Higher education

The system of Polish higher education is very similar to that of Dutch higher education. Higher education in Poland is also either research-oriented (academic) or focused on professional practice; there are academic and profession-oriented educational institutions. The difference is that a study programme at a Polish academic institution can sometimes be profession-oriented. On this page, we describe the diplomas we often see.

There are 3-year professionally oriented study programmes in Polish higher education. These programmes are called short-cycle programmes. Students do not obtain a licencjat but a diploma (dyplom). These programmes are for social work only and students take them at a kolegium pracowników służb społecznych (college for social work). In the old system, there were also short-cycle programmes for certain teacher training programmes.

• Duration: 3 years.
• Content: higher professional education for social work.
• Admission requirements: the diploma of completion of a 4-year liceum or a 5-year technikum.
• Function of the diploma: work.
• Diploma: dyplom ukończenia kolegium (diploma of completion of a college).

There are several types of bachelor’s degrees in Poland:

• licencjat: the general bachelor’s degree that students can obtain in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and many medical sciences;
• bachelor’s degrees with a specific name, such as a licencjatin nursing or midwifery;
• inżynier: the technical bachelor’s degree in engineering and agricultural sciences;
• inżynier architekt: the bachelor’s degree in architectural studies.

Licencjat and inżynier

• Duration i : 3 years (180 ECTS) for a licencjat and 3½ years (210 ECTS) for an inżynier .
• Content: research-oriented or profession-oriented (practical). Students always write a thesis and have to take a final exam (egzamin dyplomowy). In the case of profession-oriented programmes, students do a 6-month internship.
• Admission requirements: świadectwo dojrzałości (maturity certificate), see also 'Admission to higher education' above.
• Function of the diploma: work, science or a follow-up study programme.
• Diploma: dyplom ukończenia studiów pierwszego stopnia (diploma of completion of a 1st-cycle programme). In popular speech the diploma is called dyplom licencjat or dyplom inżynier.

There are several types of master’s degrees:

• magister: the general master’s degree that students can obtain in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and many medical sciences;
• master’s degrees with a specific name, such as a magister in nursing or midwifery;
• magister inżynier: the technical master’s degree in engineering and agricultural sciences;
• magister inżynier architekt: the master’s degree in architectural studies.

Magister and magister inżynier

• Duration: 2 years (120 ECTS) for a magister and 1½ years (90 ECTS) for a magister inżynier.
• Content: research-oriented or profession-oriented (practical). Students write a thesis or do a project. They also have to take a final exam (egzamin dyplomowy). In the case of profession-oriented programmes, students do a 3-month internship.
• Admission requirements: a licencjat or inżynier.
• Function of the diploma: work or access to a PhD programme.
• Diploma: dyplom ukończenia studiów drugiego stopnia (diploma of completion of a second-cycle programme). In popular speech the diploma is called dyplom magister or dyplom magister inżynier.

In some fields, they combine the 1st cycle (bachelor’s degree) and 2nd cycle (master’s degree). In Polish, these integrated master’s programmes are called long-cycle programmes, since the bachelor’s and master’s phases are not split up. Students obtain a master’s degree after successfully completing a long-cycle programme.

• Duration: 4½ to 6 years. Most long-cycle programmes take 5 years. However, medicine takes 6 years, veterinary medicine 5½ years and the acting programme takes 4½ years.
• Content: academic education and often an internship, research or a project. Students write a thesis and take a final exam. Long-cycle programmes include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, veterinary medicine, law, pre-primary and early childhood education, and special education. In addition, other fields of study may also offer this type of integrated programme. This is the case, for instance, with architecture, psychology, theology and art.
• Function of the diploma: work or access to PhD programmes.
• Diploma: dyplom ukonczenia jednolitych studiów magisterskich (diploma of completion of an integrated master's programme). In popular speech it is called dyplom magister or dyplom magister inżynier. Other names for diplomas of integrated master's programmes are:
  • dyplom lekarz (doctor) after studying medicine;
  • dyplom lekarz dentysta (dentist) after studying dentistry; and
  • dyplom lekarz weterynarii (veterinarian) after having studied veterinary medicine.

There are changes in the 3rd cycle. First, students could only obtain a PhD at universities. Now, students can only obtain the title of doctor at doctoral schools. These doctoral schools can be a part of a university, but they can also be part of a research institute or the Polish Academy of Sciences, for example.

The establishment of these doctoral schools runs until 2022. Students who started a PhD before that time can finish their education in the old way. In terms of content, there are no major changes.

• Duration: 3 to 4 years.
• Content: academic education and a personal research plan. PhD students must publish a number of articles in scientific journals and write and defend a dissertation.
• Admission requirements: a magister or magister inżynier. In a few cases a licencjat or inżynier is sufficient.
• Diploma: dyplom doktor.

Postgraduate programmes

After completing a bachelor’s or master’s programme, students can also take postgraduate programmes (studia podyplomowe). However, these programmes do not award students with a degree like magister or dyplom doktor. They are often profession-oriented programmes for people with work experience. Anyone who wants to retrain can take part in this kind of education.