How do I apply?

Western Michigan University (WMU) currently uses an online application system for its Study Abroad Programs, you can find a link to our application at the top left of our homepage. There are two applications within the system that are required the PSP Program Application and the PSP Scholarship Application. Once you have submitted a writing sample through the Scholarship Application, we will begin the acceptance process.

Having said that, we have been having some technical difficulties getting used to this new application system. You should know that your application status within the Online Application system does not necessarily reflect the actual status of your application at this time.

If you have ANY problems, ANY concerns, or ANY questions, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

  What do I do next?

Once you have completed the online applications (both the Program Application and the Scholarship Application are required) and submitted your Commitment Forms, we will begin to register you for the program. You will then be billed $300 commitment deposit (this will be deducted from your tuition total) through your account. Please send a passport-sized photo via conventional mail you have secured your place in the Prague Summer Program. Writers will receive an e-message regarding their placement in workshops; others will be in the classes per their application choices. If you wish to make a change in your courses or housing requests, notify us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . In the spring, we will post or e-mail more detailed information regarding in-country facilities and schedules. Program payments may be made online or through the mail, as desired. All balances due must be paid in full by May 15, 2012.

• Do I need a passport?

If you haven't applied for your passport yet, do so IMMEDIATELY! Before you leave, make several copies of your passport. Send one to the PSP, leave one in the U.S. with a parent, spouse, close friend, etc., and bring the other copies with you. Keep the copies in a separate place from where you carry your passport. If you happen to lose your passport, it is always easier (though still a frustrating process) to get a replacement if you have a photocopy of your passport to show the American Embassy. It is best to leave your passport in a safe place in your room while traveling around the city, unless you know you will need it for checking into a hotel, cashing traveler's checks, etc.  Foreign visitors to the Czech Republic must have a passport VALID AT LEAST 90 DAYS BEYOND the time of their planned stay in the Czech Republic. Immigration officers may require a foreign visitor arriving in the Czech Republic to produce a certificate of travel health insurance (see below) for the intended time of stay.

• Do I need a visa to enter the Czech Republic?

If you have an American passport, you do not need visas for the Czech Republic provided you stay for fewer than 90 days. However, some other nationals do need visas, which may be obtained from Czech embassies or consulates. To determine if you need to obtain a visa and to learn the specific requirements of application, CALL the Czech consulate or embassy nearest to you immediately upon receiving your acceptance letter from the Prague Summer Program. If needed, which is likely, PSP will assist you with obtaining the necessary documents. Please, contact the in-country coordinator, Hana Zahradnikova at  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , if you need such a letter. More information is available on the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: www.mzv.cz.

• How do I make travel arrangements?

Participants make their own travel arrangements. In June, the PSP coordinator, via e-mail, helps participants make contact with others arriving in Prague on the same flight to arrange sharing rides to accommodations.

Check-in for the program will be conducted all day at the Komenského dorm on Saturday, July 30. Please be sure when making your travel arrangements to plan to arrive in Prague on Saturday, June 30, which will likely mean a departure on Friday evening, June 29 for participants traveling from the United States.

Participants enrolling for two weeks are encouraged to attend the first two weeks of the program and may stay in the dorm until Saturday morning, July 14. Though a two-week enrollment is possible July 14 to July 28, program services and amenities are reduced due to PSP staff being engaged in ongoing activities. For details write: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

• Is there assistance finding alternative housing for those who don't want to stay in a dorm or hotel?

The PSP suggests that participants wishing to stay in alternate accommodations during the program conduct a Web search to identify choices based on your budget. Once you have narrowed a list to 2-3 choices, the PSP in-country staff can assist you via e-mail to finalize your selection based on their knowledge of the neighborhood and the going prices for rentals. Please e-mail choices to: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

• What is the cost of living in Prague compared to other European cities, considering the weak dollar?

The weak dollar means that you should probably think twice before purchasing an Audi or Mercedes, or before committing to a month this coming summer in London, Madrid, Paris or Munich. But even if the dollar weakens further, the cost of living in Prague will still likely be less than it is in any major U.S., or other European city. A hearty meal, with two large drafts of beer, may still be purchased for about 200 crowns (about $12), but say you splurge and spend 300 crowns: last year that would have been about $18. If you're thinking of attending a relatively new study-abroad program, say, in Paris or Madrid, where the cost of living is at least ten to twenty-percent higher than in Prague (and where the average temperature and humidity are more than ten percent higher, and there is virtually no air conditioning!), well, that difference is significant as well. So don't let the talk of a weak dollar dampen your desire to spend two weeks or a month in Prague, Europe's most elegant, temperate, and one of its least expensive major cities!

• Does the program offer overseas health Insurance?

PSP participants will be covered by travel health insurance provided through WMU's Haenicke Institute for Global Education for the duration of the program and for a few days before and after. Health insurance coverage information will be disseminated in spring 2012 and will be included in the orientation packet you will receive in Prague.

• May family members join me in Prague?

Family members may join you in Prague and reserve a room in Komenského dorm at the PSP-discounted rate. They may attend the open events of the program such as the lectures, films and readings. However, they are not enrolled participants and as such they will not be covered by the WMU health insurance, and will not receive tram passes and other program amenities. 

• When will I receive syllabi and reading lists?

Course syllabi and reading lists are posted on the Web site above course descriptions. Creative writing workshop participants will be contacted in early May to submit work.

• Important dates?

These are the key dates of the 2012 PSP:



• Scholarship/fellowship deadline February 15, 2012
• Official Deadline for Applications May 1, 2012
• Payment in Full Deadline May 15, 2012
• Arrival Date June 30, 2012
• Orientation & Opening July 1, 2012
• First Day of Class July 2, 2012
• End of First Two-Week Session July 14, 2012
• Last Day of Classes is Friday, July 27, 2012
• Dorms must be vacated: Sunday, July 29, 2012 (Saturday, July 14 for participants attending the first two weeks)
• Hotel guests check out on the Saturday that follows their last Friday class (July 14 or July 28)