Having command of the Czech language has more advantages than the easier communication with others. One of the greatest is that you can study at all Czech public universities – including Masaryk University – for free. All you need to do is pass the entrance exam.
If you learn Czech, you can select from more than 1,300 study programmes and combinations that are on offer at MU. The variety is great, beginning with top-ranking sociology or psychology, through biochemistry or genetics, up to all sorts of humanities such as philology of practically all Slavonic languages. Naturally, among the Czech tuition-free fields are also medicine, informatics or economy, though these can also be found in the offer of programmes taught in English. It's just that the offer of specific programmes in Czech is much more varied.
If you don't know how to start to learn Czech, we suggest you register for a year-long or a semester course of Czech for foreigners organised by the Department of Czech for foreigners of the MU's Faculty of Arts. An alternative method of mastering the Czech language are semester courses of Colourful Czech that are taught at beginner and elementary levels at Masaryk University Language Centre. Although these are paid, you can apply for a scholarship directly from the university; besides, the courses are still much cheaper than the tuition fees of the non-Czech programmes. Another option is the Summer school of Slavonic studies organised by the same department.
One of those who completed the Czech for foreigners course is 24-year-old Danijel Živković from Serbia. Nowadays he's in his fourth year of studies of the Czech programme of dentistry at Masaryk University. “The Serbian is a Slavonic language, so learning Czech wasn't that difficult for me. I mean, beginnings are always hard but the result is definitely worth the effort. Plus, knowing Czech opens further opportunities – in terms of both study and work,” Danijel assumes.