Study programmes

The course Social Policy B in the Master´s programme deepens the theoretical knowledge which students gained from the Bachelor´s programme. Social policy is presented within the context of social, economic and population development in the Czech Republic and other EU countries. The course deals with theoretical concepts and models as well as practical social policy tools including the ways of their financing. After completing the course, students will be able to understand the position of social policy within the political, social and economic development and critically evaluate the concepts and tools of family policy. This course is linked to practical compulsory-elective subjects such as Non-Governmental Non-profit Organizations, National Minorities Protection, Social Security Administration and Project Creation in Social Services.

1. Social policy within the context of economic policy and socio-economic and demographic development.
2. Welfare state. Development, changes, its sustainability, social competences of municipalities.
3. Social inequality. Social stratification, social mobility, social integration, gender inequality.
4. Poverty and social exclusion, social inclusion v CR and other EU countries.
5. Knowledge society. Access to education, financing of education, effects of education.
6. Concept of financing pensions schemes in Europe.
7. Concept of financing pensions schemes in the Czech Republic.
8. Financing health care in the Czech Republic and other EU countries.
9. Family policy. European family policy models.
10. Family policy in CR. Achieving work-life balance. Families with specific needs.
11. Housing policy. Concept of social housing. Living conditions of senior fellow-citizens.
12. Current trends and future development of social policy in Europe.

The aim of the subject Fiscal Policy B is to provide students with a deeper knowledge of fiscal theory and policy. This course builds on the subject Fiscal Policy A presented within the Bachelor´s programme Economic Policy and Administration at the PRIGO University, or in similar subjects included in Bachelor´s study programmes at other universities or colleges. With regard to the subject Economic Policy Theory, the course mainly extends the students´ knowledge of tax burden measuring, European Union fiscal rules, debt crisis and government default. The course also covers alternative fiscal theories such as the Ricardian equivalence, deficit tax or theory of fiscal policy dominance. The end of the course is devoted to current topics such as the problems of electronic sales records. Problems of taxes is further presented in the subject Tax Policy.

1. Modern concept of fiscal policy goals and tools.
2. Fiscal policy in macroeconomic models. Fiscal expansion and restriction in AS-AD and IS-LM models.
3. Tax systems in EU countries. EU tax harmonization, similarities and differences of tax systems.
4. Tax burden and its measurement. Tax burden in CR, EU countries and OECD countries.
5. Maastricht convergence criteria and fiscal policy.
6. Alternative possibilities of fiscal rules. Fiscal compact, fiscal brake, deficit tax, debt monetization, debt refusal.
7. Debt crisis. Causes and consequences, debt crisis of EU countries.
8. Government default. Causes, course, consequences, practical examples.
9. Causes of deficit formation and possibilities of coverage of state budget deficit.
10. Theory of deficit coverage. Ricardian equivalence, living at the expense of future generations.
11. Interaction of fiscal and monetary policy. Game theory, fiscal policy dominance
12. Current fiscal policy issues. Electronic sales records and its fiscal impacts.

The aim of the subject Econometrics B is to extend the knowledge of econometrics gained from the Bachelor´s programme with regard to econometric modelling of economic relationships. Students are gradually introduced to the most common econometric methods such as the least square method, generalized least square method, maximum trustworthiness method, estimation methods related to VAR, SVAR and VEC models, static and dynamic models of panel data, multi-equation models or DSGE models.

1. Specificities of economic time series and possibilities of their modelling.
2. Stationarity of time series.
3. Linear regression and least square method.
4. Panel data. Structure of panel data, problems of fixed and random effects.
5. Static and dynamic models of panel data.
6. Generalized least square method, maximum trustworthiness method.
7. Models of vector autoregression. VAR, SVAR models.
8. Models of error correction.
9. Vector models of error correction.
10. Multi-equation models.
11. Dynamic stochastic models of general equilibrium. Formulation of DSGE models.
12. Solutions to DSGE models.

The aim of the subject Macroeconomics B is to provide students with a thorough knowledge of advanced macroeconomic theory. The subject builds on the knowledge students gained from the subject Macroeconomics A presented within the Bachelor´s programme Economic Policy and Administration at the PRIGO University, or from similar subjects included in Bachelor´s study programmes at other universities or colleges. Furthermore, students should learn to solve macroeconomic problems using the analytical support of macroeconomic models. Students will be introduced to standard models of economic equilibrium, determination of exchange rate, economic cycle theories and economic growth theories. Students will be able to define the expected short-term as well as long-term consequences of various shocks in the economy. A successful completion of the course is necessary for students in terms of developing their knowledge of practical application of macroeconomics, i.e. analysis of macroeconomic impacts of various economic policies in small open economy which is part of the EU.

1. Economy performance evaluation.
2. Consumption, savings and investments.
3. Money market.
4. IS-LM-BP model.
5. Exchange rate theory.
6. Labour market.
7. Inflation.
8. AS-AD model.
9. Inflation, unemployment and economic policy.
10. Economic cycle theory. RBC models.
11. Economic growth theory. Solow model pf economic growth.
12. New growth theories. Theory of endogenous growth.

The aim of the subject Public Administration B is to extend students´ knowledge gained from the Bachelor´s study programme by adding further concepts of administrative science and other related topics at intermediate level. Students will familiarize themselves with the nature and historical development of administrative science, its methods and concepts, such as transformation, reform and modernization of public administration. They will learn about methods which may be used in public administration and about public administration models applied in the EU. The last part of the course is devoted to issues related to public administration control and evaluation of its effectiveness. The subjects provides a theoretical background which is further developed in more practical courses such as Administrative Law, Subsidy Management, E-Government or in compulsory-elective subjects Management Methods in Public Administration and Public Procurements.

1. Administration and its classification.
2. History of public administration studies.
3. Object and methods of administrative science.
4. Transformation, reform, modernization.
5. Modern management methods in public administration.
6. Organizational principles and models of public administration.
7. Development of public administration organization in CR.
8. Public administration organization in CR.
9. Basic models of public administration in EU.
10. Decision-making in public administration
11. Control in public administration.
12. Evaluation of public administration.

The aim of the subject Monetary Policy B is to extend students´ knowledge by adding further advanced monetary policy topics. The course builds on the subject Monetary Policy A offered within the Bachelor´s study programme Economic Policy and Administration at the PRIGO University, or on similar subjects included in Bachelor´s study programmes at other universities or colleges. The course is, in connection with the subject Economic Policy Theory, focused on conventional as well as alternative monetary policy tools and topics related to the position of the central bank and financial stability. Attention is paid to the causes and consequences of monetary and financial crises. The end of the course is devoted to discussions on the current monetary policy issues in the CR, EU and world economy. Students are encouraged to further develop their knowledge of monetary policy in the compulsory-elective subject Banking and Insurance.

1. Modern approaches to monetary policy. Definitions of goals and tools.
2. Conventional and unconventional monetary policy tools. Neutral interest rate.
3. Unconventional monetary policy tools and their application in selected countries.
4. Equilibrium exchange rate.
5. Theory of purchasing power parity.
6. Balassa-Samuelson effect.
7. Dollarization.
8. Influence of exchange rate changes on balance of payments.
9. Central bank and its role in financial stability.
10. Marcoprudential policy of central bank.
11. Monetary and financial crises.
12. Current challenges of monetary policy in CR and v EU.

The aim of the subject Pro-Growth Policy is to familiarize students with the problems of economic growth, which is understood here as increasing the county´s wealth on a long-term basis. After introducing the basic concepts, students identify the main differences between the economic cycle and long-term economic growth. They are introduced to various economic opinions on economic growth, from mercantilists to the current theories, such as new institutional economics. The following part of the course relates economic growth to the problems of exhaustibility of resources, both human and natural. All topics include explicit definitions of implications towards modern pro-growth policy. The end of the course is devoted to the economic development of the Czech Republic, including the outlook for the future.

1. Concept of economic growth. Definition and explanation of difference between economic growth, economic cycle and development. Short-term and long-term view.
2. Economic cycle. Theoretical approaches, macroeconomic aspects.
3. Possibilities of economic cycle estimates, pro-cyclical and anti-cyclical economic policy.
4. Economic growth and development as viewed by pre-classical and classical economics.
5. Limits of production possibilities, national economic potential. Keynesian concept of economic growth.
6. Neoclassical approach to economic growth. Convergence of countries.
7. Enlarged models of economic growth. New growth theory.
8. Institutional perception of economic growth and development. Perception of institutional economics and new institutional trends.
9. Institutional factors of long-term economic growth. Economic, social, political and legal institutions.
10. Historical models of economic growth and development.
11. Long-term economic growth in selected regions.
12. Application of pro-growth policy factors to CR and EU.

The aim of the subject Tax Policy is to familiarize students with the basic concepts of tax theory and policy, in connection with their knowledge of fiscal policy which they gained from Bachelor´s and Master´s study programmes. Students will learn the basic aspects of integration of individual tax types in the tax system and learn about how tax policy is used by the government to achieve its goals. The following part of the course focuses on the description of individual tax types in tax systems of the current developed countries.

1. Tax definitions, functions and classification.
2. Effectiveness of taxes and excessive tax burden.
3. Tax incidence. Substitution effects of taxes.
4. Tax justice.
5. Tax uncertainty.
6. Shadow economy and tax evasions.
7. Macroeconomic consequences of taxes. Taxes and economic growth.
8. Tax policy and role of state in tax area.
9. Pensions taxes in systems of developed countries.
10. Property taxes in systems of developed countries.
11. Indirect taxes in systems of developed countries.
12. Contributions to social security in systems of developed countries.

The aim of the subject Foreign Trade Policy is in connection with the subject Economic Policy Theory, to familiarize students with the significance, goals and tools of foreign trade policy. The subject focuses mainly on foreign trade practical application. However, students are also introduced to some of the theoretical concepts associated with international economics and international law.

1. Foreign trade policy, its significance, tools and goals.
2. International trade theory.
3. Economy openness. Measurement of economy openness.
4. Foreign trade policy tools. Autonomous and contractual tools.
5. Tariff tools of foreign trade policy.
6. Pro-export policy.
7. Significance of GATT for foreign trade. Role of WTO.
8. Role of other institutions in foreign trade.
9. History of foreign trade policy in Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and Czech Republic.
10. EU foreign trade policy.
11. Rivalry in foreign trade. Trade wars. Relations between EU, USA, Russia and China.
12. International resolution of disputes.

The aim of the subject Administrative Law is, in connection with the subject Public Administration B, to provide students with information on the execution of public administration and on the basic legal rules regulating it. Students will familiarize themselves with the system of public administration and legal rules related to it. They will be also provided with an overview of administrative procedure and judiciary.

1. Basic concepts of administrative law.
2. Public administration and administrative law.
3. Sources of administrative law.
4. Organization of public administration.
5. Administrative activities and administrative acts.
6. Public law contracts.
7. Supervisory and control activities of public administration.
8. Criminal procedure.
9. Administrative procedure.
10. Administrative judiciary.
11. Liability for damage caused by public administration execution.
12. Public administration in CR and EU.

The aim of the subject Subsidy Management is to familiarize students not only with the mechanisms of drawing subsidies from the EU structural funds by means of the current Czech operational programmes, but also with other possibilities of drawing subsidies from public funds. After completing the course, students will be able to actively search for subsidy titles suitable for particular situations, prepare subsidy requests and understand the institutional framework related to drawing individual subsidy types.

1. Project and project purpose.
2. Subsidy. Nature, purpose and classification.
3. EU structural funds.
4. Operational programmes of CR. Other subsidy titles.
5. Project purpose analysis.
6. Searching for suitable subsidy title.
7. Preparation of subsidy request.
8. Feasibility study.
9. Financial analysis and risk analysis.
10. Counselling, administration and technical assistance during project preparation and implementation.
11. Subsidy monitoring.
12. Practical examples of subsidy requests.

The subject e-Government responds to the current trends in public administration connected with digitalization. Students are familiarized with the significance of e-government, its legal framework in the Czech Republic, the problems of cyber safety and criminal consequences of breaching duties in the area of e-government. They will also learn about the way certain institutes are used in the Czech Republic, e.g. electronic document, document conversion, electronic signature, electronic delivering of documents etc. The will also be introduced to the current trends and possible developments in this area, including the link to the current political situation in the CR and EU.

1. Concept and nature of e-government.
2. Legal basis of e-government Czech Republic.
3. Electronic document and its use in practice.
4. Document conversion.
5. Electronic signature and its use in public administration.
6. Electronic delivering of documents in public administration. Data boxes.
7. Evidence within the context of electronic documents.
8. Cyber safety.
9. Safety of information systems.
10. Privacy protection in e-government according to special legislation. GDPR.
11. Criminal and administrative consequences of breaching duties in e-government.
12. Challenges of future development e-government in CR and EU.

The subject Practical Training B forms an integral part of the study, enabling students to gain experience as well as develop professional identity. The aim of the subject is to provide students with information needed in order to select the focus of their practical training, and also to improve their resilience in relation to practice as well as future professional orientation. Practical training in public as well as private sector organizations will help students build their awareness of practical application of theoretical knowledge.

The subject Master’s Seminar I provides students with information and guidelines needed for the preparation of the final qualification thesis and enables them to continuously consult their work on the thesis with their supervisors. The aim of the seminar is to enable students prepare and defend their qualification thesis and, building on the relevant selected specialist literature, prove their ability to apply acquired knowledge when defining and solving problems usually occurring in theory or practice of economic disciplines related to economic policy and administration. After successful completion of the seminar, students will be able to apply the key principles of research methodology, carry out independent research and present its results in the form of final thesis in line with the theoretical, methodological and formal requirements of the discipline. Students are continuously and intensively familiarized with the problems of intellectual property protection and plagiarism and its consequences.

Master’s Seminar II follows up on and extends the subject Master’s Seminar I. During the course, students are supplied with information and guidelines needed for the preparation of the final qualification thesis and enabled to continuously consult their work on the thesis with their supervisors. Consultations primarily focus on the content and formal side of the final qualification thesis, on its structure and format requirements. Students are also familiarized with the method of final thesis evaluation as well as the presentation requirements which must be fulfilled when defending it. Generally, Master’s theses verify students´ ability to independently and creatively respond to tasks arising from the requirements set for graduates from a Master´s degree programme. The output of the subject is that students have acquired practical skills needed for the preparation of a Master’s thesis as one of the pre-conditions of successful completion of their studies.

The aim of the subject is to ensure that students complete their thesis in line with the principles of its preparation by a given deadline. Master’s theses focus on processing and presenting a specialist problem from the area of economic policy and administration. Students will prove their ability to apply their knowledge when formulating and solving a theoretical or practical problem, building on the selected specialist literature. Students will also prove their ability to work with texts, including foreign language texts where necessary, and possibly with data available for secondary analysis or collected primary data. Furthermore, they will prove their ability to process concepts and theories contained in them and find relevant answers to the problem or task assigned.