USAC Czech Republic: Prague - Politics, Culture, & the Arts

I took an architecture and a holocaust class during the summer and it was an incredible experience. I went by so fast and I wished I would have done a semester. One of the coolest things we did was tour the Franz Ferdinand's estate. The professors were so kind and passionate, you could tell they want to be there and the program felt like a family.

Studying abroad in Prague was the best experience of my life. I made lifelong friends, explored incredible places, and grew so much as a person. Every day felt like an adventure, and I will cherish those months forever.

I absolutely loved my time abroad. I would do it over and over again if I could. Our program leaders were amazing and always had a local excursion for us to do. The city was amazing, the classes were good, the professors were great, and again(!) the program leaders were so so amazing. The longer weekend trips were definitely worth it and the spring break was the perfect amount of time. The only downside is that we don't have a ton of immersion or interactions with other students. The school isn't physically part of another university so we don't have the opportunity to interact with non-USAC students automatically. There are opportunities to connect with the community and other students if you seek them out yourself, but it's not built into the program. Otherwise, I have zero complaints! I love the housing (it's in great parts of the city and super accessible and good), everyone is very helpful and welcoming, and it's a great experience.

Really excellent time, was very immersed. Went on a lot of great trips. Could not recommend enough big thanks to Dáša and Jan. I love Prague one day I shall return. Banger kamo… much love much gratitude.

This program was the perfect blend of having independence to explore the country and structured group activities. I really enjoyed the course and I liked that although it was a lot of content to cover, the class was not all consuming; there was plenty of time each day to explore the city. The community of USAC students was really supportive and we all stuck together to make meaningful connections.

The USAC staff in Prague were amazing and so helpful. Also, Prague itself was an experience of a lifetime and I want to go back as soon as I can. You are fully immersed in the city life and there are endless activities and exciting things to see.

I studied abroad in Prague for the second summer session during 2025, and it was an unforgettable experience. Prague is an absolutely gorgeous city and USAC gave me the chance to live in it for a period of time. The class I took (Architecture) took us to so many museums, churches, castles, and art galleries, most of which I probably wouldn’t have known about if not for the class. The professor, Milan, was so kind and knowledgeable, and so was every staff there (like Dasa and Jan.) If you decide to study in gorgeous Prague, you MUST do the Budapest/Vienna tour. It was a truly amazing trip and I couldn’t recommend it enough.

I had an immersive experience in a foreign country. I found the staff members to be helpful and friendly. I think Prague is a place everyone should visit for a unique cultural shock. I miss it so much and will definitely visit again.

I knew studying abroad in college with something that I wanted to do. I had never been to Prague before coming here and now I find myself recommending it all the time. It was an absolutely incredible experience and I really appreciate it that everybody at USAC helped with immersion, navigation, and adjusting. I felt really supported and the program helped a lot with getting to know the area. I enjoyed my classes, the people, and the world around me. Studying abroad was absolutely incredible .

My month in Prague was amazing and probably the best time of my life. I got to see so much cool stuff on my own and was provided so many unique experiences with USAC, like visiting a medieval mine, a huge fort, countless medieval churches, museums, and boat tour! I got to meet several awesome people and got to celebrate my 21st birthday in a Irish karaoke bar. I got to see museums of history I have always wanted to see (I even got to go into not one but two cold war bunkers!). Overall so much fun and has defiantly made me want to move there!

Studying abroad in Prague was by far the best decision I ever made and would do it again in a heartbeat if I could. The city is breathtaking, clean, and easy to navigate, and the program left me with knowledge, appreciation of Czech culture, and friendships I wouldn't trade for the world. It was my last semester in college, so I chose to go out with a bang. I still communicate with my professors and fellow students, as well as locals I met while there. It's been two years, and I still dream of cobblestone streets, the metro, castles, and quaint coffee shops. If I can say one thing to you if you are considering this program, it's 100% do it. You won't regret it. I wish I could do it again.

Overall, I had a great experience with USAC in the Czech Republic. Everyone involved in the program in Prague were fantastic. They were very helpful in showing us around and helping me get used to the city. It helped me adjust to the living style very quickly. The actual education was enjoyable because I took and art and architecture class and we walked around the city looking at buildings, sculptures, paintings, etc. Then we wrote a paper about it at the end. I would highly recommend travelling with USAC, no matter where you were considering visiting.

The USAC Prague study abroad program could not have been a better way to spend my summer! The classes I took were all very interesting and hands on. Being able to walk around the city and go on field trips to see firsthand what were learning about truly immerses you in the classroom experience while also understanding the culture of the city. Jan and Dasa were the BEST program directors and truly made it feel like a family. I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone!

I went for a summer session abroad in Prague with USAC. Our apartment was in the city center and our instructors did a great job showing us around and showing us how to use public transport. They also did a great job showing us local restaurants and authentic food and they organized plenty of excursions for us to get a proper experience in the Czech Republic. I felt supported and welcome by the staff and creating great relationships and memories while there!

Hello there! I did a summer session abroad in Prague, Czech Republic and it was the best 5 weeks of my life. From the courses offered, to the location of my apartment, to the friendliness of the staff, everything was amazing. I loved the two classes that I took. I took Czech cinema & film and Art & Architecture. There was never a boring day in Prague. There is endless things to do and the town is enriched with so much history. If I could change one thing I would have done both summer sessions (9 weeks) instead of just the one session I did. Prague is such an underrated place and you will fall in love with it just how my friends and I did! In my film class we got to go to local Czech cinemas and theaters and watch films directed by Czech directors. Every day in my art & architecture class was a field trip. We got to visit churches, castles, museums, and important town centers each day of class.

This experience was what a study abroad experience should be. It was a centralized location, so it was easy to travel to other countries, and it was an easy place to become immersed. The program directors on site did a fantastic job with organizing programs and trips and our apartment was awesome.

This study abroad trip was one of the best times of my life. I made friends that will last forever and I found a city that I will love forever. I can’t recommend studying abroad enough. Especially to Prague. You will make memories that will stick with you forever.

I had a really great time, I was thankful foe the time that I had and i really enjoyed my time. I made really great connection with my teachers as well as the peers that went along with made were really kind and made me feel welcome.

My experience studying abroad in the Czech Republic was the best summer of my life. From the hiking trips that the program provided to the classes that taught everything from History to Architecture, everything was simply great. During my semester abroad, I was able to immerse myself in the Czech culture and I was even able to join a few organizations in the area. However there were a few challenges that I faced during my time abroad that included navigating the metro or even worse the bus network, as well as finding ingredients from my home of Puerto Rico. But with help from my teachers/counselors I was able to find everything I was looking for and more! Just because I was looking for food from home doesn’t mean I didn’t like the local food either, quite in the contrary USAC’s housing put you right next to the city center so you had quick access to a multitude of great food choices. Finally the Czech Republic’s location and favorable class schedule provides for easy weekend getaways to nearby countries. I would say that my time abroad was unforgettable and allowed me to see the world in a whole new light.

Spending three and a half months in Prague felt like taking a small jump into the future, towards the slightly more independent life that I imagine after university. I had my own space for everything, studying, making friends, wandering through the city, stopping at cafes to work, and visiting museums. I tried to make the most of this opportunity to break away from my usual routine, which was always filled with work and university commitments, and to enjoy some time for myself. I realized that adapting to living in another country, with people speaking another language (Czech) and, at the same time, with American friends, and thus from another culture, was more natural than expected and, in fact, stimulating every day. It was a double cultural leap that made me realize how much there is still to learn, even just by stopping speaking my native language. I took these months to grow and have experiences that I had always put on hold, diving headfirst into everything I love, absorbing every suggestion and experience. It was my American roommates who made me think right away about how little I had traveled in Europe so far, while they had flown for at least 12 hours just to be here. Given these premises, their goal was to see as many countries as possible and plan every weekend at their disposal. My initial plan was completely different; I thought of enjoying Prague and taking advantage of lighter courses to focus on some freelance work I had in progress or start my thesis. Needless to say, I succumbed to their enthusiasm, and, in hindsight, I admit that there was nothing better I could have done. The first destination, after initially adapting to Prague, was Munich, a memorable experience, especially as a first opportunity to bond with my friends out of the study programme's usual contexts. Then, after a quick check of the cheapest flights, we went to London, where, thanks to a frantic race among a thousand museums, I finally saw my favorite works of art in person. Following that was Berlin, where despite the cold, we experienced an extremely vibrant city, culturally rich; and finally, Amsterdam, which was my second trip entirely "solo" but truly wonderful. However, Prague was always waiting for us between weekends, a place where I immediately felt at home, both because of the beautiful relationship established with my roommates and the useful orientation provided by USAC in the first two weeks of the program. During that time, in the mornings, we attended the intensive Czech language course, and after lunch, usually trying local food, we were guided to various parts of the city. This allowed us to learn the basics for every easy conversation and gave us the opportunity to get to know each other better between the conviviality of meals. In the following weeks, the actual courses began. The ones I chose were: "Alternative Culture, Literature, Music, and Lifestyles," "Art Photography," "Marketing Principles," and "Sustainable Development: Key Dimensions and Challenges." Each of these courses was not held at Charles University but in dedicated classes at USAC, where only the program participants attended. One great advantage of these courses was the small number of students, allowing the professor to focus more on us and tailor the program to our interests. As for the commitment, in addition to the mandatory attendance classes, there were almost always assignments to complete, often in the form of essays. This was not a problem for my classmates accustomed to the English language, but for me, It turned out to be a good writing exercise. Occasionally, we also had to prepare presentations for the class, which also helped me improve my language skills, especially because I realized that I had never said certain things except in Italian. All this made me understand even more how, being communicators, it is important to practice English; otherwise, as beautiful as our projects may be, they remain limited to an Italian audience, limiting their potential. It should also be considered that being good communicators in Italian does not automatically mean being good in another language; it's always like starting from scratch again. Regarding the accommodation, I must say that it was more in that aspect that I learned the most by communicating daily with my friends and roommates. The apartment was located in a very strategic area of Prague, right next to one of the most important metro stations, extensively connected to the center by buses and trams and surrounded by supermarkets and cafes. In less than 20 minutes on foot, we reached the main square, while the journey to the university was about 25 minutes between walking and taking the metro. Another pro of Prague is its very efficient and user-friendly transportation system. Besides this, I would like to say that the city is truly beautiful and very safe. Despite the initial impression that people may seem cold, they are always ready to help when needed. An example is when I realized I had lost my iPad on the shuttle from the airport to the center, and miraculously found it the next day thanks to the driver's willingness. Even though none of them spoke a word of English, when I went to the bus depot to retrieve it, they were extremely kind and helpful to me. In experiences like this, but not only, the USAC staff also proved to be valuable and always available to support us in anything. As a final balance of this experience, I must say that yes, I went beyond my initial plans by traveling much more than expected, but I still had the opportunity to start my thesis and make room for my freelance work, without neglecting the courses neither at my home university IUSVE or the ones in Prague with USAC. Furthermore, I bring home tons of precious memories from the new cities I visited with wonderful people, whom unfortunately I will no longer see in my daily life once back in Italy. Thanks to them, I found myself taking more flights in one month than I had taken in my entire life, and now I feel completely comfortable traveling and living in a big city as an European Capital. While it was a significant step from the countryside of Treviso to Prague, London, or other large cities I visited, I appreciated all the new perspectives I discovered by meeting new people; it was like taking a dip into the present after spending so much time studying in my small world. I learned to make myself known and live every experience as an opportunity to enrich myself culturally a bit more, whether it's a conversation at the bar or a major event like the "Free Palestine" protest in London. I will forever be connected to the wonderful people I had the pleasure of meeting and the memories captured in the photos I took during these months. Special thanks to the collaboration between USAC and IUSVE for the scholarship that made this experience possible. Ines, September – December 2023.