Poland in its current form is a relatively young country, which was declared an independent republic after the First World War. The country’s history bears a heavy mark from World War II, when Poland was the center of the Nazi Holocaust. During 1989, Poland became the leading country in Central Europe in terms of the development towards a democracy and market economy. In 1990, the first free democratic elections took place in Poland after long periods of strikes and political resistance.

According to CountryAAH, Poland is Denmark’s most important market in Eastern and Central Europe, and globally Denmark’s tenth largest partner.

Higher education in Poland

There are both public and private higher education institutions in Poland. The largest concentration of educational institutions is located in the cities of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan and Gdansk.

In recent years, there has been a sharp growth in the number of private educational institutions in Poland. The educations at most private institutions are publicly recognized.

More and more foreign students are choosing to study in Poland. Most Danish students who apply to Poland apply for studies in art, music, drama and film. Studies in medicine and economics also attract a number of foreign students.

The academic year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is divided into two semesters. The summer holidays are in July, August and September.

Institutions

There are the following types of higher education institutions in Poland:

• Universities(university). The universities offer studies in the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities. Universities are the most sought after higher education institutions in Poland.
• Technical universities(polytechniczna). Provides technical educations at university level within e.g. computer science, design, architecture and biotechnology.
• Teacher seminars /pedagogical seminars(wyzsza szkoly pedagogiczne and college). Provider e.g. 3-year teacher training.
• In addition, there are a large number of specialized institutions offering higher education, such as agricultural schools(wyższe szkoły rolnicze), economics academies (wyższe szkoły ekonomiczne), medical academies (akademie medyczne), maritime schools(wyższe szkoły sskkozie wyskraze, idræske morskieżs artystyczne) and music conservatories.

Degrees at university level

• Licentiate degree(licentiate) – a bachelor’s degree obtained at the end of 6-8 semesters, 3-4 years.
• Inzynier degree(Engineer) – a bachelor’s degree obtained at the end of 7-8 semesters, 3 ½-4 years (technical higher education).
• Master’s degree- a Polish master’s degree, which is standardized for between 3 and 4 semesters, 1-2 years for holders of a License (Polish bachelor’s degree), or can be completed as a unit education (master’s degree standardized for between 9 and 12 semesters.
• Doctor(doctor nauk) – Polish PhD degree, which is standardized for at least 3 years. In addition to the ordinary doctorate, there is the degree habilitowany, dr. hab., which builds on the PhD degree.

Application for higher education

Applications for higher education must be sent directly to the individual educational institutions.

You can obtain an application form by contacting the educational institution or by contacting the Polish Center for Assessment of Foreign Educations, Polish NAWA (European Network of Information Centers / National Academic Recognition Information Centers). You can find more information on how to apply on the website studyinpoland.pl.

Admission requirements

The individual educational institutions determine their own entry requirements. Normally, you must at least have a Danish upper secondary education. Some institutions also have an entrance exam, and some also use interviews.

Language proficiency

Teaching at Polish educational institutions is usually in Polish. In most subjects, you must be able to document your Polish language skills to be allowed to follow the teaching. Some courses are offered in English and French. You can see an overview of the universities that offer English-language studies

You can sign up for a preparatory language course in Poland. The language courses are often organized in such a way that you also learn the terminology associated with the education you are applying for.

Are you applying for creative educations, e.g. art or music, it is often not necessary to pass a language test, as much of the teaching takes place in English or German. The same applies to part of the teaching in the economics programs.

Some educational institutions require students to take an English language test if they want to take English-language subjects. You can get more information about language tests at the individual educational institution.

Application deadlines

You must contact the individual educational institutions for information on application deadlines. June 15 is the application deadline at most educational institutions.

Recognition of foreign educations in Denmark

If you have completed a publicly recognized education abroad, you can have it assessed by the Danish Agency for Research and Education.

Other things

At the Copernicus Foundation you can find more information about universities in Poland. Furthermore, you can find more information about higher education and universities on the website of the Polish Ministry of Research and Higher Education.

Facts about Poland

Population: Approx. 38.5 million.

Language: Polish.

Employment: Unemployment in June 2014 was 9.5% (Eurostat).

Residence permit: Visa is applied for after 3 months. Foreigners working in Poland must apply for a visa. Students must apply for a student visa.