Are you looking to study at a prestigious university in Poland? Well, you have come to the right place. Poland is indeed one of the most reputable countries to pursue your higher education.
The country has a long-existing reputation for providing high-quality education and has a very flexible and practical-knowledge approach towards education. They pay special attention to scientific research and have produced the world’s finest scientists over the years. Here we look at all the essentials to study in Poland.
Study in Poland
Poland has as many as 14 of their universities in QS World University Rankings, and Warsaw University is the world’s best university and falls under the top 3 % of universities in the world as ranked by Times Higher Education and Quaquarelli Symmonds (QS).
Poland attracts lakhs of applications for higher education due to its multicultural approach and productive environment.
Intakes of Universities in Poland
The two significant intakes in Poland are the summer intake and winter intake.
WINTER INTAKE
Winter intake starts in September or October and goes on until February or March in Poland. If you’re looking to apply for this winter intake in Poland, you’d need a proper action plan. That would maximize your chance of getting your application selected.
SUMMER INTAKE
Summer intake starts in February and ends in July or August every year. You need to follow the same steps discussed above, with the only difference being in the timeline. You should apply until December for summer intake since most colleges work on a first-come, first-serve basis.
You should once again reply quickly to the college’s emails and apply for your student visa as soon as you accept the offer. Getting flight tickets, applying for scholarships, and getting loans are the facets you news to cover beforehand.
Study in Poland as an international student
Poland admits over 70000 international students to their prestigious universities every year. You would need to shortlist your favourite university and course, after which you need to follow the steps discussed further in this article. Also, carefully go through the documents required.
The best time to apply to colleges in Poland
The size of the classes in the fall is much larger than that in the spring. Likewise, fall is the ideal time to apply to Polish universities.
To comply with the winter intake
You should comply with this timeline for a chance of selection in winter intake:
Do your research
Start your research as early as August and zero in on 7-8 universities you want to study in. You should thoroughly check the course information, fee, and more on the university websites.
You should then check your scholarship as well as loan options to help you financially. The next step is to look for accommodation costs and opportunities because planning is crucial in getting a student visa.
Appear for standardized exams
Check your university requirements and start preparing for mandatory tests like IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, etc. You need to register for GMAT at least four months before the test’s final date. Apply for the examination in September, but you’d also need to buffer if you have to reappear.
Apply to the universities
Shortlist your preferred courses and universities and start preparing for the application. You need to pitch into the university well and display precisely why you would be an ideal student for them.
You’d need reference letters from your professors along with essays.
Final Decision
Reply quickly to college emails and give interviews as suggested by the college. Revert soon after getting your letter of acceptance.
Student Visa
Apply for a student visa after getting your acceptance. Prepare all the documents, as we would discuss later. The visa processing takes time, so apply beforehand.
The Top Universities in Poland
A whopping 14 universities in Poland were featured in the QS World University Rankings in 2019. The ranking is credible and specific to areas within Europe and Central Asia.
Here we list some of the top universities in Poland:
| No. | University Name | Poland Universities Rankings (QS) |
| 1 | University of Warsaw | 394 |
| 2 | Jagiellonian University | 411 |
| 3 | Warsaw University of Technology | 601 – 650 |
| 4 | Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań | 801 – 1000 |
| 5 | AGH University of Science and Technology | 801 – 1000 |
| 6 | Cracow University of Technology | 801 – 1000 |
| 7 | Lodz University of Technology | 801 – 1000 |
| 8 | Nicolaus Copernicus University | 801 – 1000 |
| 9 | Poznan University of Technology | 801 – 1000 |
| 10 | University of Gdansk | 801 – 1000 |
Time to complete bachelor’s and master’s studies in Poland
Depending on the field of study, the Master’s program can take anywhere between 1.5 to 2 years in Poland. The higher education system is divided into 3-4 semesters. Similarly, the bachelor’s degree is typically three years or six semesters.
The Documents Required to Apply to Polish Universities
You would need to fulfil a few minimum requirements to get that prized admission to a Polish university.
If you are looking to get your master’s degree there, here are the prerequisites:
- Bachelor’s diploma or certificate
- An English proficiency test like IELTS
- Matriculation or equivalent certificate
Every Polish university has slightly different requirements, but you’d mostly need the following documents:
- Undergraduate diploma or an official replacement (issued by the university)
- Application form correctly filled in by you and signed
- A personal reference as well as multiple professional references
- Proper CV with complete details of professional career as well as studies
- Four passport-size photographs
- Copy of ID
- Recent medical certification that ensures no contradiction in studying
- Proof of proper English Language proficiency through a test. You could skip it if your bachelor’s degree were in English
- Appropriate evidence that you can pay the admission fee.
The university application deadlines in Poland
Typically a Polish academic year consists of 2 semesters lasting 15 weeks each. The application deadline for the students from the EU and EEA is latest by mid-September. All other students can apply by mid-August, although it is best to visit the company website.
The other entry requirements for Poland Universities
You may also have to take an aptitude test if you want to take admitted to several fields. These fields include arts, languages, physical education, teaching, technical as well as medical courses.
Each of these programs would require some other documents that you’d need to submit.
Here are a few other papers you should be ready with:
- An original copy of your Bachelor’s thesis or a supplementary to your UG diploma
- A secondary school certificate or an alternate issued by your listed high school
Step-by-Step Application Process for Poland Universities
Step 1: Early Preparations
Poland is a member of the European Union. If you are a student from there, you won’t need a visa to study in Poland. But students in Bangladesh and other countries need to apply for a student visa to study.
Start preparing the necessary visa documents and start setting up appointments while applying to universities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Polish consulates would help you with the required documentation.
But it can be a struggle as you have to send so many applications and documents to universities, embassies, etc. You also run the risk of filling in the wrong information or misunderstanding the structure. That can lead to the rejection of a visa.
You also need to check if you are eligible for a scholarship and we at ACTIVE EDUCATION can also help you do that.
Step 2: Apply at University’s website
Browse through the programs on your desired university website and apply for the one you want to pursue. You would need to visit websites separately as Poland doesn’t have a unified website for all the university applications. Hence the process is time taking, and you should start early.
Step 3: Fulfil language requirements
Both the applications for the visa as well as a university need you to be proficient in the English language.
At the minimum, you should try and pass with flying colours in one of the following tests:
- PTE Academic
- IELTS
- TOEFL
- C1 Advanced
Step 4: Final Steps
You’d need to apply for a temporary permanent residency permit no matter where you live. Your Master’s degree will last more than three months, and hence you’d need to apply for residency.
You should also consult with your university’s International Relations Office for information like medical certificates, driving license, insurance, and more.
The Costs While Studying in Poland
College Fees
Polish students don’t need to pay the tuition fee for subjects taught in the Polish language. The same applies to those who live in the EU and Switzerland.
All other international students need to pay a tuition fee which generally ranges from:
- 500 – 6,000 EUR/academic year for Bachelor’s degrees
- 1,000 – 8,000 EUR/academic year for Master’s degrees
The cost rises to 15000 EUR/year for courses like MBA and Dentistry. Likewise, private universities cost more than these minimal charges.
If you are not from an EU country, studying in Poland requires you to pay tuition fees.
- 2230 USD per year for first, second and long-cycle studies
- 3350 USD per year for doctoral, postgraduate and medical postgraduate internships as well as scientific, arts, specialist and post-doctoral internships
- 3350 USD per year for vocational courses and apprenticeships
- 2230 USD per year for an annual preparatory Polish language course to commence studies in Polish
You can also look for a few free-of-charge programs in Poland universities. These programs are standard in the Master’s degree, but some are specific for EU students. Warsaw University of Technology is one of the famous universities that offer free courses.
Scholarship and self-funding options in Poland
Students can support themselves during their course in Poland using funding programs and scholarships.
You can choose from these options:
- Erasmus+ programs
- Scholarships offered by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)
You can also choose from other scholarship programs that we at ACTIVE EDUCATION would suggest to you.
FAQs
Yes, as long as you are enrolled in an institute, you can work part-time and self-fund your stay in Poland. It is a method many international students like to employ since their parents have already paid the tuition fee and other expenses. It would help if you had a valid residency permit to work, though. That is mandatory to study in Poland anyway so you'd be able to take up part-time jobs. No, IELTS or TOEFL iBT isn't mandatory to study in Poland. But having the certification of any of these is enough proof of your English knowledge. Otherwise, you can also show your command of English by displaying your degree certificate of the course you studied in English. You need to have some proof of English knowledge, and IELTS is the easiest way. Poland has over 500 high-quality universities that have been producing an excellent workforce over the years. Some of their universities date back to 1the 400s and have had several Noble prize winners like Marie Curie. The tuition fee in Poland is cheaper than in most other countries in Europe. Poland provides scholarships for even non-EU students, which is rare in other European countries.