Program Details

How Does It Work?

Below is an outline of course and exams that most Visiting Master’s students follow, particularly those who later intend to continue with the PhD program at CERGE-EI.

1st year: Take the CERGE-EI core sequence (3 semesters from early September to mid-June).

End of 1st year: Take CERGE-EI Core General exams.

2nd year:

• Take the remaining home university courses necessary to earn your Master’s degree.
• Spend one semester on an Erasmus exchange abroad (optional).
• Write your Master’s thesis, supervised at your home university, or at CERGE-EI, or jointly.

End of 2nd year:

• Pass State exams at your home university.
• Defend your Master’s thesis.
• Transfer to the second year of the PhD program at CERGE-EI if you wish.

First Year - PhD Core Courses at CERGE-EI

The organization of the academic year at CERGE-EI and your home university may differ. CERGE-EI PhD in Economics Program runs in a three-semester system: Fall, Spring, and Summer. In the 1st year, students follow a common curriculum designed to provide a strong foundation in the following areas:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Statistics & Econometrics
• Writing for Economics

Course Recognition for Visiting Master’s from Czech and Slovak universities

Prior to applying for the Visiting Master’s scheme, students are obliged to agree with their home university whether and how grades from courses at CERGE-EI will be recognized. CERGE-EI cannot ensure recognition of grades and cannot help students with subsequent recognition.

Course Recognition for Visiting Master’s from Institute of Economic Studies, Charles University

Equivalent Courses

Visiting Master’s students from IES may earn up to 80 credits: 21 core credits, 30 track-obligatory credits, and 29 elective credits.

In order to receive credits for CERGE-EI PhD courses, IES students should contact the Master's Program Director (Doc. Oldřich Dědek) with the list of courses they wish to have recognized as equivalents. Arrange the meeting by the end of each examination period at IES (end of January for Winter Semester, beginning of September for Summer Semester) at the latest.

Students who do not pass a CERGE-EI course may opt into the IES equivalent course(s). Students who fulfil the criteria for the IES course –  i.e., registered for the course and fulfilled the course requirements – may try to pass the course in the same semester. If not, they may enroll for the course in the following year.

The CERGE-EI 1st year curriculum also includes the Academic Writing I course, and IES Visiting Master’s students have the option of enrolling in this course as well; it will be recognized as an elective by IES. If you do not take the Academic Writing I course as part of your Visiting Master’s stay and later decide to continue in the CERGE-EI PhD program, your individual study plan will specify a minimum Academic Writing curriculum (based on the decision of the Academic Skills Center).

General Examinations

Visiting Master’s students are required to take final exams at the end of each semester as well as General exams at the end of the academic year. Although passing the General exams may not be required to obtain a Master's degree from your home university (it is not required to obtain a Master's degree from Charles University), it is required for continued study in the PhD program at CERGE-EI. One make-up (i.e., re-take) is allowed for each exam. See the CERGE-EI PhD program outline for more details.

Second Year - Elective Courses

Students take courses at their home university in order to fulfill the requirements of their Master’s degree.  Details for IES students are available on the IES website.

Transferring to the CERGE-EI PhD Program

Students who wish to continue in the CERGE-EI PhD program are required to go through the regular CERGE-EI application procedure, typically during the second year of their Master’s studies.

The application deadline for the CERGE-EI PhD program is April 30.

Visiting Master’s students who complete all three core sequences (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Statistics & Econometrics) and pass all three Core General exams are admitted directly to the 2nd year of the CERGE-EI PhD program. Those Visiting Master’s students who complete one or two sequences (for example, only Microeconomics) may be admitted to the PhD program on an individual study plan.

Admission to the PhD Program at CERGE-EI is conditional on having a Master's degree or its equivalent that can be nostrified in the Czech Republic. (The IES Master's degree fulfills this legal requirement.)