Private College of Economic Studies

[EduCativ]

The Private University College of Economic Studies, Ltd. (hereafter "PUCES") is a non-university independent (private) tertiary education institution offering accredited undergraduate and Master's study programs (as well as lifelong learning schemes) and carrying out associated scholarly, research and developmental activities.

PUCES offers undergraduate (Bachelor's degree) study program Economics and Management, containing the curricula of three accredited study branches (Management of Organizations, Accounting and International Economics and Law in Enterprise). Since autumn 2009, PUCES has been running a follow-up Master's degree program (Economics and Management), offering three specializations (Strategic Management, Corporate Finance Management, and International Business Management). After passing the state final examination, PUCES graduates are awarded Bachelor's degree ("bakalář", Bc.). After graduating in Strategic Management, Corporate Finance Management, or International Business Management, PUCES graduates are granted a Master's degree.

PUCES graduates are qualified for entering a profession or a post-graduate (Ph.D.) study program. PUCES study programs develop a thorough grasp of managerial and accounting knowledge, methods, and techniques. The students receive comprehensive professional, legal, and language training. The graduates may pursue their careers both in national and multinational institutions (in public and private sectors) at particular levels of management since the professions of a manager and an accountant are essential for the effective running of all organizations. The acquired knowledge, skills, and the effectiveness of practical experience have a substantial bearing on the graduates' employability and actual work placements.

Admission to PUCES is conditional upon completing a full secondary general or vocational education (A-level or equivalent). It is admission to the follow-up Master's degree program being conditional on passing Bachelor's degree final examinations. PUCES enrolls candidates based on a career-oriented admission interview, verifying applicants' aptitude for business studies and clarifying contractual terms of paid education provision. After entering into a contract with PUCES, students are charged tuition fees of CZK 55,000 (Bc. study) or CZK 57,000 (Ing. study) per academic year. (Fees are paid in two installments - at the beginning of winter and summer semesters respectively.)

The Private University College of Economic Studies Ltd. (PUCES) is the present higher education institution, attached to the recent tradition of private education in the Czech Republic. In 1990, Mr. Miloslav Marek founded the First Private Five-Year Business Academy (the first non-state professional secondary school accredited in the CR), providing education in business economics and company administration.

The amendment of the Education Act (1995) facilitated the transformation of the school into the Private Tertiary Professional School and the First Private Business Academy (PTPS-FPBA). The new Higher Education Act of 1998 enabled the founder to make another qualitative transformation of the institution. The Private University College of Economic Studies could not have come into existence without the eleven years of experience and economic activities of the former PTPS-FPBA. The efficient running of the institutions mentioned above created favorable prerequisites for the PUCES establishment and implementation of the accredited academic and lifelong learning programs.

PUCES received the state permission to operate an independent non-state institution of higher education based on its accredited curriculum in August 2000, and the first academic year started in February 2001. Despite its short history, the college has established a good reputation and has graduated hundreds of successful students. The accreditation of a follow-up master's degree program in 2009 marked the beginning of a new PUCES development era.

The Private University College of Economic Studies aims at enhancing its educational and research competitiveness by building upon its good experience hitherto which requires:

• Increasing the quality of study programs and launching new ones per the education and labor market demands.
• Expanding the developmental and other inventive activities in cooperation with businesses and other organizations involved.
• Collaborating with local and foreign colleges and universities to develop research activities, study programs, and internship placement services.
• Facilitating students and academic staff mobility.
• Allocating financial resources cost-effectively.

PUCES focuses on the extension and improvement of its educational services. The accredited study programs are regularly updated and enhanced following the needs of the job market. PUCES Internal Grant Agency (IGA) allocates grants, supporting the introduction of new study programs and involving students in creative projects launched by particular departments. The third age learning programs are presented to the public within the lifelong learning scheme. PUCES offers short specialization courses in the areas of management and accounting.

IGA grants are aimed at the college development, quality of education, and undergraduates and academic staff's publications. PUCES also aspires to state and EU-funded grants.

PUCES has been participating in the international LLP / Erasmus mobility program. The Extended Erasmus University Charter enables PUCES to establish bilateral partnerships and arrange exchange visits to European HEIs as well as student internship placements in chosen firms abroad. PUCES undergraduates are sent to colleges in eight European countries. Apart from the Erasmus program, PUCES exchanges conference participants and lecturers with selected colleges and universities abroad.

Even though the language of instruction is in Czech, numerous foreign nationals have studied at PUCES. Two foreign languages are taught as compulsory core subjects in addition to English, and students can enroll for German, Spanish, Russian, and foreigners for Czech language courses.ECTS comparable system has been applied, PUCES graduates receiving an English-Czech diploma supplement.

PUCES takes care of academic life culture, 

public image and the quality of the school environment, shaping its unique profile. The partnership between students and academic staff is based on honest relationships, immediate feedback, and informal communication. Positive school climate enables to instantaneously react to individual students' stimuli and needs. Student opinion surveys and graduates' reunions help PUCES enhance its potential. The counseling center, offering advice in academic, psychological, and legal matters, is available.

PUCES resource center library is continuously supplemented. An e-learning portal has been developed, offering online learning aids to increase students' comfort. The private information infrastructure, as well as the PUCES web-presentation, are being improved.

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