General Information

Academic Calendar

The academic year is divided into two semesters. Each semester is 13 weeks long. Winter semester starts in late September; in the last week before Christmas, there are no classes because it is a “credit week”, which is one week of mostly written tests, which are either a completion of the courses themselves or a prerequisite for registering for an oral exam in the exam period. The exam period goes on through January until mid-February.

The summer semester runs from mid-February to mid-May. Last week is again a credit week, with the exam period lasting until the end of June.

Academic calendar 2025/2026

The academic year starts on 1 September 2025 and ends on 31 August 2026. The winter semester classes end before Christmas. Exams are scheduled throughout January. The summer semester begins in the middle of February and classes end in the middle of May, with exams continuing until the end of June.

*The academic calendar below is general for the whole university and might differ for particular faculties.

• With approval from respective departments, students can also take examinations before the official examination period.
• Winter semester at the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Health Sciences starts on 8/15 September 2025 and ends on 8 February/9 January 2026, respectively.
• Summer semester at the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty and Health Sciences starts on 19 January/9 February 2026 and ends on 7 June/25 May 2026, respectively.
• Summer semester at the Faculty of Law starts on 16 February and ends on 15 May 2026.

Complete information to be downloaded in the Czech language here

Learning Agreement and Courses for exchange students

All students must create a Learning Agreement, either digitally (for EU institutions) or on paper (for non-EU institutions), which will include the list of courses they plan to attend during their stay.

In general, students are required to take the largest portion of courses (at least 60%) from the UP faculty/department responsible for the Bilateral Agreement under which the student has been nominated or from the department directly related to the student´s field of study. The remaining minimum credits can be taken upon approval from other UP faculty/departments.

Specific requirements might apply to different exchange study programmes.

Current offer of courses for Erasmus+ & Exchange students 2025/2026

Please find below the list of Faculties and their current course offerings for Erasmus+ & Exchange students. To see the courses, please click on the link below each Faculty.

Faculty of Arts

Faculty of Arts Courses for Exchange Students

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Education Courses for Exchange Students

Faculty of Health Sciences

Faculty of Health Sciences Erasmus+ Courses

Faculty of Law

Faculty of Law Courses for Exchange Students

Faculty of Medicine

Dentistry

General Medicine

Students from Slovakia can choose also from:

Všeobecné lékařství i Zubní lékařství

Faculty of Physical Culture

Information for Exchange Students

Faculty of Science

Short-term Courses at Faculty of Science

Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology

Short-term Courses at Faculty of Theology

 

PLEASE NOTE:

You can search for courses in our Course Catalogue using different filters to find details about courses in the academic offer for exchange students. IMPORTANT! Only courses that are marked with the note “this course is available to visiting students” can be taken by exchange students.

HOW TO USE THE PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY COURSE CATALOGUE

UP Portal and IS/STAG

Exchange students will receive access to the university Portal/IS STAG after enrolling in studies and after processing data by their UP coordinator. To access the university systems for the first time, you have to set your password on this link, which will be possible no earlier than 24-48 hours after receiving the enrolment notification message from STAG. After you enter your initial e-mail address, you will be sent a temporary link, which will enable you to see your login name (Note it down!) and set your password. Your login name is usually a combination of the first 4 letters of your last name + the first 2 letters of your first name + a two-digit number.

UP Portal will be your portal to almost everything you might need. Portal will allow you to get information about various people, such as your teachers, order food from canteens, get information on your on-campus accommodation, maps of university buildings and premises, or download the Office 365 package, which is provided for free to students and employees of our university.

IS/STAG means information system/study agenda. And that is exactly what it is as STAG will allow you to access all the information regarding your program, schedule, enrolments for seminars and exams, recording of your credits etc.

Language Requirements

The language of instruction at Palacký University is Czech; however, the university offers a wide range of courses taught in other languages, such as English, German, French, Spanish, etc.

Palacký University requires the minimum level stated in the agreement. If students do not meet the required level, they should submit proof of their English language competence along with their application form. In this case, the level should be equal to the English level CEFR B2 or TOEFL score 72 and higher.

Students choosing any courses offered by KAA (the Department of English and American Studies) must submit an official international certificate of language proficiency corresponding to the minimum level of the CEFR B2 (e.g., TOEFL, Cambridge, the other certificates to be approved by the KAA department coordinator). The required certificate must be uploaded before the application deadline!

Nominated students within the Erasmus+ programme can use the language assessment done before mobility within OLS (online linguistic support – see more at the website) or use any other official score report/assessment to prove their English language competence.

Czech Language Course

There are several courses of the Czech language offered at Palacký University. If you are an exchange student, you can attend the following courses for free:

• Czech Language Course - semester courses for various language levels

Orientation Week

IMPORTANT NOTE: Orientation Day and Orientation Week are for students coming to UP under these STUDY programmes:

• Erasmus+ semester(s) mobility (Europe)
• Erasmus+ International Credit mobility (non-Europe)
• Cooperation Agreements

The Central Office for Mobility as well as the Faculty IROs, are ready to assist you during your stay at Palacký University. During the Orientation Week (OW), which is regularly organized a week before the official beginning of the semester (classes) by the Office for Mobility RUP in cooperation with Erasmus Student Network (ESN) UP Olomouc, you will be introduced to how things work at Palacký University, the faculties, and the departments.

Online Pre-Arrival Orientation Day will take place on 8 September 2025 - registered students will receive an invitation to join the Zoom meeting. You will learn basic facts about Palacký University Olomouc and your mobility before your arrival.

Orientation Week will take place from Monday, 15 September 2025 to Friday, 19 September 2025. We will send the programme to your email. Please, follow the schedule of the group you belong to!

Please note that the Office for Mobility UP will not provide information individually to students who arrive in Olomouc earlier than the official start of the OW. 

Further details may be obtained from:

• zuzana.hamdanieh@upol.cz (Erasmus+)
• anna.prilucikova@upol.cz (Exchange students - Cooperation Agreements)
• iva.kokinopulosova@upol.cz (Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility)

What can you expect?*

The morning programme provides international students with information workshops focused on organizational and practical issues, such as an overview of UP offices and coordinators, UP facilities, registration of courses, confirmation of documents, how to arrange an ID card at UP, etc. Students can attend an introductory course of the Czech language, learn about their rights and duties in the Czech Republic during a session with a police officer.

The evening programme is devoted to getting the students together and offering cultural, social, and sporting events organized by ESN UP Olomouc.

PLEASE NOTE:
The activities may be varied or changed due to organizational reasons every semester.
The detailed programme is sent to REGISTERED students a few days before the beginning of the OW.

How do I register for the OW?

• ERASMUS+ & COOPERATION AGREEMENTS:

You need to register via the online application form. The access is in the automatic email that we sent you from noreply_mobility@upol.cz (never reply or send emails to this address, it is an automatic email) when you were officially nominated.

Go to the section APPLICATION at the bottom. Update your information and save changes if necessary. See the picture below.)

• OTHER SHORT-TERM STUDENTS (CEEPUS, Government Scholarships, etc. - those who are not nominated through our Erasmus+ online nomination and application system):

Please contact your Faculty coordinator in order to receive more instructions, i.e., the link for the registration form.

Welcome Office

The Welcome Office website provides useful details on the university’s structure, facilities, student organizations, and key terms you might come across, and gives you the necessary information regarding life in Olomouc. The Welcome Office website provides useful details on the university’s structure, facilities, student organizations, and key terms you might come across, and gives you the necessary information regarding life in Olomouc.

 

Accommodation

Finding the right place to stay is an important part of your exchange experience. At Palacký University Olomouc, you can choose between university dormitories and private accommodation.

Whichever option you choose, be sure to arrange your accommodation as early as possible, as availability can be limited.

University Dormitories

Staying in a dormitory allows you to live on campus or nearby, making it easy to connect with other students.

Students coming under the Erasmus+ program or the Cooperation Agreement can apply for accommodation at the UP dormitories in their Mobility application. The accommodation will be booked by their coordinator from the Office for Mobility. Students coming on a traineeship under the Erasmus+ program discuss the accommodation options with Mrs. Kateřina Sladká (katerina.sladka@upol.cz).

Students coming to Palacký University under other exchange programs should contact the respective faculty coordinator.

On the Accommodation Office website, you'll find available dormitory options and important information for international students.

 

Private Accommodation

If you prefer to find housing on your own, private rentals are also an option. We recommend using the Welcome Office website to explore listings for apartments and shared housing.

Visa information

Exchange students from non-EU countries who will stay in the territory of the Czech Republic for more than 90 days are required to apply for a long-term visa for study purposes of study before their arrival.

You should always discuss the visa process with the UP coordinator responsible for the administration of your mobility and for issuing the Letter of Acceptance and Preliminary Accommodation Contract (if staying at Palacký University dormitories). This person is either the coordinator at the Office for Mobility (Erasmus+ and Cooperation Agreement students) or the faculty coordinator (other exchange programs).

Bear in mind that the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic has 90 days to issue its decision, so it is important to apply as soon as possible.

It is also important to remember that the visa requirements and the visa process might slightly differ from country to country. To receive the most relevant information, follow the instructions of the Czech Embassy in your country!

For more information and extra support from Palacký University Olomouc, you can also visit the website of the Welcome Office.