University of Silesia in Katowice

Your graduation diploma is one of the most important documents for us. It confirms that you have the right to study at the Doctoral School. Diplomas vary widely worldwide. So if you have completed your studies abroad, your diploma must be complete (diploma + supplement) and confirmed. Therefore, whether your diploma entitles you to apply for a doctoral degree in Poland is confirmed in your country by the relevant authorities. These are usually agencies of the ministry responsible for higher education, embassies, consulates or national agencies.

First check whether the country which issued your graduation diploma has acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention on the abolition of the requirement of legalization of foreign official documents (https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41).

• if the country where you graduated has acceded to the Hague Convention, we expect only the Apostille, which is the appropriate stamp on the diploma or on a separate document. You will obtain it in your ministry responsible for student education or in another government agency. If you are currently not in the country which issued your diploma, check whether this country provides the Apostille by their consulates or embassies. If not, you will have to obtain it by mail.
• if the country in which you graduated has not acceded to the Hague Convention, you will need to have your diploma legalized. This is usually related to two stages. The first one is associated with the confirmation of the diploma in the relevant ministry or agency, and then legalization at the consulate of the Republic of Poland in the country in which you graduated. Contact the Polish consulate to check which procedure applies to you.

Prepare a photograph that is new and meets the requirements of the passport photo. We want to know what you look like. We may soon meet at the interview. We will also use this photo to prepare a doctoral student ID.

Show us who you work with or worked with in the past. Ask two researchers you value for their opinion about you and your project. One of them is to be your supervisor in the future. Ask him/her to declare this in his/her opinion. The other person can be someone you have already worked with e.g., the supervisor of your MA MSc thesis or the head of your laboratory.

Documents may be prepared in Polish or English version.

Polish version:

• opinion of your future supervisor or auxillary supervisor (academic teacher from the University of Silesia) – opinia opiekuna naukowego kandydata
• opinia dodatkowego nauczyciela akademickiego lub pracownika naukowego 2025

English version:

• opinion of your future supervisor or auxillary supervisor (academic teacher from the University of Silesia) – opinion of the scientific advisor of the candidate 2025
• opinion of an additional academic teacher or reseracher with at least PhD degree 2025

We have prepared a document in which you will be requested to specify all your scientific achievements and your international experience, if you have any. You can find here:

Polish version: osiągnięcia-naukowe-i-działania-międzynarodowe-2025

English version: Scientific-achievements-and-international-cooperation-2025