University of Warsaw

About the university

The University of Warsaw (Polish: Uniwersytet Warszawski, Latin: Universitas Varsoviensis), established in 1816, is the largest university in Poland. It employs over 6,000 staff including over 3,100 academic educators. It provides graduate courses for 53,000 students (on top of over 9,200 postgraduate and doctoral candidates). The University offers some 37 different fields of study, 18 faculties and over 100 specializations in Humanities, technical as well as Natural Sciences.

The University of Warsaw consists of 126 buildings and educational complexes with over 18 faculties: biology, chemistry,journalism and political  science, philosophy and sociology, physics, geography and regional studies, geology, history, appliedlinguistics and Slavic philology, economics, philology, pedagogy, Polish language, law and public administration, psychology, appliedsocial sciences, management and mathematics, computer science and mechanics.

• Faculty of Applied Linguistics

  The history of the Faculty for Applied Linguistics is a very rich one and it goes back to the 50s of the previous century. During its 60 year history both the name and the structure underwent significant changes. The departments representing East Slavonic philology were founded in the 1950s: Russian Philology in 1950, Ukrainian Philology in 1953, and Belarusian Philology in 1956.

  In 1972 the Institute of Applied Linguistics came into being, the first academic unit to deal with the wide-ranging subject matter of applied linguistics. 

• Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialisation

  Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Resocialisation was founded in 1990., It consists of two autonomous institutes, conducting complementary research programs and courses of study: Institute of Social Prevention and Resocialisation(established in 1972) and the Institute of Applied Social Sciences (established in 1990. ).

• Faculty of “Artes Liberales”

  The newly founded Faculty of “Artes Liberales” at the University of Warsaw continues and develops all the scientific activities of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies “Artes Liberales” (IBI AL) and of the former Centre for Studies on the Classical Tradition in Poland and East-Central Europe OBTA (twice the winner of the Hanna Arendt Prize for “innovative programs and interdisciplinary study in the humanities”), which still forms one of its most important departments. From 1992 various scientific programs of interdisciplinary research on the Greek and Roman tradition as well as experimental academic studies (B.A., M.A. Ph.D.) have been realized with a close participation of partners from this region of Europe, chiefly from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus

• Faculty of Biology

  The FoB has 140 faculty members, of which 60 are professors, and ca. 150 staff, and comprises institutes of Biochemistry, Botany, Experimental Biology and Biotechnology of Plants, Genetics and Biotechnology, Microbiology, and Zoology, the Botanical Garden funded in 1818, adjacent to the Łazienki (Royal Baths) Park in Warsaw, and four field stations in North-East Poland, including one in the Białowieża National Park, the only natural forest complex in Europe. The Faculty is housed in a modern dedicated building of over 18,000 sq. meters on the Ochota Campus, within walking distance from University Faculties of Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, and Physics, Warsaw Medical University, and five bio-medical research institutes. Two new buildings to which parts of the FoB will move from current locations are to be completed in near future. The Campus is conveniently located on Żwirki i Wigury Avenue, fifteen minutes by bus from the Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport, twenty minutes from the Botanical Garden, and thirty from the City and the main University Campus.

• Faculty of Chemistry

  The Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, is a large research and teaching center. There are fully developed programs in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, inorganic, nuclear, organic and physical chemistry as well as in chemical physics. 
  The Faculty has been regarded as one of the top chemistry departments in the country for decades, and it attracts outstanding faculty and students. Many faculty members have distinguished themselves both nationally and internationally.

• Faculty of Economic Sciences

  Faculty of Economic Sciences' degree programmes combine solid foundation of academic education with high quality of specialised knowledge, without which one cannot smoothly function in modern economic environment. Our graduates are respected and sought out by employers and easily find employment in various institutions. University of Warsaw is one of the most prestigious universities in this part of Europe.

• Faculty of Education

  The Faculty of Education at the University of Warsaw is the oldest department of education in Poland – it has existed for 60 years. It provides the highest level of training for future pedagogues, teachers, socio-cultural animators, educators, tutors, education policy specialists, pedagogical therapists and andragogues. Our graduates may take up work in public educational, social and cultural institutions and organizations, as well as NGOs and the private sector.

  Our students and graduates work in schools, kindergartens, adoption centres, children’s homes, community centres, the local media, psychological and pedagogical clinics. They also work as independent educators and trainers in various fields, and implement educational, preventive and socio-cultural projects within the NGO sector.

  By choosing the Faculty of Education you will join a large group of students from one of the best of Polish universities. For many years the University of Warsaw and the Faculty of Education have occupied top positions in national rankings created by the media.

• Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies

  The Department of Geography was created by Professor Stanisław Lencewicz (1889-1944), who received his doctorate at Neuchâtel and postdoctoral degree (habilitation) at Lviv. The Department of Geography was established as part of the Faculty of Philosophy on 1 April 1918.

  Honorary University of Warsaw degrees (honoris causa degrees) presented by its geographical division in 1962-2004 were awarded to: Professor Sir Dudley Stamp, Professor Konstantin A. Salishchev, Professor Raul Preibisch, Professor Stanisław Leszczycki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In 1999, to commemorate Professor Jerzy Kondracki, a medal was established in his name for his contribution and services to the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies of the University of Warsaw. The Medal is awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to the development of the Faculty and to Polish geography.

• Faculty of Geology

  The Faculty consists of 3 Institutes:

• Faculty of History

  The Faculty was founded in the central campus of the University of Warsaw in the heart of the historical center of the Polish capital. In the unique atmosphere of baroque and classical university buildings the historical science has been cultivated, taught and learned since the end of the 18th century.

  The Faculty of History is a multidisciplinary unit, characterized by a high scientific potential. It consists of the 7 units and currently employs full time 270 academics, including 43 full professors, 68 University of Warsaw professors, 136 doctors and 19 MA holders. Retired professors are also important for the Faculty – they support teaching, sustain scientific activity and international contacts. However, it is the students who are the greatest intellectual capital of our Faculty. In the current academic year there are about 4000 students specializing in various fields: ca. 1650 in full-time programs, 1880 enrolled in evening or part-time studies, and 480 in postgraduate studies. In addition, the Faculty provides a PhD program with ca. 110 post-graduate students.

• Faculty of Journalism and Political Science

  Today it is one of the biggest and most prestigious faculties of the University of Warsaw. It employs over 300 people, including around 250 recognized academic teachers. It educates (in all fields of study and all types of studies) over 7 000 students every year! Its rich educational offer includes full-time, evening and extramural studies, Bachelor’s and Master’s degree studies as well as post-graduate and Ph.D studies,realised within the educational offer of five units: the Institute of Journalism, the Institute of Political Sciences, the Institute of Social Policy, the Institute of International Relations and the Chair of European Studies.

• Faculty of Law and Administration

  The Faculty of Law and Administration is one of the oldest faculties at the University of Warsaw. The idea and first plans to establish a university in Warsaw, including law studies, arose in the period of the first partition of Poland. Their realization came in 1774, which is when the Board of National Education became involved in the creation of the Capital University. As the School of Law and Administration was established in 1811, its management was handed over to the Supervising Board comprising, inter al., Stanisław Staszic and S. B. Linde, both figures of considerable import into Polish history.

  Nowadays, there are about 7,000 students, numerous post-graduate students as well as the select few dozens of PhD students at the Faculty of Law. This makes our Faculty the largest Law Faculty in Poland. Such a great number of students required the working and teaching conditions to be improved. The Collegium Iuridicum I has been the main seat of the Faculty since 1940’s but the new Collegium Iuridicum II was opened in October 1998; this has not only greatly improved the teaching and learning conditions at the Faculty but also made it possible for the Faculty to host a number of conferences, extracurricular seminars as well as a number of Schools of Foreign Law. Further development of the Faculty's premises is under way, by October 2005 Collegium Iuridcum III comprising Library and offices will have been opened to the academic community.

• Faculty of Management

  Faculty of Management was established in 1972 as part of the University of Warsaw. It is the oldest management school in Central and Eastern Europe. Nowadays, it is one of the most respected management education and research centers in Poland. The Faculty offers various programs of study on four levels of education – bachelor, master, doctoral and postgraduate studies. At present more than 6 000 international and Polish students were enrolled at the Faculty. Faculty of Management is ranked in the "A" research category of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, being a leading research institution in the field of management.

• Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics

  The Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics (MIM), with 192 faculty members and researchers, is engaged in a wide spectrum of research areas, ranging from basic research in pure mathematics and theoretical computer science, to applied research in applied mathematics and applied areas of informatics. The Faculty consists of three Institutes: Mathematics (90 faculty members), Informatics (72 faculty members), and Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (with 30 faculty members). Traditionally the Faculty has its strengths in selected areas of Mathematics and Informatics. In addition it expands the scope of research by focusing on some truly multidisciplinary areas such as Financial Mathematics or Computational Biology. An independent Section of Economic, Financial and Insurance Mathematics consists of faculty members from both Institutes: Mathematics and Applied Mathematics and Mechanics.

• Faculty of Modern Languages

  Modern language studies were part of the Faculty of Humanistic Studies of Warsaw University established in 1946. In 1951 the Faculty of Philology was set up. It comprised foreign language and Polish studies. In 1968 the Faculty of Foreign Philologies was created. It was re-named as the Faculty of Modern Languages in 1976. Until 2005 it included the Institute of Oriental Studies. The faculty is a federation of several organisational units, which run full-time and part-time studies in the following fields:

  • English Studies (BA and MA)
  • German Studies (BA and MA)
  • French Studies (BA and MA)
  • Iberian Studies (BA and MA)
  • Ugro-Finnish Studies (BA and MA)
  • Italian Studies (BA and MA)
  • Language and Culture Studies (BA and MA, run by the Institute of
    English Studies)

  Before the academic year 2007/2008, five-year uniform MA studies were offered. Since then they have been split into BA and MA programmes.
  The Faculty guarantees academic education of the highest international quality, and the different fields of study have achieved great renown over the last several decades. The Faculty of Modern Languages is entitled to award doctoral and post-doctoral degrees in linguistics and literary studies.

• Faculty of Oriental Studies

  1932 – Foundation of Institute of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw. 

  The Faculty has run the Postgraduate Research Ph.D. Programme. The programme comprises 4 years in which the student is required to follow appropriate courses and write the dissertation The Faculty offers academic supervision and tuition towards the doctoral exams as well as towards writing the doctoral dissertation.

• Faculty of Physics

  Specialized laboratories in the Faculty of Physics are equipped with modern and, in many cases, unique, research devices. The huge research and teaching potential of the Faculty is demonstrated by: a track record of research recognized both nationally and internationally, modern curricula, a large number of full (90), associate (21) and assistant professors (107), as well as the interdisciplinary character of our research and scientific collaboration with leading centers of research abroad. Our highly qualified research staff shares their knowledge and experience with graduate and undergraduate students, who have the opportunity to participate in research conducted at the Faculty from the beginning of their studies. 

• Faculty of Polish Studies

  The Faculty of Polish Studies at the University of Warsaw is one of the largest research centres in Poland, developing Polish, Slavic, Hellenic, Classical and Baltic Studies in literature, culture and language. The Faculty has the right to confer PhD and Associate Professor degrees in the fields of Linguistics, Literary Studies and Cultural Studies.

  Students at the Faculty of Polish Studies at the UW have a chance to:

  • take part in international exchange programmes (Erasmus);
  • take part in national exchange programmes (MOST);
  • complete student practice in Poland and abroad;
  • obtain double degree diploma (the UW and Paris-Sorbonne University);
  • take part in PBSS Project (Polish and Belgian Applied Studies);
  • obtain language certificates at the Centre for Foreign Language Teaching ;
  • learn sign language;
  • cooperate with Niewinni-czarodzieje.pl and academic media: "Uniwersytet Warszawski" magazine, Radio Kampus, academic TV UW3D.tv and student TV Uniwerek.TV;
  • acquire access to the University of Warsaw Library collection and well-resourced faculty libraries;
  • use unlimited Internet access (Wi-Fi);
  • join academic sports association;
  • effectively plan their career (cooperation with Biuro Karier UW).

• Faculty of Psychology

  The Warsaw International Studies in Psychology offers a high quality 5-year Master program that prepares you for a career in psychotherapy, neuropsychology, business or science. We offer a strong core program of courses, but we also give you the opportunity to co-design your educational track yourself by letting you choose from a large offer of elective courses. We are part of the University of Warsaw, the best ranked institution of research and higher education in Poland. As such we benefit from its rich academic tradition, extended facilities and network of international relations.

• American Studies Center

  The American Studies Center of University of Warsaw (ASC UW) is one of the biggest American Studies departments in Europe. The Center is a part of the Institute of the Americas and Europe (IAiE), together with the Center for Latin American Studies (CESLA) and the Center for European Regional and Local Studies(EUROREG). The ASC employs over 20 faculty from Poland and the United States and provides excellent research facilities for students, scholars and professionals interested in the field. The ASC Library is the largest American Studies library in Central Europe, containing a sizable microfiche and microfilm collection and a wide array of recent academic publications.

  The ASC runs interdisciplinary B.A., M.A. and postgraduate programs. All courses are taught in English. The ASC promotes American Studies in Poland by conducting research, hosting conferences, debates and various events open to the general public. It also publishes a series of ASC monographs and its own periodical The Americanist, which is peer reviewed and open to submissions from scholars of different nationalities.

History

It was founded as a Royal University on 19 November 1816, when the Partitions of Poland separated Warsaw from the oldest and most influential Jagiellonian University located in Kraków. Tsar Alexander I granted permission for the establishment of five faculties -law and political science, medicine, philosophy, theology and the humanities. The university expanded rapidly, but was closed duringNovember Uprising in 1830. It was reopened in 1857 under the name Akademia Medyko-Chirurgiczna (Academy of Medicine) based in the nearby Staszic Palace with only medical and pharmaceutical faculties. All Polish-language campuses were closed in 1869 after the failed January Uprising, but the university managed to train 3,000 students, many of whom were important part of the Polish intelligentsia, meanwhile the Main Building was reopened as the Imperial Russian University aimed at training military personnel. Over 70% of students were of Polish nationality, but after the revolution in 1905, the proportion dropped below 10% as a result of the boycott. The university was resurrected during the First World War and the number of students in 1918 was estimated at 4,500. After Poland's independence in 1918 the new government focused on improving the university, and in the early 1930s it became the country's largest. New faculties were established and the curriculum was extended. The university was named after Chief-of-State and Marshal of Poland Józef Piłsudski after his death in 1935. Following the Second World War and the devastation of Warsaw, the University successfully reopened in 1945.

Accreditation

Successively study programmes at the University Of Warsaw are being evaluated by The State Accreditation Committee. In year 2009, 35 more programmes were approved by the accreditation. 

Rankings

• The University of Warsaw is one of the top Polish universities. It was ranked by Perspektywy magazine as best Polish university in 2010, 2011 and 2014.
• International rankings such as ARWU and University Web Ranking rank the university as the best Polish higher level institution.
• On the list of 100 best European universities compiled by University Web Ranking, the University of Warsaw was placed as 61st. 
• QS World University Rankings positioned the University of Warsaw as the best higher level institution among the world's top 400

Services

Every day of your studies at the University of Warsaw you should be open and prepared for various experience. There is plenty to do at and outside the University, plenty to try and choose, learn, see and feel, plenty to participate in, to experience.

Simply attend lectures at historical but well-maintained or new and modern campuses, discuss with your lecturers and students, study at the UW libraries, conduct researches in laboratories, participate in field studies, participate in numerous conferences, refresh at the swimming pool, enroll in a Polish traditional dancing group or a University theatre, take advantage of discounts on public transport, go for a trip around Poland with other international and Polish students, give and receive Tandem language lesson or receive language classes, eat with friends in canteens and nearby cafes or cook your own food in the UW dormitory, join the discussing movie club, go to the mountains with a student mountaineering club,  play football or volleyball with other sport lovers and represent the UW at numerous championships, try Polish cuisine and go for a night movie marathon, explore Warsaw discos, listen to a jazz or rock concert, see where Chopin lived and listen to his music there, visit the UW and other museums to learn about Polish history and former or modern art and… there are still many more things to do and see at the University of Warsaw and around.

Below you can find selected UW and other students’ organizations:

General

• The Students’ Union
• Erasmus Student Network

Culture

• HYBRYDY University Theatre
• Academic Choir
• Dance Group Warszawianka

Sport & outdoor

• Academic Sports Association (AZS)
• Student Mountaneering Club
• University Alpine Club
• University Tourist Club UNIKAT

Other

• Academic Enterprise Incubator
• Academic Legal Clinic
• AEGEE Warszawa
• AIESEC Warsaw
• Arkonia
• European Law Student’s Association (ESLA)
• Independent Students’ Association
• University of Warsaw Debating Union
• Universitatis Varsoviensis Foundation

Apart from those listed above, there are also numerous so-called Student Circles dealing with particular areas of science.

The quality of education

Studies at the University of Warsaw hold high positions in international rankings, such as the Times Higher Education World University Ranking and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (also known as the Shanghai Ranking). Taking into account the total number of research universities that reaches 20 thousand, the University of Warsaw is among the top two per cent of the world’s best universities. According to international rankings, it also is the best university in Poland and one of the leading ones in this region of Europe. In addition, the University of Warsaw holds very good positions in comparative evaluations of the quality of education, in particular study programmes, such as the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking and Eduniversal Best Masters and MBA Worldwide. Out of thousands of courses worldwide, these rankings select the 200 best universities in a given discipline. Nineteen courses of study at the University of Warsaw were included in 2015.

The quality of education at the University of Warsaw is confirmed by the annual appraisals conducted by the university itself which show that the majority of students are satisfied with their selection of the university and the education programme. The University’s strongest points are:

• its prestige,
• development opportunities,
• the study environment.

The highest quality of education is also confirmed by research conducted with the University’s graduates. The University of Warsaw conducts the largest research enterprise of its kind in Europe by monitoring the careers of former students. Results demonstrate that having a diploma from the University of Warsaw is a definite asset in the job market; 94% of respondents have found employment after graduation.

The broad offer

Approximately 51,500 people study at the University of Warsaw every year. The candidates are offered a very broad range of courses in the fields of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, as well as many interdisciplinary courses combining knowledge and skills of many disciplines. In addition to the modern languages curriculum, the University of Warsaw offers twenty study programmes in English. In Polish-language courses, students are offered the selection of some 2,000 subjects taught in foreign languages. Offering courses in 43 languages, the University System of Language Provision is a model to other European institutions of higher education. It has been awarded the “European Language Label” innovation sign by the European Commission.

University research

The leading concepts of the University’s activity are the unity of teaching and research, and the harmonious development of all branches of knowledge represented in its curriculum. The University employs 3,500 scholars, ¼ of whom hold professorial titles. Their scientific enquiry extends over 3,400 research topics; students who they concurrently teach have the opportunity of joining in their research projects.

The University’s research teams have won worldwide recognition in many areas of knowledge and  have joined international research programmes; the University participates in over 150 programmes per year financed by EU funds and grants of international foundations and research institutes. Having discovered several new planets and the birth of a black hole, the University’s astronomers have won firm renown in the academic community, and are also world leaders in large-scale space observation. The University’s archaeologists, who conduct excavations in 20 countries over five continents, also achieved considerable successes. Their discoveries in Egypt, Sudan and Peru are of fundamental importance to broadening our knowledge of the history of those regions and contribute to the protection of their cultural heritage.

In the heart of Europe

The University of Warsaw community includes 3,500 foreigners: students, doctoral students, employees and grantees of, among others, the Erasmus and Erasmus Mundus programmes. With respect to academic exchanges, the University of Warsaw stands out not only in Poland, but also internationally, being one of the leaders of the European Commission ranking issued as part its assessment of student exchange at over 3,000 institutions of higher education in the entire Europe. The University of Warsaw is most popular among students from Spain, Germany, Italy, France and Turkey. Thanks to Poland’s membership in the European Union and the Polish universities’ participation in the European Higher Education Area, foreigners may feel at home at the University of Warsaw. The ECTS system and other solutions of the Bologna process guarantee full student mobility and make it possible to pursue education in any member state.

The academic city

The University is located in the capital of Poland, one of the most dynamically developing European cities. Warsaw is the centre of political and economic life and has a lively social and cultural scene. It is climbing steadily in world rankings of the most attractive places to live; it is in the top fifty of the City Brand Index and ranks 19th in the UN prosperity ranking. Warsaw is also an unchallenged leader considering Poland’s academic life: it is host to more than 200,000 students per year. Celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2016, the University of Warsaw is the oldest of the capital’s colleges. Three of its other educational institutions, namely the medical university, the academy of music and the academy of fine arts, have their origin in the University’s structures.

Two faces

The University’s historical Main Campus, located in the very heart of Warsaw, is renowned for its splendid architecture. Its imposing buildings, some going back to the 17th century, are one of the city’s main tourist attractions. The opening of the nearby University Library building, which took place at the very end of the millennium, marked a new chapter in the history of the University’s architecture. New buildings, completed in the following years, are modern, functional and moreover architecturally interesting. The Natural Sciences campus consists of imposing structures with state-of-the-art laboratories. The University Halls of Residence provide their guests with comfortable places for work and study, as well as interestingly arranged common spaces in which to relax.