The University of Ostrava

The University of Ostrava (or Ostravska univerzita in Czech) is a vibrant educational institution that offers a diverse variety of academic programs in the humanities and fine arts, social and scientific disciplines, and health and education. Located in the third-largest city of the Czech Republic, once known as the “Steel Heart of Czechoslovakia”, OSU benefits from its modern and lively location and provides its students with practically and academically valuable experiences. 

The university is actively involved in the community; faculties, student organizations, and scientific institutes sponsor hundreds of public events each year, including open workshops, lectures, and seminars, as well as experiential events, international gatherings, art exhibitions, concerts, and theater plays.

• OSU has six faculties, each is led by not only an expert in their discipline but a researcher and open-minded individual with a clear passion for innovation.
• The University of Ostrava provides a strong personalised approach to over 10,000 students (7% of whom are international) and responds proactively to the requirements of society and the job market.
• The University of Ostrava was rated 301-350th overall in THE Young University Rankings 2021, and just second among Czech universities. Schools were assessed based on 13 factors in four major areas of the university’s mission: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization.
• According to the university’s own statistics, 95% of graduates promptly find work in their field of study following graduation. At the on-campus Career Center students are actively guided to find hidden talents and set up a proactive approach to their career.
• Education in the Czech language at the university is free. At the same time, OSU offers 18 degree programs in English. For information about tuition fees for programs in English, check the website of the specific faculty.
• OSU strongly believes in continual upgrading of the educational environment, that’s why the faculties are equipped with medical laboratories and gadgets, interpreting laboratories and sports grounds, indoors and outdoors.
• The doors of the University of Ostrava are open to students with visual, hearing and physical disabilities, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and mental or chronic illnesses, including impaired communication skills. The university tries to go the extra mile to provide students with compensatory aids or a personal assistant.

International cooperation

The University of Ostrava is aware of the benefits of internships abroad for its students, so it strives to engage in it the highest possible number of students. In addition to the well-known European Erasmus+ program, OSU has also established their own program called VIA, through which they cooperate with universities in the USA, South Korea, China, Mexico, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Argentina. In addition, the OU Aid initiative was created to expand travel opportunities not only in capacity but also geographically. And there are other exchange programs, for example, based on bilateral agreements between individual faculties or grants from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Last but not least, the range of foreign opportunities is complemented by internships of student organizations.

Faculty of Social Studies

 Bachelor’s degree programs 

• Health and social care (Czech, full-time, requirements: written test from the human biology);
• Social work (Czech, full-time and part-time, requirements: a written test of valid standards of basics of social sciences and the Act on Social Services).

Follow-up Master’s degree programs

• Development and Management in Social Work (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Social Work and Criminology (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Social work with the family (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Health and social care & rehabilitation (Czech, part-time)

Admission requirements: written test from the minimum standard of education in social work of the Association of Educators in Social Work + test from the reading list.

Doctoral degrees programs

• Social work (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Social work (English, part-time)

Admission requirements:

1) The presentation and defense of the dissertation project, which the applicant sent in writing within the set deadline to the FSS OU;

2) Interview where knowledge of contemporary theory and methods in the field of social work is tested;

3) Written exam from contemporary theory and methods in the field of social sciences at the level defined by the setlist of literature;

4) Comprehension of a professional foreign language text in English.

Faculty of Education

 Bachelor’s degree programs 

• Andragogy (Czech, part-time)
• English language (Czech, full-time)
• Biology (Czech, full-time)
• Czech language (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Chemistry (Czech, full-time)
• Physics (Czech, full-time)
• Geography (Czech, full-time)
• Music (Czech, full-time)
• Information and communication technologies (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Informatics (Czech, full-time)
• Mathematics (Czech, full-time)
• Civics (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Vocational subjects with a focus on education (Czech, part-time)
• Pedagogy (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Physical activity, recreation and health (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Psychology (Czech, full-time)
• Social pedagogy (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Technical education (Czech, full-time)
• Physical Education (Czech, full-time)
• Coaching and sports performance (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Kindergarten teaching (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Health education (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Art Education (Czech, full-time)

OSU’s Faculty of Education offers double degrees  – you can study two study programs at the same time. The major study program is then the main study program, which always includes the defense of the final qualification thesis. The student can choose to “join” another study program, the so-called minor to their program.

Admission requirements: tests of study prerequisites held by the faculty.

Follow-up Master’s degree programs

• English (Czech, full-time)
• Behavioral health (Czech, full-time)
• Behavioral health, sport and technology (Czech, full-time)
• Czech language (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Music (Czech, full-time)
• Information and communication technologies (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Mathematics (Czech, full-time)
• Civics (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Pedagogy (Czech, full-time)
• Psychology (Czech, full-time)
• Social pedagogy (Czech, full-time)
• Special education (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Sports science (Czech, full-time)
• Technical education (Czech, full-time)
• Physical Education (Czech, full-time)
• Primary school teaching (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Teacher training in information and communication technologies for the 2nd grade of elementary school (Czech, full-time)
• Health education (Czech, full-time)
• Arts (Czech, full-time)

The entrance exam takes the form of a Test of Professional Knowledge in the scope of the relevant bachelor’s program material.

Application deadline: March

Doctoral degree programs

• Didactics of Czech language and literature (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Information and communication technologies in education (Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Kinanthropology (Czech, part-time)
• Pedagogy (Czech, full-time and part-time)

The entrance interview assesses the applicant’s level of knowledge, understanding of relevant professional literature (including foreign literature), and the requirements for obtaining deeper theoretical knowledge and autonomous research activity. In the entrance interview, the candidate will discuss his or her professional and publishing activities, as well as will propose a dissertation project.

Faculty of Fine Arts and Music

Bachelor’s degree programs (Czech, full-time)

• Intermedia art:
  • Animation
  • Photo
  • Graphic design and visual communication
  • Book design
  • Drawing
  • Painting
  • Graphic Design
  • Concept – object – installation
  • Video multimedia – performance
  • Sculpture 

Admission process: portfolio and in-person talent exam and interview. 

• Bassoon
• Flute
• Oboe
• Violin
• Clarinet
• Piano
• Double bass
• French horn
• Trombone
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Violoncello
• Singing

The admission process consists of two parts. The talent part of the entrance exam takes the form of playing a musical instrument in front of an examination board. The oral part of the entrance exam takes the form of an interview, the content of the exam is knowledge of music-theoretical concepts and an overview of cultural and musical disciplines.

Follow-up Master’s degree programs (in Czech, full-time)

• Digital graphics in a virtual environment
• Photography
• Graphic design and visual communication
• Graphic Design
• Book design and animation
• Sculpture 
• Painting
• Video – multimedia – performance

• Bassoon
• Flute
• Oboe
• Violin
• Harpsichord
• Clarinet
• Piano
• Double bass
• French horn
• Trombone
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Violoncello
• Singing
• Chamber Music (in English)

The admission process consists of 2 parts. The talent part of the entrance exam takes the form of playing a musical instrument in front of an examination board/ the board evaluates the submitted portfolio. The oral part of the entrance exam takes the form of an interview, the content of the exam is knowledge of music-theoretical concepts and an overview of cultural and musical disciplines. For intermedia art programs the outlined master’s degree project should also be presented.

Doctoral degree programs

• Musical arts (in Czech, full-time and part-time)

The entrance exam consists of six parts: talent exam – playing an instrument or singing; discussion on the submitted dissertation annotation, discussion on the presented idea of a dissertation art interpretation project, an interview focused on music theory and history, two foreign languages.

Application deadline: April

Faculty of Arts

Bachelor’s degree programs:

• English philology (in Czech, full-time)
• English for professional and vocational communication (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Czech language and literature (in Czech, full-time)
• Czech for foreigners (in English, full-time)
• Art History (in Czech, full-time)
• English Philology (in English, full-time)
• Philosophy (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• French philology (in Czech, full-time)
• French for professional and vocational communication
• History (in Czech, full-time)
• Latin language and culture (in Czech, full-time)
• German for professional and vocational communication (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• German philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Monument care with a focus on technical monuments (in Czech, full-time)
• Polish philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Psychology (in Czech, full-time)
• Russian philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Russian for professional and vocational communication (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Sociology (in Czech, full-time)
• Spanish philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Spanish for professional and vocational communication (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Social Sciences (in Czech, full-time)

Admission requirements: the entrance exam takes the form of a written test, which will assess basic knowledge of the relevant field (eg. issues of social sciences, Czech and world art history, language competence at level B2). 

Follow-up Master’s degree programs:

• English philology (in Czech, full-time)
• English for interpreting (in Czech, full-time)
• Czech language and literature (in Czech, full-time)
• Czech for foreigners (in English, full-time)
• History (in Czech, full-time)
• Art History (in Czech, full-time)
• History of fine arts (in Czech, full-time)
• English Philology (in English, full-time)
• Philosophical Studies (in Czech, full-time)
• French philology (in Czech, full-time)
• French for interpreting (in Czech, full-time)
• History (in Czech, full-time)
• Economic and social history (in Czech, full-time)
• Cultural history (in Czech, full-time)
• Latin language and culture (in Czech, full-time)
• Literature studies (in Czech, part-time)
• German for interpreting (in Czech, full-time)
• German philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Monument and publicity of industrial heritage 
• Polish philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Polish for interpreting (in Czech, full-time)
• Psychology (in Czech, full-time)
• Russian philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Russian for interpreting (in Czech, full-time)
• Sociology (in Czech, full-time)
• Spanish philology (in Czech, full-time)
• Spanish for interpreting (in Czech, full-time)
• Central European historical studies focusing on Czech, Polish and Slovak history (in Czech, full-time)

OSU’s Faculty of Arts offers double degrees – you can study two Bachelor’s or Master’s study programs at the same time. The major study program is then the main study program, which always includes the defense of the final qualification thesis. The student can choose to  “join” another study program, the so-called minor to their program.

The entrance exam takes the form of a test of professional knowledge in the scope of the relevant bachelor’s program material, written and oral test of languages (C1 level) and/or motivational letter.

Doctoral degree programs

• English philology (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Czech language (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Didactics of history (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• English Philology (in English, part-time and full-time)
• Philosophy (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Historical sciences (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Linguistic and literary comparative Slavic studies (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Literary criticism (history) – theory and history of national works of literature (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• German philology (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Polish language (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Romance philology (in Czech, part-time and full-time)
• Theory and history of Czech literature (in Czech, part-time and full-time)

Application deadline: 15. 07. 2022

The admission interview takes the form of a discussion on the dissertation project, which the applicant uploads in pdf format as an appendix to the study e-application. In the project, the applicant defines the topic and goal of the work, demonstrates theoretical and methodological readiness for study in the doctoral study program and knowledge of relevant secondary literature on the proposed topic. The interview also verifies the applicant’s motivation to study and his language skills.

Faculty of Science

Bachelor’s degree programs:

• Applied informatics (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Biophysics (in Czech, full-time)
• Biology (in Czech, full-time)
• Chemistry (in Czech, full-time)
• Economic geography informatics (in Czech, full-time and part-time)
• Physical geography (in Czech, full-time)
• Experimental biology (in Czech, full-time)
• Physics (in Czech, full-time)
• Physics of nanostructures (in Czech, full-time)
• Geography (in Czech, full-time)
• Informatics (in Czech, full-time)
• Cartography and geoinformatics (in Czech, full-time)
• Mathematics (in Czech, full-time)
• Mathematics (in English, full-time))
• Landscape protection and creation(in Czech, full-time)
• Political and cultural geography (in Czech, full-time)
• Software systems (in Czech, full-time)
• Systematic biology and ecology (in Czech, full-time)

No entrance exam.

Follow-up Master’s degree programs (in Czech, full-time):

• Solid-state analytical chemistry
• Biophysics
• Biology for high school
• Biology with a focus on ecology and biodiversity
• Chemistry for high school
• Experimental biology
• Fuzzy Mathematics
• Physical geography
• Physics of nanostructures
• Physics for high school
• Geography for high school
• Information Systems
• Informatics for high school
• Mathematics for high school
• Landscape protection and creation
• Political and cultural geography
• Sustainable territorial development and the real estate market
• Artificial Intelligence
• Fuzzy Mathematics (in English)
• Mathematics (in English)

Entrance exams for programs in Czech: a written test from the basic bachelor’s course in a relevant program.

Entrance exams for programs in English: an interview where the motivation of the potential student is assessed. 

Doctoral degree programs:

• Applied Informatics (in English and Czech, full-time)
• Biophysics and physics of nanostructures (in Czech, full-time)
• Biology (in Czech, full-time)
• Environmental geography (in Czech, full-time)
• Mathematics (in English and Czech, full-time)
• Political and economic geography (in Czech, full-time)

Together with the application, the candidate submits a motivation letter, a list of publications and a plan for the future dissertation. In some programs, there is an introductory interview to examine the knowledge of the student in the area of interest.

Faculty of Medicine

Bachelor’s degree programs (in Czech):

• Occupational therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Laboratory diagnostics in healthcare
• Nutritional therapy
• Health protection and promotion
• Pediatric nursing
• Midwifery
• Radiological assistance
• General nursing
• Paramedic

Entrance exam: biology, chemistry and/or physics; social science test.

Application deadline: March

Follow-up Master’s degree programs (in Czech):

• Applied physiotherapy
• Intensive care
• Community care in midwifery
• Protection and promotion of public health
• Nursing care in geriatrics
• Nursing care in psychiatry
• General medicine (6 years)

Entrance exam: professional knowledge test from the relevant bachelor field. For General medicine – test in biology, chemistry and physics.

Application deadline: March

Doctoral degree programs:

• Surgical fields (full-time and part-time)
• Experimental and clinical medicine in haematology and oncology (full-time and part-time)
• Hygiene, preventive medicine and epidemiology (full-time and part-time)
• Clinical neurosciences (full-time and part-time)
• Nursing (full-time and part-time)

Entrance exam:

Together with the application, the candidate submits a motivation letter, a list of publications and a plan for the future dissertation. At the interview, the knowledge of the student in the area of interest is examined.

Application deadline: May