Colleges of social work

Branches of study for colleges 

Colleges of social work (kolegium pracowników służb społecznych) provide programmes in the area of social work.

The duration of all programmes in colleges is 3 years (6 semesters).

Admission requirements for colleges

Programmes provided in colleges of social work are open to holders of a maturity certificate (świadectwo maturalne) obtained upon passing the maturity exam at the end of secondary education in specific types of schools. Applicants are also required to obtain a positive result in the admission process. Admission requirements are set out by the Programme Council, a collective body established in each college.

Curriculum in colleges

Programmes in colleges of social work are based on the requirements set in the Regulation of the Minister of Social Policy of 7 April 2005 on the standardsfor initial training programmes in colleges of social work (Rozporządzenie Ministra Polityki Społecznej z 7 kwietnia 2005 r. w sprawie standardów kształcenia w kolegiach pracowników służb społecznych). The standards specify groups of courses to be taught, the minimum number of hours to be allocated to each course, core curricular contents for courses, the minimum duration and content of a practical placement, and the skills required of graduates. Colleges develop detailed curricula in compliance with the national requirements.

The duration of the academic year in colleges of social work is specified in the relevant regulations. The academic year runs from 1 October to 30 September in the following year, and includes 2 semesters of classes, winter and summer examination periods, public holiday breaks and winter and summer holidays.

Teaching methods in colleges

The only aspect regulated in the national legislation is the size of student groups attending classes (except lectures) in colleges. The maximum size of a group is 20 students.

Progression of students in colleges

Each college sets in its study regulations detailed arrangements for taking exams, progressing to the next semester and year, repeating a year and for admission to the final (diploma) exam. However, all college students can take a resit exam, including the final resit exam; if they fail a resit exam, they can take a so-called board resit exam, which is conducted by an examination review board after an appeal made by a student to such a board. To be admitted to the final exam, students are required to complete all courses and practical placements included in the curriculum, and submit their final (diploma) thesis which should then receive a positive assessment.

The director of a given college may strike a student from the register of students in cases specified in the statutes of the college.

Employability for college graduates

Practical placements are an integral part of college curricula. Colleges of social work organise practical placements for their students in social services, non-governmental organisations, associations and other institutions and organisations involved in social work. A practical placement is based on an agreement concluded between a given college and the host institution or organisation.

There are no special arrangements for career guidance in colleges. However, college students and graduates may obtain information and support from careers advisors working in public labour offices and private employment agencies.

Student assessment in colleges

Each course is completed on the basis of an oral or written exam or the assessment of the student’s coursework; the coursework is assessed by various methods, including papers/essays or projects. 

The following grading scale is used: excellent: 6, very good: 5, good: 4, sufficient: 3, insufficient: 2. Each mark, except ‘excellent’, may be upgraded by 0.5 (“+”). The teacher responsible for a given course assesses student performance during a course and conducts exams. Student performance during a practical placement is assessed by the teacher responsible for practical training in a given college and a supervisor in the institution or organisation hosting the placement. 

The statutes and study regulations of each college lay down detailed arrangements for student assessment, including criteria and requirements for students to complete courses and practical training and take exams.

Certification in colleges

College programmes end with the final exam taken before an examination board established by the director of a college. Graduates receive a college diploma (dyplom ukończenia kolegium). A diploma is based on a specimen established by a regulation of the minister of responsible for school education, and is an officially recognised document.

College students may also supplement their study programme and take an exam which leads to the award of a Bachelor’s degree (licencjat). It is taken before an examination board established by the rector of the HEI responsible for academic supervision over a given specialism area in the college. The supervising HEI awards a Bachelor’s degree (licencjat) to a student who has passed such an exam.

Organisational variations for college programmes

There are no specific national arrangements for distance (online) learning in colleges. 

Specialist programmes

Fields of study for specialist programmes

Higher education institutions (HEIs) provide specialist programmes in various areas (for example, Administration, Agribusiness, Computer science, Foreign trade, Physiotherapy in Sports). However, the regulations on specialist programmes do not cover programmes for professions that fall within the remit of the Minister of Health (for example, Medical Technician). 

Admission requirements for specialist programmes

A maturity certificate is not required for admission to a specialist programme. It is sufficient for an applicant to hold a secondary school leaving certificate.

Curriculum for specialist programmes

A curriculum for a specialist programme sets learning outcomes which integrate the universal first-stage descriptors, defined in the Act of 22 December 2015 on the Integrated Qualifications System (ustawa z dnia 22 grudnia 2015 r. o Zintegrowanym Systemie Kwalifikacji), and the second-stage descriptors defined in the regulations based on Art. 7, section 2, of this Act. A curriculum includes classes/training which develop practical skills.

To provide higher education programmes, both university-type and non-university HEIs are required to meet the same conditions laid down in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 27 September 2018 on degree programmes (Rozporządzenie Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego z dnia 27 września 2018 r. w sprawie studiów).

The Regulation specifies:

• requirements to be fulfilled by a curriculum;

• the range of information to be provided in an application for an authorisation to establish a programme;

• areas of study in which long-cycle programmes are offered;

• requirements for courses / classes delivered using distance learning methods and techniques, and the maximum number of ECTS credits to be awarded for such courses / classes;

• requirements for documentation on student progression, identity cards and diplomas.

A curriculum should specify, among other things, the form or mode of study; the number of semesters and ECTS credits necessary to complete each semester, and the degree to be awarded to graduates. Additionally, it should identify classes / courses (or groups of classes or courses), regardless of the form or mode in which they are conducted, together with the related learning outcomes (LOs) and curricular contents for achieving the LOs; the total number of class hours; methods for verification and assessment of the LOs achieved by students during the entire programme; and the total number of ECTS credits that students should earn as part of classes / activities directly involving teachers. A curriculum should also specify the length and arrangements for practical placements and the number of ECTS credits that students are required to earn for placements. As a rule, a curriculum should enable students to choose elective classes (courses) which are allocated at least 30% of the total number of ECTS credits.

A curriculum may not be changed during a given programme cycle.

A curriculum may provide for selected or all courses of a given programme to be taught in a foreign language.

Teaching methods in specialist programmes

There are no general national regulations or guidelines on teaching methods. Teaching is organised in the form of lectures, classes or tutorials, workshops, seminars, projects and practical placements, depending on curricular contents in a given area of study. Teachers use a wide variety of teaching methods and resources, ranging from traditional ones to those based on ICT, including multimedia tools.

Progression of students in specialist programmes

Specialist programmes are not divided into stages where student achievements are verified as a precondition for progression to the next stage.

To complete a specialist programme, students are required to achieve the learning outcomes set in the curriculum.

Graduates holding the title of a chartered specialist (dyplomowany specjalista) can be admitted to a first- or long-cycle programme as a result of the validation of the learning outcomes achieved. A maximum of 50% ECTS credits can be recognised for a specialist programme graduate. This arrangement can shorten the length of study for graduates holding a chartered specialist certificate at Level 5 of the Polish Qualifications Framework.

Employability for specialist programme graduates

Specialist programmes are designed to develop practical skills which enable graduates to change their professional qualifications or acquire sought-after career skills within a short time. Students taking specialist programmes have access to the full range of support services offered by HEIs in the transition to the labour market.

Many HEIs have established careers services which offer, among other things, career guidance. Careers services offer information about available jobs and help students and graduates as prospective job applicants in the choice of career paths and further training.  

Students and graduates can also receive information and guidance from careers advisers in public employment services and private employment agencies on how to prepare a CV and a motivation letter, how to behave in an interview, etc. (such meetings are frequently organised as group training sessions by careers services).

Job fairs organised in many HEIs, where employers present their job offers, support cooperation between the higher education sector and the labour market.

Student assessment in specialist programmes

In the Polish higher education system, learning outcomes achieved by students are usually assessed within the home HEI by the academic teacher responsible for a given course. Each HEI develops assessment guidelines as part of its internal quality assurance system.

Certification in specialist programmes

Upon completion of a specialist programme, a student receives either a certificate of chartered specialist or a certificate of chartered specialist-technologist. Each HEI lays down certificate specimen.

Documents relating to student progression or the completion of a specialist programme which are issued for international legal transactions are authenticated at the request of the person concerned. A fee is charged for authentication. 

Organisational variants for specialist programmes

Specialist programmes (ISCED 5), which last at least 3 semesters, are provided by public and non-public HEIs.

HEIs may charge fees for specialist programmes.