The Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) is one of the newest faculties of Charles University. The Faculty was founded in 1990, shortly after the Velvet Revolution. It soon became a regional centre of teaching and research in area studies, economics, international relations, journalism, media studies, sociology and political science. The Faculty offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in social sciences. While the languages of instruction are Czech and English, students can choose from classes in a wide range of other languages, including French, German, Russian and Spanish.

Charles University, also known as Charles University in Prague or historically as the University of Prague, is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic, the second university established in the Holy Roman Empire after Bologna. It is one of the oldest universities in the world in continuous operation, the first university north of the Alps and east of Paris. Today, the university consists of 17 faculties located in Prague, Hradec Králové, and Plzeň. Charles University is in the top three universities in Central and Eastern Europe. The institution has been ranked 200–300 in the world as one of the best universities.