study.vscht.czStudy Information System (SIS) is a platform that UCT Prague uses to provide students with information regarding matters connected to their studies. You access SIS at the address: https://student.vscht.cz or through the university app EMIL (download here Android | Apple).
From now on, this will be your number one go-to university web page, and this guide is here to introduce you to it. We know that it is hard for you to understand how SIS works, even local students find themselves a bit lost at the beginning and you are already brave enough to study in a foreign country. Don’t worry, you are not alone and I hope this guide will answer your questions.
Quick Menu:
- Subjects Enrollment
- Personal Details & Bank Account
- Tuition Fee Payment
- Exams
- Study Tips From Older Students
Subjects Enrollment
First-year students are already registered for compulsory subjects in the first winter semester. On Enrollment Day, students will visit Dean's offices to choose compulsory-elective subjects.
Bachelor degree students also have to register for Physical Education or Sport Course. Find more information about the physical education and sports courses at the website of the Department of Physical Education and Sport.
At the end of the first semester, you might be asked to come personally to the dean’s office to register for subjects for the second semester, however, these rules may vary with different courses and faculties. Contact your dean's office to lear the proper procedure. Don’t forget to bring all the documents if they ask you to.
Enrollment in Elective courses and Physical Education in the Second Year
Study plans are mostly fixed. There are usually one or two compulsory-elective courses (subjects), and you can pick your favorite ones from a provided list. This means that, when the semester is approaching, at some point (1-2 weeks prior) when you go to the SIS section SCHEDULING, you will see the first draft of your schedule. (And you do not have to do anything.)
But 2 things are missing – elective course (if applicable) and physical education.
A few weeks before the beginning of a new semester you will see some changes on SIS front page. Everything you need to know about enrolling in courses is there, especially dates when the gates for enrollment open and the deadline when the enrollment ends.
We suggest you deal with enrollment as soon as possible. Check your study plan and the list of physical education courses in advance, so you know what to choose and just be ready. On the front page of SIS, in the attached documents, there should be a guide through this process as well, however, it is easy. Everything happens in the section SUBJECTS AND SCHEDULE REGISTRATION.
Go to the tab Enrollment (study plan) and you will see your compulsory courses, the list of elective courses, and physical education as well. Just click on a little circle next to the course code and click enroll.
Elective courses usually also have a Preliminary enrollment that takes place at the end of the previous semester. You will be informed in advance by the dean’s office.
TIP: CHECK if all of your subjects are shown in your schedule.
If not, there might be some sort of mistake. In case of trouble, contact your dean’s office.
Sending an online inquiry is always a safe and sound way to ask someone, what to do. Visiting the person’s office is an option too, just please always remember to be polite and look up the opening hours first.
- It is good to have a clear image of your study plan. Know what you need to complete this semester, and what will be happening the next. ALWAYS STAY IN THE PICTURE.
- All study plans are available online – visit the web page of your faculty and find your course.
- Find yourself a time to go through SIS. You can look everywhere, and try to find courses and schedules. And if you are still not sure, just ask a classmate or a tutor. After a while, it will not seem so scary anymore.
- For the most important events, you will always get an online invitation to your school email. Please learn to check it frequently. And if you are not sure, checking your faculty website might help too.
Personal Details & Bank Account
Please check, that all of your personal details are up-to-date.
In case of any changes, you are required to update them. If you need to change or add anything, go to SIS section PERSONAL DATA – tab Data change – edit whatever you need, and press save.
Adding your Czech bank account is important in case you plan to apply for a scholarship based on good study results. You can apply for this scholarship starting from the second semester of your studies if your grade average is in the range of 1,00–1,80, and you obtained at least 25 credits in the given semester.
To add your Czech bank account, please go to SIS section PERSONAL DATA – tab Data change – and edit the Account Number.
Tuition Fee Payment
In the section SCHOLARSHIP and FEES – tab Fees – you can find information for tuition fee payment.
It is possible to pay by scanning a QR code or by online card payment. It is also possible to send the money via a bank transfer.
The tuition fee is paid for the whole academic year. Upon a request submitted to the dean's office, the Dean may decide to allow splitting the amount into a few installments. Contact your dean's office should you need more information.
EXAMS
Please see below the 4 “types” of examination that you must pass to successfully move to the next semester. The examination type is mostly connected to the complexity of a subject.
Cr+ZK – Course-credit + Exam – Mostly the hardest subjects – This is a two-level exam. First of all, during the semester, you will be handing in some homework or assessments or writing one or more course-credit tests. You have to fulfill all duties/pass the tests, and your professor then marks a course-credit (Cr) as passed in SIS.
At this point, you should check it in the SIS section SUMMARY OF EXAMINATION RESULTS. If you cannot see the mark there, contact your professor. Without this Cr in SIS, you won’t be allowed to attend the Exam (ZK).
ZK – Exam – In this case you don’t have to think about anything during the semester, all you need to do is to pass the exam in the examination period.
KZ – Marked course-credit – This means that there is no Exam in the examination period. You usually finish this subject at the end of the semester. It is similar to the course-credit, however, you get a grade for your assessments or tests.
Cr – Course-credit – Credit-course simply means that you complied with requirements of the subject during the semester (typically just attendance). There is no exam and you get no grade.
If you feel a bit lost, don’t worry. Your professor will explain all of the requirements for that specific subject in your first lecture.
EXAM PERIOD
Students typically have to fulfill about 5 exams per semester. Some of them may be just a test, others just oral but the most important, and hardest subjects often include both, written and oral parts. In that case, you have to pass a test first to get Cr to be admitted to the final oral exam.
Professors will inform you about the exam type and requirements in advance so you can properly prepare.
How it works with exams:
- You schedule the exams yourself. It is up to you in which order you fulfill your duties but your goal is to fulfill them all.
- Your professors will insert dates for exams in SIS section EXAMINATION TERMS – tab Register
- You should be able to see the dates, times, and lecture rooms where the exam takes place.
- Registering for the term is similar to enrolling in courses. You pick any date you like (if it's not full of course) and press "Register" at the bottom.
- Now you should be able to see the registered exam in the section EXAMINATION TERMS – tab My dates.
- If you need to change a term after you registered, it's not a problem. You can change it in SIS, however, there is usually a deadline (hours before the exam) and after that, you cannot change the date of the exam anymore. If you don’t attend the exam, you lose the attempt and your professor will mark it as F (Fail) in SIS.
- Don’t waste your time! The exam period is usually around 5 weeks long (the spring exam period is a bit longer) so that means 5 exams for 5 weeks.
- You have 3 attempts for each exam in one examination period and you can enroll in the same course 3 times throughout the whole studies. This may sound helpful but there is a catch! The fact that you have 3 attempts for the exam tempts our professors to make them harder. They don’t want us all to easily pass on the first attempt, and they know that a lot of people will come to the first attempt just to look at the test, and to know what to expect when they come, better prepared, next time. We don’t recommend these tactics but it does work for some people. The most important message here is: Don’t collapse when you fail on your first attempt. It is just the way it works around here, it happens to many people and it is actually good to have this experience. Believe it or not, it will make you stronger. And the second thing: Think about your possible failures when you plan your exams. Not everything might go just as you’d wish it.
- To be able to enroll to the next semester you need to have at least 15 credits from the previous semester!
- To be able to enroll and go forward to next year, the maximum amount of allowed missing credits altogether is 15!
- Don’t postpone the hardest exams! You need those the most. Your study program is like a chain. The biggest and hardest courses usually have prerequisites (requirements of fulfilled previous courses) – For example: If you are starting your first semester you probably have General and Inorganic Chemistry. A big, compulsory course worth many credits. It is desirable to pass this subject when you are supposed to (first semester), because it is one of the prerequisites for Inorganic Laboratories in the second semester (again very important course).
What could happen?
Let’s say you were not able to pass the General and Inorganic Chemistry course: You don’t have the course-credit and grades in SIS. The SIS will NOT allow you to enroll in Inorganic Laboratories thus the whole chain gets shifted and you might end up prolonging your studies.
Why? Because Inorganic Laboratories are strictly a Spring semester course. So even if you fulfilled General and Inorganic Chemistry with a little delay in the following Spring semester, you have to wait till next year for Inorganic Laboratories. And that’s not the end of issues.
Inorganic Laboratories are a prerequisite for following Organic Laboratories so as said the chain, which is fixed and specifically prepared for your study plan, gets shifted and it's not easy to get back on track.
If you were in such a situation – you didn’t pass General and Inorganic Chemistry, the exam period is over, but you have enough credits to continue your studies. The dean’s office will automatically register you for the subject that you failed and you will be able to see it again in your new schedule.
There is one more chance for you to “save yourself “. Your professor will probably insert a few dates for an early exam at the beginning of the semester. That means you might still have a chance to pass both: the General and Inorganic Chemistry and the Inorganic Laboratories in one semester and get yourself out of trouble. However, it is not advisable to get into such a situation at all. Studying at UCT Prague is not easy, the first year especially.
This is only an example, there are other courses with similar complications!
What to do at the end of the exam period
When you successfully passed all exams (or you have no more attempts for those you failed), and if you gained all required course-credits at the end of the examination period, go to SUMMARY OF EXAMINATIONS RESULTS – tab Validations and request validation of your results for the current semester.
Once you send the request you should see a report.
And you are finished. You can rest, relax, party, sleep, regain energy, await a new semester or enjoy summer, and most importantly get yourself back together because the show must go on.