Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové: a promising education in pharmacy from Charles University
Pharmacy in the Czech Republic is taught at only two universities: Charles University and Masaryk University (on July 1, 2020, the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University in Brno was taken over by Masaryk University). Although almost all faculties of Charles University are located in Prague, the only Faculty of Pharmacy of the renowned Czech university is located in Hradec Králové. The reason for this is the convenient infrastructure for students and many already existing research centers where future pharmacists can practice.
Let's find out when the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové was founded, what it is interesting for applicants and what it takes to become a student of this faculty.
History and structure of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Charles University
Official website of the Faculty: www.faf.cuni.cz
Faculty of Pharmacy of Charles University in Hradec Králové is one of the seventeen faculties of Charles University in Prague. It was founded on September 1, 1969. The official opening of the Faculty and the immatriculation of the first 51 students took place on January 24, 1970.
During half a century of history, this educational institution has become an integral part of the city and a true center of educational and scientific development.
The Faculty is the most important center of pharmaceutical research in the Czech Republic and, in terms of scientific activities, one of the leading research institutes in the country. The life of the Faculty of Pharmacy did not start off smoothly. It did not even have its own premises, so classes were conducted in sixteen premises, including the premises of the East Bohemian Chemical Plant. For convenience, classes were also held on weekends.
Things got better after the Faculty got its own building in 1970, although it was quite tiny - there were only two classrooms with 70 seats each and a seminar room with 30 seats. Within 5 years several more buildings were constructed.
The official inauguration of the new Faculty of Charles University, associated with the enrollment of the first 51 students, took place on January 24, 1970.
Nowadays, the Faculty is not only an important part of the largest university in the country, but also one of the leading research centers in the Czech Republic. And modern buildings and laboratories allow students to study not only in comfort, but also with maximum benefit.
Faculty Structure
The Faculty of Pharmacy includes 12 departments:
- Biophysics and Physical Chemistry
- Organic and bioorganic chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemical Sciences
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis
- Pharmaceutical Technology
- Pharmaceutical Botany
- Biological and Medical Sciences
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
- Pharmacognosy
- Social and Clinical Pharmacology
- Physical Education
Each of these departments provides students with knowledge in a specific area of pharmacology and related fields.
For more in-depth study of pharmacy, its history and structure, the faculty provides additional departments:
1. the Department of Professional Language Training
This department teaches Latin, English, German, French, Czech (for foreign students) languages. The department provides language training to the students and staff of the Faculty. The aim of this training is to familiarize students with the profile terminology and to deepen their knowledge in grammar. Latin is a compulsory language, other languages are studied at the student's choice.
2. Center of Scientific and Library Information
This is a unique center in the Czech Republic, which has collected more than 70,000 scientific editions and publications dealing with pharmacy or sciences related to it. The library cooperates closely with scientific information centers in the Czech Republic and abroad
This botanical facility covers an area of 2.5 hectares. Medicinal plants used in pharmacology are grown in the garden. This object serves not only as a base for practical training and scientific research for students of the Faculty of Pharmacy. It also grows plants for international exchange.
4. Czech Pharmaceutical Museum
The museum houses pharmaceutical-historical collections dating back to the 19th century. There are installations of Baroque pharmacies (furniture and display cases from the 18th century), refectories, pharmacy rooms from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as a room where every visitor can take part in the creation of medicines using the methods of past centuries. Students of the Faculty of Pharmacy visit this museum within the framework of studying the subject History of Pharmacy, as well as in order to conduct research for doctoral and diploma works.
The aim of this program is the joint work of students of the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Pharmacy of Charles University.
The Faculty also provides training for children in the structure of the Children's Group, which is funded by the European Union.
Admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy: study programs and entrance exams
The competition for a place is 80.3%, last year 432 students were admitted out of 538 who submitted invitations
You can study at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové at the bachelor's, further master's, master's and doctoral level. Studies are conducted in Czech and English (in doctoral studies).
When applying to the Faculty of Pharmacy, in addition to the entrance examination, foreign students must submit a nostrified certificate or diploma and a certificate of high level knowledge of the Czech language.
The entrance exam (held in mid-June) consists of two tests - biology (including botany) and chemistry, each of them includes 50 questions, each of which is evaluated by one point. The tests are designed on the level of Czech grammar schools. You can download sample tests to get an idea of the format and topics. I also advise you to learn the basics of Latin, so that if anything you won't be intimidated by the names of plants. The faculty also offers short courses that can help to put things in perspective.
Bachelor's degree
Term of study: 3 years
You can study at the bachelor's level in only one specialty, but you can study both full-time and in a combined form of study.
The specialty "Laboratory Diagnostics in Public Health" is a three-year bachelor's study program. After graduation, you will be qualified as a medical laboratory technician.
Bachelor's graduates can continue their studies in the subsequent Master's program "Bioanalytical Laboratory Diagnostics in Healthcare", which lasts 2 years and ends with the state final exam and defense of the diploma work.
Entrance exams: written tests in chemistry and biology (without botany), each test has 50 questions, for a correct answer you can get 1 point. Knowledge at the level of grammar school and high school graduates is assumed.
Master's program
The Master's program is full-time only. There are two specialties to choose from: continuing and standard master's programs.
We would like to remind you that in Czech universities you can find 2 types of Master's programs: continuing Master's program is intended for students who have completed a Bachelor's degree (lasts 2 years), and full Master's program is intended for students who have started from scratch, after school or as a change of study profile (lasts 5 years).
Continuing Master's Degree
Term of study: 2 years
"Bioanalytical Laboratory Diagnostics in Healthcare" is a two-year training program aimed at training personnel specialized in working in clinical laboratories, blood transfusion and hygiene services. Graduates can also work in management positions in the same field in the public and private sectors.
This program is designed to extend the knowledge acquired by the student in the undergraduate curriculum.
Entrance examinations: a written test that includes questions on biochemistry and molecular biology, analytical chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and histology. The test consists of 100 questions and the student receives 1 point for each correct answer. The test assumes knowledge at the graduate level of the undergraduate degree of the Medical Bioanalytical Sciences curriculum.
Five-Year Master's Degree
The Pharmacy major is a five-year curriculum. The curriculum is designed to meet the requirements of the European Association of Pharmacy Faculties. Upon completion of this specialty, you can either work independently in the field of pharmacy or continue your studies in a doctoral program.
A graduate of this faculty can fully work in medicine, engaged in research and development of new drugs and medicines, their production, control, distribution, pharmacy, work in the field of clinical pharmacology, departments of medical management, medical education and medical laboratories.
Entrance examinations: written tests in biology and chemistry (including botany) are required. Each test consists of 50 questions and 1 point is awarded for each correct answer. This test assumes knowledge at the level of a grammar school or high school graduate.
A graduate of a Master's degree program may, if he/she wishes, take a state accreditation examination in his/her field of study. Upon its completion, the student is awarded the title "Doctor of Pharmacy" and "Doctor of Science" respectively, depending on the student's specialty. To take the accreditation examination, an application for admission must be submitted.
For admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy you need quality preparation not only for the entrance exams, but also for the language exams. But how to prepare qualitatively and in the shortest possible time? The solution - preparatory courses from the Prague Education Center! During one year of PEC courses you will master the Czech language at the level required for admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy, learn specialized terminology and subjects, receive support in applying to the university and nostrification of educational documents.
Doctoral program
Term of study: 3, 4 or 5 years
Graduates of master's programs can enter doctoral studies in three-year, four-year or five-year programs. There is a wide range of specialties you can study in doctoral programs. These include Bioanalytical Methods, Bioorganic Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmacognosy and Nutraceuticals, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical and Social Pharmacy, Xenobiochemistry and Pathobiochemistry.
By earning a doctoral degree in one of the above areas, you will be able to pursue academic careers and conduct extensive research, including teaching.
Benefits of studying at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové
According to the administration, studying at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Charles University is not easy, but the knowledge and skills acquired there will be really useful and useful in your future career. Moreover, it is the difficulty of studying there that makes the diploma of this faculty prestigious.
Here are the main advantages of studying pharmacy at Charles University:
- Prestige. The Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové is part of Charles University, the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic, respected worldwide.
- Employment. After graduation, it will be easy for you to find a job in your specialty. Pharmacist is a challenging but sought-after profession that requires a certain amount of knowledge. Upon graduation, you will have a wide range of knowledge and practical skills that you can use to make important discoveries, both for small pharmaceutical companies and for the invention of vaccines of global importance.
- Practicum. From the very first semester of your studies, you will put all the knowledge gained in lectures into practice in laboratories and research centers.
- Research and scientific work. The faculty produces more than 100 scientific papers annually, and there is always research going on in the laboratories of the faculty. If you join this faculty, you will be able to participate in research activities and write papers for prestigious scientific journals.
- Life in beautiful Hradec Králové. This is a beautiful ancient town, which is also quite modern. It is located at the confluence of the Elbe and Orlica rivers and is strikingly green and tranquil. Hradec Králové regularly appears at the top of the "best cities to live in" rankings in the Czech Republic. Also worth mentioning is the comfortable infrastructure of Hradec Králové, which will appeal to every international student.
"Studying with us is not easy, and we definitely do not offer a university degree 'for free'. Nevertheless, or for this very reason, I believe that the best of you will choose our faculty!" - says Tomasz Szymunek, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy.
Are you interested in chemistry and biology? Do you dream of inventing medicines and finding new ways of treatment? Then the Faculty of Pharmacy of Charles University in Hradec Karlov is the ideal choice for you!
