Program Overview
Program Overview
This summer, follow your interest in psychology to one of the most beautiful cultural and intellectual capitals in Europe.
In Prague, you’ll use compelling coursework and engaging cultural activities to explore the development of modern psychology, its relationship to politics and art; and its and its role in Central Europe’s turbulent past.
Study Psychology in Prague and you will:
- Take advantage of city’s central location in order to see the many cultural sites of Czech Republic and other European cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Krakow, or Berlin which are just a train or bus ride away
- Enroll in courses taught by faculty from the renowned Charles University
The CIEE Difference
The CIEE Difference
Excursions
Enjoy visits to sites of historical and cultural importance in Prague such as Prague Castle, Old Town, the historical halls of Charles University, and more. In addition, academically coordinated field trips to locations in Bohemia and Moravia will help you gain a wider perspective on the region and a greater understanding of studied academic topics and Czech culture. You can also choose to go on optional guided field trips to Berlin, Krakow, and Vienna.
Volunteering
Volunteer for a public or private sector organization, such as a non-governmental organization, film company, school, or English language training program during your time in Prague. You can choose from several pre-screened volunteering positions with local organization that may be involved in education, the organization of international political conferences, local and global human rights issues, or library and administrative work in the field of economics.
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
We want to make sure you get the most out of your experience when you study abroad with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.
- Tuition and housing
- Pre-departure advising and optional on-site airport meet and greet
- Full-time program leadership and support
- Field trips and cultural activities
- CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits
Please note, program dates are subject to change. Please contact your CIEE Study Abroad Advisor before purchasing airfare. Click the
button to view more detailed information about dates and fees as well as estimated additional costs. Please talk with your University Study Abroad Advisor about additional fees that may be charged by your home institution when participating in a program abroad.
Application Due
Start Date
End Date
Costs
Summer 2014 Session I
04/01/2014
TBA
TBA
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
Estimated Additional Costs
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
Summer 2014 Session II
04/01/2014
TBA
TBA
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
Estimated Additional Costs
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
Summer 2014 Session I, II
04/01/2014
TBA
TBA
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
Estimated Additional Costs
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
Eligibility
Recommended Credit
Recommended Credit
Course contact hours are 45 hours and recommended credit is 3-4 semester/4.5-6 quarter hours per session.
Program Requirements
Program Requirements
The study abroad program is offered in two, three-week sessions. Students may participate in one or both sessions. Students choose one of the courses offered in each session. A minimum number of students is required in order to offer a course, and therefore students are advised to seek pre-approval for more than one course option from their home school advisor prior to the start of the program. In addition, students can enroll in a one-credit, optional “survival” Czech language course.
About the City
About The City
Because of its innumerable characteristic steeples, Prague is called the city of a thousand spires. A member of the EU, Prague is a perfect example of the steady development of a society, recently transitioning from its communist past. With a population of only 1,200,000, Prague has an unusually rich cultural life, including festivals, operas, concerts, and cultural programs, many of which are accessible to students on a budget. CIEE students experience life similar to that of Czech students and make use of the city’s numerous neighborhoods just like native Praguers.
Meet The Staff
Meet The Staff
Jana Cemusova
Jana Čemusová heads the CIEE Study Center in Prague, leading study abroad programs, customized partnerships with Charles University and other educational institutions. She served as a Student Services Director from 2008 to 2011. Prior to joining CIEE in a full-time position, Jana gained extensive experience with CIEE students through her many years of teaching and leading Czech language instruction through the CIEE Study Center at Charles University.
Jana has teaching experience as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Kansas, expertise in training language teachers, and leading projects in immigrant communities. She served as a chair of Association of Czech Teachers Teaching Czech as a Foreign Language in 2003 – 2009.
Jana is a double graduate at the Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Philosophy, where she studied Theory of Culture (Anthropology) and Czech Language and Creative Studies at the Faculty of Education.
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Pavla Klimesova
Pavla works for the CIEE Study Center in Prague as a Student Services Assistant and is primarily responsible for assisting and advising students, assistance in enrollment and student administration, extracurricular activity research and planning, foreigner police visa registration, program administration, and development of immersion opportunities.
Pavla graduated at Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, with major in Journalism.
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Veronika Tobiasova
Veronika works for the CIEE Study Center in Prague as a Housing Coordinator and she is mainly responsible for housing management (dorm, apartments, homestay), solving student issues, Flat Buddy Program, Meet Czech Families and Friends, CIEE promotion, greening, etc.
Veronika received her Master’s degree in English and American Studies and Spanish Philology at Charles University in Prague, with specialization in American and Argentinean literature. During high school, she was an exchange student in Madison, WI for one year. She also studied at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain for a year.
Her previous working experience includes teaching both English and Spanish in different language schools and a high school in Prague. She also worked for a trade promotion agency and Peruvian Embassy.
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Eva Tomiskova
Eva Tomišková works for the CIEE Study Center in Prague as a Program Assistant and her main responsibilities involve orientation, academic trips planning, volunteering program coordination, site visit planning, catering and overall office management.
Eva is a graduate of The Technical University in Liberec, the Faculty of Education, with major in Social studies and English language.
Prior to joining CIEE, Eva gained extensive experience in human recourses and educational field not only in her home country but abroad as well.
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Where You'll Study
Where You'll Study
CIEE works closely with Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe, to deliver courses to students at the CIEE Study Center in Prague. All CIEE courses are held at the CIEE Study Center, located at the historical site of Vyšehrad. Although the CIEE Study Center is not located in a Charles University building, CIEE courses are recognized by Charles University and taught by faculty from various Charles University faculties and institutes. Participants of DAMU theater courses will be take their classes at DAMU facilities.
Housing & Meals
Housing & Meals
Housing is included in the study abroad program fee.
CIEE-Administered Apartments—Each CIEE apartment houses three CIEE students as well as one Charles University student (CIEE Flat Buddy). Apartments consist of two bedrooms with shared areas including a fully-equipped kitchen and bathroom. Please note that meals and Internet fees are not included with this option. CIEE apartments are located in various neighborhoods and require a maximum 35 minute commute to CIEE.
Orientations
Orientations
You'll begin your study abroad experience in Prague even before leaving home by participating in a CIEE online pre-departure orientation during which the resident director will share information about the program and site. A mandatory orientation session is conducted in Prague at the beginning of the program and will introduce you to the academic program, country, culture, extra-curricular options, program faculty, and provide practical information about living in the Czech Republic.
Internet
Internet
You are encouraged to a bring wireless-enabled laptop. Internet connections are available in the dormitory for free, and may be available in the apartments for an additional fee; service is often shared with CIEE flat buddies and other roommates. You will have free access to wireless connections and a computer laboratory during the week at the CIEE Study Center and at other Charles University facilities. In addition, Prague offers a good network of Internet cafés for a small fee.
Culture
Culture
The study abroad program includes visits to sites of historical and cultural importance in Prague such as Prague Castle, Old Town. In addition, academically coordinated field trips to locations outside of the city are arranged, allowing you to gain a wider perspective of the region and a greater understanding of studied academic topics and Czech culture. Special highlights of this program include visits to media companies, radio stations, and an overnight excursion with a specific focus on communications and the Czech film industry.
Flat Buddies
CIEE recruits and trains a group of local Charles University students who live with CIEE students in apartments and the dormitory. These flat buddies share day-to-day issues, help you better understand local cultural norms and standards, and assist you with immersion into the Czech culture and Charles University student life. These local students also help CIEE Prague staff with orientation, social events, and activities throughout the semester.
Interest Groups
Interest groups help smaller groups of students become more integrated into Prague culture and society. These groups include politics, economy, and society, sport, film and theater, music, and art. All of these groups include Czech students.
Academics
Academics
CIEE courses are taught by professors who are both experienced and experts in their fields of study. Classes are often lecture-based, though professors welcome student-initiated questions and discussion. The lectures go beyond course readings and demand that students tie together their content and the materials independently.
Study abroad students experience differences between the U.S. and Czech educational systems. This new academic environment is part of the challenge of studying in Prague and learning about the Czech Republic. Students must be aware that a high degree of self-motivation and self-discipline is required and that independent learning and active participation in class are necessary for achieving a satisfactory academic performance.
Resources such as library holdings in English and Internet access may be limited and students may need to seek these resources outside the CIEE Study Center at public libraries or other CU faculties.
Nature of Classes
CIEE classes are predominantly with other CIEE students; occasionally there may be a local or international student in the class as part of the Bridging Perspectives Program, a program which allows CIEE to diversify its student body.
Grading System
Grades (A-F with pluses and minuses) are assigned based on mid-term and final exams, research papers, class presentations, and/or additional assignments depending on the course. Class attendance is mandatory and is factored together with class participation into the final grade. Some academic trips and guest lectures are also part of the courses.
Language of Instruction
English
Faculty
Courses are taught by faculty affiliated with Charles University
Course Description
Course Description
All Courses
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
Psychology of Transition and Transformation
The psychology of transition and transformation (political psychology in the Czech Republic) is studied with emphasis on the recent transition from totalitarianism to democracy. Topics include: political socialization, moral development and dilemmas, coping and ego defense mechanisms, immigration and cross-cultural adaptation, traumatic influence of the totalitarian past on the Czech society, post-totalitarian syndrome, and psychological problems of transformation.
PSYC 3005 PRAG: Psychoanalysis and Society
This course seeks to explore the relation between psyche and society through an analysis of crucial contemporary and historical issues in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on the Czech Republic. Topics such as racism, sexuality, ecology, history, and politics are studied from a variety psychodynamic perspectives, juxtaposing the stark reality of the region’s history and culture with various psychoanalytic tools for understanding. The overarching theme of how mind and society co-evolve remains as a thread running through the course.
PSYC 3004 PRAG: Psychoanalysis and Art
This course studies the area of overlap between psychoanalysis and art, including the mutual influences and inspirations between these two domains. It includes the psychodynamics of the creative process, psychoanalytic aesthetics and criticism of art, literature and film, and the therapeutic aspect of art including the contemporary clinical practice of art therapy with special reference to the Czech scene. In addition to topics such as Czech Surrealism, fairy tales, Kafka, and Svankmajer, the course offers experiential workshops in art therapy and a chance to make a stop-motion animation film.
The Third Force Psychology in a Central European Context
Environmental and biological naturalism have been the most prominent philosophy of science in the last hundred years. According to naturalism, human behavior and experience should be studied just like any other phenomena in the nature (e.g. living cell, chemical molecules or physical forces). Contrary to this belief, humanistic and existential psychologists insist that the study of human beings needs to be approached in a different way. The fact that human beings are largely aware of themselves and of their living situations make them a unique subject of study. In this course we will look at the necessary philosophical and psychological concepts and theories, such as limit situations, but we will connect them with real stories of people who lived in the Central European context in last 60 years. It will be our effort to understand the psychology of dissent and opposition towards totalitarian forces within society and individuals.
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