Frequently Asked Questions

To choose a program of study at AAU, check out the options available on our website in the academic programs section.

Still unsure? No problem! Not knowing what to study is a completely normal situation for many students. AAU has great advising opportunities that help you best direct your course of study towards your passions, interests, and strengths. 

Many of the entry level classes at AAU are general education courses (Composition, Introduction to Economic Thought, Introduction to Law, Computer Information Systems, etc.) so it is easy to transfer the majority of your credits and change your major after your first semester, should you decide your current program is not quite right for you. 

YES! Thanks to the flexibility of the study programs, students can begin their studies in the Spring semester, which usually runs from early February. Many courses open in both Fall and Spring.

AAU has a rolling admissions policy, which means we accept applications year round. If you do not require a visa, AAU recommends applying no later than one week prior to the start date of the semester in which you want to begin your studies, and the sooner you apply the better.

As noted above, AAU has a rolling admissions policy, which means we accept applications year round. The processing time is two weeks from the date that you submit your application. If your application is successful, you will need to also apply for a study visa. Visas take a minimum of 60 days to process; therefore, we recommend applying at least 10 weeks prior to the start date of the semester in which you want to start your studies.

If you are an Erasmus or University Exchange student, your application deadline is May 31st for the Fall semester and November 15th for the Spring semester. If you are a study abroad student, you may apply under our rolling admissions policy.

Short-term visiting students coming from AAU’s partner universities are called either Erasmus Exchange students if they applied from a university with which AAU has an Erasmus+ agreement, or University Exchange students if their home university cooperates with AAU on a different type of bilateral agreement. Exchange students are the only group exempt from AAU’s tuition and the application fee.

Short-term visiting students who come from non-partner colleges/universities are called Study Abroad students. As no bilateral agreement is in place between AAU and the home university of study abroad students, they must submit documents proving sufficient academic preparedness during their application process as well as pay their tuition and fees.

All of your documents must be officially translated to English or Czech, and these translations must be notarized to be accepted. If the original versions of your documents are already in English, Czech, or Slovak, then they do not need to be notarized.

Document notarization means that an official translator must correctly translate and certify the translation of your documents. Once your documents are certified, you can then take them to a notary where they will recognize the certification and notarize it for your submission.

You can still apply to AAU if your expected date of graduation precedes the start of the semester for which you wish to apply. If you meet all other requirements, you will be provisionally admitted pending the submission of proof of completion, which you must do before you begin your studies. A confirmation from your school that you are in your last year of studies must also be submitted.

If you are an undergraduate level applicant, you are required to submit a high school diploma, or its equivalent, as proof of previous academic qualification. We recognize GED, IB Diploma, and A-levels certificates. Qualifications sufficient to enter an undergraduate studies program in the country where your diploma was issued are generally accepted.

If you are applying for an undergraduate program, you must submit your high school transcript, whereas if you are applying for a graduate program, you must submit your undergraduate transcript.

Transferring students need to ask their previous school to send their transcript directly to AAU’s Admissions Department. You may deliver the transcripts to us in sealed envelopes or e-parchment to admissions@aauni.edu

As a study abroad applicant, you do not need to submit a previous high school or bachelor’s diploma. However, your transcript must have no less than 15 semester credits (30 ECTS credits) and you must have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher from your home university. If you do not fulfill the GPA requirement, you may apply for a GPA waiver by submitting a personal statement and two recommendation letters. 

You should provide us with the contact information for two separate academic and/or professional referees. It is recommended that you notify both in advance as AAU will be contacting them directly. You can submit both of them via the application portal when you apply.

A Curriculum Vitæ (CV) is an in-depth document, usually 1–2 pages in length, which outlines your academic and professional profile in chronological order. It typically includes major achievements, work experience, skills (language, computer, other) and any other accomplishments like awards, honors, etc. 

A resumé is typically shorter (1 page) and less in-depth. If you do not yet have a lot of work experience as a student, simply include any leadership roles, community service experience, clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities that you have been in and/or are involved in. When describing your work experience always include valuable, useful tasks and any achievements. Remember to keep all experiences in chronological order; with the most recent experience on top.

Based on your preferences, please select one of the questions outlined below. The maximum number of words is 650 and the minimum 250. Plagiarism of any part of the personal statement is considered a serious violation of academic integrity and of AAU’s internal rules and will lead to the rejection of your application.

– Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.

– The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

– Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

– Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

– Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

– Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

All non-native English-speaking applicants are required to submit proof of English proficiency at B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). AAU recognizes multiple tests as evidence of the B2 level proficiency: 

TOEFL (iBT min. 71, PBT min. 525)

IELTS (min. 6 – minimum of 5.5 in each subtest)

FCE (min. C)

CAE (min. 160)

Aptis ESOL (min. B2 Overall)

Linguaskill (min. 160)

City & Guilds – IESOL (Communicator)

Pearson PTE (min. 51)

IGCSE First Language English (C or better)

IGCSE English as a Second Language (B or better)

IB (English A or B at HL/SL)

LANGUAGECERT Academic: (min. 61)


English Proficiency Waiver
You may be eligible for a waiver if you meet one of the following criteria:

Have completed a minimum of 12 months of academic studies leading to a degree in a predominantly English-speaking country (Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States), no more than two years prior to the intended date of enrollment.

Have completed secondary education at an institution accredited by a recognized authority in one of the countries listed above.

Be an EU student* who has achieved a score equivalent to B2 level or higher in the final high school leaving examination (maturita or equivalent) in English.

Have completed or be completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and be able to submit the official IB Diploma before the start of the semester.

* Including students from: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

The applicants must demonstrate their English proficiency within an AAU admissions interview. AAU reserves the right to request an English Proficiency exam score if deemed necessary.
**Duolingo is not one of our accepted English Language Exams**

All non-native English-speaking applicants are required to submit proof of English proficiency at C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). AAU recognizes multiple tests as evidence of C1 level proficiency: 

TOEFL (iBT min. 87, PBT min. 567)

IELTS (min. 7)

CAE (min. C)

CPE (min. C1)

Aptis ESOL (min. C1 Overall)

Linguaskill (min. 180)

City & Guilds – IESOL (expert)

Pearson PTE (min. 57)

LANGUAGECERT Academic: (min. 73)

You may be eligible for an English proficiency waiver if you meet one of the following criteria:  

– complete a minimum of twelve months academic education leading to an awarded qualification, in a “majority English speaking” country (Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America), no more than two years prior to the proposed date of enrollment, or

– complete high school education in an institution accredited by an officially recognized authority in a “majority English speaking” country ( Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America), or 

– EU* students who achieve a score equivalent to level B2 or higher in the school leaving examination (maturita or equivalent) English language exam

– complete or have completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Programme and will be able to submit your official IB Diploma before the start of the semester. * Including students from: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The applicants must demonstrate their English proficiency within an AAU admissions interview. AAU reserves the right to request an English Proficiency exam score if deemed necessary.

Because of AAU’s agreement with your home university, if you are an Erasmus or University Exchange student, you are exempt from providing proof of sufficient English proficiency.

Study abroad applicants must meet the same requirements as degree seeking students. If you do not qualify for a test waiver and you fall short of the required English proficiency test score, you may be allowed to demonstrate sufficient English proficiency in an interview with a designated AAU official.

If you take one of our recognized English language proficiency tests (listed further on in the FAQs) but fall short of our score requirements, you can still be admitted on probation provided that you submit, along with your English language proficiency test scores, all other necessary documents and that you fulfill all other requirements.

To fully enroll at AAU, it is necessary that you first submit the required English proficiency test results prior to the start of the second semester.

In these cases, an interview is scheduled online, primarily through the Google Meet platform. You will receive an email with details regarding the Google Meet interview time.

You will find out about the status of your admission to AAU within one week from the date of your interview.

If your AAU application is rejected, you can always appeal this rejection within 30 days of receiving the decision. Degree-seeking students may appeal the decision to the Dean of the School of Study to which they applied.

All other students must appeal to the Vice President for Enrollment. 

Once you have been accepted to AAU, you must pay at least 50% of your tuition for the upcoming semester in order to begin registering for classes. To register for classes, please contact your Assistant Dean. The Admissions Office will inform you about the date when registration will open. 

Once you have been accepted to AAU, you must pay your tuition and fees for the upcoming semester in full in order for AAU to issue the necessary document you need for your visa application. Once you pay your tuition, you may register for classes by contacting your Assistant Dean. The Admissions Office will inform you about the date when registration will open.

To register for classes you will need to contact your AAU Assistant Dean. The Assistant Dean will be able to guide you through the registration process. We strongly recommend that you meet with your advisor at your home university first to evaluate your study plan and options. The Admissions Office will inform you about the date when registration will open.

If you are accepted to AAU but your Czech Republic study visa is denied for reasons beyond your control, AAU will fully refund the tuition. 

In order for your refund to be processed, you must provide proof of denial by no later than the last day of the add/drop period of the semester you are applying to (you can always find this date in the current academic calendar). The document you need to provide is the official letter from the embassy denying the visa. If you fail to present this document before the required deadline, AAU will no longer refund your tuition.

If you require a visa to study in the Czech Republic, it is recommended to apply sufficiently in advance (no less than 10 weeks) in order to avoid any possible complications and delays in the visa  process. It takes a minimum of 60 days to process a visa.

Nostrification is a state-administered process that compares your diploma and education completed abroad to Czech education and diploma on the same level. If it is recognized as an equal, you receive a nostrification certificate. You need to submit the nostrification certificate to AAU if you wish to be enrolled in the Czech accreditation of your program and be seen as a university student by the Czech authorities, in other words, have a student status (only if you are enrolled in a Czech-accredited program, you can apply for a study visa, work during studies, receive the accommodation scholarship, and other benefits, such as health and social insurance for Czech citizens). Complete information and steps to nostrification are to be found here for undergraduate students and here for graduate students. Nostrification applies to all degree-seeking students who do not have a specific waived diploma listed there. 

Yes. Placement tests are administered to all incoming degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students. The exams are focused on English Composition and Math to determine your proficiency and placement in these two areas. All placement tests are administered at scheduled intervals that you will be informed about prior to the test dates. 

The majority of businesses in Prague run on cash rather than credit/debit cards. The currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech crown (or koruna). Make sure to have some crowns on hand for the first few days! To take out money in the city, it is suggested that you use bank ATMs (Raifeissen, Fio, etc.) versus the Euronet ATMs (marked with yellow/ blue stripes), which charge high transaction fees.

Before you leave your home country do not forget to contact your bank and inform them that you will be travelling to the Czech Republic. This will help to prevent charges made here in the country from getting flagged and ensure that your card continues to work as usual.

It is your student card, known as ISIC, and will be ready for pick up at AAU’s Student Services Center. Please stop by to pick up your card after Orientation! With the student card you will receive various discounts around the city, including discounts on phone plans and transportation.

Prague public transportation is one of the best in the world operating on metro, tram and bus lines. The Metro has three lines, the green, yellow and red, with AAU being located on the green line. Several trams serve AAU as well. Your ISIC allows for the purchase of discounted monthly/yearly transportation tickets.

The best option is to order a Litacka card.

You can order it online (which takes up to 2 weeks). To receive student discounts for the fares you will need your ISIC card first, so make sure to pick it up at Student Services.

You can buy monthly/quarterly/yearly tickets online. You only need to pay once and can use it for busses, metros, trams, and even a Taxi boat that goes across the river or the train within Prague!

AAU recommends the Vodafone student plan. This plan costs around CZK 500 per month and includes data and calls. You will be able to utilize this plan in all European countries without roaming charges. Once you arrive in Prague, you can head to a Vodafone retailer to purchase, with most associates being able to assist in English.

The Czech Republic, along with the city of Prague, consistently rank among the top ten safest countries/ cities in the world. You will find that many Czechs speak at least a bit of English, which will help you to get around and feel welcome in the city.