Application Requirements

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

Application Deadlines

We encourage students to apply as early as possible, as decisions are made on a rolling basis. The semester application deadlines are as follows:

Spring 2020

•11 October 2019 (Application period closed)

Spring 2021

• 16 October 2020 (Application period open)

Step-by-step Application Instruction

Step 1: Register to begin the IEF/ UPCES Application

Prospective students will first register an account on the IEF Online Application.


Step 2: Complete the IEF/ UPCES Application Form.

Complete all relevant fields. Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

Basic personal/contact details

Educational history

Contact details for two references

Language skills

Preliminary IEF and UPCES course selection

Step 3: Write a brief statement of purpose.


The statement of purpose should describe your interest in spending a semester in Prague with IEF/ UPCES, particularly in relation to your academic studies (completed and future), career goals, and/or any personal interest you have in Central Europe. The statement should be 1000-1500 words.

You may submit your statement of purpose by e-mail or by international mail.

Step 4: Prepare a copy of your résumé.

Applicants should submit a standard résumé with details of relevant education, work, and extracurricular experiences.
You may submit your résumé by e-mail or by international mail.

Step 5: Prepare a scan of your main passport page.

If your passport is not available when you apply, you may send a scanned copy by e-mail at a later date. For visa purposes, UPCES needs your passport information by the application deadline.

You may submit your passport copy by e-mail or by international mail.

Step 6: Arrange to have your official transcript sent to IEF/UPCES

All applicants should arrange to have an official transcript sent directly to IEF/UPCES. Your official transcript can be sent:

A. as a hard-copy by international mail (see mailing instructions below)
B. as an e-mail from a university staff member, or
C. via a secure electronic transcript service (only available at some universities)

Step 7 (optional): Send an "unofficial" university transcript.

While your official transcript is in transit, you can save time by e-mailing us your university grades (i.e. your “unofficial” transcript), which qualifies you for early IEF/UPCES admission review and a conditional admission decision. However, your official transcript also needs to be received by IEF/UPCES before the deadline (see Step 6).
You may submit your unofficial transcript by e-mail as a scan or screen shot.

Step 8: Click Submit!.

Be sure to click “Submit” once you've entered all of your required information. Please wait until you see the confirmation page. If you followed this step correctly, you will receive a confirmation e-mail shortly after.

Step 9: Mail or E-mail additional items

Any missing required items should be received by UPCES before the application deadline.

To e-mail items, please send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To mail items, we recommend sending a Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelope from your local post office to the following address:

Nicki Norris, UPCES and IEF Director
CERGE-EI
Politickych veznu 7
110 00 Prague 1
Czech Republic

Questions?
If you have any questions about the application process, or if you are experiencing any technical difficulties, please contact us right away at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We're here to help!