Education system before the

reform

Till september 1999, the first level of education was primary

school which lasted 8 years, after wich you could apply to a high

( secondary ) school or vocational school.

PRIMARY SCHOOL

*HIGH SCHOOL
*VOCATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL

TECHNICAL
SCHOOL

VOCATIONAL

SCHOOL

complement

ary

HIGH

SCHOOL

complementary

TECHNICAL SCHOOL

EDUCATION SYSTEM

AFTER THE REFORM

Reform of education system except for changes in program, introduced new types of schools:

-

A six – year primary school

-

A three – year secondary school

-

A three – year high school

-

A four – year technical school

-

A vocational school lasting 2 or 3 years

There are also high schools for those who previously attended vocational schools and a three – year

vocational schools for those who graduated from the first level of vocational school. The last two types

of schooles finish with „Matura” exam. In the transitory period there where secondary schools:

PRIMARY SCHOOL

GIMNASIUM

( JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL)

HIGH SCHOOL

VOCATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL

TECHNICAL
SCHOOL

VOCATIONAL

SCHOOL

complementa
ry
HIGH
SCHOOL

complementary
TECHNICAL
SCHOOL

PASSING TO HIGHER SCHOOLS

The time of attending school is 12 – 15 years,

after which you can take the „Matura” exam.
After passing the „Matura” exam graduates get
their certificate of secondary education
allowing them to apply for college or university

MATURITY EXAM – CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

PRE – ADMISSION TESTS

HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

In Poland there are state ( public ) colleges or universities and the private ones which were

created after 1990. Private colleges are created after getting permission from Minister of National

Education and Sport and there are incorporated after listing them to the register of private

schools. This register is supervised by Ministry of National Education and Sport.

Since 1998 there were created public and private higher vocational schools. The key element is

having obligatory training that lasts 15 weeks and the graduate should attend this training.

Studies could be either daily, evening or extramural studies. The basic system is daily studies

unless the status of university will be different.

In order to apply for the university students must have a certificate of „Matura” exam. University

and technical schools have got their own system of application. Some universities organize

entrance exam. There are also some universities to which students get into due to their good

certificate, there is a contest of certificates. The better certificate gives the more chances you will

get in. Some students get into colleges, especially private colleges, rarely into universities paying

school fee. But also in this case passed „Matura” exam and certificate are always necessary.

COLLEGE END
POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL

DOCTORAL STUDIES

DOCTOR

MASTER STUDIES

COMPLEMENTARY
MASTER STUDIES

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Bachelor’s degree or Engineers’s degree

DEGREES

- BA

( Bachelor of Arts ),

BS

( Bachelor of Science ) –

degree which you get after graduating from a three – year

studies or three and a half – year studies

- Engineer

– the title which is given to people who graduate

from Polytechnic university, colleges, exept for the

architecture and town planning, at the farming faculty

- Engineer architect

– given to people who graduated

vocational colleges at architecture town planning

- MA

( Master of Arts ),

MS

( Master of Science ),

MV

( Master of Veterinary ),

MO

( Master of Obstetrics ),

ME

( Master of Engineering ),

MA

( Master of Architecture),

Dentist, Veterinary, Doctor, MN

( Master of Nursing ) –

given after 4 – 6 – years studies

The title of

MA

can be obtained by people who graduated from

two or two and a half – year of extramural studies

SCIENTIFIC DEGREES

There are PhD ( Doctor of Philosophy ) and assisstant professor

Degree of PhD is given to a person which MA or MS. The person must

pass exams, concerning the material that was prepared by committee of

the unit University. The person has to write and defend doctoral thesis.

The person who has PhD and who has significat a scolar or artistic

outputand who has written Postdoctoral lecturing qualifications

The degree of PhD and assistant are confered in the universities units

which are entitle to it

SCIENTIFIC DEGREE

Professor

of a certain domain is the scholar degree. The

President of
Poland confers the professor degree

PRIMARY SCHOOL

*HIGH SCHOOL

*VOCATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL

TECHNICAL
SCHOOL

VOCATIONAL

SCHOOL

COMPLEMEN-

TARY

HIGH

SCHOOL

COMPLEMEN-

TARY

TECHNICAL

SCHOOL

PRIMARY SCHOOL

GIMNASIUM

HIGH

SCHOOL

VOCATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL

TECHNICAL
SCHOOL

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL

COMPLEMENTARY
HIGH
SCHOOL

COMPLEMENTARY

TECHNICAL

SCHOOL

MATURITY EXAM – CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

PRE – ADMISSION TESTS

COLLEGE END
POST-SECONDARY
SCHOOL

MASTER STUDIES

complementary MASTER STUDIES

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES:

Bachelor’s degree end Engineers’s

degree

DOCTORAL STUDIES
DOCTOR