Program Facts

Read details about studying in our graduate program in Applied Economics in Prague on this page.

• Academic Calendar
• Course Schedule
• Specializations and Electives
• Fall Semester
• Spring Semester
• Summer Semester
• Thesis
• Graduation Requirements
• Preparatory Semester
• Faculty
• Applied English Skills Courses

The graduate program in Economics consists of 5 required content courses, 3 required Applied English Skills courses, and 5-6 elective courses. Studying full-time, students finish the program in less than 12 months.

We conduct a part-time Preparatory Semester to give more students a chance at succeeding in the MAE program. The Preparatory Semester prepares students for the rigorous American-style study in English that characterizes the MAE program. The Preparatory Semester is required; for those who are already well-prepared it does not take much time to complete the courses.

The MAE program is career-oriented as an applied program and it is also academically demanding. Graduates leave the program confident in the skills they have mastered through our careful attention to quality teaching.

Nobel Laureate James Heckman giving a seminar at CERGE-EI

Academic Calendar

The exact calendar is announced each year, but this is an indication of the typical calendar in the MAE program:

Course Schedule

Electives are chosen and designed to qualify each student for a particular Specialization. The exact electives offered each semester depends in part on enrollment and student interest.

You will be asked before the start of study what your interests are so we can best provide the right combination of electives during the year.

Each course meets twice a week for 90 minutes each. Courses often also have an additional 90-minute exercise session. If possible, no classes are scheduled on Fridays and afternoon classes are preferred.

Sample Weekly Schedule

One of our larger classrooms at CERGE-EI

Specializations and Electives

Below are some examples of the Specializations we can offer. You won't necessarily take all the electives listed under the chosen Specialization and new Specializations can be created according to your interest.  The specialization is in addition to the Masters of Applied Economics degree. Usually a Specialization is granted if a student takes at least three of the courses listed under the Specialization

Financial Economics

• Financial Econometrics
• Banking and the International Financial System
• Corporate Finance and Valuation
• Investments and Asset Pricing
• International Finance

Public Policy

• Public Economics
• Program Evaluation
• Labor Market Economics
• Environmental and Resource Economics
• Health Economics
• Education Economics
• Human Resource Economics

Macroeconomics and Forecasting

• Time Series Econometrics
• Monetary Theory and Policy
• Banking and Financial Markets
• Economic Forecasting

Corporate Economics

• Law and Economics
• Industrial Organization
• Corporate Finance and Valuation
• Corporate Governance
• International Finance

Quantitative Methods

• Program Evaluation
• Time Series Econometrics
• Financial Econometrics

Fall Semester

The MAE degree economics graduate program starts with the Fall Semester.

All students take the same set of four courses during the Fall Semester. This semester contains the basis of the Applied Economics degree.

The Fall Semester includes courses in Macroeconomic Policy Analysis, Applied Microeconomic Analysis, and the first of a two-course Quantitative Methods series that teaches students important, practical, quantitative research skills.

Students also attend the first course in the three-course Applied English Skills series to both increase their general knowledge and ability in English and to better perform on high-level tasks in English associated with academic and professional communication.

Spring Semester

Students finish the two-part Quantitative Methods series and continue with the second Applied English Skills course in the Spring Semester. In addition, students enroll in three electives, usually directed towards a certain specialization.

Typically a wide variety of electives is offered each Spring Semester. However, the electives offered can vary from semester to semester. The offer also depends on student interest and enrollment.

Summer Semester

In the Summer Semester, the student takes another two-to-three electives. Required courses include the Project Seminar and the last of the Applied English Skills series. The written Project must be approved by the supervising professor and the Program Director for the student to graduate.

Typically a wide variety of electives is offered each Summer Semester. However, the electives offered can vary from semester to semester. The offer also depends on student interest and enrollment.

Thesis

Completing a thesis is not required to gain the MAE degree, and normally is not part of the program. A student may choose to do a thesis if the student wants a more research-intensive degree program or if the student is afraid the degree will not be nostrified without a thesis.

The requirements and procedure for completing the thesis are agreed upon for each student’s individual needs. The student will need to have a faculty supervisor, and the Program Director has to approve the study plan.

The thesis is always completed after all other courses are finished. A student who completes a thesis still has to complete the Project Seminar and write the Project.

Students are not required to be resident in Prague when they are doing their theses. It is possible to graduate with the MAE degree and receive the diploma and complete the thesis after.

Graduation Requirements

The graduate economics program consists of 5 required content courses (including the Project Seminar), 3 required Applied English Skills courses, and 5-6 elective courses.

Students are required to pass all the required courses to gain the MAE degree. Courses are evaluated on the American letter-grade scale: A, B, C, D, F, with “+” or “–" possible for each grade except F. A passing grade is any grade except F.

Students must also pass all the courses within four calendar years from the start of the program in the Fall Semester. For example, if a student starts in September 2012, the student must pass all courses by the end of August 2016.

If a student fails a course, it is possible to make up the course to gain the necessary passing grade. Students must pay additional tuition for the make-up course. If a student fails an elective course, the student can replace that grade with a passing grade in another elective course for the purposes of graduation.

If a student does not follow the payment schedule, their student status will be terminated, and their possibility of completing the program and gaining the MAE degree will be canceled.

The Preparatory Semester is not part of the MAE degree program, so it is not included in the Graduation Requirements.
 

Preparatory Semester

The Preparatory Semester is not part of the MAE degree program, but it is closely linked to the MAE program.

The part-time Preparatory Semester is required. It does not take much time to complete for applicants who are already well prepared. The Preparatory Semester is important because logistically we cannot conduct entrance exams for the program. 

It is offered in an on-line format, but you also have the opportunity to come for the Preparatory Semester in Prague. If you come to Prague for the Preparatory Semester, you do not have to complete the on-line courses.

Both the on-line and in-Prague programs take place in July and August for eight weeks altogether.

The goal of the Preparatory Semester is to make sure all admitted students are prepared to succeed in the MAE program from the very beginning.

The Preparatory Semester runs for eight weeks from the beginning of July to the end of August. It is designed as part-time study, so if you are still working or studying during this time, it is not a problem.

The Preparatory Semester contains courses in Economics, Mathematics, and English. This applies for both the on-line and in-Prague versions of the Semester. 

For well-prepared students, this course will not take much time each week to complete. For less-prepared students, the Preparatory Semester helps students become more familiar with principles in Economics and get more practice in English so that they can succeed in the MAE program. It will take these students more time to study in the Preparatory Semester.
 

Faculty

We have an international faculty, and all CERGE-EI Economics faculty have PhDs from U.S. or Western European universities.

Professors teaching in the CERGE-EI MAE program are selected from the permanent and visiting faculty of CERGE-EI and professional adjunct faculty working in the field.

The faculty in our unique Academic Skills Center ensure the quality of the Applied English Skills course sequence, and often teach those courses.

Quality teaching is highly valued in the MAE program. Teachers are monitored closely and student evaluations are taken seriously.

Applied English Skills Courses

The MAE Applied English Skills sequence is one of the unique things about the MAE program. These are not language or grammar courses. They are designed to teach you how to best operate in a fast-paced international business environment.

The Applied English Skills courses are taught and supervised by the CERGE-EI Academic Skills Center (ASC). The ASC is a group of highly trained professionals who specialize in tailoring instruction in language and communication to specific career goals.

The ASC has built a language- and communication-skills curriculum for the MAE Program that efficiently trains students to succeed in the analyst, consultant, and economist positions they will hold soon after graduation.

Read more about the ASC in the description of the Center under the MA/PhD program part of our web site.