“Two exchange trips in two years”, GoStudy graduate shares his thoughts on English language Master’s program

Vladimir Ananich, the forward of the Pražský rváč team, told our blog readers about how he, together with the other GoStudy students, managed to set up a football team. Vladimir is actively involved in football training and manages to fit them in around his studies.

Vladimir came to the Czech Republic with a Bachelor’s degree from a Belorussian university. He studied for two years towards a Master’s degree in a small Czech town called Jihlava. Visiting Rotterdam on an exchange program as part of his university program was a real highlight for Vladimir.

Now he enrolled in the English language Master’s program and is hoping to take advantage of exchange programs once again. Vladimir shared his thoughts about life in the Czech Republic with the readers of our blog.

I chose a country in Europe with an excellent standard of living

I really liked the idea of the free university education.

There was a time in my life when I could relocate to the USA. I thought about it and I realised that flying home often would be difficult as the USA is so far away. The Czech Republic is much closer in comparison. I chose a perfectly positioned country in Europe with free education and a great standard of living.

As it turned out, Jihlava is a great place for students

After the GoStudy courses, I enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree program at a University in Jihlava and at the same time I completed my Bachelor’s degree in the same specialisation in Belarus.

I decided to go to the small town of Jihlava because I wanted to have a taste of the real Czech life. Jihlava is not far from Prague, I could go there any time. I thought that it was the perfect place to improve my Czech language. Living there definitely helped with that!

As it turned out, Jihlava is a great place for students. Our University has a very popular international exchange program. Often Erasmus students also choose to come to Jihlava. There are usually many students from Portugal and Spain.

English is spoken anywhere in Jihlava, all teachers speak English. This helped a lot with the integration, I had no problems at all.

Student exchange is a very good opportunity

Various student exchange opportunities come up all the time. It seems to me that some Czechs are not very keen on traveling as at one point there were a lot of options to go to Denmark, Holland and Ireland and nobody wanted to go. I volunteered straight away. I went to a conference in Rotterdam where I took part in a 5 day International Marketing course in English.

We lived right in the centre of Rotterdam. Everything was paid for, and we were also awarded a bonus for participation on our return to Jihlava. Student exchanges are great, you should definitely go if you have a chance.

And Jihlava is a wonderful town known for the largest square in the Czech Republic!

There is no sea coast in the Czech Republic, otherwise I would stay

I came to study at the university in Jihlava to improve my Czech and to fully immerse myself into the Czech way of life. When this goal was achieved and when I completed my Bachelor’s degree in Belarus, I enrolled in the English-language Master’s program. I chose English as I am still not sure whether or not I will stay in the Czech Republic.

It’s all about priorities. I always wanted to live by the sea. There is no sea coast in the Czech Republic, otherwise I would stay. I like the idea of going to Italy, such a sunny country.

In general, if you are not sure where in Europe you would like to live then the Czech Republic is a good starting point.

About Master’s program in English in the Czech Republic

I graduated from the Belarus State Economic University with a degree in Tourism. My diploma was partially recognised as a Master’s degree in the Czech Republic, but I wasn’t awarded the qualification. Problem was that my course in Belarus was a distance learning course. It took 6 years to complete. On paper it looked like I studied for a lot of hours during that time and I did. It is not a common thing in the Czech Republic though. They have three-year undergraduate programs here. Even though my Bachelor’s degree was recognised as a Master’s degree, I will have to study for two more years to get the official Master’s qualification.

I have now enrolled in the Master’s program at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (CZU) in Economics and Management in English. I chose CZU, because I like that this University has a well developed infrastructure and a very good campus.

Additionally, when I sat my entrance exam, I saw a lot of foreign students there. I heard conversations in Spanish and French everywhere. I really like to devote time to learning foreign languages, that is why this environment is so suitable for me.

Studying for a Master’s degree in English in CZU costs 15,000 CZK per year which is only 570.00 Euro.

I had to pass a general knowledge test in Economics and English to enrol. Admission was easy. There is a system that even if you score 0 points in the entrance exams, you can pay to enrol.

Two exchange trips in two years of study

I enjoy studying at the CZU in Economics and Management course that I chose for myself. An exchange trip is a compulsory element of the curriculum. The first term of study is in the Czech Republic, the second term is a mandatory exchange trip to a country of your choice. The third term is an internship, which can also be abroad if you wish, and the fourth term is for writing your thesis. I had two exchange trips in two years.

As far as I know you can choose from France, Ireland, the USA or Scotland. I would go to the United States for sure, because CZU has agreement with the University of California. It’s in San Diego, beside the ocean. A lot of people always want to go there.

Another attractive destination for me is Ireland. It’s good to choose a country you’ve never been to and learn something new.

Read more about the English language Master’s program in Economics and Management at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze-čzu) here.