Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague

About Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague

UMPRUM is an autonomous public higher-education institution specializing in art, architecture, design, and related scholarship. It was established in 1885 and remains active, with current program and admissions pages covering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral study. The institution’s relatively focused academic scope distinguishes it from a comprehensive university: creative practice, design development, architecture, visual communication, and critical or historical inquiry form the center of its work. Teaching is distributed among departments of architecture, design, fine arts, applied arts, graphics, and theory and history of art. Within most creative departments, students join a particular studio rather than entering a broad undifferentiated course. That structure matters when applying because studio choice shapes both admissions assessment and the day-to-day educational environment. UMPRUM currently operates through multiple Prague facilities. Its historic building at Jan Palach Square is temporarily closed for extensive renovation during the 2025/26 through 2027/28 academic years. Studios and offices formerly based there have moved to the Karlín building. The Mikulandská Technology Center houses studios, classrooms, exhibition space, and 22 school-wide, field-specific, and specialized workshops. The Kafkárna Centre for Art and Ecology in Prague 6 provides another institutional setting. The school also maintains an international dimension through Erasmus+ and bilateral exchanges, English-taught graduate study, visiting students, and opportunities for study or traineeships abroad. Prospective students should nevertheless distinguish carefully between full-degree programs taught in Czech, full-degree programs taught in English, and non-degree exchange or paid-study options.

Admission requirements depend on the degree language, level, program, and studio. For Czech-taught bachelor’s and integrated master’s entry in 2027/28, UMPRUM requires completed secondary education, interest in the relevant field, and Czech proficiency from applicants other than Czech or Slovak citizens. The published requirement is a certified B1 Czech examination for those applicants. Candidates may apply to only one studio. The electronic application deadline is 30 November 2026, with a CZK 1,000 application fee. Creative admissions are selective and evidence-based. The first round for many studios is conducted remotely through assessment of an electronic portfolio, CV, and required supporting documents. UMPRUM evaluates talent and creativity, conceptual thinking, visual presentation, and technical execution. Procedures differ for some graphics studios, and later stages may include in-person assignments or other studio-specific assessment. Applicants should therefore follow the instructions for their exact studio. For the English-taught Visual Arts master’s program beginning in October 2027, applications open on 1 February and close on 31 March 2027. Required materials include a CV, letter of intent, portfolio with at least ten examples, recommendation, prior bachelor’s documentation or proof of current study, and evidence of English ability. The official page states a minimum B2 level but displays inconsistent IELTS figures, listing both 6.0 and 5.0; applicants should obtain written clarification rather than rely on the lower figure. The second round is an online interview.

UMPRUM’s curriculum is centered on studio education. The main studio course typically combines assigned projects, individual or team work, and regular consultations. The published course catalogue describes a 12-week teaching period followed by a three-week final-project phase known as klauzura. Students present the resulting work to an academic jury, and projects are subsequently exhibited. Theory, history, technical subjects, and electives complement this practice-based core. Czech-taught bachelor’s programs are offered in Design, Fine Arts, and Graphics and Visual Communication and normally last four years. Architecture is structured as a six-year integrated master’s program. Follow-on master’s options include the creative fields as well as Theory and History of Art, Art and Design Management, and Conservation-Restoration of Decorative Arts. The exact studio and specialization choices vary by program, so applicants should consult the current program page rather than assume that every studio admits at every level. The English-taught Visual Arts master’s program runs for two years in most studios and three years in architecture. UMPRUM also identifies English- and Czech-language doctoral study. Current Czech doctoral offerings include Visual Arts and Theory and History of Modern and Contemporary Art; the Visual Arts doctorate is a four-year program available in full-time or combined form. Facilities are integral to the academic model. The Mikulandská Technology Center supports work across materials and disciplines through school-wide and specialist workshops. Its layout is intended to enable processes that cross conventional studio boundaries. Exchange students are integrated into studios with local students, with English consultation and complementary English-taught courses available, but this bilingual exchange arrangement should not be confused with the language requirements of Czech-taught degrees.

Key Highlights

• Public specialist higher-education institution founded in 1885
• Departments cover architecture, design, fine arts, applied arts, graphics, and art theory and history
• Historic Jan Palach Square building is under renovation through the 2027/28 academic year
• Mikulandská Technology Center contains 22 workshops

Student Life & Environment

Student life at UMPRUM is closely connected to studios, workshops, critiques, exhibitions, and Prague’s cultural institutions. The school presents student work to the public through end-of-semester exhibitions, while its facilities host lectures, screenings, conferences, fashion shows, and other events. This creates a working environment focused more on project production and presentation than on a conventional residential campus experience. International students receive orientation support before the semester, including welcome activities, building guidance, workshop safety training, and introductions to Czech society and culture. Exchange students work alongside local students in studios. UMPRUM also participates in Erasmus+ and maintains bilateral partnerships, supporting both study periods and practical traineeships abroad. Students generally identify their own traineeship host, and eligible placements can receive academic credit and mobility funding under the applicable rules. UMPRUM operates a small dormitory near Prague’s city center, with 70 beds in 35 double rooms arranged in apartment-style units. Each apartment has a kitchen and bathroom facilities, and accommodation includes internet and basic furnishings. Capacity is a significant constraint: the institution reported the dormitory fully booked for winter semester 2026/27. Students unable to obtain a place should expect to investigate shared flats, private rentals, or temporary hostel accommodation. Because the historic main building is closed for renovation, current students travel among Karlín, the Mikulandská Technology Center, and other facilities. Applicants should factor this distributed arrangement into daily planning.

Location & Surroundings

UMPRUM is based in Prague, but it does not currently operate as a single-site campus. Its historic main building stands at Jan Palach Square in Prague 1, near the city’s central cultural district, but is temporarily closed for renovation. Studios and classrooms displaced by the work are housed in the Karlín building at Křižíkova 12/20 in Prague 8, accessible from Florenc by metro or tram. The Mikulandská Technology Center is at Mikulandská 5 in Prague 1, within walking distance of the historic building and close to Národní třída and Národní divadlo public-transport stops. It contains workshops, studios, classrooms, and exhibition space. UMPRUM also uses the Kafkárna Centre for Art and Ecology in Prague 6. The institution’s dormitory is at Na Výšinách 2 in Prague 7, near a large park and tram services. Its location is relatively close to central Prague, although travel to Karlín or other teaching sites may require a connection. Students should verify where their chosen studio is operating during the renovation period before selecting housing or planning a commute.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Costs vary substantially by study route. UMPRUM’s English-taught Visual Arts master’s program charges CZK 89,000 per semester for October 2027 entry. The standard course is four semesters, while architecture lasts six semesters. The application fee is EUR 50. The institution lists several possible funding channels, including a merit scholarship, student research grants, selected ministry or Visegrad schemes, and activity-based stipends, but eligibility is conditional and applicants should not budget on the assumption of receiving an award. UMPRUM’s dormitory lists monthly 2026 prices of CZK 5,700 to CZK 6,200 per bed, depending on apartment type. These rates cover a furnished shared room, energy, heating, bedding, common-area cleaning, and internet. Availability is limited, and the dormitory was already fully booked for winter 2026/27, so private-market housing may be necessary. The university does not publish a comprehensive current cost-of-attendance estimate covering food, transport, materials, and personal expenses. Career preparation is embedded mainly in studio practice, public presentation, workshops, professional contacts, and mobility rather than a published placement-rate model. Students develop portfolios through assessed projects and end-of-semester exhibitions. Erasmus+ supports practical traineeships in eligible organizations, including placements undertaken shortly after graduation under program rules. Some programs have more explicit professional components; conservation-restoration, for example, requires professional placements. No reliable institution-wide employment rate, salary figure, or list of major employers was found, so outcomes should be assessed through the relevance of the chosen studio, graduate work, and opportunities to build a professional portfolio.