Czech
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Czech is a Slavic language related to Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, and several other regional languages. It is spoken by about 12 million people residing in the Czech Republic as well as many countries throughout the world.
Czech gives you access to a wealth of Czech and European culture. The Czech writer Karel Čapek gave the world the word "robot," Jan Hus fomented a proto-Protestant revolution 100 years before Martin Luther, and the Czechs drink more beer per capita than anyone in the world...a lot more. Other notable Czechs are playwright, president, and dissident Václav Havel, the composers Antonín Dvořák and Leoš Janáček, authors Milan Kundera and Bohumil Hrabal, filmmakers Jiří Menzel and Jan Švankmajer, and the sports personalities Martina Navrátilová and Jaromír Jágr.
Texas is home to over 200,000 people who can trace their ancestry back to the present-day Czech Republic. If you’ve ever had kolaches in Texas, you are tasting a piece of Texas Czech heritage. There is also a rich history of offering Czech at UT Austin, where it has been taught for over 100 years.
UT offers a three-year series of Czech language courses every year: CZ 506, CZ 507, CZ 412K, CZ 412L, CZ 325, and CZ 326. We also regularly offer independent study beyond these levels. A student at UT can minor in Czech language or major in Russian, East European or Eurasian Studies.
The Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES) at UT offers competitive scholarships for undergraduates and graduate students from any department or college to fund study of Czech language here at UT or in the Czech Republic and other countries. To find out more and apply for funding, visit the CREEES Scholarships page. We also offer Czech Studies Scholarships to be used for the study of Czech language and culture, or research related to the Czech Republic in any field.
Students with prior knowledge of Czech who are looking to continue studying Czech or trying to receive credit may contact the instructor, Dr. Christian Hilchey (hilchey@utexas.edu), or UT Testing Services for information on placement or credit.