We believe in people who value self-development and want to make their dreams come true. They give us motivation for continuous improvement so that we could offer education and research on the highest level. Our lecturers are well-qualified, inspired from many disciplines who love broadening their knowledge and sharing it with young people. We do our best to provide our students with an environment and resources to fulfill their intellectual curiosity, develop their talents and pursue their interests.

SWPS was founded in 1996 by three eminent professors of the Institute of Psychology at the Polish Academy of Sciences: ‎Andrzej Eliasz, Zbigniew PietrasiÅ„ski and Janusz Reykowski. Since it was established, SWPS has become one of the most important and highly regarded Psychology centers for research and learning. SWPS has a tradition of organizing regular scientific, popular science and cultural events. SWPS has had the pleasure of hosting many world-famous people: psychologists Robert Cialdini and Philip Zimbardo, marketing expert Bruce Newman or Martin Seligman an advisor to the US President Bill Clinton.

In our campuses located in Warsaw, Wrocław, Sopot, Katowice and Poznań we offer interdisciplinary degree programs for over 14,000 of our students. We offer full-time and extramural undergraduate and graduate programs in Psychology, Modern Languages, Sociology, Law, Journalism, Cultural Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Urban Development and Design. SWPS is the only private university in Poland that has been granted the right to award both post-doctoral degrees in Psychology and Cultural Studies and PhD degrees in Psychology, Sociology, Cultural Science and Law.

Our offer includes a wide range of non-degree programs: weekend trainings or numerous tailor-made training schemes. We organize cycles of scientific and cultural events that are open to the public. Our institution values considerable debates and fruitful discussions, and this is why we often host world-recognized scientists, well-known artists and representatives of the mass media. For those who want to continue their education, but at the same time have an insufficient level of English we have included English Preparatory School in our non-degree offer. The participation in this program gives them an opportunity to improve their English under the supervision of highly qualified teachers. Depending on their individual needs, after a semester or two, they can attend and successfully complete their regular classes in the field of study they have initially chosen.

Being a modern university, we have enriched our programs with an e-learning component, and, consequently, our students can practice the knowledge they have acquired during their classes by taking online tests prepared by our staff. Furthermore, lecture notes are most of the time uploaded to the e-learning platform, which makes studying easier and enables our students to focus on the content of the lecture rather than the necessity of jotting down the teacher's words.

International Studies

Our students have an opportunity to expand their horizons by not only deriving knowledge from prominent people, but also by going abroad as a part of exchange programs that we offer. They can choose among Europe, Turkey, Korea, China, and the US. SWPS is a genuinely international centre of learning. We not only send our students on exchange programs, but also welcome those who decide to study in Poland.

At the Heart of Europe

Poland lies in Central Europe and can be easily reached from every part of the globe, not least from its neighboring countries: Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia or Ukraine. You can also travel to Poland from Sweden by ferry, or fly from London (which takes around 2.5 hours).

Poland is famous for its breathtaking mountains, sea and lakes; and is also home to the only desert in Europe. Your time in Poland will be a wonderful opportunity to develop your passion for sports and outdoor pursuits.

Our biggest Campus is located in Warsaw that is the commercial and academic center of the country and region. It is an extremely vibrant and rapidly developing city with 2 million residents, including 300,000 students. The city provides unlimited opportunities to study, work and enjoy music, cinema, theatre, art and sport. It is also the most multicultural city in the region, with people from 120 countries living and working here. Come and experience unforgettable Warsaw!

Admission

The application process as such does not last for long providing the candidate completes all the required steps thoroughly and submits all the required documents.

Applications are accepted until the end of September. However, those candidates who submit applications in the last heat shall be aware of the possible delay in their commencement of studies.

Required Documents

In general, the whole admisisons process consists of three stages. The first one covers all steps that one should take before gaining admission to the chosen program of study. The second stage covers the actions that should be carried out in the period of time after one gets acceptance and before the academic year begins. The third stage covers the steps one should take between the commencement of classes and the end of the first semester. 

First Stage

After filling in the Application form, each candidate is expected to submit the following documents:

CASE 1 - for those who apply either to a three-year Bachelor's program, or to a five-year Master's program

• a copy of your high school diploma
• a copy of the legalization of your high school diploma
• a copy of a certified translation (into Polish) of your high school diploma
• a copy of the admission fee slip (non-refundable)
• a copy of your passport
• a health certificate issued in or translated into Polish
• 3 photographs (size: 35x45mm)
• two copies of the Tuition Fee Agreement and the Appendix (printed and signed on each page) - it will be sent to you in an email once you fill in the application form
• a document certifying your knowledge of English

CASE 2 - for those who apply to a two-year Master's program

• a copy of your high school diploma
• a copy of a certified translation (into Polish) of your high school diploma
• a copy of your Bachelor's diploma
• a copy of a certified translation (into Polish) of your Bachelor's diploma
• a copy of the legalization of your Bachelor's diploma
• a copy of the admission fee slip (non-refundable)
• a copy of your passport
• a health certificate issued in or translated into Polish
• 3 photographs (size: 35x45mm)
• two copies of the Tuition Fee Agreement and the Appendix (printed and signed on each page) - it will be sent to you in an email once you fill in the application form
• a document certifying your knowledge of English

 

It is possible to authenticate a diploma either in the form of a legalization or an Apostille. Such document is required for the completion of the admission process.

If you are a citizen of a country that has signed the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961, you need an Apostilleinstead of a legalization.

The certificate or diploma must include the information that it gives the candidate the right to study at a university in the country where it has been issued. Such confirmation can be issued by the Polish Consulate or by the Ministry of Education of the given country.

In order to learn more about the legalization process, please go to the official website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The candidates applying to any Bachelor's program, or to a Master's program in Psychology, are required to legalize their high school diploma. Those who apply to any other Master's program are required to legalize their Bachelor's Diploma.

Second Stage

Once you have gained admission, and before the academic year has begun, you should submit the following documents:

• a copy of your visa
• a copy of an insurance policy, a copy of the European Health Insurance Card or a certificate of accession to the Polish National Healthcare System (NFZ) immediately after the beginning of studies 

 

Visa Requirements

Most of our prospective students need to apply for a visa prior to their arrival in Poland. In order to be granted a visa, they first need to get an acceptance letter from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. This, on the other hand happens once they submit all the required documents. Visa policies vary depending on the country. Sometimes, a letter of acceptance suffices to obtain a visa. However, in other instances, prospective students may be asked to submit other documents such, e.g. a bank statement - a confirmation from a bank that they have enough money on their account to live in Poland.

Health Insurance

Students are expected to provide SWPS with a proof of insurance for the period of their studies in Poland. They can submit either a copy of their insurance policy, or a declaration that they will join Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia (Polish National Healthcare System) before the acadmeic year starts. This step is very important and it should not be overlooked! In case a student breaks his/ her leg, or has some other health problems, it is essential that he/she can obtain medical help without paying for it.

Third Stage

Until the end of the first semester of yoru studies, you may be asked to submit a nostrification of your high school diploma.

Nostrification is a process of granting recognition to a diploma obtained at a foreign educational institution, or, in other words, confirming the equivalence of a diploma obtained abroad to that obtained in Poland. Nostrification takes place at the Board of Education (Kuratorium Oświaty) in Warsaw, Poland

Kuratorium Oświaty w Warszawie
Al. Jerozolimskie 32
00-024 Warszawa

For the detailed information concerning the process of nostrification go to the official website of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.