Detailed information

In addition to the application form, every applicant needs to provide the following documents:

1. Copy of a diploma to show completed secondary (or higher) studies, or confirmation that ongoing secondary studies will be completed in the current academic year;
2. Transcript of records and academic results from previous studies;
3. Structured CV;
4. Motivation letter;
5. Document showing the level of English proficiency;
6. Recommended only: Standardized university entrance examination results certificate. Accepted certificates: SAT, ACT, SLT, SCIO OSP (either Czech or Slovak version).
7. Recommended only: One or two letters of recommendation.

Ad 1. Confirmation of studies may be substituted with a transcript of records, provided that these are from the same academic year as the application.

Ad 4. The recommended length of the motivation letter is approximately 1,000 words. The purpose of this letter is to explain the applicant’s choice of the PPE programme and to persuade the application committee about his/her interest in and qualification for the programme while focussing on its multi-disciplinary nature.

Ad 5. Applicants should provide a certificate from one of the 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;
• Duolingo English Test (DET) - the minimum required overall score of 110, with the subscore of 95 or above in all four components.

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;
• have been employed full-time for at least one year at a company where the language of communication was English at a position which required fluency in English.

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 or employment to support their claim. The certificate should contain contact information (an email address and a telephone number) to a person (a programme director, or an employee supervisor) who can confirm the scope of the use of the English language in the program or employment.

All documents which are not originally in Czech, Slovak or English must be officially translated into English. Only complete applications will be considered. Personal data will be used exclusively for organizing the course enrollments.

The admissions committee will assess applicants on the basis of the submitted documents. Firstly, the documents proving English proficiency are examined for the level required for study. Only those applications that fulfill the requirements for English proficiency are assessed further by the admissions committee and given a ranking from 0 - 100 points. The following criteria will be evaluated: (i) academic background - quality of the institution, passed courses, achieved grades, the results of a standardized university entrance examination: (0-65); (ii) English proficiency (0-10), (iii) other - personal motivation, extracurricular activities, etc. (0-25). The point limit for accepting applicants is set by the Dean with respect to the number of applicants and the capacity of the programme.

Mandatory courses introduce the students to political science, philosophy and economics, with their respective methodologies,  as well as provide students with basic tools of quantitative analysis. Mandatory courses are intended to give a broad overview of major topics in politics, philosophy and economics, thus providing a solid background for more in-depth study of selected topics taking place in the elective courses. Bachelor thesis seminars prepare student for the selection of the topic of the thesis and provide a guide for writing the thesis.

Elective Courses and Specialisations

Elective courses cover a wide range of specific areas in three "modules" (Politics, Philosophy, Economics), allowing the students to specialise in the field of their interest. After the third semester (i.e., in the middle of the programme), each student will choose one of three "specialisations": Politics & Philosophy, Economics & Politics or Philosophy & Economics. This choice will determine the number of credits which each student will have to gain by choosing elective course in each of the three modules of the programme. (To put it simply, students are expected to take elective courses in the areas covered by their specialisation.)

Moreover, students who will choose specialisation in Politics & Philosophy will be expected to devote their BA thesis on a topic in politics or in philosophy, while students who will choose specialisation in Economics & Politics will be expected to write their BA thesis on a topic in politics or in economics., etc. 

Optional Courses

Off-field elective courses can be taken at any department of Charles University or at any partner university (for example, as part of the Erasmus exchange programme). These credits can also be used to follow the Czech language classes offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences. Students may also decide to use credits earned for elective courses as optional course credits.

For more detailed information about the curriculum and for the list of mandatory and elective courses, please see the official catalogue of courses (a.k.a. Karolinka).

To complete the programme, the students must:

a) collect 180 ECTS credits, b) submit their Bachelor’s Thesis and c) pass the Final State Examination, which includes the defence of their Bachelor’s Thesis.