Higher education institutions

Last updated: 08.10.2026

Higher education institutions award many qualifications that are recognised and valued in the labour market. These include full qualifications (for example, higher education diplomas) and partial qualifications (for example, certificates awarded after completion of postgraduate studies). The Integrated Qualifications Register (IQR) currently contains data on around 18,000 higher education qualifications.

In addition, higher education institutions, research institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS) and research institutes may submit applications for the inclusion of market qualifications in the IQS, apply for authorisation to award market qualifications and apply for entry on the list of external quality assurance bodies.

Higher education qualifications in the IQS

Some qualifications awarded by higher education institutions are included in the IQS by law. The Act also specifies their level in the Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF):

first-cycle higher education diploma – PQF level 6,
second-cycle higher education diploma and long-cycle Master’s degree diploma – PQF level 7,
doctoral diploma – PQF level 8,
certified specialist certificate and certified specialist technologist certificate – PQF level 5.

Qualifications awarded after completion of postgraduate studies are not included in the IQS automatically. The decision to include them in the IQS is made by the institutions that award them, i.e. higher education institutions, research institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences or research institutes.

Why include a postgraduate qualification in the IQS?

Only higher education institutions that include their qualification in the IQS may place the graphic symbols indicating the Polish Qualifications Framework (PQF) and European Qualifications Framework (EQF) levels on certificates awarded after completion of postgraduate studies.

Once the qualification has been included in the IQS, information about it will be available in the national qualifications register, the IQR.

What does a higher education institution do to include its qualification in the IQS?

Qualifications awarded after completion of postgraduate studies may be included in the IQS provided that a PQF level is assigned to them. The higher education institution does this in several steps:

Prepares information about the qualification, including a structured description of the learning outcomes.
Appoints an expert panel that:

analyses the learning outcomes required for the qualification and compares them with the level descriptors of the Polish Qualifications Framework and the relevant Sectoral Qualifications Framework, if it has been included in the IQS;
presents the results of its analysis in a correspondence table;
prepares a recommendation on the assignment of a PQF level to the qualification, together with a justification.

Sends the recommendation together with the correspondence table to the IQS Stakeholder Council.
After receiving the opinion of the IQS Stakeholder Council, adopts two resolutions: one on assigning the PQF and SQF levels to the qualification, and another on including the qualification in the IQS.
Uses the IQR E-applications System to send information about the qualification to the register-keeping body.

Can a higher education institution apply for the inclusion of market qualifications in the IQS?

Yes. Higher education institutions, research institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences and research institutes may also submit applications for the inclusion of market qualifications in the IQS.

Support for higher education institutions from the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute

A higher education institution may ask the Educational Research Institute – National Research Institute for support with:

preparing a description of a qualification awarded after completion of postgraduate studies, a correspondence table and a recommendation on the assignment of a PQF level,
preparing a short description of full qualifications available in the IQR,
preparing an application for authorisation to award a market qualification or for the inclusion of a market qualification in the IQS.