POLISH LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
COLLEGIUM CIVITAS
WARSAW

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Study Abroad Poland invites you to study at Collegium Civitas, one of Poland's leading private universities. It has been the proud winner of Wprost Magazine's Best School Award for the past five years (in the private, non-business category). The school is conveniently located in the heart of Warsaw in the monumental Palace of Culture and Science (built during communism as a 'gift from the Soviet people' and is still the tallest building in Poland).

Collegium Civitas offers a wide variety of courses taught in English and in Polish. These courses are ideal for students studying sociology, international relations, political science, economics, and history. More importantly, many of the courses focus on social change with an emphasis on the ongoing transition and EU expansion in Central and Eastern Europe, so you will have a unique opportunity to learn about the changes in the region while experiencing them first-hand. The professors are experts in the social sciences and majority are drawn from the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland's foremost research institution.

The small student body (1,100) ensures an excellent student to teacher ratio (5:1) and individual attention. Your fellow colleagues will be Polish students as well other international students, and there will be frequent extra-curricular activities to keep you busy throughout the semester.

DATES & FEES

Dates Fall Semester (September – December) Spring Semester (February – June)

Fees $7,900 TBA

 

What’s included in the $7,900 program fee:

Tuition and fees

The program includes full tuition and fees at Collegium Civitas.

Official transcript

One to two months after completing the program, we’ll send your home university an official transcript from Collegium Civitas, which is accredited by the Polish Ministry of Education. This allows you to transfer credit back to your university. The transcript contains the course title, grade, and number of hours for each course.

Housing in a university residence hall

During the program you’ll live in a double room in a residence hall in Warsaw. This is a great way to meet Polish students and get involved in student activities.

On-site program director (24-hour support)

Throughout the program, you’ll receive on-site support from the Program Director. The director will meet you at the airport, lead the orientation session, organize activities, and be available 24-hours a day.

Airport transfers

In order to make your arrival go smoothly, your Program Director will meet you at Warsaw’s airport (Frederic Chopin Airport). He/she will take you in a taxi to the residence hall and help you move in. At the end of the program, the Director will also take you to the airport before departure.

In-country orientation

You’ll take part in a 3-day orientation session at the beginning of the program. The Program Director will provide you with helpful advice and tips for living in Warsaw, review the schedule of activities for the semester, distribute cell phones, and teach a survival Polish class.

Free use of pre-paid cell phone

During the orientation session you’ll be provided with a cell phone and a number of initial minutes. You’ll be responsible for recharging your phone with minutes.  A cell phone is a great way to keep in touch with your friends and family back home. Also, text messaging is a popular and economical way to communicate with your friends in Poland.

Transportation pass

To help you travel smoothly around Warsaw, we’ll provide you with a transportation pass that can be used on all buses, trams, the subway, and some local commuter trains.

Free Internet access

Collegium Civitas has a computer lab with full access to the Internet. During the orientation session, you’ll receive information about using the computer room.

Extra-curricular activities

Extra-curricular activities will be planned throughout the semester. These activities are designed to help you get to know Warsaw and the Polish culture better. For many of the activities the Program Director will invite local Polish students. Some sample activities include: a tour of Warsaw, a BBQ with Polish students, pierogi tasting, a tour of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, a day-trip to Wilanow (a 17th-century palace outside of Warsaw), bowling, a Chopin concert in Lazienki Park, and many more. You’ll receive a schedule of activities during the orientation session. All activity fees are included in the program price.

Since we want to give you the freedom to travel on your own, excursions are not included in the price of the program. However, we do offer organized excursions for an additional fee. Your Program Director will provide you with a list of organized excursions and fees at the beginning of the program. Generally, they include Krakow, Auschwitz (a former Nazi concentration camp), the Wieliczka Salt Mine, Zakopane, and Gdansk. You are also encouraged to suggest excursion locations.

Health insurance

You’ll be provided with health and accident coverage through HTH Worldwide Insurance. The HTH U.S. Study Abroad Health Plan is designed especially for U.S. Study Abroad students, and provides 100,000 USD of coverage. HTH has a list of approved doctors and health facilities in Warsaw. Your policy information will be sent to you 3 weeks before departure.

What’s not included in the program fee:

• meals

• spending money

• round-trip airfare to Poland

• textbooks (including photocopies and readers)

• excursions

Please note: since we want to give you freedom to travel on your own, excursions are not included in the program fee. However, we do offer organized excursions for an additional fee. Your Program Director will provide you with a list of organized excursions and fees at the beginning of the program. Generally, they include Krakow, Auschwitz (a former Nazi concentration camp), the Wieliczka Salt Mine, Zakopane, and Gdansk. You are also encouraged to suggest excursion locations.

COURSES & DESCRIPTIONS
At Collegium Civitas, generally you will take a Polish language course for 3 or 4 semester/4.5 or 6 quarter credits (depending on the semester). In addition, you take 4 elective courses that are each worth 45 hours (3 semester/4.5 quarter credits).

Most elective courses are taught in English. In the Spring Semester there is a wide variety of 2-credit elective courses in Polish to choose from (if you are proficient in Polish).

You can earn between 12 and 16 semester credits (18 and 24 quarter credits).

FALL COURSE LISTINGS
SPRING COURSE LISTINGS (ENGLISH COURSES)
SPRING COURSE LISTINGS (POLISH COURSES)

TRANSFER CREDIT
Collegium Civitas is a university fully accredited by the Polish Ministry of Education. Most colleges and universities allow you to transfer credit from courses taken abroad. Before applying it’s important to speak with the study abroad advisor at your home institution to obtain pre-approval for your courses and determine how many credits you’ll receive. Every educational institution has different policies about transferring credit, so we encourage you to follow your institution’s regulations. Usually the number of credits that you receive depends on the number of teaching hours. Following the American system, we suggest awarding 1 semester credit for every 15 hours of class time or 1 quarter credit for every 10 hours of class time.

After completing the program, we’ll send your registrar or study abroad advisor an official transcript with the course titles, course hours, and grades. Your university will need this transcript to transfer credit.

HOUSING
During the program you’ll live in a double room in a residence hall in Warsaw. In your room you’ll have your own bed, desk, chair, closet, and bookshelves, and each room has its own bathroom. The residence hall also includes a laundry room (coin-operated washers and dryers). Living in a residence hall is a great way to meet Polish students and get involved in student life!

STUDYING IN WARSAW
With a population of more 1.7 million people, Warsaw is an ideal location for those of you who like the big city life. It became the country’s capital in 1596 when King Zygmunt III moved the royal residence there from Krakow. Since then Warsaw has witnessed many hardships (it was almost completely destroyed during WW II), but it has emerged as a cosmopolitan city and the business center of the country. Here you can find modern architecture juxtaposed with carefully-restored palaces and castles. The city boasts a beautiful Old Town and many theaters, museums, monuments, restaurants, and parks. And since it is home to a number of large universities, there are plenty of college students to meet and socialize with.

WORKING IN WARSAW
It is possible to work during your studies. You can usually find a job teaching English. Since this type of work has flexible hours, it is easy to combine with your studies. You can earn about 10 USD per hour, and depending on your university schedule you can probably teach about 10 to 15 hours per week. Your employer will provide you with information on registering for work and obtaining a work visa.

HOW TO APPLY
The program is open to US and Canadian undergraduate students. Applicants must be in good academic standing (2.75 GPA). Students from all academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester/Academic Year: June 15

Spring Semester: November 1

Late applications will be considered on an individual basis.

Applying for our programs is simple! Fill out the on-line application form and wait for more information from us.

ON-LINE APPLICATION FORM

PASSPORTS & VISAS
All US and Canadian citizens need passports to travel to Poland. If you don’t have a passport yet, you should apply for one as soon as possible. The application process could take a long time. For more information on applying:

American students should visit:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Canadian students should visit: http://www.ppt.gc.ca

If you already have a passport, you should check to make sure it is valid at least 6 months after the program ends.

Semester students should obtain a student visa before departure. The application process is easy, and we’ll provide you with the necessary documents along with specific instructions for applying for a visa in your pre-departure mailings.

FINANCIAL AID
It is possible to transfer your financial aid to pay for some or all of the program costs. The first step is to check with your home institution’s financial aid advisor before applying. Since every home institution has different rules, only your advisor can tell you what kind of aid can transfer. Study Abroad Poland is happy to provide you with a certificate of enrollment or any other documents that your university might require.

The International Education Finance Corporation (IEFC) provides student loans for you who are interested in studying abroad. Please visit their website for more details: http://www.iefc.com

Another lender providing loans for study abroad programs is My Rich Uncle Education Finance: http://www.myrichuncle.com

SAMPLE BUDGET
As part of your program fee, Study Abroad Poland pays for your tuition & fees, housing, on-site staff, health insurance, use of a pre-paid cell phone, transportation pass, and scheduled extra-curricular activities.

You are responsible for paying for the following:

• meals

• spending money

• round-trip airfare to Poland

• textbooks (including photocopies and readers)

• additional travel

• pre-paid phone cards for your cell phone (we provide you with an initial amount of minutes)

• Here is a suggested budget:

Meals	900 USD
Transportation (round-trip from the US or Canada)	800-1000 USD (depending on the city)
Additional Travel	500-900 USD (depending on how much you want to travel)
Books and Photocopies	50 USD
Personal Expenses	500 USD
Total	2,750-3,350 USD