In this guide
Fast answer
A Learning Agreement for Poland follows the EU template and Polish universities use ECTS, but course choice runs through the USOS student system, often in registration rounds after you have sent your first list. Some universities only open a course if enough students ask for it, so your first Learning Agreement is a proposal that you confirm later. Grades run from 5 (very good) to 2 (fail), with 3 as the lowest pass.
- Want it prepared for you? Odisea builds your Learning Agreement draft with the evidence your coordinator asks for.
- Still choosing a city? See the Poland country guide.
In Poland the risk is not a missing syllabus — catalogues are detailed. It is a course in your Learning Agreement that never opens, or that you do not get a seat in during registration.
What is the same everywhere, and what is Polish
| Topic | EU-wide rule | What it looks like in Poland |
|---|---|---|
| Credits | ECTS, about 60 per full-time year | ECTS; SGH asks for at least 21 per semester |
| Course list | The host publishes a catalogue in advance | Online catalogues (UW’s ECTS Informator, USOS at SGH) |
| Registration | — | Through USOS, often in rounds or with registration tokens |
| Courses running | — | At some universities, only if enough students declare them |
| Grades | Converted by your home university | 5 very good, 4 good, 3 satisfactory, 2 fail; some courses are pass/fail (zaliczenie) |
| Changes | Start within 5 weeks of the semester start | Recorded as “Exceptional Changes” in the during-mobility section |
Finding courses: the catalogue and USOS
Polish universities publish detailed online catalogues. The University of Warsaw lists its full offer in the ECTS Informator, and asks you to discuss your Learning Agreement with your academic advisor at home before submitting it. Registration then happens in USOS, the student system used across many Polish universities; at Warsaw it works with registration tokens.
Courses that only run with enough students
At SGH Warsaw School of Economics, courses run “on demand”: you first declare your preferences, and a course only opens if enough students ask for it. Preliminary timetables are published about two months after the preference round, followed by at least two more registration rounds. That is why your first Learning Agreement at SGH is a starting point: build it with a backup for each course and expect to confirm it once the timetable is out.
How much you need to take
Erasmus+ expects around 30 ECTS per semester, and SGH sets a minimum of 21 ECTS per semester for exchange students. Check your host’s own minimum and your home university’s requirement; the stricter one wins.
Exams and grades
Exams, oral and written, are held at the end of each semester during the examination session, as the official study.gov.pl portal explains. The usual scale is 5 very good (bardzo dobry), 4 good (dobry), 3 satisfactory (dostateczny) and 2 fail (niedostateczny), and some courses are simply passed or not (zaliczenie). The same portal notes that these grades are not directly transferable to ECTS, so your home university’s conversion rules decide how a Polish 4 appears on your transcript.
Changing it after you arrive
The EU guidelines let you start changes within five weeks after the start of each semester, and all parties should agree within two weeks of your request. At SGH these go in the during-mobility part of the agreement, as “Exceptional Changes to Learning Agreement”. Get all three approvals in writing.
Before your coordinator signs: a five-point check
1. Every course is in the host catalogue for your semester. 2. You have a backup for any course that might not open or fill up. 3. You know when each USOS registration round opens. 4. Your credits meet both the host minimum and your home requirement. 5. Each pairing in Table B has a syllabus link and a one-line reason your coordinator can check.
Point five is what our Learning Agreement service prepares: every equivalence with its course code, ECTS, syllabus link and justification, in a PDF ready for your coordinator.
Where to go next
- Poland: cost of living, cities and universities
- Warsaw for exchange students
- Kraków for exchange students
- Wrocław for exchange students
- ECTS credits explained
- Learning Agreement for Germany
Frequently Asked Questions
What is USOS?
The student information system used by many Polish universities. You register for courses and see your grades there; at the University of Warsaw course registration works with tokens.
What is a passing grade in Poland?
3 (dostateczny). The scale runs from 5 (very good) to 2 (fail), and some courses are graded simply as passed (zaliczenie).
Why did a course in my Learning Agreement disappear?
At some universities, such as SGH, courses only run if enough students declare them, and the timetable is fixed after the preference round. Keep a backup for each course.
Can I change my Learning Agreement after arriving in Poland?
Yes, within five weeks of the start of the semester under the EU guidelines, recorded in the during-mobility section and approved by all three parties.