Department of Economic and Managerial Studies
The Department of Economic and Managerial Studies (DEMS) of the Faculty of Arts, Palacky University in Olomouc, is a research and education university department that carries out research in the field of economics and management. It offers study programmes in economics and management.
The Department was originally established in 1998 as the Division of Applied Economics, in order to teach economic disciplines at the Faculty of Arts. The year 2005 was a decisive milestone. This was the year that the department received accreditation for the Applied Economics bachelor’s degree, the first economics studies in the history of the Palacky University. Since 2019, the Department provides a Bachelor's programme in Economics and Management; and since 2024 a Master´s programme Management in the Creative Industries.
For several years, DEMS has organised the international scientific conference KNOWCON Knowledge on Economics and Management (before 2019 as Knowledge for Market Use), and since 2012, the conference proceedings have been indexed at the Web of Science.
Departmental courses focus on practical skills – lectures and workshops are led by professional specialists and traineeships in companies in the Czech Republic and abroad are a part of the curriculum. Students can choose their diploma thesis topics based on the needs of partner organisations and companies in the region. The Department provides education that meets current international standards. Students can choose from a wide range of courses taught in English and can take advantage of a wide offer of work and study opportunities abroad that are supported by various grants. Currently, DEMS has entered into more than twenty international contracts with universities in Europe (including Finland, Portugal, Italy, Poland and etc.) and Asia (China, Korea). The Department also implements progressive teaching methods. We offer soft skills and project management courses and we use ICT (such as social networks) in the classroom. Students can also develop complex business plans. Students have access to highly-equipped classrooms and can borrow notebook computers. The curricula also includes seminars that help motivate student research activities. Students in the master’s degree programme have the opportunity to participate in scientific and research projects, receive grant support for their research, actively participate at the international conference and publish their academic work.
