Tertiary education is provided by higher education institutions. The minimum entrance requirement to enter the tertiary level of education is the Maturita examination certificate gained at upper secondary level.
Higher education institutions are supreme centres of education, independent knowledge and creative activity. The general goal of higher education is to provide students with adequate professional qualification, prepare them for engagement in research and participating in life-long learning. Considerable autonomy of higher education institutions is manifested in the area of education (implementation of study programmes, admission requirements/procedures, etc.), science and research, and to some extent in managing the funds allocated.
Higher education institutions are public, state, private and foreign higher education institution.
Higher education consists of the three cycles:
- Bachelor’s degree programmes, lasting 3–4 years;
- Master’s degree programmes, lasting 1–3 years, or 4–6 years in case of programmes not following Bachelor’s degree programmes (non-structured programmes);
- Doctoral degree programmes, lasting 3–4 years.
Upper secondary education completed with Maturita examination is the fundamental requirement for entering a Bachelor’s degree programme (with possible exception in fine arts degrees). For entering Master’s degree programmes, there is also the prerequisite of successful completion of Bachelor‘s, Master´s (including the non-structured one) or a Doctoral degree programme. An applicant for a Doctoral degree programme must complete the Master’s degree programme before launching the Ph.D. studies. Other admission criteria and the content of possible entrance examinations are determined by the institutions.
Higher education can take forms of on-site programmes, distance-learning programmes or a combination of both. The academic year lasts 12 months; the beginning is set by the Rector usually for September or October. Studies are split into semesters, years or teaching blocks covering periods of teaching activity, examinations and holidays. Most commonly, the academic year is split into semesters of 14 weeks of teaching activity, followed by a period of examinations. The summer holidays are in July and August, usually followed by an extended period of examinations.
Study outcomes at higher education institutions are assessed mainly by a system of credits. All public higher education institutions and most private higher education institutions have implemented the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) or a system compatible with ECTS.
After completing studies in Bachelor´s and Master´s degree programmes, students take the final state examination, including a defence of a thesis. Graduates of the Bachelor´s degree programmes are usually awarded the degree Bc. Graduates of the Master´s degree programmes most commonly acquire the title Mgr. or Ing. However, other types of academic titles exist in the Czech Republic. After completing Doctoral studies, students take a doctoral state examination and defend a thesis. They are awarded the degree Ph.D. The higher education diploma and the supplement to the diploma are documents confirming completion of studies and the right to use the relevant academic title.
There are no tuition fees at public higher education institutions. Nevertheless, students have to pay fees in the following cases: for the admission procedures, for exceeding the standard length of study and for study in a foreign language. In comparison with fees at public higher education institutions, those at private institutions are not limited.
Based on excellence in studies, research, artistic and other activities, merit-based scholarships are granted by all public higher education institutions. Social scholarships are also available for students in difficult economic situation.