Foreign Study Program

About Prague & Our Program

The Department of Geography's Foreign Study Program (FSP) is based at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. 

Prague emerged relatively unscathed from World War II and the Cold War and continues to offer an array of stunning architecture from many periods including Romanesque, Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque. This culturally rich city of about 1.3 million people, with relatively inexpensive concerts, opera and theater, has become one of the cosmopolitan hubs of Central Europe. It now faces the challenges of tourism, rising socioeconomic inequality, and historical preservation in the midst of rapid modernization. In and beyond the capital city, the Czech Republic's peoples continue to negotiate relations with the European Union, as well as the environmental, economic and social legacies of the socialist era.

Geography FSP Prague students will have many opportunities for cross-cultural learning, engaging with Charles University professors and students.  Founded in 1348, Charles University is one of the oldest universities in the world and has a Geographical Institute that houses four different geography departments and over 50 faculty.  Situated in the heart of Europe, Prague is only a few hours away from other cultural centers such as Vienna, Warsaw, Berlin, and Budapest.

View our department's instagram to see student posts from the 2023 trip.

Curriculum

  • Geography 36.01: The Czech Republic in the New Europe (in English, by Charles University faculty).
  • Geography 37.01: Social and Physical Landscapes of the Czech Republic (in English, jointly taught by Dartmouth professor and Charles University faculty).
  • Geography 86: Independent Study in the Czech Republic (in English, independent study guided by Dartmouth professor).

The program will be preceded by an orientation period that includes an intensive program in basic conversational Czech.  Structured field trips are a central component of Geography 37.01.

Prerequisites

One of the following: GEOG 1.01, 1.02, 2.01, 3.01 or 4.02

One GEOG course numbered between 13 and 59, or permission of instructor.

Recommended GEOG methods course (Geography 9.01, 11, or 12.01) is strongly encouraged.