Jagiellonian University - Share your thoughts

I am considering this university and just interviewed with them for a Master's Degree in Business.

I don't know Polish but am willing to learn. The program is supposedly taught in English.

After a 5 minute interview which I expected more but this seems to be the norm, I am concerned about the quality of education. Also about my ability to communicate before I learn Polish.

What do you think about this university? What do you think about Krakow?

I also applied to universities in Wroclaw like the University of Wroclaw (uwr.edu.pl) and the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (pwr.edu.pl). I would also consider the University of Warsaw, or others if recommended.

I know the quality of education in the Baltics is very bad (like Lithuania). I am wondering if it is similarly as bad in Poland.

Also a little about my background, I studied Business at an American university and got a 4.0 GPA. I am a US citizen. I don't want to go to a Western university for grad school because I despised my undergrad at a liberal American university. So UK for example is out. And the other major reason is because of money. UK for example is very expensive. Maybe I could get a scholarship, but Germany tuition is free, and Poland tuition is cheap(ish, compared to American universities). I really just don't want a liberal higher education. That's why I would never go to places like Harvard, Yale, or Oxford, even if I could get in, which is actually possible.

My only aversion besides salaries in Poland if I eventually wanted to work there, is I don't want to live in a dump. I have traveled through Eastern Europe from the Baltics to the Balkans. The Baltics are a dump, the best Lithuania has to offer for example is Vilnius, which is a run down dump. Sorry but this is my opinion. And the Balkans are also just as poor and also a dump, with a little better weather than the Baltics, but lots of Turkish people there, I don't fit in. And Lithuania was way more westernized than I expected, basically like American almost.

So if possible, I would like to live in a nice city that is not Westernized, or at least not as badly Westernized.

Also for my plans for the future, I am an entrepreneur, but I also considered going back into the workplace, maybe be a c-suite executive or something, I'm very flexible. I would also consider being a professor, it is something I may like to do.

I also considered that I might want to work in Germany, or get a PhD in Germany, but my concern is that I read on here in another post and have heard elsewhere that the the Polish English language courses are very low quality and basically just make money for the university. I know that's true in Lithuania.

How useful is it really, will this be respected in Germany for example or would they just see Poland and say no way, and then I am restricted to Poland only, so can never make any money?

In practicality.

I also want to actually learn things and develop business connections, not just get a diploma.

Be totally honest with me, I need to know the truth before making a decision.

I'm also considering getting a second Bachelor's in Engineering in Germany.

Polish universities don't have good links with industry - and the quality of their English language programs are not great. Yes, it really is just about making money for them.


Get a PhD with what goal in mind? Either you're an entrepreneur or an academic. The two rarely go together.

I think you're also making a bit of an error in thinking of Poland as eastern European and not 'too badly westernized'. it's very much westernized at this stage. Poland is a member of the EU and the younger generations in the large towns and cities are outward looking.


If you don't mind being poisoned by the toxic air quality in winter, it might be ok.

There was a guy on here called Dirk who was an Ivy League guy and also had a bee in his bonnet about liberals and Turks. Not sure if he is posting still but he might give you some advice.

If you are going to do a Masters in Business in Poland then Kozminski in Warsaw has the best reputation. Jagiellonian is a good university for Polish language studies but agree with what Atch says and if you only had a 5 minute interview it might be because they are not that confident talking in depth in English

Exactly. PolamKrak says it has been getting better recently but I checked latest pollution detection rates and it is still a big problem there.

As for the JU, in 2020 it was ranked as the best uni in Poland.