Polish qualifications, what are they worth ?

Yes.


Yes. Remember that 4 year taught MAs exist in England too at a few universities and that not all Scottish universities offer the traditional 4 year MA.

True, jonni. I said ancient universities and I guess not all of them. I know that my secondary school friends went on to do MAs directly afterwards.

Haha, when you start seeing my references, you cannot just start using bigger words mate!

These are the few I found in the last 5 minutes.

Goldsmiths, University of London


cms.gold.ac.uk/eu/poland/

Brunel University


brunel.ac.uk/international/informationbycountry/cdata/europe/Poland#requirements

University of Southhampton


soton.ac.uk/international/countrypages/countrypages2009/Poland2009.shtml

University of Westminster


westminster.ac.uk/study/international/country-pages/europe/poland

Coventry University


wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/international/Europe/Poland/Pages/EntryRequirements.aspx

NEED I SAY MORE?

The point, as you well know, is how diplomas are officially recognised, not how individual institutions organise their admissions - a changeable system at best.


No doubt you will since you've been trolling on this topic for a few days now. What exactly is your motivation in this; what makes you trawl websites for hours in order to distort the truth? You haven't mentioned yet. And since your user name is 'bologna', what is your connection to the Bologna process? Which, as I'm sure you know, is proving a bit of a shock to Polish HE institutions.

So you are implying that all the British Universities use their own way while admitting Polish students and completely disregard the "official recognition".

If you have read or seen these "official recognition" somewhere then I feel sad to let you know that this recognition is not recognised by your British HE institutions.


Only to prove that you are wrong and that officially Licencjat = British Undergraduate Degree & Magister = British Masters Degree.

But please do refer to my post #95, I do not want to defend the quality of Polish qualifications, I was only making my point clear about the official recognition and the equivalence of these Polish degrees in the UK.

Why don't you make an effort and see the websites I have copied above.

Or do you still want to argue that all these British Universities are wrong and you are right. If the latter is the case, then you are only here to prove your English superiority (if you are English) and not have a friendly discussion with reference and crediblity.

I thought there are smart people in this forum, but having said this I do not mean that I didn't meet any nicer folks!

Check out NARIC. It is a government agency.


Sensible of you.


They decide only on their own admissions policy. The Bologna Process (far from finished and critical of standards in PL) and NARIC decide on recognition. No-one else.


I don't have a vested interest - my qualifications are not in doubt. You still haven't said why you're trolling.

Why don't you check them out. I work in British academia and I am using the fact that I know and have seen, heard and experienced.


So have you ever thought why all of them "suddenly" decided to use Polish Licencjat (post 2003) as equivalent to British Bachelors Degree and Polish Magister (post 2003) as equivalent to British Masters Degree? Just for fun, perhaps!

Oh, I am tired of trying to light the darkness.

No need, I have dealt with them often. It relates directly to some business I do.


I'm surprised you need to ask that. If you indeed work in "British academia" you will be aware how universities and other HE institutions are funded.

Do you know that Polish students do not pay fees? They are no Hen Laying Golden Eggs for British HEIs as international students from outwith EU who pays £10,000 a year for a Degree (which I did in my time once).

You'll be doing more than lighting darkness if you prove that a five-year every-other-weekend course is superior to a five/six year full-time course.

I am not trying to prove if it is superior or inferior. See, you guys haven't understood my whole point. I am only trying to show what are their equivalence.

For a Masters Degree which needs a British BA (Hons) as entry requirement, a Polish Licencjat of similar grades does the purpose.

For a job in UK (or anywhere in the world) which needs a Bachelors Degree as minimum education requirement, a Polish Licencjat does the purpose.

I know the quality of some "higher schools" and universities in Poland are way below standards but this doesnt mean all the qualification can be tarred with the same brush.

The Polish qualifications are worth exactly the same as other similar level European qualifications for "entry requirement" in job market or academia, but the main point is the persons ability (and in most cases knowledge of local language) to gain the entry.

Equivalence wise, the Magister from Poland, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, and Slovakia are the same as Masters Degree in English speaking world, magistères in France, candidate in Denmark & Norway and so on.


I do not have a Polish Qualification either Jonni, infact I have all British Degrees and I aint trolling, I am providing genuine references and arguments. Please see my post above.

Hope all of you will understand my point, and I say again, I am not here to say which qualification is superior and which is inferior. I only wish to picturise their equivalence in "real life".

I appreciate the practical need for equivalence and recognition but marking out too many equals signs is counterproductive. We must be aware of excessive simplification and map out guidelines that help to convey the fuller picture.

A major part of the problem is that too narrow a vision of a candidate will be formed. CV's that spell out a black/white image with codes like x=y may do some candidates a disservice. I speak from experience. I was chosen for my CELTA course based on an interview and competence assessment and for my LLM based on a scholarship and short interview. They can evaluate, more or less, if you are up to the task.

Finally, we musn't become lazy by ignoring other factors that might make the candidate a viable, and indeed, attractive one.

Let's put it this way: if you're English, 21 years old (i.e. left school five years ago) and claim to have earned an MA by studying every other weekend, people will call you a liar. In Poland you can be five years removed from your 12 years of school, have studied every other weekend and say you have a Magister. But feel free to carry on telling us how a Magister is equal to an MA, that gives us all a good laugh.

You have to look at the character and structure of the syllabi and curriculums involved in both. To me, a material difference is the fact that Poles defend their Pracy Magisterski (is that what it's called?). In that respect, it's sth akin to a viva-voce where you sit in front of a panel to explain your findings to the satisfaction of a group of experts. This is more reminiscent of the PhD approach to minimise the risk of plagiarism and that you are wholly familiar with your lines of thought.

When I did my thesis, I was barely even supervised. I was supervised much more in my dissertation. I certainly didn't have to directly defend either in a formal setting, just update my supervisors on my progress.

I thought it was every weekend and from 9 till 5 which equates to 16 hours a week.

You have to also know most European countries have a 5 years Masters system (3 yrs bachelors + 2 years masters) similar to Poland (unlike orthodox English way of 4 years Hons + 1 year Masters, totalling to 6 years)

Anyway, I don't want to argue if this gives you (or doesnt) a good laugh but believe me my friend, Polish Magister are academically and practically equal to British Masters Degrees.

But I say again, not all could be of same quality though. (so I can completely understand your "anger" on Polish people with Licencjat studying Masters Degrees and with Magister studying MPhil/PhD in Britain - similarly, on those Polish with a Licencjat doing the same job as a British BA(Hons) holder does.

Refer to my post #133

I have personally sent a copy of the book which one student plagiarised large chunks of her Magister thesis from to the rektor of the university after the head of my department refused to act. The student still got a five for 'her' thesis. Just as would happen with an English MA.

There needs to be identification of this as it is a major offence. We have standards for identifying inventions so we should apply a similar 'sufficient originality' test. If it was blatant then they have no room to maneuver.

The culture here is different. I have noticed that cheating is more acceptable.