The UPCES Office is located on the 4th floor of the CERGE-EI building in Rooms 406, 406a, 406b, 407, 407a and 408. The offices are open from 09:00-18:00 Monday through Friday. Students may contact staff on the UPCES emergency phone after hours and on weekends, when necessary. The UPCES staff is available to students for any questions or assistance before, during, and after the semester.

    
Lindsay Allen, Director

   Office of International Academic Programs
   Room #407
   Tel.: (+420) 224 005 133
   E-mail: lThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Originally from Minnesota, USA, Lindsay has spent much of her life living abroad, in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. She has worked in international education since 2008, and joined UPCES as Director in January 2022. Prior to working at UPCES, she was the head of study abroad at Yale-NUS College in Singapore for eight years. She earned her BA in Asian Studies at the University of Michigan, and has an MA in Translation from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, and has completed graduate coursework in International Education at SIT Graduate Institute. She is a regular presenter at international conferences and is interested in student mental health and cultural adjustment, orientation programming, and helping students make connections between study abroad experiences and career choices. 

Favorites

Czech Food: Řizek (a schnitzel), or the sour cherry kolač (a pastry similar to a danish) from Kus Kolače
Hobby: Pilates, yoga, exploring Prague neighborhoods
Book: Havel: A Life, written by UPCES professor Michael Žantovsky, was a great way for me as a newcomer to learn about this hugely important figure in modern Czech history
Music: Khruangbin, Amadou & Mariam
Place in Prague: a good seat at a sidewalk cafe in the spring or fall, Sapa Vietnamese market

 
   Anna Čudová, Administrative Director

        Office of International Academic Programs
        Room #406b
        Tel.: (+420) 224 005 208
        Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Anna comes from northern Bohemia near the German border. She was born during the communist "normalization" period, and the Velvet Revolution caught her in her first year of high school. As she was brought up in the spirit of not being able to make any free choice of school or profession, she enthusiastically took advantage of the new opportunities and went through various work experiences, including independent entrepreneurship. She spent a year in Germany and graduated with a bachelor's degree from the College of Business Ostrava, Inc.in Economics and Management.

   Veronika Havlištová, Senior Program Manager

        Office of International Academic Programs
        Room #407a     
        Tel.: (+420) 224 005 134     
        Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Veronika was born in the western part of the Czech Republic, but grew up in Liberec, about an hour north from Prague, very close to the German and Polish border. She studied at an American high school in Belgium and worked as an au pair in Ithaca, New York, for a year and a half. Upon her return to the Czech Republic, she moved to Prague for university studies. During this time Veronika joined UPCES’s Czech-American Partner’s program in which she participated as a “buddy” for two semesters and then interned with UPCES for an additional two years. Since February 2018, she has been a full time employee. She loves working with students, helping them through hardships and adjustments, and just being there when they need someone to talk to. As someone who lived abroad for a while herself, Veronika enjoys the orientation period the most. Her favorite part is when everyone is getting to know one another, and spending time with students on trips and doing fun activities around Prague

Favorites

Czech Food: Koláče with poppy seeds and plums, or vepřové výpečky se špenátem (pork with spinach and potato dumplings)
Hobby: Baking, (solo) traveling, exploring cafés around the world, music and singing, reading
Artist: Queen, Kodaline, the Lumineers, and Lewis Capaldi
TV Show:  Friends and Brooklyn 99
Place in Prague: Holešovice and Vinohrady – any café, restaurant, or bistro

  Pavlina Venclova, Senior Program Manager

        Office of International Academic Programs
        Room #406b
        Tel.: (+420) 224 005 260
        Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Kateřina Saidlová, Program Coordinator

        Office of International Academic Programs
        Room #408     
        Tel.: (+420) 224 005 181     
        Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Born and raised in Chomutov, a small Czech city near the German border, Kate moved to Prague after finishing her studies in the Netherlands, where she earned a research master's degree in Literary Studies at the University of Amsterdam. She is excited that she can now utilize her experience from her time abroad to support UPCES students. Kate joined the team in 2022 and, as a Program Coordinator, oversees academics, assists students with medical issues, and co-manages social media. In her free time, she likes to listen to podcasts, read books, or explore new places in Prague with her partner-in-crime, Adéla.

Favorites:
Czech Food: “Svíčková” - Beef in a cream sauce with dumplings
Artist: Muse or Taylor Swift
Movie: A tie between two trilogies: “Back to the Future” and “Lord of the Rings”
Place in Prague: Academia Books Café

  
  Rita Rowand, U.S. Representative                             

         Tel.: (+1) 540-935-9020     
         Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Rita Rowand is an experienced international educator. She was a global relations specialist at George Mason University for 12 years and also worked for Old Dominion University in Distance Education, and at Virginia Tech. As the U.S. Representative for UPCES, Rita is passionate about informing students about the opportunities to study in Prague. Rita is a Fulbright grant recipient and speaks fluent German.

Favorites
Hobbies: skiing, hiking, gardening, and traveling
Place in Prague: The Franz Kafka Museum
Artist: Jon Batiste
Movie: Out of Africa

   
    Adéla, Director of Office Mischief

          Office of International Academic Programs
          Rooms: any and all UPCES spaces on the 4th floor

A mischievous goof with a big heart, Adéla joined the UPCES team in the spring of 2023 after she moved to Prague to pursue a career and quickly became the most popular employee in the building. As UPCES’s Director of Office Mischief, her agenda consists of running away from her mom Kate, hanging out with her colleagues, and napping the day away. Most importantly, Adéla works closely with our students, offering emotional support and cuddles for everyone in need. And on special occasions, she also substitutes for an office shredder. In her free time, she likes to sleep some more, go on long walks by the river, and cause trouble.

Favorites:
Food: Almost everything, especially meat. Not a fan of rice and bananas
Toy: A pig plushie called Štefan
Song: “Careless Whisper” by George Michael
Place in Prague: Náplavka riverfront 

Admissions Criteria

UPCES seeks undergraduate students, currently enrolled at a university or college, with strong academic abilities. UPCES also values personal experiences outside of college, as well as future aspirations.

UPCES students should have at least four semesters of university-level education completed by the start of their study abroad term. If your home university encourages study abroad before the junior year, you may be considered for admission with a strong recommendation from your home university.

A GPA level of 3.0 is a minimum for admission to the UPCES program. Under certain circumstances, such as strong letters of recommendation, the UPCES admissions committee may decide to accept students with GPAs below the 3.0 minimum.

Online Application

Prospective students will fill out the UPCES Online Application. There is no application fee. Applicants will also submit additional required materials by e-mail or international mail. Follow the step-by-step instructions here.

Hard-copy Application    

If you prefer to submit your application by mail, you can download the hard-copy of the UPCES application, print it, and submit it along with the required materials.
 

Application Deadlines

We encourage students to apply as early as possible. The semester application deadlines are as follows:

- Full Year 2017-18: Apply by June 1st 
(Now Accepting Applications!)

- Fall Semester 2017: Apply by June 1st 
(Now Accepting Applications!)

Meeting the application deadline is determined by the date of arrival of all digital and/or hard-copy application materials at the UPCES office in Prague.

Dates

The Fall Semester typically runs from early September through mid-December. The Spring Semester typically runs from early February through mid-May, with a one-week semester break. Please check our Academic Calendar for the actual dates of each upcoming semester.

At UPCES, we want to ensure that your study abroad experience is unparalleled. When studying abroad with UPCES, you'll take classes in the heart of the city, join us on excursions around the Czech Republic and abroad, and experience Prague as the locals do!

UPCES is designed to immerse students in the social and cultural environment of the Czech Republic. Students have innumerable outlets for immersion while studying abroad with UPCES.

• Czech and other European students from Charles University enroll in UPCES courses and seminars.
• UPCES organizes frequent cultural activities for students, each of which offers an introduction to a unique side of Czech culture. These activities are included in UPCES tuition.
• UPCES students live as locals do, in apartments located throughout the city center.
• Upon arrival in Prague, UPCES students have the opportunity to be matched with Czech students to help them navigate the city and culture.
• UPCES organizes social gatherings with Czech and Erasmus students to places such as museums, festivals, concerts, quiz nights, and more.
• UPCES trips always include Czech and other European students.

The UPCES Experience

• Enrollment at Charles University, Faculty of Humanities
• 5 courses for a total of 16 academic credits
• 2-week UPCES Orientation Session
• Four Program Trips
  • Weekend Trip to Krakow, Poland
  • Day Trip to Litoměřice, Czech Republic
  • Day Trip to Karlovy Vary or Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
  • Day Trip to Český Krumlov, Czech Republic

• Prague Transport Pass
• Assistance obtaining a Czech cell phone and SIM card
• Airport reception and taxi service to hotel
• Four nights at hotel upon arrival in Prague
• Cultural activities throughout the semester
• Course packs and Czech language guides
• Charles University ID card, 24-hour building access pass, and personal computer account
• Full 24-hour UPCES staff support
• Welcome and Farewell Receptions
• Transcript assistance
• Internship opportunities
• Comprehensive pre-departure advising
• Guides for living and traveling
• Basic Czech health Insurance required for the visa application (not intended to replace a student’s health insurance with family and/or university)

"Studying abroad was absolutely one of the best times in my life so far. I was able to learn inside and outside the classroom about politics, culture, and language and I traveled all around Europe with some incredible people."

- Samantha Simon, UPCES Alumna

Interested in an upcoming semester?

See our Academic Calendar

View our program pictures on the UPCES Facebook Page