Higher education institutions form the highest level of Czech education. They offer accredited study programmes at three levels - bachelor, master, and doctoral, as well as lifelong learning. Higher education institutions are either university-type or non university-type.
University-type higher education institutions may offer all types of study programmes (bachelor, master and doctoral) and carry out associated scholarly, research, developmental, artistic or other creative activities. Non university-type higher education institutions offer mainly bachelor study programmes, but may also provide master study programmes and carry out associated scholarly, research, developmental, artistic or other creative activities.
There are public, state and private higher education institutions. The public and private higher education institutions come under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, while state institutions (the University of Defence and the Police Academy) are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior respectively.
Higher education is provided within the framework of accredited study programmes in accordance with the relevant curricula and forms of studies. The form of study can be full-time, part-time (distance) or a combination of both. Access to bachelor studies is conditional on completing secondary education with a final examination (maturitní zkouška). Access to a master study programme is conditional on graduating from a bachelor study programme, while access to a doctoral study programme is conditional on graduating from a master study programme.
