Ministry
of Education,
Youth
and Sports

I. The Position of Educational Institutions Implementing the Higher Education Study Programmes of Foreign Higher Education Institutions

On the territory of the Czech Republic, there are legal entities headquartered in the Czech Republic that are authorised by a foreign higher education institution to teach their own study programmes (hereinafter only as ‘educational institutions’). Such educational institutions are not only some private higher education institutions which have been granted state permission by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (hereinafter only as the ‘Ministry’) to act as a private higher education institution in accordance with Act No. 111/1998 Coll., On Higher Education Institutions including Alterations and Amendment of Other Acts (Higher Education Act), as subsequently amended, but also institutions which are not private higher education institutions but e.g. business companies established under the Commercial Code or public benefit corporations according to the Act on Public Benefit Corporations. Participants in these study programmes are not students according to the Higher Education Act but have the position of students of a foreign higher education institution whose study programme is implemented on the territory of the Czech Republic and are subject to the regulations of a foreign higher education institution. Admission to study, the course and completion of study are governed by the regulations of the state in which the foreign higher education institution is headquartered, and the educational institution implements its activity on the bases of an authorisation of the foreign higher education institution and a cooperation agreement. Foreign study programmes are accredited or otherwise recognised by the relevant state abroad, and the foreign higher education institutions are a part of the educational system of the country where they are headquartered. The educational activity of the educational institutions is guaranteed by the foreign higher education institution. Their activity is not subject to the Higher Education Act and they are not a part of the higher education system of the Czech Republic. Upon graduation, the graduates obtain a higher education diploma of the foreign higher education institution.

The education provided by a foreign higher education institution through the above-mentioned educational institutions and substantiated by a foreign diploma is not automatically valid on the territory of the Czech Republic but is subject to recognition pursuant to Sections 89 and 90 of the Higher Education Act. This means that the recognition of the foreign higher education is determined by a public higher education institution in the Czech Republic that implements an accredited study programme of similar content (see Appendix No. 1).

The proceedings on the recognition of foreign higher education are governed by Act No. 500/2004 Coll., the Code of Administrative Procedure. The application for recognition may be denied if it is proved when comparing the study programmes that the foreign study programme is substantially different from the study programme accredited and implemented by a public higher education institution in the CR (hereinafter only as the ‘recognising higher education institution’ or that the foreign higher education institution is not a part of the higher education system of the country where it is headquartered (that it is not a recognised higher education institution providing higher education in that state) or if the foreign study programme is not accredited in the given country.

If the foreign study programme is different and these differences can be removed by further study, the recognising higher education institution may condition the recognition by additional study or passing a differential examination.

Another decisive factor for recognition is whether the applicant for recognition of foreign higher education is requesting it for the purpose of further study at a higher education institution or for the purpose of practising a profession. If he/she is requesting recognition in connection with practising a profession, his/her professional qualifications may be evaluated according to a special act regulating the conditions for practising such a profession and it may happen that completion of a foreign study programme will not be recognised for a given profession (e.g. practising law as an attorney-at-law, which is conditioned by higher education in the area of the Czech legal system).

Important Notice

Act No. 552/2005 Coll., amending Act No. 111/1998 Coll., On Higher Education Institutions including  Alterations and Amendments of Other Acts (Higher Education Act), in the wording of Act No. 210/2000 Coll., Act No. 147/2001 Coll., Act No. 362/2003 Coll., Act No. 96/2004 Coll., Act No. 121/2004 Coll., Act No. 436/2004 Coll., Act No. 473/2004 Coll., Act No. 562/2004 Coll. and Act No. 342/2005 Coll., amended as of 1st January 2006 i.a. also its Section 2, Subsection 3, which newly states:

‘(3) A higher education institution is of a university or non-university character. The label “higher education institution”, or forms derived from it, can be used in their name only by higher education institutions. The label “university”, or forms derived from it, can be used in their name only by higher education institutions of a university character.’

It arises from the cited amendment of the Act on Higher Education Institutions that only higher education institutions (established according to the Higher Education Act) can have the label ‘higher education institution’ in their name and that only higher educational institutions (established according to the Higher Education Act) of a university character can use the label ‘university’, or forms derived from it, in their name. Other legal entities, including institutions implementing higher education study programmes of foreign higher education institutions, are obliged to change their name in compliance with this requirement no later than 31st December 2007.

II. Decree No. 322/2005 Coll., On Further Study, or Instruction, which for the Purposes of State Social Support and Pension Insurance Are Considered as Study at Secondary Schools or Higher Education Institutions, as subsequently amended, and on Inclusion of Educational Institutions in the Decree

On the basis of the authorisation of Act No. 117/1995 Coll., On State Social Support, as subsequently amended, and Act No. 155/1995 Coll., On Pension Insurance as subsequently amended, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in agreement with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs issued Decree No. 322/2005 Coll. This decree in no way supersedes the accreditation of study programmes or state permission granted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports according to the Higher Education Act. The aim of the decree is for students with Czech citizenship or the citizenship of the other countries of the EU who study the programmes of foreign higher education institutions which are implemented on the territory of the Czech Republic to have health and (orphan’s) pension insurance during these studies and be able to apply for state social support benefits like students with Czech citizenship or the citizenship of the other countries of the EU at higher education institutions abroad, who are insured on the basis of a decision of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on recognising study abroad as corresponding to study at a higher educational institution in the Czech Republic.

The conditions and procedure for including an educational institution in the decree are prescribed by the ministry regulation, namely Order of the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports No. 43/2007 and arise from certain conditions prescribed in Decree No. 42/1991 Coll., On the Content of Applications for Granting Accreditation of a Study Programme, for Processing an Application for the Granting of State Permission and Accreditation of a Study Programme according to the Higher Education Act with the modification that it is a study programme of a foreign higher education institution (that also a foreign subject is involved). The Order of the Minister is available at the website of the MEYS in the ‘Documents’ section – ‘Bulletins of the MEYS’ and subsequently ‘2008/2’.

Notice

There is no legal right to the inclusion of an educational institution in the Decree; it is not an administrative procedure in which the Ministry would decide on the rights and obligations of physical as well as legal entities working in the area of education but issuance of a legal regulation which is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Ministry in agreement with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

III. Overview of the Educational Institutions Implementing the Higher Education Study Programmes of Foreign Higher Education Institutions in the Czech Republic and Included in Appendix No. 3 of the Decree

applicable as of 1st September 2007 and currently valid (on the basis of Decree No. 225/2007 Coll., amending Decree No. 322/2005 Coll.):

1. U. S. Business School Prague, 110 00 Praha 1, Truhlářská 13–15, IČ: 26545781

• implements the study programme of: College of Business Rochester Institute of Technology
• specialisation: Economics and Management – Master’s Study Programme

2. Czech Management Institute Prague – Managerial Faculty of Escuela Superior de Marketing y Administración - ESMA/ESMATUR Barcelona s. r. o., 198 00 Praha 9, Svárovská 124/3, IČ: 27365158

• implements the study programme of: Escuela Superior de Marketing y Administración Barcelona
• specialisation: Corporate Economics and Administration – Bachelor’s Study Programme
• specialisation: MBA (Master of Business Administration) programme – Master’s Study Programme

3. University of New York in Prague, s. r. o., 120 00 Praha 2, Legerova 619/72, IČ: 25676598*)

• implements the study programme of: Empire State College, State University of New York
• specialisation: Communication and Media Studies – Bachelor’s Study Programme
• specialisation: International and European Economic Studies – Bachelor’s Study Programme specialisation: Corporate Economics and Management – Bachelor’s Study Programme specialisation: Political Science – Bachelor’s Study Programme
• specialisation: Psychology – Bachelor’s Study Programme

4. Mezinárodní institut podnikatelství a práva v Praze (International Institute of Business and Law in Prague), spol. s r. o., 252 42 Jesenice, Zdiměřice 76, IČ: 25697170

• implements the study programme of: Moscow Institute of Business and Law; Transcarpathian State University
• specialisation: Economics – Bachelor’s Study Programme
• specialisation: Law – Bachelor’s and Master’s Study Programmes

5. International Center of Modern Education s. r. o., 100 00 Praha 1, Štěpánská 61, IČ: 26156202

• implements the study programme of: Russian Chemical-Technological University of D. I. Mendeleev
• specialisation: Management – Bachelor’s and Master’s Study Programmes
• specialisation: Law – Master’s Study Programme

6. B. I. B. S., a. s., 602 00 Brno-Černá Pole, Lidická 1879/48, IČ: 25534581*)

• implements the study programme of: The Nottingham Trent University
• specialisation: BA (Hons) in Business Management – Bachelor’s Study Programme
• specialisation: BA (Hons) Law and Business Management – Bachelor’s Study Programme

7. MPU o. p. s., 150 00 Praha 5, Malátova 9/543, IČ: 27079341

• implements the study programme: Non-state Educational Facility of Higher Professional Education, Saint Petersburg University of International Economic Relations, Economics and Law
• specialisation: Finance and Credit – Master’s Study Programme
• specialisation: Public Relations – Master’s Study Programme

8. Anglo-americká vysoká škola (Anglo-American College), o. p. s., 110 00 Praha 1, Lázeňská 4, č. p. 287, IČ: 25940082*)

• implements the study programme of: University of Wales
• specialisation: Comparative Law – Bachelor’s Study Programme

9. Otevřená evropská akademie ekonomiky a politiky (Open European Academy of Economics and Politics in Prague) s. r. o., 170 00 Praha 7, Kamenická 42/624, IČ: 26719118

• implements the study programmes of: Interregional Academy of Human Resources
• specialisation: Management – Bachelor’s and Master’s Study Programmes

10. University of Northern Virginia – Prague, s. r. o., 110 00 Praha 1, Na Poříčí 12/1041, IČ: 27165167,

• implements the study programmes of : University of Northern Virginia
• specialisation: Business Studies – Bachelor’s Study Programme
• specialisation: Business Studies – Finance, Marketing, General Management – MBA Programme

11. Bankovní institut vysoká škola (Banking Institute/College of Business), a. s., 170 00 Praha 7, Ovenecká 9/380, IČ: 61858307,*)

• implements the study programme: der Europa Fachhochschule Fresenius gem. GmbH
• specialisation: Media and Management – Bachelor’s Study Programme.

NB:

*) The institutions listed are at the same time private higher education institutions.

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Appendix No. 1

Recognition of Foreign Higher Education

This is the recognition of higher education diplomas, academic qualifications or parts of study programmes of a (domestic or foreign) educational institution by another educational institution. Such recognition is usually considered as the basis for acceptance for further study at another higher education institution or as recognition allowing a certain type of exception from an obligation to repeat a study of some parts of the programme.

Academic recognition is characterised by a comparison of the study plans, the result of which is subsequently a decision as to whether the education acquired abroad is equivalent to the education provided in the Czech Republic.

In principle, the recognition of foreign higher education is decided on by public higher education institutions in accordance with Sections 89 and 90 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., On Universities and On Alterations and Amendments of Certain Acts (Higher Education Act). The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports will issue a certificate of recognition of education only if it was acquired in a state with which an agreement on the recognition of document equivalence (or on education document recognition) has been concluded and the ministry is authorised by this agreement to recognise a document, or if some doubt exists as to which public higher education institution implements a study programme of similar content and is thus appurtenant to decide on recognition. If the area of military science is concerned, recognition is determined by the Ministry of Defence in accordance with Section 95, Subsection 9 of the Higher Education Act; in the area of security services, recognition is determined by the Ministry of Interior.

Bilateral international agreements on the mutual recognition of equivalent documents on education attained and documents on granting scientific degrees and titles have been concluded with Bosnia and Herzegovina (No. 89/1991 Coll.), Bulgaria (No. 43/1983 Coll.), Hungary (No. 92/2005 Coll.I.A.), Poland (No. 104/2006 Coll.), Slovakia (No. 33/2001 Coll.I.A.), Slovenia (No. 89/1991 Coll.) and certain successor states of the former USSR (No. 123/1973 Coll.; valid for Georgia, Tadzhikistan and Turkmenistan), recognition of which is determined by the MEYS. Higher education diplomas issued in the Slovak Republic are valid on the territory of the Czech Republic without official verification (a decision on equivalence is not issued).

Recognition is not required in the case of professional courses (e.g. masseur, cosmetician etc.) acquired abroad, because they do not declare the attainment of higher education.