MA in Geopolitics

Basic information

Programme Duration: 2 years

Language of Instruction: English

Submission Deadlines: 28th February, 30th April

Academic Supervisor: Martin Riegl

Programme Coordinator: Bohumil Doboš

Admission Administration:

Double Degree: Beginning the academic year 2019/20, students of the first year mght enroll for the Double Degree of Geopolitical Studies and East Asian Studies with the National Taiwan University

How to apply:

Online application: Apply here

Why study geopolitics in Prague?

Prague is due to its geographic location and history the right place to study geopolitics
Charles University belongs to the TOP 1% of the world's best ranking universities
Prague is a favourite destination amongst international students for its cosmopolitan environment and great job opportunities both during and after your studies
Charles University has partnerships with top ranking universities around the world
Coures taught by foremost academics in geopolitics as well as practitioners including the Czech ambassador to NATO Jakub Landovský or the Deputy Minister of Defence Tomáš Kopečný
Collaboration with foremost experts in research and as guest lecturers including Stig Jarle Hansen, Nina Caspersen, Alexis Heraclides, Aleksandar Pavkovic, Eeben Barlow, Daniel Bach, or Matt Qvortrup
Students are encouraged to participate on the research activities of the GPS staff including the organization of conference and summer school

Admission requirements:

Bachelors degree
English language proficiency (both written and oral)

Applicants to the GPS Programme may come from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds. It is not necessary to have studied political science, international relations or geopolitics. Admission may be granted also to students whose previous studies were in the humanities, economy, law or even technical or natural sciences. Although a background in political science and related sub-disciplines is not formally required for admission, it is an advantage for GPS applicants to have an aptitude for political science.

All students must have a good command of the English language in order to successfully complete all the course requirements, including the ability to discuss specialised topics. Our tutors will not be concerned only with what students know but they will also care about the clarity of their thinking, the capacity of explaining ideas in the public, how well you are able to work in teams and to absorb or expand new knowledge in the social sciences. They will seek evidence of students’ interest in social and political issues and their ability to discuss them critically. If you like reading Foreign Affairs of watch Fareed Zakaria GPS or BBC HARDtalk, you are a prospective programme applicant. If you have not tried yet, please do so and test your aptitude to the social phenomena of this study.

Cost and Tuition

The tuition fee for the GPS programme is 3 000 EUR per semester. Tuition covers the costs of studying at Charles University, sitting examinations and participating in international student exchanges. There are also scholarships and bursary funding available.

The global nature of the GPS programme provides an incentive for further foreign stays. The programme was so far studied by citizens of more than 30 countries from all around the globe. Interested students can take advantage of a wide selection of international academic exchange programmes arranged with renowned universities in the EU, the UK, the United States, Canada, Latin America, Asia and Australia. There is also an increasing number of research institutions in Africa cooperating with the GPS programme.

A typical week for an GPS student might look as follows: class-time divided between five lectures and two seminars. The number of classes selected is to a high degree up to student so the workload is flexible according to the selection made by a student for the given semester. But, just as importantly, free time for exercising private interests such as sports, culture, discussion and entertainment, which Prague offers in abundance. It also allows the students to work besides their study. A cosmopolitan and diverse city with more than 8,000 foreign students at Charles University alone, Prague certainly provides students with the ability to live actively between “gown and town”.

Why study Geopolitics?

Resource Wars, Identity Conflicts, Disinformation, Geostrategic Rivalries, Global Power Shift and increasing number of non-state actors, among others make it difficult to analyse contemporary international relations.

Why study Geoeconomics?

Currency Wars, Economic Diplomacy, Competitive Intelligence, Economic Warfare, Indirect Strategies and State Capitalism are among the various factors impacting increasingly contemporary power rivalries .

Cost cosiderations

Calculations should consider the living costs for students in Prague, which are by 43% lower than in London or Paris and by 28% lower than in Berlin or Vienna. In addition, GPS students can take advantage of a part-time job close to their professional specialisation since Prague is a cosmopolitan city with the lowest unemployment rate in Europe and eager to employ bright-minded English-speakers with international experience.

Why choose this programme?

Highly focused on employability – outside speakers will provide networking opportunities. The programme includes discussions with experts outside the academy. The class offers an advanced grounding in geopolitics and security while allowing you to specialize in issues and themes of interest to you. There is a strong emphasis on skills development especially communication. Selected students might apply for the Double Degree allowing them to spend a year in Taipei to enhance their knowledge at the prestigous National Taiwan University. Students will receive diplomas from both institutions.

I am currently the Lead Problem Sourcing Analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense program called "Hacking for Defense". I use the knowledge learned in my GPS studies to not only quickly source problems from our DoD participants, but to then curate that problem down to its root cause. Hacking for Defense® is a university course sponsored by the Department of Defense that teaches students to work with the Defense and Intelligence Communities to rapidly address the nation’s emerging threats and security challenges.

Claire Bouchard

former US student of the Geopolitical Studies programme

At first, my main motivation in applying to the GPS program was to live abroad for a while. Of course, ensuring quality education was there as well, but experiencing the world was central. Being an interesting program, form a great university, in a beautiful city, GPS looked like the perfect match for that. During my stay at GPS this motive was fulfilled, but it went beyond this ‘objective’. Fast-forward four years, I am a PhD student and research assistant whose area of focus is resting upon the foundations built at the GPS program. Having a rich, detailed and interestingly interwoven program, GPS allowed me to acquire the basics needed to adequately tackle geopolitical issues, while having the opportunity, firstly to identify and then explore in-depth areas I found most interesting. Professors were open to consult, help or provide their advice every step of the way, which did not end when I graduated. Even today, I am still in contact with many of my professors, either to consult or to collaborate, for which I am grateful. Perhaps I could have found another place to experience the world, but I am doubtful that I could have gained this kind of an experience.

Mihajlo Kopanja

Research assistant at the Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, Serbia and a former student of the Geopolitical Studies programme

Studying at the GPS programme at Charles University in Prague has been a wonderful privilege and I deeply encourage everyone to apply. The proposal to combine geography with political science in the field of geopolitics caught my attention from the beginning and the result is an amazing list of courses, all of which I have enjoyed to the fullest. The programme provides a solid theoretical background as well as research methods allowing the student to undertake meaningful geopolitical analysis of the most varied regions and international topics. This is accomplished thanks to professors who always inspire the students to think, propose and debate, skills which are in very much need today. It all takes place in a splendid environment, at a traditional and prestigious university, in one of the most magnificent cities you will find. Four years after my graduation I still look back with joy at those days at GPS programme. I recommend it to all those interested in understanding our world today and I look forward to visiting once again, this time as a researcher, on occasion of future seminars and conferences on geopolitics.

Matías Iglesias

University of Palermo, Argentina, assistant profesor, former student of the Geopolitical Studies programme

My experience from the studies of the GPS programme are mostly positive. Thanks to the availability of experts on the most of the world regions, I was able to receive important and interesting information about ongoing processes all over the globe while receiving theoretical background which aided me with proper tools to analyse any given situation from the geopolitical perspective. Another advantage of the programme is in its location on the Charles University, which as a huge institution provides possibility to find an expert opinion on any specialized topic any student would need to help with even outside the Institute of Political Studies. I must recommend this degree to anyone interested in the world around and in knowing how space matters.

Bohumil Doboš

former Czech student of the Geopolitical Studies programme

Topics covered in GPS programme (valid for 2020/2021)

Geopolitics and Geostrategy
World Regionalism
Sovereignty, unrecognized states
Political Risk Analysis
War, politics and Society
Theories of International Relations
Geopolitics of Defence Industry and Arms Trade
Geopolitics of Latin America
Geopolitics of the Middle East
Geopolitics of Great Powers - China, Russia, Transatlantic Space
Violent Non-state Actors
Astropolitics
Geopolitical Thought
European Geopolitics

2021/22 Curriculum

State Exam questions

The traditional Master's degree (Mgr., Czech equivalent to M.A.) is awarded to those students who have acquired at least 120 credits in the GPS programme, defended their Master Thesis and successfully passed the final State Examinations from economics, politics and other social sciences.

Scholarships and Funding:

Faculty's website

International Visegrad Fund Scholarships

The International Visegrad Fund (IVF) is a joint initiative of the governments of the four Visegrad Group countries (Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary). It offers scholarships for study abroad, both to students from within the Visegrad group, and to neighbouring countries like Belarus and Ukraine.

Submission deadline is January 31, scholarship applicants can request a preliminary confirmation of acceptance at the International Office of FSS CU.

Fulbright Commission Scholarships

The Fulbright Commission provides U.S. citizens with the opportunity to study, teach, or conduct research in the Czech Republic. You can find info about the grants on this link.

Other sources

Studyin.cz provides essential information about the higher education system, study opportunities and scholarships, as well as about student's life in the Czech Republic.

It is possible to find more scholarships in ScholarshipPortal and in CET Academic Programs.