Apart from classes in Czech language, ECES courses principally engage with topics in five distinct thematic areas: (1) Art and Culture; (2) Sociology and Psychology; (3) Literature; (4) History; and (5) Economics and Politics. Although the offer of courses in these areas may vary from one academic year to another, they invariably thematize Czech, Central European as well East European issues in an exclusive focus or comparative perspective. Students may take up to 6 elective courses during the semester program, and 3-6 courses during the summer program. All ECES courses are taught in English.
ECES Course Approvals
All courses are carefully selected and approved by the ECES Academic Board, a committee of distinct Charles University faculty members.
The ECES Academic Board includes the following members:
- doc. Mirjam Friedová, Ph.D., Chair of the Academic Board, Professor of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts
- prof. Markéta Křížová, Ph.D., Vice-Dean for International Relations, Faculty of Arts
- prof. PhDr. Jan Čermák, CSc., Department of English Language and ELT Methodology, Faculty of Arts
- prof. PhDr. Václav Horčička, Ph.D., Institute of General History, Faculty of Arts
- prof. Mgr. Martin Humpál, Ph.D., Director of the Scandinavian Section, Department of Germanic Studies, Faculty of Arts
Credits
All ECES courses are worth 3 U.S. credits, or 6 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System).
Course Schedule
During the semester program, courses are taught Monday-Thursday for 180 minutes per week. Most courses meet twice per week for 90 minutes, while some meet once per week for 180 minutes. Film courses may be scheduled with an additional 90-minute screening session each week.
During the summer program, courses are taught Monday-Thursday in 3-hour blocks. Each course meets four times per week.
All ECES courses are taught between the hours of 9 am and 9 pm.
ECES Attendance Policy
Class attendance is mandatory for all courses and counts towards the student’s final grade. Each student is allowed to miss 180 minutes of class time per course. All excused absences must be cleared with ECES staff (not just the teacher), and medical absences require a doctor’s note. For each additional unexcused absence, the student’s final grade will be reduced automatically by 1/3 letter grade (eg. A to A- or A- to B+).
Students must attend at least 70% of each course to receive a passing grade; once a student has missed 30% of class time (excused or unexcused), they automatically receive a failing grade for the course. The ECES Attendance Policy applies to all ECES courses.
Grades
Grading is based on the letter grade system from A to F. Grades are based on course attendance, participation, and additional factors according to the professor and course. Completing the final test or paper is also a required component. Failure to submit the final test or paper according to the deadline will result in a letter grade F for the entire course. Except for the pre-semester Introductory Czech Language and Culture Course, ECES does not provide courses with pass/fail or withdrawal grades. Students’ grades will be available on the ECES website two weeks after the end of the semester.
Pre-Semester Intensive Czech Language Course (Semester Program only)
The Czech Language course meets for ten days before the semester begins for five hours a day, in morning or afternoon sessions. The course is a combination of Czech language instruction, cultural activities, and short excursions throughout Prague. Students will be evaluated in the following manner: midterm test, final exam, homework, and participation. This course is worth 3 U.S. credits. Students may opt to take this course for a letter grade (A-F), or pass/fail.
Intensive Czech Language (CUFA CZE 100)
This course offers an in-depth study of the Czech language focusing on written and oral communication. Students who opt to take this course pass/fail must earn a “C” or better to receive a “pass” on their transcripts. Pass Fail Course Form Int. Czech
Sample Semester Courses
Course list is subject to change. ECES cannot guarantee any specific course will be taught in a given semester. The ECES Academic Board updates our course list following a review of course evaluations and syllabi at the end of each semester.
This course list shows our current available offerings for the Spring 2026 semester. Please note that course lists are subject to change.
Art and Culture
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA ART 323 | Alternative Culture |
| CUFA ART 405 | Czech Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture |
| CUFA F 376 | Fear, Faith and Hope: The Depiction of the Jews in Film |
| CUFA ART 314 | Gender and Culture |
| CUFA ART 312 | Humour, Resistance and Czech Culture |
| CUFA F 368 | Politics, Culture, and Visuality: Czech and Slovak Film 1950 – 2000 |
| CUFA ART 324 | The Edges of Photography |
Sociology and Psychology
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA SOC 391 | Anthropological Approaches to the Study of Roma in CEE |
| CUFA PSY 357 | Cross-cultural Psychology in the Central European Context |
| CUFA SOC 358 | Czech Politics: From National to Urban |
| CUFA PSY 356 | Language, Culture & Social Cognition |
| CUFA SOC 378 | Race, Ethnicity and Gender in US and Czech Societies |
| CUFA SOC 321 | Screen Time: Understanding Our Digital Lives |
| CUFA SOC 354 | Social Changes in the Czech Republic |
| CUFA SOC 300 | Sociology of Food |
Literature
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA LIT 304 | Interpretation of European Fairytales |
| CUFA LIT 357 | Politics of Song: From Folklore to Hip-Hop |
History
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA HIST/ART 351 | Construction of Czech National Identity and its Symbols |
| CUFA HIST 318 | Czech and Central European History |
| CUFA ART/HIST 316 | History Shapes Music, Music Shapes History |
| CUFA HIST 302 | Jewish History in Central and Eastern Europe |
Economics and Politics
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA POL 302 | Central Europe in the Context of European Integration |
| CUFA POL 315 | Comparative Politics: Transformations of Central Europe |
| CUFA POL/HIST/LIT 317 | Examined Life: Chapters in Czech and American Struggle for Social Justice |
| CUFA ECON 305 | Global Economy and Crises |
Languages
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA CZE 102 | Czech Language for Everyday Use |
| CUFA CZE 100 | Intensive Czech Language and Culture |
Summer Courses
Course list is subject to change. ECES cannot guarantee any specific course will be taught in a given summer. The ECES Academic Board updates our course list following a review of course evaluations and syllabi.
Students participating in Session 1+2 (7 weeks) can take up to three courses (3 credits each) from each group for a total of 18 credits during the summer. Students participating in Session 1 or Session 2 (4 weeks) can take up to three courses in their respective session for a total of 9 credits during the summer. Courses meet for 3 hours per day Monday-Thursday, and most of our students take one or two courses during each summer session. For more information about our summer calendar please visit this page of our website.
This course list shows our offerings for the Summer 2024 terms. Please note that course lists are subject to change.
Session 1
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA ART 323 | Alternative Culture |
| CUFA SOC 391 | Anthropological approaches to Roma in CEE |
| CUFA POL 315 | Comparative Politics: Transformations of Central Europe |
| CUFA CZE 102 | Czech Language for Everyday Use |
| CUFA SOC 357 | Czech Republic: An Urban Perspective |
| CUFA ECON 305 | Global Economy and Crises |
| CUFA PSY 356 | Language, Culture & Social Cognition |
| CUFA SOC 378 | Race, Ethnicity and Gender in US and Czech Societies |
| CUFA ART 324 | The Edges of Photography |
Session 2
| Course code | Title |
|---|---|
| CUFA ART 323 | Alternative Culture |
| CUFA POL 315 | Comparative Politics: Transformations of Central Europe |
| CUFA PSY 357 | Cross-cultural Psychology in the Central-European Context |
| CUFA CZE 102 | Czech Language for Everyday Use |
| CUFA F 376 | Fear, Faith and Hope: The Depiction of the Jews in Film |
| CUFA LIT 304 | Interpretation of European Fairytales |