Mandatory courses

Mandatory courses introduce the students to microeconomics, macroeconomics and provide students with nontrivial tools of mathematical analysis and statistics. Mandatory courses are intended to give a broad overview of major topics in economics and finance and to provide a solid background for further studies of specialized elective courses. Bachelor thesis seminars prepare a student for the selection of the topic of the thesis and provide a guide for writing the thesis.

• Principles of Economics I and II
• Microeconomics I and II
• Macroeconomics I and II
• Introductory Mathematics
• Mathematics I and II
• Introductory Statistics
• Statistics
• Introductory Banking
• Financial Economics
• Econometrics I
• Bachelor Thesis Seminar I and II

Elective courses

Elective courses cover a wide range of specific areas in economics and finance, which allows the students to specialize in the field of their interest. The topics include finance and banking (e.g. introductory banking, financial accounting, international finance, public finance), economic policy (e.g. economic policy, global financial crisis), strategic management, international trade and European economic integration. We also offer courses in complementary areas (e.g. history of economic thought, game theory and political economy, introduction to sociology).

Optional courses

Off-field elective courses can be taken at any department of Charles University or at any partner university. Students may take 20 ECTS credits outside of the Institute of Economic Studies. These credits can also be used to follow the Czech language classes offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences.

English Language Proficiency

The study programme is taught and examined in English and thus it is essential that applicants have a good enough command of English. Applicants should provide a certificate from one of following standardized tests:

• IELTS Academic - the minimum required overall band score of 6.5, with band score 6.0 or above in all four components;
• TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) & TOEFL iBT Home Edition - the minimum required overall score of 83, with a minimum scaled score in the four sections: reading 21, writing 22, listening 20, speaking 20;
• Cambridge ESOL FCE - minimum Cambridge English Scale Score of 180;
• Cambridge ESOL CAE and CPE receiving a certificate;
• LanguageCert ESOL - Communicator with High Pass, Expert or Mastery

Other tests, including the following, are not considered acceptable: Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), SAT Critical Reading and Writing (Old SAT), SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (New SAT), ACT English and Reading, National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gaokao) English subject.

A standardized English test is not required from applicants who:

• are native English speakers;
• have studied in English at the secondary school level for at least two years;
• have studied in English at the university level for at least one year;

When a score from an English-language test is not presented, the applicants should provide a certificate of their use of English during their prior studies to support their claim. The certificate should contain contact information (an email address and a telephone number) to a person (a programme director, or a school principal) who can confirm the scope of the use of the English language in the program.

Knowledge of Mathematics

Part of the degree programme is highly mathematical in content and therefore another pre-condition for acceptance is to reach the required number of points set by the Dean for that particular academic year, through one of the following options:

• Predicted or final score in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) Group 5 – Mathematics; 

• applicants with their IB assessment prior November 2020: a predicted or final score of Mathematical Studies SL, Mathematics SL, Mathematics HL, or Further Mathematics HL will be assessed. A minimum overall predicted or final IB score of 30 out of 42 is required; 
• applicants with their IB assessment after November 2020: a predicted or final score of Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL, Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL, Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL, Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL will be assessed. A minimum overall predicted or final IB score of 30 out of 42 is required; 

• Grade from A level Mathematics in the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A Levels) not including General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills, Knowledge and Enquiry, Global Perspectives and Research or Project Work. We are happy to consider applicants with the combination of A Level Mathematics and A or AS Level Further Mathematics. Please, indicate whether or not the applicant’s school or college offers Further Mathematics classes. The required minimum A Level is ABB. Applicants taking four subjects will not be at an advantage compared to those taking three. GCSEs or equivalent qualifications may be taken into account but will not be considered without A Levels;
• Score in the College Scholastics Ability Test (CSAT, Suneung) subject Mathematics;
• Score in the SAT section Mathematics, or in SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1, or in SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2.
• Score in the ACT Composite Test section Mathematics.
• Score in AP Calculus AB exam, or in AP Calculus BC exam.
• Score in the SCIO Mathematics Test.
• Final exam score in Mathematics from ÚJOP, Charles University, Poděbrady. 

For SCIO, SAT and ACT, only test results from the year of the intake or from the previous three calendar years can be accepted. An alternative to all listed tests or exams is to have passed the course JEB122 Introductory Mathematics at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University.

The required minimum along with the distribution of admission points for all the options of proving Mathematical abilities and knowledge of English will be determined using the latest publicly available statistical distributions of grades and scores in March 2023.       

All documents which are not originally in Czech, Slovak or English must be officially translated into English.

The submitted documents are evaluated by the Admission Committee. Specifically, the Committee assigns admission points in the range of 0 to 45 for Mathematics, 0 to 45 points for English and 0 to 10 points for the General profile of the applicant, based on the results of the respective tests, CV and the Motivation letter (a.k.a. cover letter, personal statement). The point limit for accepting applicants is set by the Dean with respect to the number of applicants and the capacity of the programme.