Study in Europe Destination Guide No. 4 - Poland
Brief Introduction
Poland officially the Republic of Poland is a country in Central Europe that shares its borders with Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. Poland is the 9th largest country in Europe by land mass and has a population of 38.5 million people. Poland is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Trade Zone.
Interesting Facts About Poland
Poles are well educated. 90% of Poland's youths complete at least secondary education and 50% have an academic degree.
Poles drink some 92 litres of beer a year and according to the oldest document recalling beer in Poland, 'The Polish Chronicle' by Thetmar from Merseburg, beer already appeared during the reign of Polish King Bolesław I the Brave (992-1025)
Poland boasts 17 Nobel prize winners, including four Peace Prizes and five in Literature.
Kraków was the headquarters and the place of coronation of Polish kings and the nation's capital from 1038 until the move to Warsaw in 1596.
Located in Wrocław is the oldest restaurant in Europe, "Piwnica Swidnicka", operating since 1275.
Education in Poland
Poland is an excellent study destination. Here, you will find a wide range of courses to choose from and at a low tuition cost compared to Western Europe. Polish universities are eager to welcome international students and the Polish cities offer suitable conditions for studying as well as plenty of attractions and sightseeing destinations.
Poland has a long academic tradition dating as far back as the middle ages. One of the oldest universities in Europe - Jagiellonian University in Krakow was founded in the 14th century. Today, universities in Poland offer education that is on par with European standards and recognised globally.
Poland follows the Bologna scheme and most of its tertiary level programmes are made of two cycles: a three year bachelor degree followed by a two year master degree. Some master's degrees are however granted after a unique long-cycle programme, lasting between 4 and 6 years (Ex: 5 years for pharmacy, 6 year for medicine). Doctoral programmes are achieved in about 3 years. The diploma of primary school teachers requires 3 years of study within a teacher training college. Vocational education is handled by post-secondary school(szkola policealna) with programmes lasting two and a half years.
There are a total of approximately 500 universities and collegiate-level institutions of higher education in Poland. 131 of these are government funded and 326 are privately owned universities, with almost 2 million enrolled students including foreigners as of 2010.
The academic year
The academic year is divided into two parts: the fall semester (October-mid February), and the spring semester (mid February-June). Each of them ends with the examination period. Teaching is given in the form of lectures, classes, seminars, laboratory classes and discussion groups.
Examinations
To complete a semester successfully a student must receive passing notes for all examinations. The most common grading scale comprises the following marks: very good (5), good plus (4,5), good (4), satisfactory plus (3,5), satisfactory (3), failing (2). Under the European Credit Transfer System a certain number of credits are allocated to a given subject independently of marks received on exams.
Applying to Study in Poland
To successfully apply to study in Poland, certain requirements need to be met for your application to be considered. In the following article, the admission requirements to study in Poland is explained.
