General and faculty requirements

Regular deadline for application submission: August 31, 2023

Early-bird term for application submission: June 30, 2023

Note: the early-bird term is strongly recommended for students from visa-seeking countries, who need a student visa to study in Czechia.

The Admission Committees of each programme evaluate individual applications and determine the ranking based on the submitted documents. The point limit for accepting applicants is set by the Dean. The Admission Committee evaluates individual applications in September (July for the early-bird term). Successful applicants will be informed within approx. 3 weeks after the deadline. For any queries related to the admission process, please contact us at admissions@fsv.cuni.cz.

In case the application form is not properly completed (including required annexes and fee payment), the faculty shall address an applicant with the request to remove all the shortcomings within a stipulated period of time. Should the shortcomings not be removed within such a period of time, admission to study proceedings will be suspended.

The study programmes are taught and examined in English and thus it is essential that applicants have a good enough command of English. Applicants should be able to read a Bachelor’s-level textbook and write seminar papers in English without difficulty.

Applicants for all programmes should apply here: https://is.cuni.cz/studium/eng/login.php?do=prihlaska.

All applications must include the following:

a) Copy of a diploma to show completed secondary (or higher) studies or confirmation that ongoing secondary studies will be completed in the current academic year

Please note, students who have obtained their education degree abroad are required to obtain an official document to say that their education or degree is recognised in Czechia. The applicant submits one of the following documents:

• a certificate of recognition of the foreign school report in Czechia (the so-called „nostrification document“);
• an International Baccalaureate diploma;
• a foreign high school (or higher) diploma which can be recognized under foreign states’ mutual agreement of recognition (high school diploma from Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia);
• a foreign high school (or higher) diploma that the applicant submits directly to the faculty for the purpose of recognition.

More detailed information and procedures can be found on the website https://fsv.cuni.cz/en/admissions/how-apply/recognition-previous-secondary-education

b) Transcript of records and academic results from previous studies

c) Structured CV

d) Motivation letter

For most programmes, the recommended length of the letter should not exceed 2 000 characters, including spaces. However, some programmes can demand a different range of motivation letters. Please, refer to the description of a particular programme.

e) Document showing the level of English proficiency

Applicants should provide a certificate from one of the following standardized tests:

• IELTS Academic - the minimum required overall band score of 6.5, with band score 6.0 or above in all four components;
• TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) & TOEFL iBT Home Edition - the minimum required overall score of 83, with a minimum scaled score in the four sections: reading 21, writing 22, listening 20, speaking 20;
• Cambridge ESOL FCE - minimum Cambridge English Scale Score of 180;
• Cambridge ESOL CAE and CPE receiving a certificate;
• Duolingo English Test (DET) - the minimum required overall score of 110, with the subscore of 95 or above in all four components; please note that DET is not recognized for all programmes; refer to the description of a particular programme.

A standardized English test is not required from applicants who:

• are native English speakers;
• have studied in English at the secondary school level for at least two years;
• have studied in English at the university level for at least one year;
• have worked for at least one year at a company where the language of communication was English.

When a score from an English-language test is not presented, the applicants should provide a certificate of their use of English during their prior studies or employment to support their claim. The certificate should contain contact information (an email address and a telephone number) to a person (a programme director, or an employee supervisor) who can confirm the scope of the use of English language in the program or employment.

Please note, some programmes can demand more strict requirements for English proficiency. Please, refer to the description of a particular programme.

f) Programme specific documents

Please, refer to the description of a particular programme.

IMPORTANT: All documents which are not originally in Czech, Slovak or English must be officially translated into English. Only complete applications will be considered. Personal data will be used exclusively for organizing the admission process and course enrollments.

Information about the admission procedure

Doctoral study:

I. General Information on Studies

The Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University (the FSV UK) offers doctoral studies in their full-time or combined forms in accredited study disciplines. They comply with the Rules for the organization of studies at the FSV UK, an individual study plan and Dean's provision no. 22/2021 - Organization of Doctoral Studies at FSV UK. Doctoral studies are brought into completion with a state doctoral examination and the defence of the dissertation. The graduate is awarded a “Ph.D.” degree. For any further details regarding doctoral studies at the FSV UK, study regulations and study plans of accredited study disciplines, visit https://www.fsv.cuni.cz/en/admissions/phd-programmes as well as the websites of corresponding departments and institutes of the faculty.

II. General Information on Admission Proceedings

1. Admission proceedings are governed by section 48-50 Act No. 111/1998 Sb., to regulate higher education institutions and to change and amend other laws (“the Higher Education Act”) in its valid form as amended, Code of Admissions Procedure of Charles University, Rector's Measure No. 11/2022 and these Conditions of admission procedures for an academic year of 2023/2024 (hereinafter only “CAP”).

2. Following the session by the main admission committee, the outcomes of admission proceedings are posted in the electronic information system on http://is.cuni.cz/studium (the icon My applications/Progress). A resolution regarding the admission may only be sent to an applicant upon the submission of an officially certified copy of a master's diploma or documentation of the completion of master’s studies (see hereafter).

III. Entrance Examination

1. An entrance examination primarily verifies an applicant’s expertise and preparedness to engage in individual research work within a selected study discipline. An entrance examination includes a scholarly discussion on the submitted project of a dissertation. Unless for special reasons stipulated otherwise, an entrance examination is performed in accordance with the accreditation of the study discipline in English, or in any other world language in accordance with the conditions regarding an entrance examination within individual study disciplines.

2. An applicant may be exceptionally granted permission by the dean to perform his/her examination on an alternative day, provided s/he files an electronic request in the information system no later than three days after the due performance of an examination and in such cases when an applicant is unable to undertake the examination on due date for serious and documentable reasons (health reasons, the performance of the state final examination, studies at a university abroad, etc.). 

3. An applicant may be exceptionally granted permission by the dean to perform his/her examination in the form of video conference, provided s/he files an electronic request in the information system no later than five days preceding the due date of the performance of an examination and in such cases when an applicant is unable to undertake the examination on due date or alternate date for serious and documentable reasons (studies abroad, scholarship abroad, serious health reasons). An applicant’s performance on another entrance examination do not constitute the reasons for allowing an applicant to perform his/her entrance examination in the form of a video conference. Approval by the chair of a corresponding subject-area board forms a precondition for the dean’s permission.

4. A pre-requisite to successful admission is the submission of an application form with all its supplements, properly completed master’s studies, and successful completion of the entrance examination. Only such an applicant is admitted to studies who has reached the point level in the entrance examination stipulated by the dean. The total amount of points of an applicant incorporates point assessments gained in individual component parts of an entrance examination.

IV. Invitation

1. Under Art. 4(5) of the Admissions Procedure Code of Charles University, the faculty is to send to an applicant the invitation to an entrance examination through the University Electronic Information System no later than 30 days before the date of the examination. If the faculty sends an invitation for an alternative date of the entrance examination, this period may be reduced accordingly. A password to log into the electronic information system is obtained by an applicant after the applicant has submitted the application to study.

Application Forms for Studies

An application is to be submitted online or on a paper application form SEVT 49146000. The electronic application will be available with other instructions on the website of the faculty in January 2023. An applicant who uses a paper application shall indicate his/her intended form of studies (full-time, combined) and a study discipline within the prescribed form. An applicant may modify the form of studies throughout the admission proceedings; however, s/he is not allowed to modify a study discipline. An electronic application should be completed and submitted online including all the obligatory supplements. A paper application is to be signed and sent by post or delivered personally with all relevant documents to the faculty address by April 30, 2023 (for study programme Economics and Econometrics by March 31, 2023). Afterwards, an applicant may track the course of his/her application form, it's storing, dates of entrance examinations as well as outcomes of admission proceedings on https://is.cuni.cz/studium/eng/index.php in the section of the Course of admission proceedings.

It is always necessary to pay the admission fee (see below).

When is the deadline for the applications?

Application deadline for all study programmes except Economics and Econometrics: April 30, 2023, to 23:59:59

Application deadline for study programme Economics and Econometrics (CERGE-EI): March 31, 2023, to 23:59:59

How to fill in the application form?

The application form is to be submitted either directly on the form SEVT or electronically https://is.cuni.cz/studium/eng/prijimacky/index.php by April 30, 2023 (for study programme Economics and Econometrics by March 31, 2023), the application is valid at the moment the form is delivered to the faculty, filled in and sent electronically.

The application must include fully completed data, in particular, the exact name of the chosen study programme.

The following are requested supplements of an application form:

1. Documentation of achieved education:

The applicants who have properly completed their master’s studies by the time of submission of an application form shall add an officially certified copy of a master’s diploma to their application form. Not applicable for the master's studies graduates of FSV UK. The applicants, who have not properly completed their master’s studies by the time of submission of an application form, shall submit the documentation of completion of studies by September 30, 2023, at the latest to the Study Department of the FSV UK. The submission of documentation of the completion of studies does not entail the extinction of obligations of a student to submit an officially certified copy of his/her master’s diploma to the Study Department as soon as possible. The applicants, who have completed their master's studies in term from 1st to 30th September 2023, in the autumn term, shall submit the documentation of completion of studies by October 22, 2023.

The applicants who achieved their master’s studies at a foreign higher education institution, submit one of the following documents: a document obtained in accordance with sections 89 and 90 of the Higher Education Act proving general recognition of foreign higher education in the Czech Republic (so-called “nostrification”); a foreign document concerning a foreign higher education if it is deemed automatically equivalent in the Czech Republic in accordance with its international agreements without any further administrative procedures (a higher education diploma and diploma supplement from Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, or Slovenia); or a foreign document concerning a foreign higher education to be assessed by the Faculty (for no fee). More information about the process of recognition (including the requirement of the necessary documents) will be sent by e-mail once you are accepted to the study programme. 

2. Structured CV

3. Other supplements specific to individual study disciplines, e.g. dissertation project, a list of literature.

All documents which are not originally in Czech, Slovak or English must be accurately translated into English.

In case an application form is not properly completed, the faculty shall address an applicant with the request to remove all the shortcomings within a stipulated period of time. Should the shortcomings not be removed within such a period of time, admission to study proceedings will be suspended.

You have to fill out a separate application for each chosen study field.

Please write your contact phone or e-mail address, where we can get in touch with you if it is needed.

If the application is filed on the SEVT form, it is necessary to send a confirmation of payment of the fee for the admission procedure.

The payment of an application for transfer abroad must be accompanied by an electronic statement such as a scan or a photocopy in the e-mail attachment sent to the e-mail address prijimacky@fsv.cuni.cz (some payments from abroad do not cover the original payment data, in such case the payment received cannot be matched with the application form).

When paying from abroad, we prefer online payment.

The fee related to the admission procedure for the selected field of study is CZK 730 (or CZK 780, the fee is set out below). The fee is payable on the last day of the deadline for submitting applications for study.

Specific dates for admission examinations in individual fields will be announced in the invitation to the admission exam. Further information on the entrance examination will be sent by the faculty to the applicant together with the invitation.

Where to send the completed application form on SEVT?

Apply by post (best recommended) to:

Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University,

Smetanovo nabrezi 955/6,

110 01 Prague 1  Czech Republic

How high are the fees?

Admission fee:

730 CZK (electronic application for all fields)

780 CZK (application form on SEVT form in all fields)

The charge can be paid only by wire transfer (transfer) or by post.

Bank: Komerční banka, Prague 1

Account: 85033011/0100

Variable symbol (when submitting an electronic application): Applicants will be generated an individual variable symbol - the electronic application number in the information system

Variable symbol (when filing a paper application): Month and year of birth in the form (MMYYYY) for example 121995

Specific symbol: 2023

Constant symbol: 0308

IBAN code - CZ5801000000000085033011

SWIFT code - KOMBCZPP

Please note that when paying from abroad the bank charge is payable by the payer.