Polish Diploma Translation

**Tytuł zawodowy (professional title):** The qualification conferred upon completion of a study program — licencjat (first-cycle, 3 years, PRK level 6), inżynier (first-cycle technical, 3.5–4 years, PRK level 6), magister (second-cycle, 2 years after licencjat, PRK level 7), magister inżynier (second-cycle technical), or lekarz (6-year medical). This is what appears on the diploma. **Stopień naukowy (academic degree):** Refers to doktor (PhD, PRK level 8) and doktor habilitowany, which are research degrees conferred separately.

This distinction is critical for credential evaluation. WES and ECE need to see the tytuł zawodowy translated accurately — a licencjat is a first-cycle professional title (equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s), not a “license.” We render each title with the Polish term, its English equivalent, and the PRK level so the evaluator can make the equivalency determination.

Poland fully adopted the Bologna Process in 2005, restructuring higher education into a two-cycle system: studia pierwszego stopnia (first-cycle, leading to licencjat or inżynier) and studia drugiego stopnia (second-cycle, leading to magister). Some programs remain as studia jednolite magisterskie (unified long-cycle magister programs lasting 5–6 years) — including law (prawo), medicine (medycyna), and veterinary science (weterynaria).

We identify whether the diploma represents a first-cycle, second-cycle, or unified long-cycle completion and translate the cycle designation clearly. This matters because WES assigns different U.S. equivalencies to a 3-year licencjat (Bachelor’s equivalent) versus a 5-year unified magister (Master’s equivalent).

**Kierunek studiów (field of study/major):** The primary academic discipline recorded on the diploma. **Specjalność (specialization):** An optional narrowed focus within the field of study, which may or may not appear depending on the program and institution.

Polish academic field names may not have direct English equivalents — for example, filologia angielska (English philology) is rendered as "English Philology" rather than misrendered as "English Language" or "English Literature." We preserve the Polish academic field name alongside the English translation so the evaluator sees the original term and can assess the equivalency accurately.

**Suplement do dyplomu (Diploma Supplement):** A multi-page document issued alongside the diploma under the Bologna Convention, containing detailed information about the program: learning outcomes, ECTS credits, study structure, the Polish higher education system description, and the PRK level. WES and ECE typically require the Suplement alongside the diploma itself.

Diploma Supplements can be 4–10 pages and contain standardized sections with academic terminology, ECTS credit tallies, and descriptions of the Polish education system in formal language. We translate the complete Suplement with consistent terminology matching the diploma translation, preserving ECTS values, PRK references, and section numbering exactly as formatted.

**Polish grading scale:** 2.0 (niedostateczny/fail), 3.0 (dostateczny/satisfactory), 3.5 (dostateczny plus/satisfactory plus), 4.0 (dobry/good), 4.5 (dobry plus/good plus), 5.0 (bardzo dobry/very good). Some institutions also use 5.5 or 6.0 for celujący (excellent). The ocena końcowa (final grade) on the diploma uses this scale.

We render the numerical grade alongside the Polish descriptor and its English equivalent. This is important because credential evaluators convert the Polish grade to a U.S. GPA or ECTS equivalent — translating the grade descriptor provides the evaluator with the context needed for accurate conversion.