General information

The aims of quality assurance are set for individual processes and as part of mission statements and/or responsibilities of the involved bodies. There is no single official document setting out overall aims of the quality assurance system.

External quality assurance

The quality assurance system includes the following processes that are mandatory for higher education institutions (HEIs) (and other research institutions which operate a doctoral school): 

• entering non-public HEIs into the Register and extending the validity period of entries;

• granting permits for the establishment of first-, second- and long-cycle programmes in all fields of study to new HEIs and existing public and non-public HEIs which do not meet the requirements set in the legislation to establish a programme in a given field of study as part of their autonomy; 

• evaluation/accreditation of new programmes to be established in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery; 

• ex post programme evaluation: evaluation of ongoing first-, second- and long-cycle programmes in all fields of study; 

• evaluation/accreditation of ongoing programmes in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery; 

• evaluation of the quality of education in doctoral schools (the first evaluations were conducted in the 4^th quarter of 2024). 

All of these processes combine supervisory or accreditation and quality improvement orientations. On the one hand, they end with a formal decision which grants (or refuses) authorisation for a non-public higher education institution (HEI) to be established and operate, or for a public or non-public HEI to establish or continue to deliver a programme, or to continue to operate a doctoral school. On the other hand, the criteria, the analysis of collected evidence, and reports and recommendations of evaluation panels are aimed at quality improvement. 

The mandatory processes involve the Ministers of Science and Higher Education and of Health, the Polish Accreditation Committee (PAC), the National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery (NACSN&M) and the Science Evaluation Committee (SEC). PAC gives opinions on applications for the entry onto the Register of Non-Public HEIs and the renewal of registration, and applications for permits to establish programmes in all fields of study. The Minister of Science and Higher Education takes decisions on these matters. PAC conducts ex post programmes evaluations and takes decisions in this process, with no involvement of the Minister. The NACSN&M conducts evaluations of Nursing and Midwifery programmes, and the Minister of Health takes decisions on the accreditation of new and ongoing programmes. The SEC evaluates education in doctoral schools and takes decisions in this process. 

There are two voluntary processes to be conducted at the request of an HEI: 

• ex ante programme evaluation for programmes which have not been started yet; 

• comprehensive evaluation focusing on the effectiveness of internal quality assurance in all areas where an HEI provides education. 

HEIs can apply to PAC to conduct an ex ante programme evaluation as from the academic year 2025/2026. General criteria for comprehensive evaluation are defined in the legislation, but PAC has yet to develop detailed standards. 

As voluntary processes, the two types of evaluation have, in principle, an advisory orientation. However, where a comprehensive evaluation will end with a positive outcome, PAC will not conduct ex post programme evaluations in the fields of study assigned to the disciplines within areas where it has assessed the quality of education as particularly high, unless it is instructed to do so by the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

In addition to the institutions in charge of evaluation mentioned above, there are so-called peer accreditation commissions, set up by HEIs from the 1990s onwards. They have an exclusively advisory role, supporting HEIs in the development of quality culture and quality improvement. They focus on specific types of HEIs or fields of study, and their activities are not governed by national legislation. They carry out evaluations based on applications submitted voluntarily by HEIs, and their accreditation decisions do not entail any legal consequences. In the last decades, most of them have suspended or curtailed their activity in view of mandatory evaluation conducted by PAC. Thus, they are not included in the next sections. Information about the commissions that have carried out evaluations in recent years is available on the following websites:

• Accreditation Commission of Universities of Technology

• University Commission on the Quality of Education in the Field of Medicine (the website in Polish)

Internal quality assurance

The national legislation lays down only general arrangements for quality assurance of degree programmes, teacher appraisal and student course evaluation. HEIs adopt detailed approaches in their internal regulations. Both PAC and the NACSN&M consider internal quality assurance in their external evaluations.

Reforms in the last decade

In the last decade, external quality assurance included the following processes: entry of non-public HEIs into the Register and renewal of registration; the granting of permits for the establishment of first-, second- and long-cycle programmes, and periodic programme evaluation (currently, referred to as ex post programme evaluation), and evaluation / accreditation of programmes in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery (see the list above). 

Between 2011 and 2016, PAC also conducted institutional evaluations at the level of organisational units of public and non-public HEIs. An evaluation covered not only the management of a unit, but also the quality of non-degree postgraduate programmes and doctoral programmes. It aimed, among other things, to provide a fuller picture of the performance of units and the quality of education, and to reduce the burden of programme evaluations on HEIs insofar as units which received an outstanding rating did not undergo programme evaluations during the validity period of the rating. Currently, in addition to the processes that have been in place in the last decade, the quality assurance system includes non-mandatory comprehensive evaluation and ex ante programme evaluation (see General information above). 

Based on the legislation amended in 2016 and 2018, PAC simplified and refined the criteria for programme evaluations, and incorporated in its criteria the 2015 Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015). Evaluation still covers both formal requirements set in the legislation and qualitative aspects, but places greater emphasis on the quality of education. PAC takes a similar approach in the assessment of applications for permits to establish new programmes. 

Since 2018, in conducting a programme evaluation (and, in the future, a comprehensive evaluation), PAC has been authorised to take a decision based on an evaluation conducted or an accreditation decision or certificate issued by a quality assurance body which is listed on the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). Earlier, PAC could do so only if it had an agreement on the recognition of evaluation outcomes with the quality assurance body concerned. PAC may also take into consideration an evaluation, accreditation decision or certificate of an international or national quality assurance body.

Between 2011 and 2018, the quality of education was linked to funding insofar as the minister responsible for higher education awarded additional funding to HEIs which received an outstanding quality rating in PAC’s programme evaluations. Grants were also offered to HEIs, on a competitive basis, for improvement of internal quality assurance. Since 2018, the minister has awarded, on a competitive basis, additional funding to HEIs within two programmes that are directly or indirectly related to quality assurance: 

• Teaching Excellence Initiative (Dydaktyczna inicjatywa doskonałości): public non-university HEIs may receive a grant to improve the quality of practically-oriented programmes if none of the programme evaluations conducted by PAC at an HEI between 2019 and 2024 ended with a negative outcome, and based on findings from student and graduate career tracking. In 2025, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education allocated PLN 22.5 million (EUR 5.27 million, according to the EC exchange rate for August 2025) for the Initiative; each eligible HEI can receive PLN 1.5 million (EUR 351,493). 

• Excellence Initiative: Research Institution (Inicjatywa doskonałości – uczelnia badawcza): public and non-public university-type HEIs may receive a grant to improve the quality of research through, for example, enhanced international cooperation, improvement of the quality of education, in particular, in priority research areas, staff development and improvement of institutional management. Grants are awarded to HEIs which operate a doctoral school and meet specific criteria for the quality of research and where no PAC programme evaluation has ended with a negative outcome. As a result of the competition held in 2029, 10 HEIs receive between 2020 and 2026 a state-budget subsidy increased by 10% compared to the one granted in 2019; the subsidy for 10 other HEIs has been increased by 2%. Additional funding should be used for the implementation of development plans described in applications. 

Responsible bodies

Bodies responsible for external quality assurance

The bodies responsible for external quality assurance are the Minister of Science and Higher Education, the Polish Accreditation Committee (PAC), the Minister of Health and the National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery (NACSN&M), and the Science Evaluation Committee (SEC). 

Minister of Science and Higher Education

As part of his/her main powers, the Minister of Science and Higher Education:

• lays down, by regulation, criteria for programme evaluation, comprehensive evaluation and evaluation of the quality of education at doctoral schools;

• takes decisions on entry of new non-public HEIs into the Register for an initial period of 6 years, after consultation with PAC;

• takes decisions to renew the registration of non-public HEIs for an indefinite time, after consultation with PAC, or to refuse renewal in cases where PAC has issued a negative accreditation decision for at least half of the programmes provided by a given HEI and in other cases specified by law;

• grants to public and non-public HEIs permits to establish first-, second- and long-cycle programmes (where an HEI does not meet the requirements to autonomously establish a programme) after consultation with PAC, and after consultation with the Minister of Health (for the fields of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy) or accreditation granted by the Minister of Health (for the fields of Nursing and Midwifery);

• withdraws permits to establish programmes where PAC has issued a negative decision in an ex post programme evaluation and in other cases specified by law;

• may instruct PAC to conduct an ex post programme evaluation which is not included in its regular evaluation schedule;

• may instruct SEC to conduct an evaluation of the quality of education at a doctoral school which is not included in its regular evaluation schedule;

• appoints members of PAC and SEC from among candidates put forward by institutions and organisations identified in the legislation.

Polish Accreditation Committee

PAC was established (as the State Accreditation Committee) by the national legislation in 2002 and currently operates in accordance with the Act of 20 July 2018, The Law on Higher Education and Science, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce, z późn. zm.). 

As part of its main responsibilities, PAC:

• gives opinions to the Minister of Science and Higher Education on applications for entry of non-public HEIs into the Register, and on applications for the renewal of registration;

• gives opinions to the Minister of Science and Higher Education on applications from public and non-public HEIs for permits to establish first-, second- and long-cycle programmes (where an HEI does not meet the requirements to establish autonomously a programme);

• conducts evaluations of first-, second- and long-cycle programmes and takes related decisions without the involvement of the Minister; where PAC takes a negative decision in an ex post programme evaluation, an HEI ceases to provide the programme concerned in case it was autonomously established by the HEI and, thus, a permit from the Minister was not required; in other cases, the Minister may withdraw a permit for the establishment of the programme;

• conducts comprehensive evaluations and takes related decisions (when the process is put in place).

PAC also gives its opinions on draft legislative acts and any other matters presented by the Minister of Science and Higher Education. 

PAC is an autonomous institution, not linked to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in organisational terms. It is funded from the state budget. Administrative and financial services are provided by the PAC Bureau, whose head is appointed and dismissed by the PAC President.

PAC members (up to 100, and the President of the Students’ Parliament of the Republic of Poland) are appointed for a 4-year term by the Minister of Science and Higher Education, but candidates are proposed by the PAC Presidium and independent institutions and organisations identified in the legislation. These include the General Council for Science and Higher Education; the Conferences of Rectors; the Students’ Parliament of the Republic of Poland; and national academic associations and employers’ organisations.

PAC’s responsibilities, overall operational framework and the general criteria for its evaluations are laid down in the Law on Higher Education and Science and relevant regulations. However, PAC adopts independently its operational procedures, including procedures and detailed criteria or standards for its external quality assurance processes, selects experts for evaluations, appoints evaluation panels, and takes decisions in its external quality assurance processes. 

PAC has been a member of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and has been listed on the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) since 2009. Its ENQA membership and EQAR registration are renewed every 5 years, following an external review of its compliance with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area(ESG), conducted by an ENQA expert panel.  

It has also been a full member of the Central and Eastern European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (CEENQA) since 2002, the European Consortium for Accreditation (ECA) since 2005, and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) since 2007. Since 2012, PAC has been accredited by the National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA), which operates with the U.S. Department of Education. 

Minister of Health and National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery

The Minister of Health and the NACSN&M (the websites available in Polish) are involved in the evaluation/accreditation of new and ongoing programmes in two medical fields of study: Nursing and Midwifery. The Minister grants accreditation on the basis of evaluations conducted by the NACSN&M. 

The NACSN&M was established (as the National Accreditation Council for Medical Education) by the national legislation in 2001 and currently operates in accordance with the Act on the Nursing and Midwifery Professions of 15 July 2011, as subsequently amended (ustawa o zawodach pielęgniarki i położnej z dnia 15 lipca 2011 r., z późn. zm.), and the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 29 November 2012 on the National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, as subsequently amended (rozporządzenie Ministra Zdrowia z dnia 29 listopada 2012 r. w sprawie Krajowej Rady Akredytacyjnej Szkół Pielęgniarek i Położnych, z późn. zm.). 

As part of its responsibilities, the NACSN&M:

• conducts evaluations concerning HEIs' compliance with the national standards for programmes;

• assesses periodically HEIs' compliance with the national standards for programmes;

• submits to the Minister of Health proposals for granting accreditation, or refusing or withdrawing accreditation in cases where an HEI does not meet the national standards for programmes.

NACSN&M members (up to 12) are appointed by the Minister of Health for a 4-year term. Half of candidates are proposed by schools of nursing and midwifery within HEIs and the other half by self-government bodies for nurses and midwifes, nurses' and midwives' associations and professional organisations. Each member can serve up to 2 terms. 

The NACSN&M independently defines detailed evaluation criteria and takes decisions on the extent to which programmes meet the national standards. However, the Minister of Health lays down, by regulation, the NACSN&M's operational rules and the procedure for evaluation which provides the basis for accreditation. The Minister also takes final accreditation decisions, although they are based on the NACSN&M’s positive or negative opinion on the HEI’s application for accreditation.

The NACSN&M is funded from the State budget, and the Ministry of Health provides administrative and financial services to the Council.

The NACSN&M is not subject to external review, is not a member of ENQA and is not included in EQAR.

Science Evaluation Committee

The SEC (the website available in Polish) was established in 2019 and operates in accordance with the Act of 20 July 2018, The Law on Higher Education and Science, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce, z późn. zm.). 

As part of its quality assurance responsibilities, the SEC evaluates research activity of HEIs and other research institutions and the quality of education in doctoral schools, and prepares analytical reports on evaluation findings. The first evaluations of education in doctoral schools were conducted in the 4^th quarter of 2024. The SEC also proposes to the Minister of Science and Higher Education research ratings for institutions or units which have undergone a research evaluation; and drafts lists of publishing houses which publish reviewed research monographs and registers of scientific journals and reviewed international conference proceedings. 

The SEC is composed of 3 representatives of each area of science and 7 members with experience in research policy. Members are appointed for a 4-year term by the Minister of Science and Higher Education and may serve up to 2 terms. The Minister appoints members from among candidates put forward by HEIs, institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, research institutes, and international research institutes (established by separate Acts of Parliament and operating in Poland).

The responsibilities and operational framework for the SEC, general rules and criteria for quality evaluation of education in doctoral schools are laid down in the national legislation.

The SEC is funded from the State budget. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education provides administrative and financial services to the SEC. 

The SEC has not undergone an external review, is not an ENQA member and is not included in EQAR.

Bodies responsible for internal quality assurance

The Law on Higher Education and Science identifies two governing bodies of an HEI as involved in internal quality assurance. The senate evaluates the performance of an HEI. The rector sets criteria and procedure and identifies the entity responsible for teacher performance appraisal, after consultation with the senate, trade unions, the student self-government organisation and the doctoral student self-government organisation. 

HEIs adopt detailed internal quality assurance approaches in their internal regulations. They have appointed representatives of rectors, coordinators or other persons, committees or other bodies and/or have established units directly responsible for internal quality assurance (see also staff responsible for internal quality assurance in Chapter 9.6 ‘Other education staff or staff working in higher education’).

Approaches and methods of quality assurance

External  quality assurance

Entry of non-public higher education institutions onto the Register and extension of the validity period of the entry

Pursuant to the Act of 20 July 2018, The Law on Higher Education and Science, as subsequently amended (ustawa z dnia 20 lipca 2018 r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce, z późn. zm.), entry onto the Register of Non-Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is required for non-public HEIs to be established and operate (public HEIs are established by national legislation).

The founder of an HEI submits an application for entry into the Register of Non-Public Higher Education Institutions, together with an application for a permit to establish (a) programme(s) (see below). The application includes, among other things, a strategy and draft statutes of the HEI and information about its assets. 

The Minister of Science and Higher Education refuses to enter an HEI onto the Register without the involvement of the Polish Accreditation Committee (PAC) when there are specific formal and legal grounds in relation to the founder or his/her legal representatives (for example, inclusion in the register of debtors as part of the National Court Register; due liabilities payable to the State budget; a valid court judgment for an intentional offence), or when the draft statutes of the HEI do not comply with the legislation.

Where none of these circumstances occur, PAC assesses the application for registration together with the application for (a) permit(s) for the establishment of (a) programme(s). Assessment is conducted by members of PAC and its external experts. PAC usually gives its opinions based on a review of submitted documents, but the procedure also provides for a site visit where appropriate.

If PAC issues a positive opinion on applications for registration and (a) permit(s) for the establishment of (a) programme(s), the Minister enters the HEI into the Register for an initial period of 6 years. The Minister refuses to register an HEI if the PAC issues a negative opinion on the application for registration or for a permit to establish a programme.

Before the expiry of the initial 6-year period, the founder applies for the renewal of registration. After consultation with PAC, the Minister renews the registration for an indefinite time or refuses to do so. The Minister takes a negative decision in the case of gross violations of the law by the applicant HEI or its founder; where PAC has issued a negative decision for at least half of the programmes provided by the HEI; or for any of the above-mentioned formal or legal reasons for the refusal of registration.

• Granting of permits for the establishment of programmes / accreditation of new programmes 

 

Granting of permits for the establishment of programmes: all fields of study

A permit for the establishment of a first-, second- or long-cycle programme is required for new HEIs and existing public and non-public HEIs which are not authorised to establish autonomously programmes in a given field of study as they do not fulfil the requirement set by law. The requirement applies to HEIs which do not have one of the three highest research ratings (awarded as an outcome of an external evaluation of research) in the discipline to which a given field of study is assigned. 

The arrangements for the granting of permits are laid down in the Law on Higher Education and Science and the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 27 September 2018 on degree programmes, as subsequently amended (rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 27 września 2018 r. w sprawie studiów, z późn. zm.). 

Permits are granted by the Minister of Science and Higher Education. However, except in the cases specified by law (see below), the Minister is required to seek an opinion from PAC which assesses applications. For programmes in the fields of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, the Minister of Science and Higher Education also obligatorily consults the Minister of Health; for programmes in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery, a permit can be granted by the Minister of Science and Higher Education only to programmes which have been accredited by the Minister of Health (see below).

The Minister of Science and Higher Education refuses to grant a permit without seeking an opinion from PAC on formal and legal grounds as stipulated by the legislation (for example, tax arrears of the HEI concerned or due subsidy-related liabilities payable to the State budget; liquidation of the HEI; a remedial action programme introduced for a public HEI; no economic rationale for granting a permit; failure to implement post-audit recommendations) or in case the Minister withdrew the permit for the HEI concerned for the establishment of a programme in a field of study assigned to the same discipline in the last 2 years. The Minister may also refuse to grant a permit without an opinion from PAC if a programme does not respond to socio-economic needs on the date of the submission of the application.

The Minister may withdraw a permit in case the programme concerned has not started for 2 years after the issue of the permit or no students were enrolled on the programme in two consecutive academic years. 

Applications for permits are assessed by PAC members and/or its external experts, including a representative of students. The procedure usually includes a review of submitted documents, but PAC members and/or experts can also undertake a site visit where appropriate. 

PAC’s assessment criteria (PAC’s Statutes, Annex 5), which came into effect on 24 April 2025, address the following areas or aspects: concept of education; classes (programme content, timetable, form and organisation of classes, teaching and learning methods, student placements, methods for assessment of learning outcomes, and degree awarding); teaching staff; and teaching and learning facilities and resources. The criteria consider the specificity of academically and practically oriented programmes. The templates for applications, assessment reports and opinions, and opinions issued by PAC are available on its website (last access: 05/08/2025). PAC also publishes its opinions in DEQAR, a database managed by the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). 

 

Accreditation of new programmes in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery

The arrangements for mandatory accreditation of new programmes in these two fields of study are laid down in the Act on the Nursing and Midwifery Professions of 15 July 2011, as subsequently amended (ustawa o zawodach pielęgniarki i położnej z dnia 15 lipca 2011 r., z późn. zm.), and the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 29 November 2012 on the National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, as subsequently amended (rozporządzenie Ministra Zdrowia z dnia 29 listopada 2012 r. w sprawie Krajowej Rady Akredytacyjnej Szkół Pielęgniarek i Położnych, z późn. zm.). 

The National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery (NACSN&M) (the website available in Polish) assesses the extent to which new programmes in the two fields and the organisational units of HEIs that intend to establish them meet the standards set by the national legislation. The accreditation procedure and criteria, which are published on the NACSN&M website, are the same as for the accreditation of ongoing programmes in the two fields (see below). 

Based on an evaluation, the NACSN&M submits a proposal to the Minister of Health (the website available in Polish) to grant or refuse accreditation. The Minister grants accreditation for 3 to 5 years, depending on the extent to which an HEI meets the mandatory and additional standards.

• Ex ante programme evaluation

As stated in the Statutes of PAC (last access: 05/08/2025), ex ante programme evaluation is designed for new programmes which have not started yet. PAC has introduced this voluntary process as from the academic year 2025/2026. It aims to help HEIs improve a programme to be offered and ensure its compliance with PAC’s standards. 

If an HEI is required to obtain a permit from the Minister of Science and Higher Education to establish a programme (see above), it must do so before applying for an ex ante evaluation. 

The evaluation criteria (see Annex 2a to the Statutes of PAC), which came into effect on 24 April 2025, address the same aspects as defined for ex post programme evaluation (see below), while reflecting the specificity of programmes which have not started yet. 

Like for an ex post evaluation, PAC appoints an evaluation panel for an ex ante evaluation (see below), and the procedure includes a review of a self-assessment report and site visit to the applicant HEI. An evaluation ends with a positive or negative decision. In case an HEI has begun to deliver a programme after the submission of its application for an ex ante evaluation but before a site visit, PAC continues the process as an ex post evaluation.

Programme evaluation / accreditation: ongoing programmes

Ex post programme evaluation: all fields of study

Pursuant to the Law on Higher Education and Science, PAC conducts mandatory evaluations of ongoing first-, second- and long-cycle programmes in all fields of study and all HEIs. Evaluations are carried out in accordance with a schedule adopted by PAC, but an evaluation may also be conducted at the request of an HEI and is immediately initiated at the request of the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

The frequency of evaluations depends on the outcome of the previous evaluation. As stated in the Statutes of PAC, depending on the extent to which a programme meets the criteria, PAC issues a positive decision which is valid for up to 3 years or for 6 years, or a negative decision. Where an HEI has received a positive decision for up to 3 years, a follow-up or repeat evaluation ends with a positive decision valid for 6 years or a negative decision. 

Where PAC has issued a negative decision, the programme concerned ceases to be provided if an HEI established it autonomously and, thus, a permit from the Minister was not required. Otherwise, the Minister may withdraw the permit to establish the programme, which, too, means that the programme may no longer be provided. The Minister may also withdraw a permit in case the HEI does not meet the formal requirements laid down by law or – for the fields of Nursing and Midwifery – the programme has not been re-accredited by the Minister of Health (see below).

Aside from issuing a positive or negative decision, PAC awards Education Excellence Certificates for outstanding quality of education in four categories: 

• Excellent Programme: excellence in education; 

• Always at the Service of Students: excellence in supporting students’ development; 

• Open to the World: excellence in international cooperation; and 

• Partner for Development: excellence in collaboration with the socio-economic environment. 

A certificate is awarded to an HEI providing a programme which has received a positive decision for 6 years, supported by good practice examples of the quality of education or documented and regular achievements of students and graduates (up to 5 years after graduation) and a recommendation for rewarding excellence, under the relevant PAC evaluation criteria, in a report of the evaluation panel.

Evaluation panels have up to 7 members, including PAC members and external experts. Each panel consists of academic experts, a student, an employer representative and, depending on the type of evaluation and their availability, an international quality assurance expert. PAC selects experts  in accordance with the procedures and criteria published on its website. They are required to complete training. PAC members and experts are all full and equal members of evaluation panels.

The general evaluation criteria are defined in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 12 September 2018 on the criteria for programme evaluation (rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 12 września 2018 r. w sprawie kryteriów oceny programowej). The Statutes of PAC define detailed standards for each criterion. The criteria and standards are based on the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015). 

The criteria and standards, which have been in place since 24 April 2025, cover the following areas or aspects: structure of the programme; implementation of the programme; student admission, assessment of learning outcomes, progression between semesters and years, and graduation; teaching staff; teaching and learning facilities and resources; cooperation with social and economic stakeholders; internationalisation; student support; public access to information about the programme; and quality assurance policy, programme design, approval, monitoring, review and enhancement. The standards reflect the specificity of academically and practically oriented programmes.

The evaluation procedure is based on the stages recommended by the ESG and includes: a self-evaluation report prepared by the HEI concerned; a site visit undertaken by an evaluation panel; an evaluation report prepared by the panel and provided to the HEI; a response from the HEI; a decision taken by PAC; the publication of the decision together with its justification and the evaluation report. 

In a follow-up or repeat evaluation, conducted for programmes which have received a positive decision for up to 3 years, PAC assesses only the extent to which the HEI concerned has implemented recommendations made in the previous evaluation. An evaluation panel prepares its report based on the HEI’s report on the implementation of recommendations, but it may also request additional information from the HEI or conduct a site visit.

As part of programme evaluations, PAC may issue a decision based on an evaluation conducted or an accreditation decision or certificate issued by a quality assurance body which is included in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), or with which PAC has concluded an agreement on the recognition of evaluation outcomes. PAC may also take into consideration an evaluation, accreditation or certificate of a national or international quality assurance body. 

PAC’s resolution, including a positive or negative decision and its justification, and the HEI’s response are published in the Public Information Bulletin and PAC’s evaluation database (Baza ocen in Polish) on its website. The database also contains reports prepared by evaluation panels. Additionally, PAC publishes evaluation reports in DEQAR, a database managed by the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). 

PAC has in place an internal quality management system, which includes, for example, internal audits of processes, a questionnaire survey on external evaluations for evaluated HEIs and evaluation panels, and a so-called quality window on the website – a feedback form for stakeholders to send their comments and suggestions. Findings from the questionnaire survey are published on the PAC website. In line with the ESG, PAC also undergoes an external review every 5 years (the last one conducted in 2023).

Evaluation/accreditation of programmes in the fields of Nursing and Midwifery

Like the evaluation/accreditation of new programmes, the mandatory evaluation/accreditation of ongoing programmes in the two fields aims to verify whether an HEI meets the standards and requirements for programmes set in the legislation. The general arrangements, criteria and procedure for evaluation and accreditation are laid down in the afore-mentioned Act on the Nursing and Midwifery Professions and the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 29 November 2012 on the National Accreditation Council for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery (NACSN&M). 

Evaluations are conducted by the NACSN&M and provide the basis for accreditation granted by the Minister of Health. The Minister grants accreditation for 3 to 5 years, and its validity period or the frequency of evaluations depends on the extent to which an HEI meets the mandatory and additional criteria. Where the Minister of Health withdraws accreditation, the HEI concerned may no longer enrol students until a programme is re-accredited.

The detailed criteria are published on the NACSN&M website (see Annexes 1 to 8 to the Resolution of the NACSN&M of 22 June 2025, available in Polish; last access: 06/08/2025). They are based on the national standards for education in the two fields. The NACSN&M evaluates programmes against the mandatory criteria for accreditation for 3 years, and the additional criteria for accreditation for 4 or 5 years. The mandatory criteria address the following areas or aspects: methods for the implementation of the programme; teaching staff; teaching and learning facilities; quality of education, and achievements of an HEI. The additional criteria cover aspects within the same areas or aspects, or aspects extending beyond the mandatory criteria (for example, internationalisation). 

The NACSN&M appoints an evaluation panel which may not include its members working in the evaluated HEI. There is no requirement or recommendation in the legislation or internal NACSN&M regulations to involve students or international experts in evaluation panels.

The evaluation and accreditation procedure includes the following stages: submission of an application for accreditation by a HEI; review of the application by the NACSN&M; a site visit; a site visit report prepared by the evaluation panel and forwarded to the HEI for feedback; a resolution adopted by the NACSN&M with a positive or negative opinion, and a motion to grant, refuse or withdraw accreditation put forward to the Minister of Health; an accreditation certificate awarded by the Minister of Health or the Minister's decision to withdraw accreditation. The NACSN&M publishes only the names of HEIs and the fields of study that have been accredited together with the validity period of accreditation.

The regulations concerning the NACSN&M do not lay down any specific arrangements to assure the quality of its own procedures and do not provide for its periodic external review. 

Evaluation of the quality of education at doctoral schools

The Science Evaluation Committee (SEC) (the website available in Polish) conducts mandatory evaluations of doctoral education. Doctoral schools (which have replaced previously existing third-cycle or doctoral programmes) have operated since 1 October 2019. The first evaluations took place in the 4^th quarter of 2024. The arrangements, criteria and procedure for evaluation and the composition of evaluation panels are laid down in the afore-mentioned Law on Higher Education and Science, and the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 27 September 2021 on the evaluation of the quality of education at doctoral schools (rozporządzenie Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z dnia 27 września 2021 w sprawie ewaluacji jakości kształcenia w szkole doktorskiej). 

The SEC conducts evaluations at least every 6 years in accordance with its schedule or, outside its schedule, at the request of the Minister of Science and Higher Education. 

An evaluation may end with a positive or negative outcome. Where the outcome is negative, an HEI (or another research institution) is no longer authorised to operate the doctoral school concerned.

The evaluation criteria are published on the website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education dedicated to the evaluation of education in doctoral schools (last access: 05/08/2025). They address the following areas or aspects: relevance of the curriculum and individual research plans to learning outcomes for qualifications at Level 8 of the Polish Qualifications Framework and their implementation; assessment of learning outcomes; qualifications of teaching and research staff; quality of the admission process; quality of scientific or artistic guidance and support in research; reliability of the mid-term assessment; internationalisation; and effectiveness of doctoral education. 

The SEC appoints a panel of 4 to 7 members for each evaluation. Each panel consists of SEC members and external experts with significant research achievements (or artistic achievements for the areas of fine arts), including at least one working in a foreign HEI or research institution, and one doctoral student appointed from among candidates put forward by the National Representation of Doctoral Students (a body representing doctoral students).

The evaluation procedure includes: a self-evaluation report prepared by a doctoral school; analysis of the report and a site visit conducted by an evaluation panel; an evaluation report prepared by the panel and provided to the school under review for its feedback; a decision on evaluation taken by the SEC; and the publication of the decision together with the self-evaluation and evaluation reports in the Public Information Bulletin.

• Comprehensive evaluation

The general arrangements for comprehensive evaluation are laid down in the Law on Higher Education and Science, and the general criteria are defined in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 14 May 2025 on the criteria for comprehensive evaluation (rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 14 maja 2025 r. w sprawie kryteriów oceny kompleksowej). 

Comprehensive evaluation, a non-mandatory process, focuses on the effectiveness of internal quality assurance in all areas where an HEI provides education. PAC will conduct a comprehensive evaluation at the request of an HEI which has received only positive programme evaluation decisions (see above) or a positive decision in a previous overall evaluation. PAC has yet to develop detailed evaluation standards. 

The criteria set in the legislation address the following aspects: operation of the internal quality assurance system and its link with the strategy of an HEI; methods of programme development, design, approval, monitoring, period review and enhancement; approaches to teaching and learning, students’ development and achievement of learning outcomes; student admission rules, recognition of students’ achievements or credits, assessment of learning outcomes and final exams; human resources policy and staff development; management of teaching and learning facilities and resources, and student support services; information management and publication of information about programmes. 

The composition of an evaluation panel, the evaluation procedure and the arrangements for the publication of evaluation outcomes are the same as for ex post programme evaluation; see above. 

An evaluation will end with a positive decision valid for 3 to 8 years or refusal to issue a positive decision. During the validity period of a positive decision, unless otherwise instructed by the Minister of Science and Higher Education, PAC will not conduct ex post programme evaluations in the fields of study assigned to the disciplines within areas where PAC has assessed the quality of education as particularly high. If PAC refuses to issue a positive decision, the HEI concerned will be eligible to re-apply for a comprehensive evaluation after 5 years, unless PAC sets a shorter timeframe.

Like in the case of ex post programme evaluation, PAC may issue a decision based on an evaluation conducted or an accreditation decision or certificate issued by a quality assurance body which is included in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), or with which PAC has concluded an agreement on the recognition of evaluation outcomes. In its evaluations, PAC may also consider an evaluation, accreditation or certificate of a national or international quality assurance body. 

Internal  quality assurance

Internal quality assurance is integrated in general terms in the mission of the higher education and research system, which, as stated in the Law on Higher Education and Science, is, among other things, to provide highest-quality education. The Law includes only a general provision whereby the senate of an HEI evaluates institutional performance, and general arrangements for quality assurance of programmes, periodic student course evaluation and teacher appraisal.

HEIs should regularly evaluate and improve the quality of education and curricula. Students and doctoral students evaluate, on a mandatory basis, courses taught by teachers at least once a year. Study programmes should integrate findings from an analysis of the relevance of learning outcomes to labour market needs, and findings from the career tracking system, managed by the Minister of Science and Higher Education, for first-, second- and long-cycle students and graduates and individuals who apply for, and are awarded, doctoral degrees.

All academicteachers, except for the rector of an HEI, undergo a performance appraisal. It is conducted at least every 4 years or at the request of the rector. It covers, in particular, the performance of duties as part of teaching and/or research activities and the observance of intellectual and industrial property rights. The rector defines the criteria and procedure and indicates the entity conducting appraisal after consultation with the HEI’s senate, trade unions and student and doctoral student self-government bodies. Appraisal takes into consideration outcomes of student course evaluation. 

Appraisal ends with a positive or negative outcome. The teacher may appeal against the outcome to the rector. Where the outcome is negative, another appraisal can be conducted at least 12 months after the previous appraisal. The Rector may terminate the employment relationship with a teacher after one negative assessment and is required by law to do so when a teacher has received two consecutive negative assessments.

Each HEI adopts detailed internal quality assurance approaches in its internal regulations. PAC and the NACSN&M consider internal quality assurance in their external evaluations.