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Article · Poland

Bachelor, engineer, master, doctor: which PRK and EQF level?

Every Polish degree has a level fixed by law – in the Polish framework and, through it, in the European one. Here is the full list, with where to find it on a diploma.

Published26 October 2026
Primary sourceAct on the Integrated Qualifications System, Art. 8
Sources checked26 October 2026
Reading time2 min
Polish versionStopnie a poziomy PRK →

The short answer

  • Licencjat or inżynier (first cycle) – PRK level 6, EQF level 6.
  • Magister (second cycle or long-cycle master's studies) – PRK level 7, EQF level 7.
  • Doctor (doctoral diploma) – PRK level 8, EQF level 8.

The Polish levels are fixed by law. They correspond to the European levels with the same number.

Sources: [1] [3]

In short
6first-cycle diploma: licencjat or inżynier.
7second-cycle and long-cycle master's diploma: magister.
8doctoral diploma.

Where this comes from

The Act on the Integrated Qualifications System lists Polish full qualifications and their levels. For higher education, Article 8 says:

  • a first-cycle diploma confirms a qualification at PRK level 6,
  • a second-cycle diploma and a long-cycle master's diploma confirm a qualification at PRK level 7,
  • a doctoral diploma confirms a qualification at PRK level 8.

The link to Europe runs through Poland's referencing report, prepared by the Educational Research Institute (IBE): PRK levels are designed to correspond to EQF levels with the same number. In the EHEA's own framework, the same three levels are the first, second and third cycle.

Sources: [1] [3] [5] [4]

What about long-cycle master's studies?

Long-cycle master's studies (jednolite studia magisterskie) lead straight to a master's degree, without a separate first cycle. The diploma sits at the same level as a second-cycle master's: PRK level 7.

Sources: [1]

How long the studies last

Under the Act on Higher Education and Science (full-time studies):

  • first-cycle studies – at least 6 semesters (at least 7 when they lead to engineering competences) and at least 180 ECTS credits,
  • second-cycle studies – 3 to 5 semesters and at least 90 credits,
  • long-cycle master's studies – 9 to 12 semesters and at least 300 or 360 credits,
  • doctoral education – 6 to 8 semesters.

Articles 65, 76 and 201 of the Act.

Sources: [2]

Where to find the level on a diploma

The Diploma Supplement has a section on the level of the qualification. That is where a graduate, an employer or a recognition office abroad finds the level, without needing to know the Polish system. More on the page Diploma Supplement.

Sources: [6]

Same level, same content?

No. The level says how demanding a qualification is, not what it contains. Two master's degrees at level 7 can differ in subject and learning outcomes – which is why recognition abroad looks at the content too. See Qualifications frameworks and Recognition.

Sources

  1. Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1606 – Consolidated text of the Polish Act on the Integrated Qualifications System (ustawa o Zintegrowanym Systemie Kwalifikacji)
  2. Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science (Prawo o szkolnictwie wyższym i nauce), Dz.U. 2018 poz. 1668 as amended; ISAP, unified text as of 16 October 2026
  3. Educational Research Institute (IBE) – Referencing the Polish Qualifications Framework to the EQF: reference report, update (2015)
  4. Council Recommendation of 22 May 2017 on the European Qualifications Framework (OJ C 189, 15.6.2017)
  5. Overarching Framework of Qualifications of the EHEA (2018), Paris Communiqué Appendix III
  6. Diploma Supplement template (2018), Paris Communiqué Appendix IV

Sources checked on 26 October 2026. Official documents are linked, not republished.