15 - Poland - Certification

College programmes

College programmes end with the final (diploma) examination taken before an examination board established by the director of a given college. College graduates are awarded a college diploma ( dyplom ukończenia kolegium). A college diploma is issued in accordance with a specimen defined in a regulation by the minister of education, and is an officially recognised document.

College students may also supplement their study programme and take a Bachelor’s degree examination before an examination board established by the rector of the HEI responsible for academic supervision over a given speciality field in their college. Upon passing such an examination, students are awarded a Bachelor’s degree ( licencjat) by the supervising HEI.

Degree programmes

All three types of degree programmes offered in university-type and non-university HEIs, including first-cycle, second-cycle and long-cycle programmes, end with the final (diploma) examination, except in medical fields. The examination is conducted by an examination board composed of academic teachers of the organisational unit of a HEI (e.g. faculty or department) which provides a given programme.

Students who have passed the final examination are awarded a higher education diploma ( dyplom ukończenia studiów wyższych) which confirms the completion of a given type of degree programme and the award of a relevant degree in a given field of study. If the study programme does not provide for the final examination, students are only required to have completed all courses and practical placements in order to obtain a diploma confirming the award of a relevant degree (the overall mark equals to the average mark for all the courses). The same diplomas and degrees are awarded by university-type and non-university HEIs. Diplomas are issued in accordance with specimens defined in a regulation by the minister responsible for higher education and are officially recognised documents. At the graduate's request, a HEI is obliged to issue a copy of a diploma in one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German or Russian.

The following degrees are awarded to students upon completion of first-cycle (Bachelor’s degree) programmes:

• licencjat –in the following fields: humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics, administration, social sciences, medical areas (except nursing and midwifery), physical education and fine arts;
• licencjat pielęgniarstwa– in the field of nursing;
• licencjat położnictwa– in the field of midwifery;
• inżynier – in the fields of engineering and technology (except architecture and urban planning), agriculture forestry, and in other areas where over 50% of courses are concerned with engineering or technology, agriculture or forestry;
• inżynier architekt– in the field of architecture and urban planning.

The following degrees are awarded to students upon completion of second-cycle and long-cycle (Master’s degree) programmes (for the fields of study in which second-cycle and/or long-cycle programmes are offered currently and will be offered in the future):

• magister – in the following fields: humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics, social sciences, law, medical areas (except medicine, dentistry, nursing and midwifery) and physical education;
• magister pielęgniarstwa– in the field of nursing;
• magister położnictwa– in the field of midwifery;
• magister sztuki– in the fields of fine arts;
• magister inżynier – in the fields of engineering and technology (except architecture and urban planning), agriculture forestry, and in other areas where over 50% of courses are concerned with engineering or technology, agriculture or forestry;
• magister inżynier architekt– in the field of architecture and urban planning;
• lekarz – in the field of medicine;
• lekarz dentysta– in the field of dentistry;
• lekarz weterynarii –in the field of veterinary medicine.

A Bachelor’s degree ( licencjat or inżynier) entitles its holder to practise a given profession and provides access to second-cycle (Master’s degree) programmes. A Master’s degree ( magister or an equivalent degree) entitles its holder to practise a given profession and provides access to doctoral programmes.

Doctoral programmes

Upon completion of a doctoral programme, students are awarded a certificate ( świadectwo ukończenia studiów doktoranckich) in accordance with a specimen defined in a regulation by the minister responsible for higher education after consultation with the State Commission for Academic Degrees. However, as mentioned in the previous sections, enrolment on a doctoral programme is not a precondition for the award of the academic degree of doktor. It may be awarded to a person who fulfils the following conditions:

• holds a Master’s degree ( magister or an equivalent degree);
• has successfully passed doctoral examinations, the precise scope of which is determined by the board of a given organisational unit ; such examinations cover the core discipline corresponding to the topic of the doctoral dissertation, an additional discipline and a modern foreign language;
• has submitted and successfully defended a doctoral dissertation (public defence).

The academic degree of doktor (or the equivalent degree of doktor sztukifor artistic areas) is awarded in a given area and discipline. All proceedings leading to the award of the degree are conducted, and the degree is awarded, by the faculty board in a HEI or the academic board in another research institutions. A resolution awarding the academic degree of doktor becomes valid immediately after its adoption by a given faculty/academic board.

Institutions:

State Commission for Academic Degrees
00-901 Warszawa, Plac Defilad 1 Pałac Kultury i Nauki, p. XXIV, pokój 2401
Tel.:+48 (22) 826 82 38
Fax:+48 (22) 620 33 24

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