Basic Information about Poland

Poland is situated in Central Europe. It is bound by the Baltic Sea, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Slovakia and Ukraine. The country is mostly part of the Great European Plain, while to the south, the plain rises to the Carpathian and Sudeten Mountains. There are 38.2 million inhabitants in the country. The official language is Polish. The capital of the country is Warsaw.

The Higher Education System

At present there are a total of 121 state higher educational institutions and not less than 210 non-state higher educational institutions in Poland, which offer a very wide range of different courses and programmes (private schools of higher education must receive permission to operate from the Ministry of National Education; they acquire a legal status when registered by the Minister of National Education). Among the higher schools, there are both university-type and non-university type (professional education) institutions. State and non-state higher professional (vocational) schools train students in professional specialisations and prepare them for specific professions by including 15-week internships and school practice in the mandatory curriculum.

Graduates of higher professional courses are awarded the title of Bachelor of Arts/Science or Engineer (Bachelor of Engineering) after 3 to 4 years of study. Graduates of university-type higher educational institutions are awarded the title of magister (Master of Arts/Science) or its equivalent after taking standard 5-year MA/MSc level courses or 1.5 to 2-year complementary MA/MSc level courses (intended for holders of the professional title of Bachelor of Arts/Science or Engineer received either at university-type institutions or institutions of higher professional education).

The academic degree of doktor (Ph.D.) is awarded to a person who has passed his/her doctoral examinations and submitted and defended a doctoral dissertation (holding the title of magister or its equivalent is a necessary condition for successively obtaining the doktor’s degree).

Higher education system

At present there are a total of 121 state higher educational institutions and not less than 210 non-state higher educational institutions in Poland, which offer a very wide range of different courses and programmes (private schools of higher education must receive permission to operate from the Ministry of National Education; they acquire a legal status when registered by the Minister of National Education). Among the higher schools, there are both university-type and non-university type (professional education) institutions. State and non-state higher professional (vocational) schools train students in professional specialisations and prepare them for specific professions by including 15-week internships and school practice in the mandatory curriculum.

Graduates of higher professional courses are awarded the title of Bachelor of Arts/Science or Engineer (Bachelor of Engineering) after 3 to 4 years of study. Graduates of university-type higher educational institutions are awarded the title of magister (Master of Arts/Science) or its equivalent after taking standard 5-year MA/MSc level courses or 1.5 to 2-year complementary MA/MSc level courses (intended for holders of the professional title of Bachelor of Arts/Science or Engineer received either at university-type institutions or institutions of higher professional education).

The academic degree of doktor (Ph.D.) is awarded to a person who has passed his/her doctoral examinations and submitted and defended a doctoral dissertation (holding the title of magister or its equivalent is a necessary condition for successively obtaining the doktor’s degree).

Higher Education Institutions

The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Poland are divided into state (public) and private (non-public) institutions. There are two main categories of higher education institutions: university-type and non-university institutions. In the university-type HEIs, at least one unit is authorised to confer the academic degree of Doctor (PhD), i.e. offers at least one doctoral programme.

Structure of studies in Poland

The higher education institutions run full-time, extramural, evening and external courses. The full-time courses are defined as the basic type of studies.

Poland conforms to the guidelines from the Bologna Process in European higher education. The degree system based on the three-cycle structure has been successfully implemented together with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). The European standard in higher education makes it easier for students to obtain recognition of their qualifications in other countries.

1st Cycle

First-cycle studies (3 to 4 years) leading to the professional title of a licencjat orinżynier (Engineer, in the field of engineering, agriculture or economics). This is the Polish equivalent of the Bachelor’s degree. It is focused on preparing students for future employment or for continued education within the Master’s degree programmes. To obtain this degree, students must earn 180-240 ECTS credits.

2nd Cycle

Second-cycle studies – Master’s degree programme (1.5 to 2 years) following the first cycle studies and leading to the professional title of Master (magister, or an equivalent degree depending on the study course profile). It is focused on theoretical knowledge as well as application and development of creative skills. In artistic disciplines, the focus is on the development of creativity and talents. Master’s degree holders may enter a doctoral programme (third-cycle studies). To obtain the degree, students must earn 90-120 ECTS credits.

Long-cycle studies

In addition to the general structure, 11 fields of study including acting, art conservation and restoration, canon law, dentistry, law, medical analysis, medicine, production and photography, pharmacy, psychology and veterinary medicine, offer long-cycle programmes only.

Long-cycle studies – Master’s degree programme (4.5 to 6 years) leading to the professional title of Master (magister, or an equivalent degree depending on the study course profile). To obtain this degree, students must earn 270-360 ECTS credits. Such single long-cycle studies are based on an integrated study programme which contains both basic studies and in-depth specialisation. Completion of this degree will provide a qualification corresponding to the Master’s degree at the second-cycle studies.

3rd Cycle

Third-cycle studies – Doctoral degree programmes (normally 3 to 4 years) accessible for graduates of Master’s degree programme, leading to a PhD degree, offered by the university type schools as well as some research institutions (departments of the Polish Academy of Sciences as well as research and development institutions). The PhD degree is awarded to candidates who submit and successfully defend a doctoral dissertation before the thesis committee and pass the doctoral examination.

Examinations

All higher education institutions are required to end their courses with examinations. There may be several independent examinations or tests in separate parts of a subject. Usually, oral and written examinations are held at the end of each semester during the examination session. Students sit examinations on each subject separately. The performance assessment period covers either one semester or one academic year. To successfully complete a semester (or a year), a student must attain the pass mark (at least “satisfactory”) for all assessments and examinations in the subjects covered by the curriculum and obtain performance assessment credits for all integrated placements.

Grading: Each HEI identifies its grading scale in its Study Rules. The most common scale comprises the following marks:
5 very good (bardzo dobry)
4 good (dobry)
3 satisfactory (dostateczny)
2 unsatisfactory/fail (niedostateczny)
credit/pass (zaliczenie)

Sometimes the plus symbol or decimal is used to modify the numerical grades.

It must be pointed out at this time that grades awarded according to the scale are not directly transferable to the ECTS credits.

ECTS credits

In addition to the grading scale, there are HEIs in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) under which a certain number of credits is allocated to a given subject, independently of marks awarded. To complete a year successfully, the student has to collect 60 credits (30 per semester).The ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) is the standard adopted by all universities in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in the process of convergence between Europe’s higher education systems. Since 2007, all Polish higher education institutions have been required to use ECTS for both credit transfer and accumulation within their degree programmes. The ECTS credits allow foreign students’ periods of study at HEIs in Poland to be recognized (European Credits Transfer System)

Diploma

In order to graduate, students are required to:

• Pass a performance assessment for all subjects, integrated placements and practical work sessions, and pass all examinations covered by the study programme set for a given field of study;
• Present, at an appointed date, a diploma project and attain a pass mark for that project;
• Pass the diploma examination.

Upon graduation, the student receives a diploma of completion of studies in a specific field of study together with a Diploma Supplement(copy of the diploma translated into a foreign language, describing the degree, level and specialization).

Academic calendar

The academic year in Poland is divided into two semesters of 15 weeks each – the winter and the summer semester. The winter semester starts in October and ends in mid-February, with a break of about ten days for the Christmas holidays. The examination session usually takes two or three weeks, beginning in January. The summer semester starts in mid-February and ends in June, with a one-week break for Easter. Summer holidays last for three months from the beginning of July to the end of September, but only for those students who passed all exams within the summer examination session (two-three weeks in June). Those who failed take the exams again in September.

Tuition fee

Many Polish higher education institutions offer education in foreign languages, mostly in English. All these studies are paid. The price depends on the university (information on the websites of the universities) – it’s about 4,000 – 8,000 Euro per year, and for medical schools about 9,000 – 13,000 Euro per year.

Scholarships

Persons interested in studying in Poland are welcome to contact respective Polish higher educational institutions in order to obtain detailed information on the conditions of admission and the courses and programmes which they offer to foreign students.

Study Engineering in Poland

Studying in Poland will give you a European degree at a low cost. Polish schools compete with each other not only to provide a wide variety of high quality courses, but also in offering attractive tuition fees.

Polish schools are subject to the regulations of the Bologna Process that unifies education in the European Union and in program partnering countries. This means that your degree obtained in Poland is recognized internationally and opens doors to your further education in all the countries participating in the Bologna Process.

Poland is a European country, yet the living costs are still lower than anywhere else in Europe. This means lower tuition fees and cheaper student life!

The geographical positioning of Poland makes it an interesting place for travelers. It takes only one hour to Frankfurt, Copenhagen and two hours by plane to visit Rome, Stokholm,Oslo, London or Moscow, and a bit longer to reach Paris, Madrid or Athens

About The Universities

Warsaw University of Technology

The Warsaw University of Technology, so named in 1915, continues the tradition of the Preparatory School for the Institute of Technology set up in Warsaw in 1826. The University’s roots also reach down to the Hipolit Wawelberg and Stanislaw Rotwand School of Machine Construction and Electrical Engineering, created in 1895. The many generations of engineers it turned out and its significant contributions to the development of technical sciences earned the Warsaw University of Technology an acclaimed position in the country as well as international renown

Cracow University of Technology

By realising its goals the University of Technology Works towards creating a national, European and global space for research and education. It thrives towards interdisciplinary studies and research, combining technical science with mathematical, environmental, economical, legal and social sciences, using information technologies. It develops the ability to self-educate in students, giving them a good basis for work on the modern market, arising with the development of civilization. Educates highly qualified engineers who can cope with national and global industry challenges,

Educates academic staff by supporting the development of their scientific passion and their participation in national and international scientific exchange,Serves the economy and the whole society by solving technical and technological problems and by implementing scientific studies into economic practice.