Applicants from the countries of the former USSR consider the Czech Republic to be one of the most suitable countries where you can get a European-style higher education. The Slavic language is quite easy to understand and learn, the territorial proximity to the western borders of Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, and most importantly, the prospect of prestigious work in the EU attracts many graduates. At the same time, if the universities of Prague are better known, then the universities of Ostrava, having all the advantages of the capital's educational institutions, offer future students more affordable education.
University of Ostrava: history and infrastructure
The main institution of higher education in the city is a modern institution founded in 1991. Today, this university unites 6 faculties and several research institutes, which provide excellent education in various specialties: humanitarian, pedagogical, social, as well as in the field of natural sciences, medicine, art.
The University of Ostrava offers students accommodation in comfortable dormitories, work in a library with a rich collection of books.
In addition, there is a Center for Students with Disabilities.
There are two research institutes at the university: IT-innovation and FUZZY-technologies, as well as the Information Technology Center, with which those wishing to do scientific research actively cooperate. Students are involved in research teams. With their help, already in your student years, you can declare yourself on the international arena.
Today, about 10,000 students study at the university, and according to the popularity rating, it is confidently among the top ten Czech universities, occupying 8-9 positions.
Faculties and specialties of the University of Ostrava
The university has six faculties:
- pedagogical,
- philosophical,
- social sciences,
- medical,
- natural history,
- Faculty of Arts.
Each faculty has up to 70 departments and specialties, there is an opportunity to study at bachelor's, master's, doctoral studies.
Education in Czech is free for everyone, except for specialties that are taught in English. So, for example, at the social faculty for studying in English in the specialty "worker in the social sphere" you will have to pay 1650 euros per year. In other faculties, where teaching in a foreign language is provided, tuition costs from 1500 to 7 thousand euros per year.
Bachelor's studies last 3-4 years, master's programs - 2 years, doctoral studies will take 3-4 years.
Admission expenses
Already in January-February, it is necessary to draw up an application and submit documents to the university:
- a certificate or bachelor's degree translated into Czech;
- nostrification (recognition of documents);
- certificate of study of the Czech language.
You will have to pay 10-20 euros for the examination of documents.
For admission, 2-3 entrance exams are taken. The cost of one exam is 20 euros. For nostrification - passing two exams for the choice of the local department of education - you need to pay 40 euros.
Ostrava University of Technology: history, infrastructure
The Technical University in Ostrava is located in the old part of the city - the Poruba district, which has many sights.
The university campus is considered one of the largest in Central Europe. There are educational buildings of 7 faculties, an observatory, a planetarium, a library, a canteen, a cafe, an exhibition hall. Comfortable hostels are home to about 2 thousand people, and the gyms have all the conditions for fitness, game sports, rock climbing.
The university is very popular with foreign applicants, as it maintains close ties with many industrial companies and focuses on the practical mastery of the profession, quick employment. Every year, the university holds a job fair, where students meet with employers and can get a job.
The Technical University is considered the main research center of the region.
In terms of the number of students in various programs, it firmly holds the 4th place in the country, and the Faculty of Economics is second only to the University of Prague in terms of training.
Partnerships with American, Polish, Japanese industrial companies allow graduates to work in various spheres of the economy - automobile and aircraft construction, heavy industry, IT industry. The American Nano Society (USA), European Association for Security in Krakov (Poland), JSME - Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (Japan) and other companies closely cooperate with the university.
The university diploma is recognized in all European countries, and the university itself is a member of such international educational associations as IAU (International Association of Universities), IACEE (The International Association for Continuing Engineering Education) and others.
Faculties and specialties of the university
Education at the Technical University is conducted in technical and economic specialties for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs.
| Faculty | Program | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Economic | Bachelor's, Master's | Economics and Management Economic policy and management Systems Engineering and Informatics |
| Building | Bachelor's, Master's | Architecture and construction Construction engineering |
| Faculty of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering | Bachelor's, Master's | Economics and Management of Industrial Systems Material Engineering Metallurgical engineering Process engineering |
| Mechanical engineering | Undergraduate | Mechanical engineering Aviation technology |
| Master's degree | Mechanical engineering | |
| Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics | Undergraduate | Electrical engineering Information and communication technologies Electrical design |
| Master's degree | Electrical engineering Information and communication technologies | |
| Faculty of Safe Engineering | Bachelor's, Master's | Fire protection and industrial safety |
| Mining and Geological Faculty | Bachelor's, Master's | Physics Geodesy and cartography Geodesy, cartography and geoinformatics Geological engineering Mining Minerals |
| Mechatronics | Bachelor's, Master's | Car electronics Mechatronic systems |
Admission and study at a technical university
The attractiveness of Ostrava Technical University lies in the fact that state universities in the Czech Republic provide the right to free education in the Czech language to all students, including foreign ones.
To do this, immigrants from the CIS need to take courses in the Czech language, a language school at the university and provide a certificate of level B2 (for some specialties - B1). It is possible to pass a language exam.
Next, a competition of certificates is held, which are preliminarily confirmed.
Nostrification can take up to two months, so you should take care of this in advance, since the deadline for submission of documents is March 31st.
For some specialties, faculties have established additional exams in mathematics and other subjects.
For more details, see the website of the university.
Business School in Ostrava
The Ostrava Business School is one of the five best private educational institutions in the Czech Republic and provides a higher education in economics. The school has been operating for more than 15 years, many of its graduates have created their own successful business, received a prestigious job in Europe.
The university has an entrepreneurial incubator that helps students start their own business. Among the teachers of the business school, not only theorists, but also practitioners: well-known businessmen and members of the Czech government often give lectures here.
Education takes place in Czech, but individual subjects are taught in Russian and in English. The postgraduate MBA program runs in close collaboration with an Austrian business school.
| Undergraduate | Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship and management in trade, Informatics and Internet in Entrepreneurship | Cost: 1800 euros per year |
|---|---|---|
| Master's degree | Entrepreneurship | Cost: 1900 euros per year |
Entrance exams are conducted in the form of an interview in Czech, Russian or English.
Scholarships and grants for foreigners in the Czech Republic
Foreign students in the Czech Republic can not only receive a free education, but also apply for grants and scholarships. There are several types of scholarships in Czech universities, which differ in size:
- For accommodation - to pay for housing (from July to September, money is not paid). For example, at a technical university, 950 kroons (approximately 37 euros) are paid for housing.
- For excellent study - it pays when you get high grades per semester.
- For special merits - credited to those who take part in sports competitions, participate in volunteer activities, work in student scientific sections, speak at conferences.
- For those who study in doctoral studies, the scholarship is 6-7 thousand euros.
The government of the republic has established a grant for foreigners who study at bachelor's, master's and postgraduate studies, with a monthly stipend of 500 euros. The application can be submitted at the Czech diplomatic mission in your country, however, the number of grants is limited.
Accommodation and meals in Ostrava
Ostrava differs from other large Czech cities in rather low prices for food and accommodation, so students from the CIS are especially comfortable here to study.
The cost of living in Ostrava can be estimated from the data in the table:
| Food, services | Price |
|---|---|
| Food in an inexpensive restaurant | 100 CZK (3.90 EUR) |
| Coca-Cola / Pepsi 0.33 l | 26 CZK (1.00 EUR) |
| Milk, liter | 16 CZK (0.60 EUR) |
| Bread, 0.5 kg | 20 CZK (0.77 EUR) |
| Eggs, 12 pieces | 34 CZK (1.30 EUR) |
| Water, 1.5 l | 12 CZK (0.47 EUR) |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | 16 CZK (0.62 EUR) |
| 1-room apartment rental | 5,600 CZK (218 EUR) |
| Monthly transport subscription | 250 CZK (10 EUR) |
Conclusion
Based on a long tradition, the higher education system in the Czech Republic is recognized as one of the oldest in Europe, which is why diplomas from Czech educational institutions are highly valued in other countries. At the same time, education in the Czech Republic is free for foreign students, the cost of food and accommodation is quite low, in addition, foreign students in the Czech Republic are allowed to earn extra money.
All this makes studying in the Czech Republic and, in particular, in Ostrava especially attractive for immigrants from the CIS. In the future, here you can get a prestigious job, Czech citizenship and become a full citizen of a European country.
