Study Information
Academic Calendar
Academic year
The academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is 13 weeks long. Winter semester starts in late September; in the last week before Christmas there are no classes because it is a “credit week”, which is one week of mostly written tests which are either a completion of the courses themselves or a prerequisite of registering for an oral exam in the exam period. The exam period goes on through January until mid-February. The summer semester runs from mid-February to mid-May. The last week is again a credit week, with the exam period lasting until the end of June.
The academic years start on September 1 and end on August 31. The winter semester classes end before Christmas. Exams are scheduled throughout January. The summer semester begins in the middle of February and classes end in the middle of May with exams continuing until the end of June.
Academic calendar 2024/25
Semester 1 | |
| Arrival at the dormitories | September 14 - 15, 2024 |
| Orientation week Semester 1 (Exchange Students) | September 16 - 20, 2024 |
| Beginning of classes | September 23, 2024 |
| End of classes | December 20, 2024 |
| Examination period beginning* | January 2, 2024 |
| Examination period end
| February 7, 2025 |
Semester 2 | |
| Arrival at the dormitories | February 1-2, 2025 |
| Orientation week Semester 2 (for Exchange students) | February 3-7, 2025 |
| Beginning of classes | February 10, 2025 |
| End of classes | May 9, 2025 |
| Examination period beginning | May 12, 2025 |
| Examination period end | June 30, 2025 |
The academic calendar for the following academic year is usually published in April.
Courses Information
Many different programmes can be studied at the faculty, e.g. Languages and literature (English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Polish Philology), Arts (History of Art, Musicology, Theatre and FilmStudies, Media Studies), Humanities (History, Philosophy) and Social Sciences (Journalism, Psychology, Sociology, Andragogy, Cultural Anthropology, Politics and European Studies).
Courses in English or other foreign languages are offered to exchange students below.
1. Courses designed for exchange students:
- CJV/ECEX - English Communication for Exchange Students
- CJV/GCEX - German Communication for Exchange Students
- KAA/ERAS - Czech Culture and History
- KPE/BCEU - Central Europe and the European Union (first semester only)
- KBH/CJPC 1 and 2 - Czech for Foreigners courses are offered by the Department of Czech Studies. The Czech for Foreigners course is also available for beginners. Students who study Czech already (i.e. other than beginners) are asked to sit for a placement test. The course last for one semester and is worth 4 ECTS credits. Taking an exam is optional and is not recommended to beginners. Students register for KBH/CJPZ1 or KBH/CJPZ2 to sit for such exam (1 ECTS credit).
2. A list of courses intended for exchange students
the list of courses offered for exchange students in 2024/2025
Information about courses and their syllabi can be found here. Click on Courses and enter both the department and the course abbreviation.
Course requirements
- The standard number of credits per semester is 30 ECTS. In case a student does not need the full number of credits, the minimum number of credits at the faculty is 20 ECTS per semester. In justified cases students can apply for an approval of a learning agreement with a lower number of credits.
- Students must choose most of the courses at the Faculty of Arts. At the same time, students must enroll in at least half of their courses at the department where they would study. This condition should be observed provided that such department offers enough courses in English/foreign language.
- Exchange students must register for their courses in the information system STAG.
- Students may register for courses at another faculty (one to three courses maximum).
English Language Requirements
Unless otherwise agreed, we require B2 competence in the respective language (as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference).
Students interested in enrolling in courses offered by the Department of English and American Studies must submit an official international certificate of language proficiency corresponding to the minimum level of CEFR B2 (e.g. TOEFL, Cambridge, Duolingo; any other official certificates to be approved by department coordinator). The required certificate must be uploaded by the application deadline!
UP Portal and IS STAG
UP Portal
Students can access information not only about their studies through the portal.
Information available on the portal:
- staff and student directory
- complete information about studies
- canteen meals/meal orders
- access to the university email account
- computer technology centre information (network connection, etc.)
- location of the university buildings
IS/STAG
UP information system STAG is used to administer the study at different levels throughout the entire mobility/study.
The main use of STAG for students:
- registration for courses, preparation of the course timetable
- data browsing (timetable, information about courses and study programmes, study results, teachers, departments)
Exchange students must register for their courses in STAG. Registration for courses is possible under the following conditions:
1. the student is already officially admitted/has been assigned a student personal number
2. the enrolment period is open
BEWARE!
Instructions on when and how to enrol for courses are sent to the exchange students’s email boxes upon acceptance to study with the STAG assignment of a personal number. Course registration instructions are sent by the Faculty Incoming Students Coordinator well in advance of course registration.
FAQ
What grading system is used at UP?
All the results are recorded in information system STAG. It is teachers′s responsibility. Transcripts of records are generated by the information system Stag. The following marks may appear in the transcripts.
The grade is given as matter of course (A - F). The local grades are A - F. No other grades!
What are my login details for the portal?
The login name/Portal ID is generated in STAG after the applicant's official enrollment at the university. A password must be changed by the student.
For password setting start here. The instructions on this page are are in Czech, please choose English if you need, see the picture below.
In the box at the end of the text enter the email address you provided in the online registration form and click Send. You will receive an email with a temporary link to find out your portal username and set your password. Since the link is temporary, be sure to note your Portal ID first.Your login name is usually a combination of the first 4 letters of your last name (surname) + the first 2 letters of your first (given) name + a two-digit number.
If you are still unable to log into the portal, please contact our colleagues from the Welcome Office, welcome@upol.cz .
What should I do if I forgot my portal password?
The procedure is the same as for the password setting, see above.
How do I access my university email inbox?
To start using the university email box, please check the instructions here: https://cvt.upol.cz/en/email/
Your email address is visible in the portal after you log in (click on your name in the right upper corner).
How do I get an identification card?
Information on how to apply for an ID card can be found here.
Do I need an ISIC or is the Palacký University identification card sufficient?
If you do not have an ISIC card yet, we recommend applying for an ISIC. With the ISIC card you can take advantage of various student discounts outside the university.
If you already have an ISIC, apply for a standard Palacký University card, which is completely sufficient for getting around the university.
What does R in the transcript mean?
R means that the student successfully completed the course. Students are not graded, they only receive credit for completing the course. However, it is important for exchange students to know what grade they would receive. Therefore, lecturers provide the grade R with the number of points which equals the number of percent received.
How it is with the course completion?
Some courses may be completed through good attendance and the fulfilment of continuous tasks throughout the semester or by submitting a semestral project or paper, without the need for another exam. However, completion of the majority of courses requires first the acquisition of a “credit” and then passing an exam.
The “credit” is usually a written test. It may consist of an essay, but mostly it is a classic test with open- or closed-ended questions. Credit tests are mostly held in the last week of the semester. By acquiring the “credit” you either complete the entire course or qualify for an exam.
Exams are held in the exam period. They may be written, but are very often oral. Prior to the exam, students receive relevant topics or questions and need to revise the contents of the course in the semester. At the oral exam you discuss the selected topic with the instructor; the test can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour or more, again depending on the discipline, instructor, and logically on how you are performing in the exam. If you fail your “credit” or exam, you can do up to two retakes. Note that many courses are concluded only with a credit or “kolokvium” (oral assessment through discussion), i.e. only the pass/fail evaluation, without a grade (A, B, C, D, E, F).
When do I get my Transcript of Records?
A transcript is issued to a student who has all the results in the system. An assessment must be available for each course before the Transcript of records is issued. Courses graded R (credits only courses) must be supplemented by a percentage score/points. If the record is not complete, the transcript will not be issued.
Once all results are entered into STAG and the mobility officially closed, the Transcript of records is signed and uploaded to ECTS arrivals in STAG to the student's former registration form.
Transcripts are issued individually usually after the end of the semester/exam period. If the study results are in STAG earlier, the transcript may be issued during the examination period. Transcripts are prepared by the Faculty of Arts Incoming Students Coordinator.