Frequently Asked Questions about CESP

1. Are the courses offered considered "upper level"? Which ones are or are not?

ANSWER: With the exception of language courses, all remaining courses on the list of CESP courses are upper level or graduate level courses.

2. How many credit hours are given to each course?

ANSWER: Each CESP course represents 42 classroom hours (one hour = 60 minutes) in addition to homework and 16 hours of excursions. According to UEP classification (comparable with typical classification used in USA), this represents 3 credits; according to ECTS (European Community Credit Transfer System) it is worth 7.5 credits. Unless CESP obtains another request, an official transcript confirming 3 credits for each successfully completed course will be sent to the address specified by the CESP student.

3. What is the exact cost of tuition for a semester? Is the cost the same no matter how many courses are taken?

ANSWER: The tuition is 2300 € (EUR) per semester. Dormitory or hotel Krystal accommodations, if desired, are an additional 200 € (EUR) for the semester. The maximum number of courses for which a student can register is 5. Otherwise the tution does not depend on number of courses taken. The tuition is the same whether a student elects to take 5 courses or not.

4. How should the "resume about yourself" (or CV) be presented?

ANSWER: The resume (CV) is to be enclosed with the CESP Application and Registration Form. No special structure is prescribed. Typically, it is one page of a text where the potential student summarizes essential facts about his/her life, education, professional career (if any), and hobbies. He/she should also devote one or two lines by explaining how he/she got the idea to study in Prague.

5. Which transcript should I attach to application ?

ANSWER: CESP requires clear documentation that the applicant has studied for at least two semesters (or one year) at a university. The documentation must also provide information about the student's academic standing. Please keep in mind that (until now) CESP hosted students from 28 countries located on four continents, so that it is difficult to define an exact form of documents valid for all potential applicants.

6. Where are the CESP students accommodated and what does a meal plan include? What is the cost of meals?

ANSWER: Most CESP students who apply for accommodation live in one UEP dormitory, located in Prague - Jarov. (It takes you 15 - 20 minutes by tram to get to the university campus.) When the capacity of the Jarov Dormitory is exhausted, we accommodate the CESP students in hotel Krystal. Krystal is near the Prague airport, it is more quiet place than the dormitory, but it takes some 35-45 minutes to get to the University by tram. Meals are offered both in the dormitory or on the UEP campus. More details about the dormitory and meals may be found on p. 10 of CESP information booklet (or here). Czech students typically eat for 3 € per day, a reasonable estimate for a foreign student is 4 € .

7. Could you give me the names, phone numbers, and/or e-mail addresses of students that have recently participated in this program?

ANSWER: CESP does not distribute personal data of former CESP students. We may provide addresses of foreign universities that regularly send their students to CESP. Is is up to them to decide whether or not they will distibute information on former participants. However, you can find a list of students who are currently at CESP and their UEP e-mail addresses on this web site under CESP's Students.

8. How can I get from the Prague airport (train station) to the dormitory ?

ANSWER: All students accepted to CESP (or its SUMMER SCHOOL) will obtain a letter containing detailed information about what to do after arriving in Prague. The letter will give full directions for getting to the dormitory and to the UEP campus.

The address of the Student Dormitory JAROV (in Czech, phonetically: "KOLEY YAROV") is: Kolej Jarov, Konevova 198, building B, 130 00 Praha 3.

To get to Jarov:
a) From the main train station ("Hlavni nadrazi"):
Take tram #9 in the direction "Spojovaci" and exit at the stop called "Chmelnice". When you exit, cross to the sidewalk and walk back in the opposite directon to the way the tram was travelling. The entrance to Block B is set back from the street on your left. There will be a sign on the lawn that says "Hostel Jarov". If you get to the Coca-cola sign above the restaurant, you have gone too far. (If you go by tram No. #9 from the main train station, notice the University of Economics building on your right before the first tram stop at "Husinecka").

b) From the train station "Nadrazi Holesovice":
Take the red line of the metro (underground) to "Hlavni nadrazi" and follow the directions above.

c) From the airport:
Take bus #119 to the end-line metro stop called "Dejvicka" (green line). Take the metro to the stop called "Flora". Transfer to tram number #16 in the direction of "Spojovaci" and exit at the stop called "Chmelnice". Follow the directions from "Chmelnice" given above. The quickest and most comfortamble option is to take a taxi straight to Kolej Jarov. The driver should not charge more than 600 Kc from the airport or 400 from either train station. Agree on the price before you get in the cab.

9. How to find CESP office?

ANSWER: The CESP office is at the University of Economics ("Vysoka skola ekonomicka"). You reach it from Jarov by tram #9 direction "Hlavni nadrazi", to stop "Husinecka" and walk about 50 meters in the direction of the tram to the W. Churchill Square. The office is located in the room 305 of the "Old Building". Many Czech students speak English fairly well, so feel free to ask them for help if you have problems getting around the university. If you live in Krystal, take tram #26 to Dejvicka, then subway "A" to "Nam. Jiriho z Podebrad", then walk the rest of way down the hill ("Slavikova" street) to the University of Economics.

10. How do I use public transport in Prague?

ANSWER: To use public transport when you first arrive, you have to buy tickets that cost 12 Kc (35 cents) each. The ticket is valid for one hour for the bus, tram or subway ("metro"). The trip may include transfers and cannot last more than one hour. The tickets are sold in special orange colour vending machines at the airport, major subway stops, near main tram stops and in tabacco shops (i.e., not on trams or buses). Please read the instructions (they are also in English) on the vending machines. The machines also sell tickets for 24 and 72 hour use.

11. When can I arrive to Prague?

ANSWER: Your dormitory room is automatically booked for five extra nights before the Monday when the program starts at no extra charge (valid both for semester program and summer program). Similarly, you may stay in the dormitory five extra nights after the Friday when the program ends. CESP does not organize the accommodation of student before or after this period. (With the exception of students who stay for two semesters.) The same conditions hold for students accommodated in hotel Krystal.

12. May I bring my car to Prague?

ANSWER: Yes, you may. Parking is extremely difficult to find. Bear in mind that the car may be stolen, unless you have build in a really good safety system. Incidence of car theft is high in Prague, so be sure to install good quality theft protection.

13. What does it mean if you say that the program starts on February X (September Y, June Z ...)?

ANSWER: It means that you are supposed to register in the CESP office on February X (September Y, June Z...), between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. You will then be given detailed instructions about what to do next.

14. When and how to pay the CESP fee?

ANSWER: You must present a document confirming your payment during your registration in the Prague CESP office, at the latest. The best way how to pay is by a bank-to-bank transfer to CESP bank account:

You may also pay by a check, payable to CESP.

15. What will I need for living in the dormitory?

ANSWER: All that you will need for living in the dormitory (like towels, sheet, etc.) will be provided to you by the dormitory commissionaire. However, there are no dishes available in the dormitory kitchenettes. But even here the best strategy is to bring nothing and buy the potentionally missing equipment cheaply in Prague.

16. Are there internship opportunities available in Prague?

ANSWER: CESP does not organize internship for CESP students. Firms and institutions in Prague use almost exclusively Czech language, while CESP students usually do not speak Czech. Nonetheless, some (very few) CESP students have been able to find internships by contacting international firms during their studies in Prague.

17. How can I obtain an additional transcript ?

ANSWER: The CESP students are entitled to receive two transcripts free of charge. CESP sends this transcripts to the addresses specified by students. You can receive additional transcripts against the payment of 10 € (EUR) or 12 USD per transcript.

18. Is there an entrance examination to CESP ?

ANSWER: There is no entrance examination. Neither we require a TOEFL certificate. The students who come with poor knowledge of English have no chance to receive credits. On the other hand, the students must enclose a transcript from their University from which it is clear that their average grading is better than the median of the scale used at the University. E.g. if the grades are 1,2,3,4, with the best result 4, their standing must be greater than 2.5. If the scale is 1,2,...,10, with the best result 1, their average result must be less than 5.5.

19. What is the CESP acceptance policy?

ANSWER: Students are accepted on the "First Applied - First Accepted" principle. After we receive a complete application package, it takes us about 5 working days to prepare the official Letter of Acceptance and a document required for visa formalities. These acceptance documents are then sent by air-mail to the address specified by the student in the CESP Application Form. This system provides sufficient time for students to make arrangements for their studies in Prague. First 50 accepted students are accommodated in the dormitory Jarov, the next 40 are accommodated in the hotel Krystal. After this capacity is exhausted, no further students can be accepted to study in the current semester. It implies the best strategy for being accepted: apply in time and send us all required documents. The capacity of the CESP Summer School is 42 students (a capacity of one bus). Again, the best strategy for being accepted is apply in time.

20. What is the CESP refunding policy?

ANSWER: If you send us the full CESP fee but are unable to register for studies here in Prague, we will return the full amount less 100 € (EUR) (to cover the transaction cost). You will have to declare that you have not received any financial support from public resources for your studies in Prague. Once you register in the Prague CESP office, you may receive 1/2 of the fee should you choose to leave due to a serious reason before the end of the first half of the program. If you leave later, you will not receive a refund.

21. Can I apply for a CESP (or UEP) scholarship?

ANSWER: As compared to similar international programs in Europe, CESP is inexpensive. We wish to keep this competitive advantage, but on the other hand, we cannot afford to provide any scholarships.

22. Can someone help me get from the airport to the dorms?

ANSWER: The only way is to take part in the Buddy System, to get a Czech student to help you.

23. Can I register also for any non-CESP courses offered at UEP in English?

ANSWER: As a CESP student you may register for any other course offered at UEP. But while we can guarantee that you will be able to study any combination of the courses offered on the CESP list, we cannot promise you that you will be able to take part on the non-CESP courses, because there is no time table and capacity coordination between these two types of courses.

24. How can I pay the CESP application fee (= 25 EUR)?

ANSWER: The best way how to pay the application fee is to attach a cheque to your application form. The cheque should be made payable to CESP, Vysoka skola ekonomicka v Praze.

Alternatively, it is also possible to pay via a bank-to-bank transfer. The specification of the CESP account is as follows:

It is also possible to pay in USD or CZK. For topically valid equivalents of 25 EUR please visit the section Tuition and Costs.

25. When is the application deadline for CESP Summer School?

ANSWER: There is no application deadline for CESP Summer Schools.
But you should not appear in the CESP office in June unless you have an official Letter of Acceptance. This requires some three weeks for mailing.
A reasonable time for sending the application is about April 15th.

26. May I change my registration of courses after I arrive to Prague?

ANSWER: Yes, you may change the registration of courses as compared to what you have stated at your application form. You will have an opportunity to do that during the orientation week. You may also change the registration (cancel or register new courses) during the first two weeks of classes, but not later on. The courses that remain on your registration form after first two weeks of the semester will appear on your transcript, either with the grading that you have obtained from the course guarantor or with grade F, if you do not appear at the examination sessions.