Degree Students

Degree system 

The university education system at CTU and generally in the Czech Republic is divided into 3 stages: bachelor’s degree (3 or 4 years); master’s degree (2 years); and doctoral degree (up to 4 years). The degrees awarded are bachelor, master and PhD. The master degree title for Czech graduates is the traditional “Ing.” or “Ing. Arch.” title. This is fully equivalent to a master’s degree, and is clearly identified and referred to as a master’s degree in all documentation for international students.

Lectures vs seminars 

There are two types of classes at CTU. One type is lectures, the other is seminars. What is the difference? Lectures are delivered to larger classes, they are more theoretical and attendance is not obligatory. Seminars are delivered to fewer students (groups of up to 25/30 students, normally fewer for courses taught in English). They are less theoretical and there are more practical exercises. Attendance is required. Most courses consist of a weekly lecture and a weekly seminar.

Timing

The semester lasts 14 weeks, including one week of semester tests and finalization (submission of semester projects, etc.). This is followed by a 6-week examination period. See more under “academic calendar”. Classes are 90 minutes in length, and start at 7:30 a.m. or at 8 a.m. (depending on the faculty). There are 15-minutes breaks between the classes. The last class in the evening starts at 5:45 p.m. or 6:15 p.m.

Examining

For most courses you will be asked to deliver some seminar project or write a test during the semester. At the end of each semester you have to pass a test or some other examination (in some cases, the requirement is only to submit the seminar work). If your seminar work is “approved”, you can go on to the exam. Your grade is in most cases based entirely, or mainly, on the final examination. In the course of the examination period you can take an examination twice or even more times under specific conditions.

Credit and grades 

CTU uses the ECTS credit system, like most universities in Europe. This system facilitates the transfer of credits between universities and also the recognition of study programmes completed at other institutions and in other countries. For a 3-year bachelor’s programme, students must collect 180 credits, and for a two-year master programme, students must collect 120 credits. Before graduating, students must also pass the state examination. For a doctoral programme, students are required to take a small number of accredited courses, but the main requirement is the doctoral dissertation. To pass the semester, students must collect at least 15 or 20 credits. To pass into the next year of the study programme, it is necessary to collect 40 credits.