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Poland
Education
Higher Education
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 Academic Structure
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The basic unit of each institution of higher education is the faculty. It consists of institutes and chairs which include the teaching and service staffs and the students in a given field of study. Each institution is governed by a rector and a university senate, and each faculty, by a dean and a faculty council. All governing bodies are elected for three-year periods. Rectors and deans are elected by a college of electors. The composition of the senate or faculty council is usually as follows: professors, 50-60 percent; other academic staff, 15-20 percent; other employees, 10 percent; representatives of student self-government, 15-20 percent.
The senate draws up the statutes of the institution and its study regulations; it approves all decisions concerning the economic activity of the institution and its development, its international co-operation, and the introduction of new fields of study. Faculty councils determine the directions of the activities of the given faculty, its curricula, and its course plans.
Primary- and secondary-school teachers are trained in universities, teacher-training higher schools, teacher-training colleges, and foreign language teacher-training colleges. They can attend vocational courses and those leading to a magister degree. Primary- school teachers may also graduate from teacher-training institutions which are considered institutions of higher education.
The basic form of higher education is full-time (day) studies. Institutions of higher education also conduct part-time, i.e., evening, extramural, and correspondence courses which are equivalent to full-time courses, have similar requirements, and lead to the same degrees and diplomas. During the last few years, these forms of study have become more common as they provide an opportunity to upgrade the qualifications of persons who are employed. They are more accessible because their admission criteria are not so restrictive. These forms of study are not free of charge.
Postgraduate studies are organized as extramural or evening courses.
In Poland, it is possible to study at the tertiary level in the so- called pomaturalne (post-secondary) schools. These schools do not have academic status. They offer courses of two-year duration which lead to a technician's diploma or its equivalent. Their students should have completed secondary school, but a secondary-school- leaving certificate is not required. Three-year teacher-training institutions which are not affiliated to universities do not have academic status either.
The language of instruction is Polish; however, students may often attend classes conducted in English, German, or French.
Access to higher education normally takes place after 12 or 13 years of primary (eight years) and secondary (four years, general or five years, vocational) education. A prerequisite is a secondary-school-leaving certificate (swiadectwo dojrzalosci). This prerequisite is not the only qualification for admission to universities and similar institutions which may impose their own conditions, especially in the case of full-time studies. The criteria are defined by the senates on the recommendation of the authorities of the faculties or institutes.