In the recent decade Poland’s booming economy and rich cultural life started to attract more and more people from all over the world. Not only various job opportunities seem to be pretty appealing for foreigners – a lot of young people also come to Poland in order to study in the most prestigious universities to get a diploma that would be internationally recognized. Moreover, Poland is a fascinating country located in the very heart of Europe with a rich cultural heritage and diverse environments.
Education system
Education in Poland is divided into Bachelor, Master and Doctor degrees. Usually, Bachelor’s course lasts for 3 or 3,5 years and Master’s for 2-2,5 years. However, it depends on the faculty and your major. Some of them offer only a 5-year Master’s course and PhD after that. That is applicable in case of uniform Master’s degrees, e.g. on Law, Medicine or Arts faculties.
What kind of universities are there in Poland?
Poland offers us two kinds of universities – public and private. For Poles, studying at the public university is free of charge whereas private are paid. They aren’t funded from the state budget and therefore provide education for a fee, which differs from university to university. Which kind is better then? Usually, national public universities are considered to guarantee high-quality education compared to the private ones. It’s hard to tell equivocally though, as it depends on the university and field of study. However, not all private schools in Poland are internationally recognized.
Why Poland?
International cooperation and recognition
Poland signed an agreement with a lot of European countries so a diploma issued by a state university is recognized in the European education market. It means that after graduation you can work not only in Poland, but in other European countries as well. That allows you to enlarge the list of your potential employers and gives you more opportunities for career advancements and self-development. All these initiatives enhance the development of relations between Polish and foreign institutions of higher education. Moreover, thanks to various cooperation agreements and large number of exchange programs, studying in Poland gives you an opportunity to try out universities from all over the world. For example, Warsaw University holds the first place in Erasmus exchange in Poland. Polish universities provide bilateral exchange cooperation with more than 100 countries worldwide.
Prestigious universities and high standards of education
Polish universities offer high quality studies and are an integral part of the European education space. Jagiellonian University in Kraków, for instance, is one of the oldest in Europe and Warsaw University scores high places in the international rankings. All leading universities offer programmes taught in English, these include medicine, engineering, humanities, business and finance. Poland takes an active part in the Bologna Process. The framework uses the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System which means that students can be fully mobile, and continue education in other countries.
Possibility to get a scholarship
Polish government offers a lot of scholarships to students both from Poland and other countries. Some of those programs are aimed at young people with Polish origin and a Card of Pole, others are available also for non-EU citizens with no Polish roots, for example The Stefan Banach Scholarship Programme or the gen. Anders Programme. Different institutions and foundations are looking for students with a great potential in different fields, especially in Technology, IT, Engineering, Science. Often those scholarships focus on enhancing the socio-economic situation in developing countries by raising the quality of education of their citizens.
It’s also possible to get a scholarship without applying for any programmes. Holders of the Card of Pole can receive social scholarships if their financial situation is quite dire. Unfortunately, other foreign students living in Poland are not eligible for a social scholarship it they don’t meet the requirements stated in the Polish law.
Although foreigners without Polish background can not be granted a social scholarship, some of the universities still offer them the Rector’s scholarship for academic excellence, which is a good opportunity for those who have to pay for their studies. A scholarship depending on its kind amounts to 350 euros per month.
Possibility to study for free
Normally, students who hold the Card of Pole don’t have to pay for their studies, all they need to do is to provide all required documents to the university. For those who have no Polish roots there are a couple of ways to not pay for the studies. Some universities offer free education (1-2% of places) for students who pass a Polish language test or for those who have excellent high school grades. Another way is to pass a State certificate exam in Polish at min. C1 level, then you can apply for a tuition-free study. You can find more about the exam and its requirements here.
Cost of living in Poland
Living in Poland is not that expensive compared to other European countries. However, for non-EU citizens originating from Ukraine or Belarus, living in Poland may seem to be quite pricey. Accommodation in most Polish cities can be covered by 300-600 Euros and rooms in a dorm would cost you around 100-150 Euros a month. Cooking by yourself instead of eating out every day would always save you some money. The cost of entertainment and participation in cultural events are also much lower than the EU average. In this article you can find more detailed information about the cost of living in Kraków.
Great culture and entertainment offer
Polish culture is well known in the world, so the government tries to live up to the expectations of tourists who set off to different Polish cities every day. But Poland can offer more than just tourist destinations. Polish cultural institutions provide high quality entertainment that will suit every taste. The immense number of events, concerts, festivals take place everyday, especially in the bigger cities. You can also visit conferences, workshops to learn something new and meet like-minded people there. And of course, Poland offers thousands of restaurants, bars and pubs, where you can spend your evening in a nice atmosphere with your friends. Believe me, you’ll never die of boredom in Poland!
Student Activities
Polish universities offer a great number of on-campus activities from sports and dance clubs to scientific circles. Majority of the universities encourage students to join clubs and get involved not only in the academic, but also the cultural life of the university. Sometimes representing the university in some sports contests can help you get a scholarship or additional points while applying for one. Even if you don’t plan to earn money from it and just want to enjoy your hobby, you have plenty of clubs to take part in: dance and music classes, swimming pools, gyms, sports sections, arts clubs – there is definitely something to please everyone!
What are possible problems that may appear?
When you are coming to study in Poland you must be aware that the amount of courses taught in English is not that big, compared to those in Polish. Of course, you can always try to apply for you studies in Polish. That’s why bear in mind that in such a case you’ll have to learn the language. Especially, if you desire to stay in Poland afterwards, it’s recommended to know Polish. For tips on how to learn Polish quickly and easily click here.
How to enroll to the university?
The requirements depend on a university and its particular rules. Those are usually set out on the university website. In most cases it’s necessary to fill in an application form, and attach the required documents, such as: the transcript of records from high school, English/Polish language certificate, motivation letter and sometimes letters of recommendation as well. Some faculties such as Art or Physical Education may also conduct some additional tests to determine your potential.
What is the cost of tuition in Poland?
In Poland education at the public universities for full-time students who are citizens of Poland or start the studies on terms applicable to Polish citizens (e.g. those who hold a Card of Pole) is free of charge. Other foreigners have to pay tuition regardless of whether it’s a public or private university and whether it’s a full time or a part time course.
Tuition fee depends on the specific university you want to apply to and on average the price is around 1500-2500 euros per year.
Those prices are determined by the university itself, both public and private.
What is important to remember while studying in Poland?
Legalize your stay in Poland
To be able to legally stay in Poland you have to obtain a VISA or a residence permit. If you are a EU-citizen, and want to live in Poland for longer than 3 months, you have to register you stay in Poland.
If you are a non-EU citizen, you need to obtain a national VISA with the purpose of studying at a Polish consulate or embassy in your country before you arrive to Poland.
Being in Poland on legal grounds you can also apply for a Temporary or Permanent Residence Permit in the local Voivodeship Office. In order to do so you have to file required documents, such as:
-application form,
– photos,
– documents proving your identity,
– a document proving that you’re studying at the university,
– health insurance,
– document proving the possession of sufficient funds.
An exact list of the required documents you can find online at https://udsc.gov.pl.
Temporary Residence Card will allow you to cross the Polish border as many times as you wish. The first residence permit is issued for a period of 15 months. It can be renewed after that, but for no longer than the end of your studies.
If you need help with applying for a residence permit, contact [email protected] or visit our website for more details.
Working as a student
In Poland it’s quite easy to find a part-time job for a student. Often students in Poland choose part-time education courses and start working. If you are a EU-citizen you are eligible to work in Poland without a work permit.
Foreign students have a right to work in Poland as long as they are studying at their institution and have a valid visa. 20 hours of work are permitted during studies as well as 3 months of full time work during holidays. If you want to work full time the whole time, you have to obtain a work permit or a declaration for 12 months for the citizens of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Moldova.
International students are not allowed to work on a student visa basis only. Students who have a temporary residence permit based on studies are entitled to work without a work permit.
If you have more questions regarding this topic, or you want to apply for a university in Poland and don’t know what to start with, drop us a line at [email protected] and we will go out of our way to help you!