Program spotlight: Geopolitical Studies
The Geopolitical Studies (GPS) program is designed with a strong emphasis on employability. Students benefit from direct engagement with prominent guest speakers, including renowned practitioners and high-level decision-makers from outside academia. The program offers advanced grounding in geopolitics and security, while also allowing students to specialize in topics that align with their personal interests. A key focus is placed on the development of practical skills—particularly in communication.
7 reasons to study Geopolitical Studies with us
- The GPS is a career-focused program that emphasizes hands-on experience. We lead students to acquire a wide scope of knowledge and practical skills to prepare you for careers in an international environment.
- Prague is due to its geographic location and history the right place to study geopolitics. Prague is a favourite destination amongst international students for its cosmopolitan environment and great job opportunities both during and after your studies.
- Charles University belongs to the TOP 1% of the world’s best ranking universities and has partnerships with top ranking universities around the world.
- Courses are 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.
- We collaborate 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.
- Where else could you have the opportunity to debate international intervention in a class with students deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq, discuss situation in failed states with lecturers who travel to the most dangerous places in the world, and brainstorm security in Africa with General Barlow who fought against the worst insurgents in Sierra Leone?
- You will be encouraged to participate on the research activities of the GPS staff including the organization of a conference and a summer school.
International Opportunities
Selected students might apply for the Double Degree allowing them to spend a year in Taipei to enhance their knowledge at the prestigious National Taiwan University. Students will receive diplomas from both institutions.
The global nature of the GPS program provides an incentive for further foreign stays. The program was so far studied by citizens of more than 40 countries from all around the globe. Interested students can take advantage of a wide selection of international academic exchange program 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 program.
A week in life of a GPS student
A typical week for a GPS student includes around five lectures and two seminars, though the overall workload is flexible and largely based on individual course selection each semester. This flexibility allows students to balance their academic responsibilities with personal interests such as sports, culture, social events, or part-time work.
Set in Prague, a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, the program offers students a rich cultural and social life outside the classroom. With over 10,000 international students at Charles University alone, Prague certainly provides students with the ability to live actively between “gown and town”.
Tips for admissions
Applicants to the GPS program 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 if your 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 you to have an aptitude for political science.
You 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 you know but they will also care about the clarity of your 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 your interest in social and political issues and your ability to discuss them critically. If you enjoy reading Foreign Affairs or watching Fareed Zakaria GPS or BBC’s HARDtalk, this program is likely a good fit for you. If you haven’t explored these yet, consider doing so—they’re a great way to gauge your interest and readiness for the GPS program.