Work without barriers
 
 
INSTITUTION TYPES & CREDENTIALS Types of higher education institutions: Uniwersytety (University) Politechniki (Technical University) Akademie Medyczne (Academy of Medicine) Akademie Pedagogiczne (Teacher Training Academy) Akademie Rolnicze (Academy of Agriculture) Akademie Ekonomiczne (Academy of Economics) Akademie Muzyczne, Sztuk Pięknych,Teatralne i Filmowe (Academy of Music, Fine Arts,Theatre,and Cinematography) Wyższe Szkoły Pedagogiczne (Teacher Training School) Akademie Wychowania Fizycznego (Academy of Physical Education) Akademie Teologiczne (Academy of Theology) Szkoły Morskie (Merchant Navy School) Szkoły Wojskowe (Military School) Schools supervised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration Państwowe Wyższe Szkoły Zawodowe (State School of Higher Professional  Education) Niepaństwowe Szkoły  Wyższe (Non-State School) Niepaństwowe Wyższe Szkoły Zawodowe (Non-State School of Higher Professional Education)   School leaving and higher education credentials: Świadectwo dojrzałości Świadectwo ukończenia (of a given kind of secondary school) Dyplom ukończenia szkoły pomaturalnej Dyplom uzyskania tytułu zawodowego Świadectwo ukończenia szkoły policealnej Dyplom ukończenia studiów wyższych zawodowych Inżynier Inżynier architekt Licencjat Licencjat pielęgniarstwa Licencjat położnictwa Dyplom ukończenia jednolitych studiów magisterskich Dyplom ukończenia studiów wyższych Lekarz Lekarz dentysta Lekarz stomatolog Lekarz weterynarii Magister Magister edukacji Magister inżynier Magister inżynier architekt Magister pielęgniarstwa Magister połoŻnictwa Magister sztuki Dyplom ukończenia uzupełniających studiów magisterskich Świadectwo ukończenia studiów podyplomowych Doktor Doktor sztuki Kwalifikacje pierwszego stopnia Doktor habilitowany Doktor habilitowany sztuki Kwalifikacje drugiego stopnia  STRUCTURE OF EDUCATION SYSTEM Pre-higher education: Duration of compulsory education: Age of entry: 6 Age of exit: 18 Structure of school system: Pre-Primary Type of school providing this education: Nursery School (Przedszkole) or Nursery Division at Primary Schools Length of program in years: 1 Age level from: 6 to: 7 Primary Type of school providing this education: Primary  School  (Szkoła Podstawowa) Length of program in years: 6 Age level from: 7 to: 13 Certificate/diploma awarded: Świadectwo ukończenia szkoły podstawowej - Certificate of Completion of  Primary School Education Basic Vocational Type of school providing this education: Basic Vocational School (Zasadnicza Szkoła Zawodowa) Length of program in years: 2 Age level from: 16 to: 18 Certificate/diploma awarded: Świadectwo ukończenia szkoły zasadniczej (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Basic Vocational School) Lower Secondary Type of school providing this education: Gymnasium (Gimnazjum) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 13 to: 16 Certificate/diploma awarded: Świadectwo ukończenia gimnazjum (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Gymnasium) Technical Secondary Type of school providing this education: Technical Secondary School (Technikum) Length of program in years: 4 Age level from: 16 to: 20 Certificate/diploma awarded: Świadectwo dojrzalości  technikum (Maturity Certificate of the Technical Secondary School) or świadectwo ukończenia technikum (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Technical Secondary School) Upper Secondary Type of school providing this education: General Lyceum (Liceum Ogólnokształcące) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to: 19 Certificate/diploma awarded: Świadectwo dojrzalości liceum ogólnokształcącego (Maturity Cetificate of the General Lyceum) or świadectwo ukończenia liceum ogólnokształcącego (Certificate of Completion of Education in the General Lyceum) Vocational Secondary Type of school providing this education: Specialized Lyceum (Liceum Profilowane) Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to: 19 Certificate/diploma awarded: Świadectwo dojrzałości liceum profilowanego (Maturity Certificate of the Specialized Lyceum) or świadectwo ukończenia liceum profilowanego (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Specialized Lyceum) School education: Before the 1999 reform, primary education lasted for 8 years and led to the świadectwo ukonczenia szkoly podstawowej (Certificate of Completion of Primary School Education). Secondary general education was provided in the four-year general lyceum (liceum ogólnokształcące). Secondary vocational education was provided by a range of schools , i.e. four-year liceum ( lyceum), liceum zawodowe (vocational lyceum), liceum techniczne (technical lyceum) and a 5-year technikum (secondary technical school). The graduates of all secondary schools were awarded either the świadectwo dojrzałości (Maturity Certificate of a given kind of secondary school) or the świadectwo ukończenia (Certificate of Completion of Education in the given kind of secondary school). In addition, there were basic vocational schools (zasadnicza skola zawodowa) whose graduates obtained the świadectwo ukończenia szkoly zasadniczej (Certificate of Completion of Education in the basic vocational school). After the 1999 reform, 6-year primary schools and 3-year gymnasia were introduced. Secondary education is provided in 3-year general lyceums (liceum ogólnokształcące) or in vocational secondary schools such as the 3-year liceum profilowane (specialized lyceum) and 4-year technikum (secondary technical school). In addition, there are 2-3-year basic vocational schools (zasdnicza szkoła zawodowa) whose graduates obtain the świadectwo ukonczenia zasadniczej szkoły zawodowej (Certificate of Completion of Education in the Basic Vocational School). The secondary school credentials of the former system will be issued until 2005. In the transition period, both the former and the new types of secondary school will co-exist. The credential that gives right to access higher education before and after the reform is the świadectwo dojrzałości issued after completion of education in a secondary school and passing the Maturity examination (egzamin dojrzałości/matura).The only type of post-primary school that does not give access to higher education is the basic vocational school, both in the old and new system. The graduates of these schools may continue their education in different types of complementary secondary schools: liceum uzupełniające (complementary lyceum) or technikum uzupełniające (complementary technical secondary school). Following completion of education in these schools they can pass the maturity examination and obtain a Maturity Certificate and thus become eligible for entrance to higher education Stages of studies: Non-university level post-secondary studies (technical/vocational type): Non-university level: Non-university level education in Poland is provided by szkoły policealne  and szkoły pomaturalne. The szkoły policealne train students in a variety of vocational fields. The graduates obtain the świadectwo ukończenia szkoły policealnej (certificate of completion of education in post-secondary school), and can then take a vocational examination and obtain the dyplom uzyskania tytułu zawodowego (vocational title diploma). The vocational training in this type of schools lasts between 1 and 2.5 years, depending on the field of studies. The szkoły pomaturalne train only nurses and midwives, and the graduates are awarded the dyplom ukończenia szkoły pomaturalnej (diploma of completion of education in the post-secondary school). The duration of education is 2.5 years. Since 1999 the training of nurses and midwives is organized as higher studies.   NATIONAL BODIES Administration & co-ordination: Responsible authorities: Ministerstwo Edukacji i Nauki (Ministry of Education and Science) Head: Michał Seweryński, Minister al. Szucha 25
00-918 Warszawa
Poland Tel: +48(22) 5224100 Fax: +48(22) 6283504 EMail: minister@menis.gov.pl WWW: http://www.men.gov.pl   Role of governing body: Elaborating educational policies at the national level, coordinating other governing bodies, controlling higher education institutions supervised by this Ministry.   KRASP (Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland) Head: Tadeusz Luty, President Administrative officer: Andrzej Kraúniewski, Secretary-General Biuro KRASP
Jagiellonian University
ul. Straszewskiego 27
31-113 Kraków
Poland Tel: +48(12) 4218290 Fax: +48(12) 4218290 EMail: biuro@krasp.uj.edu.pl;rektor@adm.uj.edu.pl WWW: http://www.krasp.org.pl     Rada Główna Szkolnictwa Wyższego (Central Council of Higher Education) Head: Jerzy Błażejowski, President al. Szucha 25
00-918 Warszawa
Poland Tel: +48(22) 6218478 Fax: +48(22) 6218478 EMail: rzecznik1@autograf.pl WWW: http://www.rgsw.edu.pl   Role of governing body: Cooperates with the Minister of National Education and the other national bodies in the implementation of tasks concerning higher education; in particular, defines the requirements for organizing new fields of study an the conferring of professional titles, as well as minimum curriculum requirements for each field of study.   Państwowa Komisja Akredytacyjna (State Accreditation Commission) Head: Zbigniew Marciniak, President Administrative officer: Mieczysław Wacław Socha, Secretary ul. Żurawia 32/34
00-515 Warszawa
Poland Tel: +48(22) 6220718 Fax: +48(22) 6211584 WWW: http://www.pka.edu.pl/   Role of governing body: Quality assurance, advisory and controlling tasks in establishing new higher education institutions and award of licences to organize new fields of study in the existing ones.   Centralna Komisja do Spraw Stopni Naukowych i Tytulu Naukowego (Central Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles) Head: Janusz Tazbir, President Administrative officer: Osman Achmatowicz, Secretary Pałac Kultury i Nauki
pl. Defilad 1
00-901 Warszawa
Poland Tel: +48(22) 8268238/ 6203324 Fax: +48(22) 6203324 EMail: bck@pan.pl WWW: http://www.pan.pl/ck/   Role of governing body: Supervises the conferring of the academic degrees of Doktor and Doktor habilitowany; entitles the faculties of the higher education institutions and research units to award these academic degrees.   GRADING SYSTEM Usual grading system in secondary school Full Description: 6-1: excellent (celujacy); very good (bardzo dobry); good (dobry); satisfactory (dostateczy); acceptable (dopuszczający); unsatisfactory (niedostateczny) - fail; themarks "+" and "-" are often added to the principal grade. Grading system for the maturity certificate (Świadectwo dojrzałości). Since 2005: 0-100 %Before 2005: 6 - 1 (excellent (celujacy), very good (bardzo dobry), good (dobry), satisfactory (dostateczy), acceptable (dopuszczający); unsatisfactory (niedostateczny) - fail;  often, the marks '+' and '-' are added to the principal grade. Main grading system used by higher education institutions Full Description: 5 - 2 (5 very good, 4 good, 3 satisfactory, 2 unsatisfactory) Highest on scale: 5  (very good) Pass/fail level: 3  (satisfactory) Lowest on scale: 2  (unsatisfactory) Other main grading systems For non-final exams, the marks '+' and '-' are often added to the principal grade. In some schools, the grade 6 (excellent) exists.   mailto:minister@menis.gov.plhttp://www.men.gov.plmailto:biuro@krasp.uj.edu.plmailto:rektor@adm.uj.edu.plhttp://www.krasp.org.plmailto:rzecznik1@autograf.plhttp://www.rgsw.edu.plhttp://www.pka.edu.plmailto:bck@pan.plhttp://www.pan.pl/ck/shapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2shapeimage_1_link_3shapeimage_1_link_4shapeimage_1_link_5shapeimage_1_link_6shapeimage_1_link_7shapeimage_1_link_8shapeimage_1_link_9
Structure of Educational System (from primary to high schools including technical and vocational schools) home