Master’s in Ecology at JCU

I didn’t know it in that moment, but teaching would take me around the United States, and eventually to the other side of the world. I taught general science in New York to English Language Learners, environmental science in Nevada to underprivileged youth, and general education in a small Vermont town. When I moved to Prague in 2018, I landed a job as a general educator at an international school. Five years later, when I needed a change, I applied to be a math and science teacher (the holy grail of my teaching career). But … I burnt out… fast. Sure enough - as if I were clairvoyant - after a decade of teaching, I needed a break. 

In April 2024, as I thoughtlessly scrolled though my inbox, there it was in an environmental newsletter - “2-year English Master's Study Program in Ecology at the University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic.” Was this a sign? I applied, had an interview, and the rest is history. 

Are you also more comfortable in the field than in the office? Read on to learn more about the Master’s in Ecology program at Jihočeská Universita. 

JCU is located in České Budějovice - “Budějce” by its citizens -  a city of about 95,000 people in Jihočeský kraj. A network of buses and trolleybuses make traveling throughout the city easy, and the train station connecting České Budějovice to other major cities is just a 15 minute walk from the picturesque Přemysla Otakara II square. 

JCU offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, and caters to about 9,000 students in 8 different faculties - Economics, Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Arts, Education, Science, Theology, Health and Social Science, and Agriculture and Technology.  The Master’s in Ecology at JCU is a 2-year program (taught in English) focusing in theoretical and practical knowledge. New students are admitted into the program twice a year. Applications are typically due in May (for a mid-September start) or in October (for a mid-February start). The application consists of an online-form, a motivation letter, a proposal of a Master’s project, and a fee of 700 CZK (approximately 30 EUR). Selected applicants are then invited to an online interview. 

Admitted applicants complete 120 ECTS credits, and may choose from a range of topics such as Population Ecology, Community Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, Biostatistics, Science Communication, Molecular Phylogenetics, Biogeochemistry, Biology of Plants, Advanced Regression Methods, Behavioral Ecology, Open Source GIS, Biology of Animals, and Ecology of Alpine Ecosystems … just to name a few. In addition to these classes, the JCU’s Master’s in Ecology program offers two truly unique excursions to a select group of students - a field course in the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea, and a field course in Svalbard’s arctic tundra. 

Students must also complete and defend a master’s thesis based on a research project of their choosing. Students are encouraged to find a thesis advisor and decide upon a project within their first semester by browsing the websites of the different academic departments. The program is concluded with an oral exam consisting of three parts: fundamentals of ecology, theoretical knowledge of the master’s thesis topic, and a field of the student’s choosing among plant ecology, animal ecology, or ecological statistics.

Though the “fee for study in a foreign language” has gone through several changes in recent years, the current tuition scheme is projected to stay stable; citizens of countries outside the EU pay 12,000 CZK per year (≈ 490 EUR), and citizens of the EU pay 500 CZK per year (≈ 20 EUR). Several scholarships are available for students with exceptional grades [6]. 

So, how about you? If finding this blog post seems like “a sign,” head on over to https://www.prf.jcu.cz/en/study-at-the-faculty/master-s-in-ecology/ to learn even more about the Master’s in Ecology at the University of South Bohemia!

In my element

Fire Salamander seen on an excursion

A morning walk though České Budějovice