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The following glossary contains brief explanations of Polish terms and titles related to Polish universities and other institutions of higher learning in Poland. Because of differences in the structure and organization of institutions of higher education in Poland and the United States, in many instances the indicated equivalence is only approximate.

  • Adiunkt. Academic rank corresponding to that of Assistant or junior Associate Professor
  • Akademik. Residence Hall or Dormitory.
  • Asystent. Academic rank corresponding to that of a Lecturer or junior Assistant Professor. Usually the individual is someone who has either who has not yet received their Ph.D. or received recently.
  • Cwiczenia. Practical class in any subject presupposing ongoing interaction between instructors and students, often accompanied by a wyklad
  • Doktor. Ph.D. degree; conferred to individuals upon the submission and successful defense of a thesis offering a significant contribution to their field. Requires the candidate to possess the degree of magister or its equivalent and to first pass three qualifying examinations.
  • Doktor habilitowany. A higher degree that individuals possessing a PhD i.e. having the title of doktor can aspire to. Faculty at institutions of higher education are required to obtain the degree in order to gain a permanent position. i.e. obtaining the degree is equivalent to receiving tenure at an American University. To be accorded the degree, the candidate must present a thesis composed of published work which constitutes a considerable contribution to the progress of knowledge in a given discipline.
  • Czesne. Tuition, the fee paid for attendance at a course or set of courses. During the period 1945-1989 all institutions of higher education were public and studies were free though admission was restricted by examinations and political considerations. Full time day studies at public institutions continue to be tuition-free and admission to them is, as a rule, restricted by examination. By contrast, studies at private institutions and "evening" studies at public institutions require payment of tuition.
  • Dziekan. Dean
  • Egzamin. Examination, which usually concludes individual courses. It may be oral, written or practical.
  • Egzamin wstepny. The entrance examination administered to those wishing to enter (matriculate) a given institutions of higher learning in Poland. The examination may be oral and/or written, it may test the special abilities of the candidates, and sometimes it is accompanied by an interview.
  • Indeks. Booklet in which all student's credits are recorded. It lists all courses, lectures and examinations he or she takes as well as all grades he or she receives.
  • Instytut. Institute: a unit within a university department or, alternatively, a free standing degree granting entity devoted to a narrow field of study. Usually, in the latter case, the degrees granted are those of doktor and doktor habilitowany.
  • Inzynier. A professional title usually awarded after the completion of eight semesters of technical or agricultural studies, and in some cases, the same number of semesters in economics. Equivalent to the B.A. or B.S. degree.
  • JuvenaliaAnnual costumed student carnival festival taking place in May during which the students have the run of the town. Reaching in their traditions into antiquity, it marks the coming into adulthood and includes marches and street carnivals, reversals of authority. etc.
  • Lekarz medycyny or dyplom lekarza. Initial qualification and professional title awarded upon completing medical studies. In veterinary surgery, this qualification carries the title of lekarz weterynarii, and in dentistry, that of lekarz stomatolog.
  • Katedra. A division of a department or an interdepartmental program
  • Lektor. Lecturer or Teaching Assistant particularly one teaching a foreign language.
  • Lektorat. Foreign language teaching class.
  • Licencjat. Professional title usually awarded after the completion of three years of higher professional studies in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, economics, physical education, tourism and recreation, and physical rehabilitation. It corresponds to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
  • Magister. Professional degree usually awarded after five years of study in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, economics, theology, physical education, tourism, recreation, rehabilitation, and the medical sciences (with the exception of medicine and dentistry); it corresponds to the Master of Arts (M.A.) or the Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree.
  • Magister inzynier. M.A. degree in technology, agriculture, and some economics studies. It corresponds to a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree.
  • Matura or swiadectwo dojrzalosci (certificate of maturity). Secondary-school-leaving certificate obtained at the end of three years of studies in a liceum (high school).
  • Rektor. A university rector or president.
  • Profesor. Professor. In Poland, this title, once granted, is lifelong much like that of doktor in the English speaking world. It is a title that is granted to individuals who have the degree of doktor habilitowany. Though the title is usually used by itself, a profesor can be nadzwyczajny, zwyczajny, or prezydencki. In literal translation the three qualifiers can be rendered as extraordinary, ordinary and presidential. Functionally a Profesor nadzwyczajny corresponds to the rank of a tenured Associate Professor while Profesor zwyczajny corresponds to that of a full Professor. While these two ranks are granted by the institution of higher education employing the individual, the title of Profesor prezydencki is a lifetime appointment granted by the country's government and actually ceremoniously conferred by the country's President, thus more prestigious and illustrious. Thereafter the individual's salary derives directly from the government.
  • Pro-rektor. Vice or associate rector or president.
  • Seminarium. Seminar.
  • Seminarium magisterskie. An M.A. seminar which students choose depending on their interests and intended subject of their thesis.
  • Sesja. Examination session or period when most examinations are traditionally administered.
  • Studia dzienne. Full-time (day) studies.
  • Studia wieczorowe. So called evening studies: studies for which courses can given in the afternoon, evening and on weekends. These studies are fully equivalent to full time day studies in terms of material covered, number of contact hours etc., but usually are easier to gain acceptance into but at the same time have higher tuition costs.
  • Studia zaoczne. Part-time (extramural) studies. Usually weekend courses more limited in the amount of material covered. Such studies are becoming less frequently offered.
  • Swiadectwo dojrzalosci. See matura.
  • Szkola pomaturalna. Post-secondary school; school which offers professional qualifications at a secondary level to secondary school-leaving youth (including those who have the secondary-school-leaving certificate).
  • Tytul zawodowy. (professional qualification). See magister, magister lekarz, inzynier, licencjat. (All higher education qualifications give the right to exercise the corresponding profession).
  • Wydzial. Faculty.
  • Wyklad. Lecture.
  • Wykladowca. Senior Lecturer.
  • Zajecia. An informal but popular term signifying all courses the student takes, be it wyklad - lecture, cwiczenia - class or seminarium - seminar.
  • Wyzsza szkola. (Literal translation: Higher School) A term that is generically applied to all instiutions of higher education. It can also be used in the proper name of a given institution, as for instance Wyzsza Szkola Morska W Szczecinie (Szczecin's Maritime University). Such usage for university-level educational institution harks back to earlier usage dating from the time when in partition Poland the occupiers would not permit the establishment of universities.
  • Zaklad. A division of a department.
  • Zaliczenie. Generic term signifying a satisfactory completion of a course, which is different from egzamin - examination.



Last Updated March 2004