Location
  • Czech Republic
    • Prague
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment
Language
English
Sep 25, 2024
Aug 25, 2024
11 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

USAC has partnered up with Charles University to give students a unique study abroad experience in Prague, Czech Republic. Primary studies at Charles University include Politics, Art and Culture, with all courses taught in English.

Prague is well known as one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe, and in turn the world. It's central location makes traveling to other parts of Europe quite easy, especially to the neighboring countries of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, or Poland.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

There are LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and allies throughout the world. However, cultural understanding of gender identity and sexuality does vary from country to country. USAC has compiled a lot of resources to help you through that learning process.
USAC is dedicated to working closely with students with disabilities to ensure the best study abroad experience possible. You may request reasonable accommodations after your initial application is complete. We routinely receive requests for scheduling, material, and environmental accommodations for the classroom setting, which may include assistive technology, scribes and readers, printed material, and interpretation.

Impact

Environmentally-conscious students choose USAC because many of our programs are held in some of the most sustainable countries in the world. There are options to take coursework in sustainability and the environment, as well as field trips and studies where students can leave a lasting impact on their host country.

Program Highlights

  • Explore the narrow, curved streets, marvelous courtyards, and green patios that make up 30% of downtown—a lovely city for walking
  • Live in a beautiful medieval city, home to the oldest university in Central and Eastern Europe
  • Join an amazing tour to three European capital cities and cultures (Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna)
  • Enjoy easy, inexpensive, and safe travel to nearby European countries

Program Reviews

4.86 Rating
based on 36 reviews
  • 5 rating 88.89%
  • 4 rating 8.33%
  • 3 rating 2.78%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.1
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.75
  • Housing 4.7
  • Safety 4.8
Showing 1 - 8 of 36 reviews
Default avatar
Madison
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The best summer!

Hello there! I did a summer session abroad in Prague, Czech Republic and it was the best 5 weeks of my life. From the courses offered, to the location of my apartment, to the friendliness of the staff, everything was amazing. I loved the two classes that I took. I took Czech cinema & film and Art & Architecture. There was never a boring day in Prague. There is endless things to do and the town is enriched with so much history. If I could change one thing I would have done both summer sessions (9 weeks) instead of just the one session I did. Prague is such an underrated place and you will fall in love with it just how my friends and I did! In my film class we got to go to local Czech cinemas and theaters and watch films directed by Czech directors. Every day in my art & architecture class was a field trip. We got to visit churches, castles, museums, and important town centers each day of class.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My best advice is to try to do something new everyday. Whether it’s seeing a new park or building or even trying a new local food. Everyday after class I would go to a new area in Prague and ask my roommate to go to a new restaurant with me. This is such a great way to take in all of your host country and to see as much as possible during your stay.
Pros
  • So much to do in Prague
  • Friendly directors
  • Fun field trips
Cons
  • No ac in apartments
  • No business courses offered
12 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Annabelle
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Exactly what it should be!

This experience was what a study abroad experience should be. It was a centralized location, so it was easy to travel to other countries, and it was an easy place to become immersed. The program directors on site did a fantastic job with organizing programs and trips and our apartment was awesome. I took classes in relevant subjects to my business degree, and I learned about areas of history in the world that I have never had the opportunity for up until this point. There were some cultural differences with the post communism environment there, but it wasn't hard to adapt.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The bear moat around Cesky Krumlov!
22 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Joshua
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Something I will never forget

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made. It can be nerve racking at first but I had some of the best faculty / staff to help me through this journey. Going on this trip I made friendships with people that will last forever. I made memories that I will never forget. I was also able to find a city that I have fallen in love with and might move to in the future. I can’t recommend enough to people that if you can you 100% should study abroad. It is something that changes you for the better.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Before this study abroad I was nervous about going to Prague since I didn’t know many people who had gone and I knew they spoke a different language. I learned though that I found a hidden gem in Europe and I found out most people speak English and are willing to teach you some Czech.
Pros
  • Beautiful
  • Walkable
  • Amazing public transportation
Cons
  • A little hot in the summer without AC
  • Language barrier sometimes happens with older residents
  • The local food is be a bit intimidating
24 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jordon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Best time of my life

During my time in the Czech republic through the USAC program, I got to build great connections with my peers and had great classes on a range of topics. I got to learn about political history the transition of life during communism and the transition to communism. I really enjoyed my teachers they taught me skills that I never thought I could learn in an academic environment Life outside of school was really fun and made a huge impact on my self-confidence, making me a better overall person and a better learner

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I got to go to the National secret police archive and read documents about people ho may have aided the communist regime.
Pros
  • Fun Traveling oppertunity
  • Easy for English Speakers
  • Cheap
Cons
  • there is a tremednous cost of tuition
  • The course work will challenge you
  • You will be far from home
36 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ines
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My experience in Prague as an Italian student with new American friends

Spending three and a half months in Prague felt like taking a small jump into the future,
towards the slightly more independent life that I imagine after university. I had my own space
for everything, studying, making friends, wandering through the city, stopping at cafes to
work, and visiting museums.
I tried to make the most of this opportunity to break away from my usual routine, which was
always filled with work and university commitments, and to enjoy some time for myself. I
realized that adapting to living in another country, with people speaking another language
(Czech) and, at the same time, with American friends, and thus from another culture, was
more natural than expected and, in fact, stimulating every day. It was a double cultural leap
that made me realize how much there is still to learn, even just by stopping speaking my
native language.
I took these months to grow and have experiences that I had always put on hold, diving
headfirst into everything I love, absorbing every suggestion and experience. It was my
American roommates who made me think right away about how little I had traveled in
Europe so far, while they had flown for at least 12 hours just to be here. Given these
premises, their goal was to see as many countries as possible and plan every weekend at
their disposal. My initial plan was completely different; I thought of enjoying Prague and
taking advantage of lighter courses to focus on some freelance work I had in progress or
start my thesis. Needless to say, I succumbed to their enthusiasm, and, in hindsight, I admit
that there was nothing better I could have done.
The first destination, after initially adapting to Prague, was Munich, a memorable experience,
especially as a first opportunity to bond with my friends out of the study programme's usual
contexts. Then, after a quick check of the cheapest flights, we went to London, where,
thanks to a frantic race among a thousand museums, I finally saw my favorite works of art in
person. Following that was Berlin, where despite the cold, we experienced an extremely
vibrant city, culturally rich; and finally, Amsterdam, which was my second trip entirely "solo"
but truly wonderful.
However, Prague was always waiting for us between weekends, a place where I immediately
felt at home, both because of the beautiful relationship established with my roommates and
the useful orientation provided by USAC in the first two weeks of the program. During that
time, in the mornings, we attended the intensive Czech language course, and after lunch,
usually trying local food, we were guided to various parts of the city. This allowed us to learn
the basics for every easy conversation and gave us the opportunity to get to know each
other better between the conviviality of meals.

In the following weeks, the actual courses began. The ones I chose were: "Alternative
Culture, Literature, Music, and Lifestyles," "Art Photography," "Marketing Principles," and
"Sustainable Development: Key Dimensions and Challenges." Each of these courses was
not held at Charles University but in dedicated classes at USAC, where only the program
participants attended. One great advantage of these courses was the small number of
students, allowing the professor to focus more on us and tailor the program to our interests.
As for the commitment, in addition to the mandatory attendance classes, there were almost
always assignments to complete, often in the form of essays. This was not a problem for my
classmates accustomed to the English language, but for me, It turned out to be a good
writing exercise. Occasionally, we also had to prepare presentations for the class, which also
helped me improve my language skills, especially because I realized that I had never said
certain things except in Italian.
All this made me understand even more how, being communicators, it is important to
practice English; otherwise, as beautiful as our projects may be, they remain limited to an
Italian audience, limiting their potential. It should also be considered that being good
communicators in Italian does not automatically mean being good in another language; it's
always like starting from scratch again.
Regarding the accommodation, I must say that it was more in that aspect that I learned the
most by communicating daily with my friends and roommates. The apartment was located in
a very strategic area of Prague, right next to one of the most important metro stations,
extensively connected to the center by buses and trams and surrounded by supermarkets
and cafes. In less than 20 minutes on foot, we reached the main square, while the journey to
the university was about 25 minutes between walking and taking the metro. Another pro of
Prague is its very efficient and user-friendly transportation system. Besides this, I would like
to say that the city is truly beautiful and very safe. Despite the initial impression that people
may seem cold, they are always ready to help when needed. An example is when I realized I
had lost my iPad on the shuttle from the airport to the center, and miraculously found it the
next day thanks to the driver's willingness. Even though none of them spoke a word of
English, when I went to the bus depot to retrieve it, they were extremely kind and helpful to
me. In experiences like this, but not only, the USAC staff also proved to be valuable and
always available to support us in anything.
As a final balance of this experience, I must say that yes, I went beyond my initial plans by
traveling much more than expected, but I still had the opportunity to start my thesis and
make room for my freelance work, without neglecting the courses neither at my home
university IUSVE or the ones in Prague with USAC. Furthermore, I bring home tons of
precious memories from the new cities I visited with wonderful people, whom unfortunately I
will no longer see in my daily life once back in Italy. Thanks to them, I found myself taking
more flights in one month than I had taken in my entire life, and now I feel completely
comfortable traveling and living in a big city as an European Capital. While it was a
significant step from the countryside of Treviso to Prague, London, or other large cities I
visited, I appreciated all the new perspectives I discovered by meeting new people; it was
like taking a dip into the present after spending so much time studying in my small world. I
learned to make myself known and live every experience as an opportunity to enrich myself
culturally a bit more, whether it's a conversation at the bar or a major event like the "Free
Palestine" protest in London. I will forever be connected to the wonderful people I had the
pleasure of meeting and the memories captured in the photos I took during these months.
Special thanks to the collaboration between USAC and IUSVE for the scholarship that made
this experience possible.

Ines,
September – December 2023.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The great amount of art and amazing museums in the city. Def worth it!
Pros
  • wonderful city
  • transportation works really well
  • overall prices are low
45 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mackenzie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Go to Prague!

USAC Prague was a life-changing experience; from excellent professors and advisors to engaging and immersive field trips, I had the time of my life. I expected to enjoy my time abroad, but I had no idea how much I would love Prague; it truly is a beautiful and wonderful city to live in;(the pictures don't do it justice). Our housing accommodations were excellent and right beside great public transportation, making exploring the city easy. The program itself was also amazing. I had great professors and advisors who made me feel welcome and were genuinely excited to show us their beautiful city and culture. Choosing USAC Prague was the best decision I could've made; you won't regret going. It truly is a life-changing experience.

Pros
  • Amazing food
  • Beautiful Architecture
  • Unique culture
87 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jessica
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Better Than I Could Dream

I chose to study abroad in the Czech Republic because I wanted to experience the surrounding countries and what it might be like to live in a location where I didn't have any pre-knowledge about the location.
It was amazing.
Not only were the people there awesome, they were very professional and knew what they were doing. It was just the right mix of guidance and free-range to allow me to explore just what Prague and the surrounding areas had to offer.
USAC was very straightforward in everything I had to do and nothing was very difficult. The courses I took were fun, informative, and included a lot of activities around the city (not just being stuck in a classroom!) I already miss it a lot and I highly encourage anyone looking for a study abroad opportunity to try this out. Truly memories of a life-time.

Pros
  • Tons of museums
  • Wonderful staff
  • Historical and walkable
Cons
  • Weather is something to be prepared for
84 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ellie
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Prague

You will want to build a strong but well-proportioned itinerary when traveling to Prague that gives you enough time to pursue the activities that are most meaningful to you. Doing this additional step of research allows you not to become overburdened by the historical sights that Prague has nor bored after visiting those sights. My main recommendation is to follow Prague-based social media groups to see the varied social events that occur on the weekends or what have you. Look up transportation passes in advance, because buying through the machines in the metro stations is vastly overpriced. Then, check on acquiring Czech currency beforehand, or check how your credit card handles international purchases.

Pros
  • Lots to see historical-wise.
  • Easy to get around.
  • Good weather.
Cons
  • Interesting housing situation.
  • Different social/cultural dynamics.
  • Unique food that may not be suited to certain dietary restrictions/lifestyles.
99 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers