Country Preview: Poland - Inexpensive European Education

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by AsianStew, May 24, 2023.

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  1. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    They are apparently post graduate studies BUT not cycle 3 doctorates. As you note Tadj said Poland doesn't have a DBA.

    My concern is you are doing a year worth of work and according to the site's English translation a min of 60 page dissertation on top of the writing in the modules.

    What is the point of the DBA, EdD, DPhil that is not a recognized cycle 3 doctorate but a year of post graduate studies. In the US it would lead people to believe that you had a standard DBA, EdD and so on. The DSc is a lofty degree in some parts of Europe but in this case it is also a one year post graduate studies program. Perhaps that is the point?
     
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    The entire point of them, as I see it, is to make money for the awarding school. Some may see a point in holding these degrees, but I can't see one. I don't want ANY degree that's a stranger in its own land, because it's bound to be judged a stranger in mine.

    Strictly for those who have an insatiable urge to call themselves "Doctor" and don't have the time, budget or inclination to earn a doctorate that will be recognized, either where it's taught or where they live.
     
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  3. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Someone sticking DBA or EdD after their name would know they don't have the degree they appear to have even if someone told them they could stick DBA after their name. What happens when they run into a DBA who starts questioning them and realizes they don't have the breadth and depth of knowledge (unless the modules provide for miraculous imparting of knowledge).
     
  4. tadj

    tadj Active Member

    In Poland, the accredited higher education institution (only those are allowed to conduct Postgraduate Studies in my country) gives you a specific official document.

    My main issue is that it does not appear that the Czech branch will give you this official Polish graduation document (translated from Polish as "Certificate of Completion of Postgraduate Studies") which should look like the one that I've posted below.

    It should specify that it is issued in the Republic of Poland, the number of semesters that your postgraduate studies took (typically from 2 to 4, translating to 1-2 years of study) and clearly spell out the area of study (Polish word: "zakres", as you can see in the provided example) in your postgraduate studies. In this case, the area of studies is the "Executive Master of Business Administration", but the area could also the the "Doctor of Business Administration", "Digital Marketing", or even "Pedagogical Preparation" used for gaining teaching qualifications in Poland. I am not sure how credential evaluators will treat a foreign program that's merely based on Polish Postgraduate Studies, but does not give the official award for such studies conducted in Poland.

    DBAs can be issued in Poland as Certificates of Completion of Postgraduate Studies, but what if you don't get the actual certificate?

    [​IMG]
     
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  5. tadj

    tadj Active Member

    Source: https://www.sejm.gov.pl/sejm9.nsf/InterpelacjaTresc.xsp?key=BPEJ2T

    I have found the following official response to a member of the Polish parliament (Sejm) offered by the Secretary of State in the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education. It was a response to an inquiry "on the so-called Doctor of Business Administration studies and degrees awarded by universities after graduation."

    Respondent: Secretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Wojciech Maksymowicz

    Warsaw, 07-05-2020

    Dear Madam Speaker,

    In the Polish area of higher education, there is no legal definition of "studies" DBA ( Doctor of Business Administration ) or MBA ( Master of Business Administration ). Both the Act of 20 July 2018 - Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 85, as amended) and its implementing acts do not define the concept of DBA studies/courses or MBA, or professional titles related to their completion ( doctor/master of business administration). Education in this area is usually conducted as part of postgraduate studies, and the DBA or MBA diploma is issued in addition to the basic document confirming the completion of postgraduate studies, i.e. the certificate of completion of postgraduate studies, the necessary elements of which are specified in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 12 of September 2018 on documents issued in connection with the course or completion of postgraduate studies and specialist education (Journal of Laws, item 1791).

    The university may provide DBA or MBA education in the form of postgraduate studies or other forms of education. In this case, Art. 163 sec. 1 of the Act. In the case of conducting forms of education other than higher education and postgraduate studies, the Polish higher education institution shall issue the document referred to in Art. 162 of the Act. On the other hand, when education is conducted as part of postgraduate studies, the document that should be issued by a Polish university is a certificate of completion of postgraduate studies issued on the basis of the provisions of the above-mentioned regulations. regulation.

    Both the completion of postgraduate studies and other forms of education are not associated with obtaining a professional title. The professional title is closely related to the completion of studies (first-cycle, second-cycle, uniform master's studies). The aforementioned act stipulates that a graduate of first-cycle studies obtains the professional title of Bachelor, Engineer or equivalent. On the other hand, a graduate of second-cycle studies or uniform master's studies - the professional title of magister, master of engineering or equivalent. Equivalent titles are defined in the provisions of the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of September 27, 2018 on studies(Journal of Laws, item 1861, as amended). Therefore, the titles after completing DBA education are awarded outside the higher education system. On the other hand, the quality of such programs is confirmed primarily by accreditations from international institutions.

    It is also worth pointing out that post-graduate studies are a form of education other than studies (first-cycle studies, second-cycle studies and uniform master's studies), and persons studying post-graduate studies are referred to as participants (until October 1, 2018 - as "listeners" ). The above means that the provisions regulating issues related to studies and students cannot be applied directly to postgraduate education.

    According to Art. 160 sec. 1 of the Act, postgraduate studies must last no less than two semesters and enable obtaining partial qualifications at the 6th, 7th or 8th level of the Polish Qualifications Framework referred to in Art. 5 of the Act of 22 December 2015 on the Integrated Qualifications System (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 226).

    Not only universities are entitled to conduct postgraduate studies, but also research institutes, scientific institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, as well as the Medical Center for Postgraduate Education.

    Whereas Art. 160 sec. 2 of the Act defines issues related to the program of postgraduate studies. When creating postgraduate studies, the University prepares a description of the learning outcomes, taking into account the requirements provided for in the Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of November 14, 2018 on the characteristics of the second- cycle learning outcomes for qualifications at levels 6-8 of the Polish Qualifications Framework (Journal of Laws item 2218) and the regulation of the Minister of National Education of 13 April 2016 on the characteristics of the second level of the Polish qualifications framework typical for vocational qualifications - levels 1-8 (Journal of Laws item 537) and enables obtaining at least 30 ECTS credits.

    Conducting postgraduate studies by universities does not require a permit from the Minister of Science and Higher Education, nor does it require their notification or registration with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The Ministry does not keep a register of postgraduate studies. In addition, universities, within the framework of their program autonomy, develop their own postgraduate study programmes. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education does not carry out substantive evaluation of these programmes. Nevertheless, the freedom of universities in launching post-graduate studies is not unlimited, and university authorities, when developing curricula for such studies, are obliged to take into account the applicable provisions of law. At the same time, special care should be taken to organize studies conferring qualifications, the nature of which is not only perfecting.

    Summing up, it is necessary to emphasize once again the independence of the university in shaping the educational offer in the field of postgraduate studies offered. However, the organization of such studies, despite the autonomy granted to universities, must proceed on the basis of and within the framework of the above-mentioned legal regulations. The university is responsible for the correct organization of the postgraduate studies offered, in particular the postgraduate studies awarding qualifications, in accordance with applicable law.

    It should also be reminded that the doctoral degree may currently be obtained through the doctoral procedure conducted on the basis of the Act of 14 March 2003 on academic degrees and titles and degrees and titles in the field of art (Journal of Laws of 2017 ., item 1789) and proceedings for the award of a doctoral degree carried out on the basis of the provisions of the Act - Law on Higher Education and Science . These promotion procedures may only be conducted by entities (universities, institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, research institutes, international institutes) authorized to confer doctoral degrees granted by the Central Commission for Degrees and Titles. The list of doctoral entities can be found on the Commission's website at:https://www.ck.gov.pl/articles/id/11.html ("Entities authorized to award academic degrees"). At the same time, it should be emphasized that the entity named "Collegium Humanum - Warsaw Management University" is not included in the above list. This university is not authorized to confer doctoral degrees in the territory of the Republic of Poland.

    On its website, Collegium Humanum - Warsaw Management School informs that while implementing the DBA program, it cooperates with foreign universities: Apsley Business School, Limburg Graduate School of Business in Maastricht, Swiss School of Management in Rome, but none of the above-mentioned universities. entities is a recognized institution authorized to provide higher education or award academic degrees. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that the completion of these studies is associated with the legal acquisition of any foreign title or degree.

    Although in the British and American education systems, the abbreviation DBA may imply the possession of a doctoral degree, the recognition of each title or degree should be considered within the education and higher education system of the country in which the title or degree was obtained. Therefore, the use of the DBA title obtained within the Polish higher education system cannot be considered equivalent to the possession of a doctoral degree. In addition, attention should be paid to the responsibilities associated with the use of titles or degrees. Article 61 § 1 of the Code of Petty Offenses (Journal of Laws of 2019, item 821, as amended) indicates that: whoever usurps a title or rank to which he is not entitled is subject to a fine of up to PLN 1,000, or punishes reprimands.

    Yours faithfully
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2023
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  6. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Tadj, I read all of that. It was very informative and explains why College Humanum issues those degrees through foreign entities and why Jagiellonian does as well. Definitely not doctoral degrees and that last paragraph says a lot about their status in Poland (including the issue of implying you have a doctoral title).

    Thank you for all of that great work detailing this. I am impressed.

    Does go back to that saying that if something seems to good to be true it is. And AAHE involved in this as well.
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2023
  7. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Yep. Finally, thanks to tadj, we got to the bottom -- a long way down indeed. As some old guy said, six pages back:
    Well, at least he was awake THAT day.
     
  8. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Issued by a Czech school on a certificate that says Czech degree BUT the advertisement clearly states that it is outside the Czech system and issued under Czech law due to the fact it is issued under the authority of an approved foreign school. They point back to Jagiellonian College. Problem is based on what Tadj posted their ability to issue those DBAs is questionable and that is why Jagiellonian doesn't issue you the normative Polish certificate.
     
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    This whole thing, unfortunately, (except for tadj and a handful of others) wasn't so much about Polish Higher education, which I regard as an exceedingly fine thing. It was more about shuffling and puffery of degree-looking papers, by a very few members here and a school that bought itself unrecognized American accreditation "for show" - and in some cases, sadly, it was working. People and a school dead set on capitalizing off each other. Each trying to take advantage. It's like a Mob-run casino (or a regular one). Nobody wins against the House.
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2023
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  10. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Exactly. And yes...Poland has some amazing and very old universities.
     
  11. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    On a dark Eastern and Central European/Mexican information super highway
    Cool wind in my hair
    Warm smell of learning
    Rising up through the air
    Up ahead in the distance learning vortex
    I saw shimmering light
    My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
    I had to stop for a degree

    There she stood in the doorway
    I heard the cash register bell
    And I was thinking to myself
    This could be Heaven or this could be Hell
    Then she lit up a candle
    And she showed me the way
    There were voices down the corridor
    I thought I heard them say
    Welcome to the Foreign Bargain School
    Such a lovely degree (such a lovely degree)
    Such a lovely price
    Plenty of room at the Foreign Bargain School
    Any time of year (any time of year)
    You can find it here

    Welcome to the Foreign Bargain School
    Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
    Such a lovely idea
    They livin' it up at the Foreign Bargain School
    What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
    Bring your alibis

    Last thing I remember, I was
    Running for graduation
    I had to find the passage to my degree
    To the place I was working for
    "Relax, " said the night man
    "We are programmed to receive
    "You can check-in any time you like
    "But you can never leave!"
     
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  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    "You got to know when to hold 'em,
    Know when to fold 'em,
    Know when to walk away,
    Know when to run..."

    Apologies to the late Kenny Rogers - great musician, singer and actor - and multi-award-winner for Best Beard Ever.
     
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  13. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    And crossing another line when they offer DPhils with 40 page dissertations. Seems like an AAHE special unlikely to impress Polish or Czech Officials. Can you get a good Kolache with your diploma?
     
  14. tadj

    tadj Active Member

    Source: https://www.study-dsc.eu/pdf/DSC-Leaflet.pdf

    Quote from the school's leaflet: "ACCREDITATION BY LAWS Our Managerial programs are also accredited on the basis of the Laws of Poland as "Studia Podyplomowe” according to the Article no. 164 Ustawy z dnia 20 lipca 2018r. – Prawo o szkolnictwie nýszym i nauce Dz. U. pos. 1668."

    FVES has misspelled the Polish law in their leaflet. I should say "wyższym" instead of "nýszym"

    Postgraduate Studies in Poland do not end with the award of a degree. You are normally given some sort of a diploma award in addition to the proper and official document called "Certificate of Completi0n of Postgraduate Studies (the official Polish-language "Świadectwo ukończenia studiów podyplomowych" that I've shown in photo in the post above), but this extra diploma doesn't have any legal standing here; it serves as a kind of additional "no real legal status" award given to graduates. Referring to any of these awards (the official świadectwo/certificate or the non-legally consequential diploma) as a "degree" is very problematic from a Polish standpoint.

    Postgraduate Studies (Studia podyplomowe) can come under different names, especially when translated into English. You can see this on the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange website. One of the ways in which they can be called is: "Non-academic post-diploma studies" or "post-graduate non-degree studies", as seen in the menu to the side on the website; https://nawa.gov.pl/en/recognition/recognition-for-academic-purposes/applying-for-admission-to-postgraduate-non-degree-studies
    But this just makes it clear that you're not dealing with any degree!

    So, this FVES claim made on the website: "The doctoral degree "Doctor of Business Administration" (DBA) is a degree of further professional and managerial education that you obtain on the basis of a postgraduate program of further education in accordance with the Polish Higher Education Act (Article 164 ustawy z dnia 20 lipca 2018r.-Prawo o szkolnictwie nýszym i nauce Dz. U. pos. 1668)" makes little sense.

    How can you receive a degree on the basis of what Polish authorities and laws refer to as "postgraduate non-degree studies"?

    That's the part that they should explain to prospective students.

    Also, they should explain this part: "Thanks to this, you will receive proof of 90 ECTS from a higher education institution recognized in the EU member states, as well as a certificate of completion of the study, with which you will be awarded the DBA degree."

    Please show this "certificate of completion of the study". Is it the official Polish "świadectwo" certificate from Toruń, or some Czech non-legally consequential certificate?

    Does the DBA degree have the same status as a Polish extra diploma given in addition to the actual certificate, meaning it has no real legal value? If so, what's the point of receiving this degree in the first place?

    Lastly, I would refer to this document, which explictly states (bottom section on "Studia podyplomowe") that anything besides the official certificate (Świadectwo") has no legal value in Poland. So, what's the value in Czechia?

    Source: https://www.taicep.org/taiceporgwp/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TAICEP-Poland-Education-System-2.pdf

    Quote: "Diplomas: MBA, DBA, etc. issued by Polish HEIs together with the mentioned certificate have no legal value in Poland"

    It's only the Świadectwo/Certiifcate award that really matters when it comes to graduation with Studia podyplomowe in Poland. If this official certificate refers to your attainment of the MBA/DBA title, it may have some (limited) value abroad. Otherwise, I would be careful.

    The two official degree programs that they offer in Czechia are totally fine, but the managerial education "non-academic degrees" have to be scrutinized, if you don't want to get burned.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2023
  15. tadj

    tadj Active Member

    Next time around, when writing a thread on "Poland" - a country preview, please don't start with a branch of some Polish higher school in Czechia that grants Czech "non-academic degrees" (alongside the two good and proper degrees for which they have REAL accreditation. Hence, my placement in the mid-tier) and gives the (wrong) impression that these "degree" awards have something to do with Polish laws.
     
  16. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Thank you for valuable insight into Polish law and education.

    I am assuming based on what was posted by the school that the degrees have no standing in Czechia either other than they were legal to issue based on a foreign school (Polish).
     
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  17. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    Oops, yeah. My country previews are different, the previous four were more state/public institutions with a mix of private but all of them were properly recognized (at least I think).
    None of them or actually, all of them combined didn't even have more than 1 page compared to this thread!!

    https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/country-preview-online-distance-doctorate-degrees-in-the-pi.59848/
    https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/country-preview-graduate-doctorate-degrees-in-malaysia.59882/
    https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/country-preview-graduate-doctorate-degrees-in-india.59879/
    https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/country-preview-mexico-doctoral-programs.61561/
     
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  18. tadj

    tadj Active Member

    Personally, I found this older description to be helpful:

    https://gaudeamus.cz/seznam-skol/detail-skoly/schoolHash:547649b5082842b0177f69f5dd87191c (Notice how many of their awards are classified as "Other")

    "The Faculty also focuses on further and lifelong education of adults, especially on managerial and other professionally oriented study programs (MBA, MPA, LL.M., MSc.)."

    My hunch: The reason why FVES grants all these "Czech Republic degrees" is Czechia (not Poland under "Akademia Jagiellońska w Toruniu" or "Polish degrees") is the Czech law that allows institutions to run (unspecified) lifelong learning programmes (see my previous post on the Czech Higher Education Act). In Poland, Studia podyplomowe constitute one form of lifelong learning, but it is highly specific as to what official awards can be granted under this type of study and who gets to grant them. Based on my readings of the Czech law, I can now understand why so many Czech schools (accredited and non-accredited alike) run these "non-academic" (or so-called 'professional') degrees under lifelong learning. A lot of non-accredited training institutions are now operating out of the Czech Republic. I could list countless examples.

    Notice how even non-accredited insitutions will justify their presence and activity in the Czech Republic: (I think they may be right here)

    Accreditation of EDU Effective, Czech Republic, European Union

    EDU Effective EU is a professional non-profit education institution and acts in accordance with the law codified in the Czech Republic, EU laws.

    EDU Effective EU is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ASIC) and certificated by International Education Society London (IES) and International Certification Institute (ICI).

    We refer to the fact that in the Czech Republic, EU, our degree is considered a professional degree. EDU Effective EU is for students who study for their personal development, to improve their knowledge, and to be part of a global networking community.

    Notice how this is different from Poland where this type of further or lifelong learning education cannot result in a degree based on how the laws are written. This also (partly) explains why there are no legally operating non-accredited degree-granting institutions in Poland.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2023
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  19. tadj

    tadj Active Member

    I would like to reocmmend a website for anyone who wants to dig into the official Czech records:

    https://regvssp.msmt.cz/registrvssp/zvssp.aspx

    This official Czech "register of universities and study programs" under "Foreign Universities in the Czech Republic and their study programs" shows that the Faculty of Administration and Economic Studies at Uherské Hradiště, Jagiellonian College grants two accredited degrees in Czechia. On their own website, the school has classified all their other degrees that they offer as a "foreign program of lifelong education", which leads me to conclude that this area of "lifelong education" is key to their case for being able to offer the degrees.

    I also found this interesting parallel case. Here we have an accredited Slovak school (located in the capital of Bratislava) that's also registered as a branch in the Czech Republic in the same register that I've referenced. The school name is: University of Health and Social Work St. Alžbety: https://www.vssvalzbety.sk/ Their Czech branch also offers just two accredited degrees. But they have made connections with the "Cosmopolitan Institute of Education" in Czechia to offer the following extra degrees (probably also under the same "lifelong education" degree-granting principle); BBA, MBA, MPA, MHA, MPH, LLM, LLD, MSc, DBA, EdD.

    The joint diploma looks this way: https://www.cie-study.cz/diplom/
    Extra accreditation by AAHEA: https://www.cie-study.cz/akreditace-a-clenstvi1/

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2023
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  20. Messdiener

    Messdiener Active Member

    @tadj Thanks for sharing all of your research, links, and wisdom on central European education accreditation, degrees, and more!

    If I have understood correctly, could we say that Czechia's "foreign program of lifelong education" programs might be good opportunities for individuals to get in some extra study and to practise or even to preemptively prepare some research and papers for a more official degree program elsewhere?
     
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