for leaving your comments- I think that living in Prague is like a fairytale, too! I hope that you come back to visit us soon!

-Katie Ford, ECES Program Officer

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Taylor
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Diamond in the Rough

Prague was not the original city I wanted to study in, but I am so glad that I ended up picking this program. Prague is not seen as one of the biggest study abroad destinations, but it really should be. It does have pretty much everything you want in a study abroad destination, culture, history, and a good nightlife.

The university itself is great, and going on as many trips with the program as possible does help you learn about Prague, the Czech Republic, and surrounding countries, while getting to see all the amazing sites each place has to offer.

What would you improve about this program?
I would say offer some more opportunities to try and get American students to get to interact with local students and those studying there from other countries. Prague is pretty international within it's student population, but at times it felt like we were all in an American bubble.
Response from Charles University Faculty of Arts

Hi Taylor,

Thank you for your comments, I'm so glad to hear that you had a good experience with us in Prague! We completely understand your comment about the "American bubble", and we've already made some changes to combat that. Starting this semester, we're teaming up with a local school so that our students can participate in a culture tandem- this way it's a little easier to meet locals.

We hope to see you back in Prague again soon!

-Katie Ford, ECES Program Officer

Programs

Displaying 1 - 2 of 2

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Eva Kavalová

Job Title
International Programs Officer
Eva Kavalová, International Programs Officer. Eva has been working in this position since July 2015, but she began working at Charles University, Faculty of Arts in 2014 as a student assistant. She completed her BA in Media Studies at Charles University, and her MA in French Philology. In her spare time, Eva enjoys going to concerts, reading books, traveling and exploring new places.
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What position do you hold at Charles University? What has been your career path so far?

Currently, I am working full time as an International Programs Officer at Charles University, Faculty of Arts. I mostly work with professors that teach for our study abroad programs, take care of administrative affairs in relation to ECES, as well as the economic agenda. I have to say that the reason I am working in this position is because of my own study abroad experience.

I studied abroad in Paris, France during the second year of my Bachelor degree program, and I knew after my stay there that I would like to continue working in the international environment. When I returned, I started to work as an Office Assistant in the International Relations Office at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University.

This experience taught me a lot about Erasmus+ study abroad exchanges, as well as other Charles University exchanges. A year later I was asked to help as Student Assistant and Housing Coordinator with the ECES Summer School, and I’ve been working with ECES ever since.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Working for ECES has given me a lot, and I am still learning and growing every day. Of course I had to learn how to do the job, but I’ve also learned a lot about the university system in USA (which really differs from the Czech one), about other study abroad programs, and I’ve learned more about marketing and organization.

The other very important part of my growth as a person is that I’ve met a lot of very interesting people, some of whom I call friends. Meeting new people, especially students, always influences me because they tell their stories, show you things you’ve known for a long time from a new perspective, and for me, that is ultimately where I get the passion that I have for my job.

What country have you always wanted to visit?

I think I have two favorites, but first, I would like to visit the USA. It seems a little ironic that I work with American students on daily basis, but I’ve never been to the country they come from. But that’s not the only reason – New York, Los Angeles or the Grand Canyon and national parks are places I know only from movies and I would like see these places in person.

The other destination I would like to visit is Southeastern Asia, specifically Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and so on. Asia, in general, represents for me a very different world, culture, and values.

These places may sometimes be difficult to understand, but I have always been fascinated, and one day I would like to take a backpack, some friends, and travel through these countries with such great history, gastronomy and culture.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

For me, the biggest factor in being successful, in this case providing study abroad opportunities, is the ability for constant growth. This means trying to be better all the time, and continuing to improve, even if you are quite satisfied.

We are constantly inspired by new possibilities for the ECES program, and we use them in our own ways, for example new technologies or communication techniques for our students. I am working with people – students and professors – and their opinions are important, not only for me but for the university as well, because these are the precious ideas we need to consider in order to improve.