Polish Studies

The programme combines linguistic, literary, and area studies aspects. Its linguistic component focuses on acquiring comprehensive language competence in Polish through an intensive language course (exit level according to the Common European Framework: B2 to B2+), followed by courses aimed at understanding the grammatical system of contemporary Polish, also in the context of other Slavic and Indo-European languages. The literary component is primarily oriented towards the history of Polish literature and its specific features. Both linguistic and literary courses emphasize a comparative Czech-Polish approach, which has a long tradition in Czech Polish studies. An important part of the programme is also an overview of Polish history, culture, and realia, as well as Czech-Polish relations.

The Polish Studies programme is offered as a major, a minor, and two specializations (Polish Cultural Studies and Polish for Professional and Business Practice). The major fully reflects the characteristics described above, while the minor is adapted in scope (content and credits) for students from other fields and faculties who wish to complement their main area of study with Polish studies. The core of both specializations consists of courses focused on practical Polish language study, normative grammar of contemporary Polish, the history of Polish literature, and Polish history, culture, and realia.

The Polish Cultural Studies specialization has a philological, cultural-historical, and area-oriented character. It emphasizes advanced study of Polish literature, including its context within European and world literature, as well as work with artistic texts and their translation. A significant component of this specialization includes courses on the specifics of Polish culture, Polish cultural heritage, and its potential in tourism.

The Polish for Professional and Business Practice specialization focuses primarily on acquiring practical skills that enable graduates to succeed in professional settings. In addition to practical skills, graduates are equipped with a solid theoretical foundation. Specialization combines the philological aspect of the programme with area and socio-economic perspectives. It includes extended instruction in business Polish, translation and interpreting exercises, and basics of non-philological disciplines (law, economics, geography, IT).

Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate is able to:

• communicate orally and in writing in Polish at a minimum level of B2 (for the minor study plan, at level B1);
• work independently with diverse texts, analyze them, and translate them from and into Polish;
• explain and apply basic theoretical and methodological knowledge from the fields of linguistics, literary studies, and related disciplines;
• master the grammar of contemporary Polish both theoretically and practically;
• apply advanced knowledge in the field of Polish literature;
• navigate the field of Polish culture, history, and Czech-Polish relations, as well as key issues of the economic, political, and social development of contemporary Poland;
• apply the acquired knowledge in practice, including communication and formulation skills;
• independently develop a selected topic, support it through the study of scholarly literature, and choose an appropriate methodological approach;
• further develop their knowledge and skills in subsequent studies within a follow-up Master’s programme.

Graduates of the Polish Studies programme are comprehensively educated specialists in philology and area studies. They possess theoretical and methodological knowledge in linguistics, literary studies, and related disciplines, and are well-versed in Polish culture, history, and Czech-Polish relations, as well as in key issues of the economic, political, and social development of contemporary Poland. They find employment in professions requiring language competence, strong communication skills, independent and critical thinking, broad general knowledge, and an in-depth understanding of the Polish environment. Graduates also have considerable professional adaptability, enabling them to respond flexibly to changing practical requirements. The knowledge and competences acquired predispose them to lifelong learning and continuous personal development.

Graduates of all study tracks can apply their education in teaching and research, tourism, journalism, editorial work, public administration, local government, lower and middle-level corporate management, translation of scholarly and artistic texts, interpreting, and expert consultancy. Graduates of the Polish Cultural Studies specialization, thanks to their knowledge of Polish literature, culture, and cultural heritage, can also work creatively in cultural institutions and organizations engaged in Czech-Polish relations. Graduates of the Polish for Professional and Business Practice specialization are particularly suited for positions in commercial and manufacturing companies that require knowledge and skills in economics, law, IT, and foreign languages, combined with a deeper understanding of the Polish area and its cultural-historical and socio-economic dimensions.

Students of the Polish Cultural Studies specialization complete their practical training in the form of a minimum five-day professional excursion, which applies theoretical and practical knowledge in the field. Students actively participate in preparing the excursion programme, consolidate their knowledge and expertise, and acquire skills that contribute to their personal development and employability. After completing the excursion (co-financed by the Centre for International Studies at MU), which is usually scheduled in the 3rd or 4th semester, the student receives credit for the course PJN209 Professional Excursion.

The minimum length of the Bachelor’s thesis is 70,000 characters, including footnotes, title page, table of contents, index, bibliography, and a foreign-language summary. The thesis may be written in Czech or Polish. The topic of the thesis may broadly cover issues in linguistics, literary studies, cultural history, or area studies. Thesis topics are continuously published by the programme’s instructors through the relevant application in the Information System (IS). Students may also propose their own topic to the supervisor. In the Bachelor’s thesis, students address a defined scholarly problem or several interrelated issues under the guidance of a supervisor. They should be able to design and carry out a research project based on the analysis of their own collected textual material or various types of data, using relevant research methods. Furthermore, they should demonstrate the ability to work critically with scholarly texts, creatively process concepts and theories found therein, and independently identify relevant solutions to the defined problems, all at a professional level corresponding to current scientific knowledge in the field and to the content and subject structure of the study programme.

Further information on the final state examination and the preparation of the Bachelor’s thesis is available on the website of the Institute of Slavic Studies at http://slavistika.phil.muni.cz/studium.

A graduate of the Bachelor’s degree programme in Polish Studies may (subject to admission requirements) continue in any follow-up Master’s programme. At the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University, it is possible to continue in the Master’s programme in Slavic Studies, which offers, among other options, a specialization in Polish Studies.