Studies in Poland for foreigners (part 1)

Studies in Poland for foreigners (part 1)

More and more foreigners are looking for information on which university to study, what are the conditions for admission and recruitment, and how financial issues look like during studies. We have prepared a series of articles that collects and summarizes the most important issues regarding how a foreigner can get to universities in Poland.

Where to study in Poland?

The first and probably the most important issue is the choice of the university on which to study. There is a wide range of universities and public, private and public universities in Poland that allow you to study from the first to the third degree. You can get a professional title (bachelor’s degree) or a degree (magister) on them. To search for colleges where foreign students can study in Poland, search engines such as Study Finder and Study in Poland can be used.

One of the most important and best assessed in the university rankings are: the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. We will talk about them in the first part of the cycle. These are public universities, so for Polish citizens they are free. In addition, they have a wide program of faculties and faculties that are taught in English. At the University of Adam Mickiewicz (UAM), there is also a School of Polish Language and Culture for Foreigners, which offers and conducts language courses and classes familiarizing Polish culture and customs with foreigners. At UAM, foreigners are required to attend a language course of two hours a week for four semesters.

English classes are also available, which facilitates the communication of the leaders and listeners. It is possible to study most of the majors at these universities, and the offer of classes conducted in foreign languages ​​is growing every year. The field of Polish philology is also foreign (for example at UAM and the University of Warsaw). Classes in Ukrainian, directed to students from Ukraine, are conducted only at the Jagiellonian University.

Admission requirements for foreigners, including Ukrainians, in Poland

To be admitted to study in Poland, you must have a high school diploma with the right results. Foreigners who want to start learning at Polish universities, at the first level also need to present a high school diploma or a legalized or certified apostille or other document obtained abroad that certifies the completion of school and allows to start studies. The same applies to the second degree, only a bachelor’s diploma (or its foreign equivalent) is needed instead of a secondary school-leaving certificate. Do not forget about important health insurance.

After presenting the relevant documents, foreigners continue to participate in the usual recruitment stage. Each year, universities set thresholds and limits of places in a given direction according to which students are admitted.

Sample study costs at selected universities in Poland

University of Adam Mickiewicz in Poznań: if we plan to start studying at this university, we must prepare ourselves for the costs to depend on the direction we choose. In the case of this university, it can be an amount from PLN 1,100 to 1,200 for a semester of study (for example in political science) up to PLN 4,750 per semester (in the field of art education in the field of musical art). So you have to be prepared on average for the cost of about 2000 thousand zlotys per semester, but it all depends on what direction we will study.

The same applies to dorms, only here is the direction we decide not, and the room we rent. A single room with a bathroom will be much more expensive than a place in a double room with a shared bathroom. In the case of AMU student houses, this means costs from PLN 415 per month (double room) up to PLN 595 for own room in the Student House Jowita. the universities of this university differ in price even among themselves. In the student house of Hanka, you have to pay PLN 680 a month for a double room and PLN 760 for a single room. cheaper is the Babylon dormitory – from 320 to 420 zlotys per month. A room in an average dorm will therefore cost about PLN 400.

We should remember that one of the criteria when allocating places in student homes is the distance of a permanent place of residence from the university.

Jagiellonian University: by choosing to study in Krakow, we will pay immediately for the whole year, not for one semester as in the case of UAM. costs vary in different directions. Foreigners who undertake studies on principles other than those applicable to Polish citizens will also pay differently for their education. At the Jagiellonian University, the lowest amount for the year of study is PLN 2,780 (biochemistry) up to PLN 3,800 for the medical faculty. The amounts can be so huge and it is difficult to average them due to huge differences.

However, student houses of the Jagiellonian University are less diversified in terms of price – the monthly fee for using dorms is PLN 400 (except for student residences at the Collegium Medicum UJ).

If foreigners are studying under the same conditions as Polish citizens, places in dormitories are granted to them on the basis of the same guidelines.

University of Warsaw: this university also charges fees immediately for the entire year of study, not for the semester. In addition, unlike UAM and UJ, the payment is in euros, not in zlotys. The prices here also vary depending on the direction – from 660 euros per year, up to 5200 euros. The costs are also different here for foreigners and for Polish citizens.

The cost of space in the University of Warsaw dorms is similar to the Poznan conditions – they also vary depending on the room chosen. The monthly cost of a stay is between 315 and 670 PLN per person, depending on the type of room (double or single). People who participate in the Ersamus program have a different price list – prices are slightly higher.