The Undergraduate Program in Central European Studies (UPCES) is one of the world's top study abroad programs located in the heart of Prague, Czech Republic. With our program, you'll experience Europe from a brand new perspective and learn about the Czech Republic's history and culture. 

"I am eternally grateful to UPCES and my abroad semester for the realization that not everybody in the world thinks like I do, and for the ability to connect with people of different cultures."

- Doug Newell, UPCES Alumnus

Why UPCES?

UPCES is the undergraduate study abroad program of Charles University and CERGE-EI in Prague, Czech Republic.

With UPCES, students learn new subjects, study a foreign language, gain wider perspectives, and experience cultural immersion—while living in an incredible European city.

The UPCES curriculum infuses topics relevant to Central Europe into a wide variety of liberal arts courses, all taught by a faculty of distinguished scholars, government figures, and industry specialists.

UPCES classes meet in the Schebek Palace, a historic building in the center of Prague. Courses bring together European and American students in a small and interactive classroom setting.

Outside the classroom, UPCES students explore the cultures of Central Europe firsthand. Program trips, excursions, and immersion activities offer opportunities to discover new places, people, and perspectives.

Crucially, UPCES offers a personalized approach to study abroad. Students receive all the resources essential to a rewarding semester of immersion and discovery.

Program at a Glance

- Location: Prague, Czech Republic

- Building: Schebek Palace

- University: Charles University Faculty of Humanities, CERGE-EI

- Director: Lindsay Allen

- Dates: View our Academic Calendar

- Credits: 16 academic credits per semester

- Language of Instruction: All courses taught in English

- Eligibility: 3.0 GPA and three completed college semesters by the time of enrollment

- Housing: Sponsored Student Apartments

- Application: Online

- Trips: Karlovy Vary/Kutna Hora, Litomerice, Cesky Krumlov, and Krakow

UPCES Students

UPCES welcomes motivated and accomplished students from diverse educational backgrounds. UPCES students should have a strong interest in liberal arts studies and a genuine enthusiasm for cultural immersion in Central Europe.

UPCES students come from colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. UPCES also hosts local Czech students from Charles University and exchange students from dozens of countries in Europe and around the globe. For a full list of the colleges and universities that have sent students to UPCES, please follow the link here.

Mission Statement

The mission of UPCES is to provide undergraduates with an unmatched semester abroad in Prague through dedicated instruction, international integration, and excellent program support.

UPCES has hosted students from the following list of colleges and universities:
 

Boston College

Brown University

Carleton College

Claremont-McKenna College

Colgate University

College of Charleston

The College of New Jersey

The College of William and Mary

Columbia University

Connecticut College

Cornell University

DePaul University

Duke University

Eastern Washington University

Fordham University

Hamilton College

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Ithaca College

Johns Hopkins University

Loyola University of New Orleans

McGill University (Canada)

Miami University of Ohio

Michigan State University

Middlebury College

Mt. Holyoke College

Northwestern University

Ohio State University

Princeton University

Purdue University

Queens College

Rice University

Rollins College

Sarah Lawrence College

St. Joseph's University

St. Lawrence University

St. Louis University

Seattle University

Swarthmore College

Sweet Briar College

Syracuse University

Trinity College

Tufts University

Tulane University

University of Arkansas

University of California (Berkeley, Davis, San Diego, Santa Cruz, etc.)

University of Illinois

University of Maryland

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of New Hampshire

University of New Haven

University of Oxford (UK)

University of Pennsylvania

University of Richmond

University of Virginia

Villanova University

Washington and Lee University

Wesleyan University

West Chester University

Western Washington University

Willamette University

Williams College

Video created by Sophie Kruz for the Undergraduate Program in Central European Studies. Sophie was a Spring 2010 UPCES student in Prague.

You can also view the UPCES Video on YouTube: here.