The graduation process is the final stage of studies and the formal confirmation of obtaining the qualifications foreseen for a given field of study, level, and educational profile. This is not merely a matter of academic custom. The basic framework of this process is established by the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science, currently cited as a consolidated text: Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1571, as amended. Also of significant importance is the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 27 September 2018 on studies, which regulates, among other things, the study program, documentation of the course of study, diplomas, and diploma supplements.
However, the detailed course of the graduation process at a given university always also stems from the study regulations and the study program. The Act determines the necessary conditions, while the university – within the limits of the law – specifies the organization of the diploma examination, document workflow, rules for reviewing the thesis, the method of calculating the final grade of the studies, and other elements of the procedure.
Fulfillment of study requirements and achieving required learning outcomes
The first condition for graduation is achieving the learning outcomes specified in the study program. In university jargon, this is often referred to in this context as „absolutorium” (the completion of all coursework), although this concept itself does not constitute an independent statutory condition for graduation. It refers to the actual settlement of the program: the completion of required classes, internships, examinations, and other elements foreseen for a given field of study.
The study program determines, among other things, the number of semesters, the number of ECTS credits required to graduate, classes or groups of classes, methods of verifying learning outcomes, the dimension of professional internships, and the professional title awarded to graduates.
The Act requires that the study program be assigned at least:
- 180 ECTS credits – in the case of first-cycle studies,
- 90 ECTS credits – in the case of second-cycle studies,
- 300 ECTS credits – in the case of long-cycle Master’s studies lasting 9 or 10 semesters,
- 360 ECTS credits – in the case of long-cycle Master’s studies lasting 11 or 12 semesters.
In the case of first-cycle studies culminating in the award of the title of inżynier (Engineer), the Act does not provide for a separate threshold of 210 ECTS credits as a general statutory minimum. It does stipulate, however, that full-time first-cycle studies, whose program includes learning outcomes enabling the acquisition of engineering competencies, last at least 7 semesters. In practice, the programs of such studies often include more than 180 ECTS credits, but this results from the structure of the program and the duration of the studies, rather than from a separate statutory threshold of 210 ECTS credits.
If the studies have a practical profile, the study program provides for professional internships. As a general rule, their minimum dimension is 6 months for first-cycle studies and long-cycle Master’s studies, and 3 months for second-cycle studies. However, this rule does not apply to study programs preparing for professions subject to educational standards, such as physician, dentist, pharmacist, nurse, midwife, laboratory diagnostician, physiotherapist, paramedic, veterinarian, architect, or teacher. In these cases, detailed requirements arise from the educational standards.
Diploma thesis – When is it required?
Another element of the graduation process may be the diploma thesis. Its role depends on the level of studies.
For second-cycle studies and long-cycle Master’s studies, a positive evaluation of the diploma thesis is a statutory condition for graduation. For first-cycle studies, a diploma thesis is required if it is provided for in the study program.
The Act defines the diploma thesis broadly. It is an independent elaboration of a scientific, artistic, or practical issue, or a technical or artistic achievement, which presents the student’s general knowledge and skills related to studies in a given field, level, and profile, as well as the ability to independently analyze and draw conclusions.
This means that the diploma thesis does not always have to take the identical, classic form of a written dissertation. However, its permissible form should be derived from the study program, study regulations, or other appropriate internal university acts. In second-cycle and long-cycle Master’s studies, the diploma thesis is prepared under the supervision of a person holding at least a doctoral degree.
Checking the thesis in the Uniform Anti-plagiarism System (JSA)
If the diploma thesis is a written work, the university is obliged to check it before the diploma examination using the Uniform Anti-plagiarism System (JSA). This is a statutory requirement and the university cannot waive it in relation to written diploma theses.
However, it is important to properly define the scope of this obligation. The Act does not stipulate that every possible form of a diploma thesis is subject to verification in the JSA. The obligation applies to a diploma thesis that is a written work. Therefore, if a given program allows for a different form of diploma thesis, the method of its evaluation and documentation should be derived from university regulations and the nature of the given field of study.
The content of a written diploma thesis is subsequently entered into the repository of written diploma theses. This does not, however, occur prior to the review as a general statutory condition. According to the Act, the rector enters the content of the diploma thesis into the repository immediately after the student passes the diploma examination. The repository does not include theses containing information subject to protection under the regulations on the protection of classified information.
Review of the diploma thesis
A condition for graduation, when a diploma thesis is required, is obtaining a positive evaluation of it. Detailed reviewing rules are determined by the university, primarily in the study regulations and in internal graduation procedures.
In practice, the thesis is usually evaluated by the supervisor and at least one reviewer. It is, however, statutorily mandated that reviews of the diploma thesis are public. An exception applies to a diploma thesis whose subject matter is covered by legally protected confidentiality.
A positive evaluation of the diploma thesis, if the thesis is required, opens the way to taking the diploma examination, provided the student has also met the remaining conditions resulting from the study program and the study regulations.
Diploma examination
The diploma examination is a statutory condition for graduation. The Act uses the concept of „passing the diploma examination,” while the detailed procedure for conducting it is determined by the university.
In practice, the diploma examination most often takes place before an examination board and includes elements related to the diploma thesis, if required, as well as verification of knowledge and skills specific to the given field of study. There is, however, no single nationwide model for questions, board composition, or the method of calculating the examination grade. These matters should result from the study regulations and procedures applicable at a specific university.
The diploma examination may also take place outside the university’s seat or branch using electronic communication means. In such a case, the university must ensure, in particular, a real-time broadcast of the examination between participants and real-time multilateral communication, while maintaining the necessary security rules. The principles for conducting the examination in this form are made available by the university in the Public Information Bulletin on its website.
Date of graduation and obtaining the degree
The date of graduation is, as a rule, the date of passing the diploma examination. This is a legally significant moment: from this date, the student becomes a graduate, and graduation is recorded in the documentation of the course of study.
The Act provides for a specific exception to this rule for studies in the fields of medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. In these cases, the date of graduation is the date of passing the last examination required by the study program. This is not the date of completing the final internship.
A graduate receives a university diploma confirming higher education and the appropriate professional title in a specific field and profile. In the case of first-cycle studies, this is the title of licencjat (Bachelor), inżynier (Engineer), or an equivalent title. In the case of second-cycle and long-cycle Master’s studies, this is the title of magister (Master), magister inżynier (Master of Engineering), or an equivalent title. Equivalent titles include, among others, physician, dentist, veterinarian, or Master of Pharmacy – in cases specified by the regulations.
The Act does not impose a uniform algorithm for calculating the final grade of the studies, for example, a specific proportion between the grade point average, the diploma thesis grade, and the diploma examination grade. The method for determining the final result is specified by university regulations. However, the documentation of the diploma examination includes, among other things, the grade point average obtained during the period of study, the title and grade of the diploma thesis, the grade of the diploma examination, the final grade of the studies, and the obtained professional title.
Diploma and diploma supplement
Upon graduation, the university issues the graduate a university diploma along with a diploma supplement. According to the regulations in force as of 25 June 2026, the university issues these documents within 30 days from the date of graduation, together with two copies. Until the day of graduation, a student may submit an application for the issuance of a copy of the diploma in one of the provided foreign languages and a copy of the supplement in English or in another foreign language in which the education was conducted.
The diploma and the supplement serve different functions. The diploma confirms graduation, the level of education, and the obtained professional title. The diploma supplement, on the other hand, contains detailed information about the course of study, achieved outcomes, the level of qualifications, the graduate’s entitlements, and the place of the obtained qualification in the higher education system.
The Regulation on studies specifies the necessary elements of the diploma and the template for the diploma supplement. It should therefore not be simplified that the diploma has one identical ministerial template for all universities. The regulations indicate the required elements that the diploma must contain, while the supplement is prepared according to the template specified in the regulation.
Important change from 2027 – e-Diplomas
It should be noted that the legislator has foreseen a change in the rules for issuing diplomas and supplements. From 1 January 2027, the primary model will be the issuance of a university diploma along with a supplement in electronic form. As early as 30 June 2026, certain executive regulations related to the repository of electronic diplomas and requirements for electronic documents will come into effect.
For graduates who complete their studies before 1 January 2027, the current provisions apply in matters regarding the issuance of diplomas, supplements, and copies of these documents issued exclusively in paper form. Therefore, in publications prepared at the turn of 2026 and 2027, it is always worth indicating the legal status according to which the procedure is being described.
Summary
In light of the applicable regulations, the graduation process primarily includes: settling the study program and achieving the required learning outcomes, fulfilling the requirements regarding the diploma thesis if one is required, checking the written diploma thesis in the Uniform Anti-plagiarism System, obtaining a positive evaluation of the thesis, passing the diploma examination, and the issuance of the university diploma along with a supplement.
The most important legal moment is not the day of physically collecting the diploma, but the date of graduation. As a general rule, this is the date of passing the diploma examination, and in the case of medical, dental, and veterinary programs – the date of passing the last examination required by the study program. From this date, the graduate obtains the qualification appropriate for the given level of study and the professional title foreseen for the completed field of study.
Autor: Marcin Pioch