Wydział Prawa i Administracji Uniwersytet Warszawski

English law is the most frequently chosen governing law in international commercial transactions. Polish lawyers and entrepreneurs are increasingly likely to encounter contracts governed by English law or, for tax or regulatory reasons, to register businesses in the UK.

Important sectors of the global economy are heavily influenced by English commercial law, including: international trade agreements, M&A, banking and finance, shipping and dispute resolution (including international arbitration). Moreover, many countries’ national laws are based on legal principles derived from English law, including many of the 56 Commonwealth countries and the United States of America.

Put briefly, English commercial law is extremely useful for anyone conducting international business or intending to advise others on how to do so. It also provides an interesting comparative legal perspective to those who are familiar with the provisions and mechanisms of Polish law.

The programme comprises 180 hours of studies, divided into four main modules. Other, additional topics may be addressed, depending upon the specialisation of the UK guest lecturers who teach on the course in the particular academic year.

The course is taught entirely in English by native speakers who have considerable academic and professional experience in commercial law (including experience of teaching these subjects for Cambridge University).

The following three UW WPiA lecturers who are permanently-based in Warsaw and deliver the majority of lectures and classes are also teachers of the British Law Centre:

- Dr Stephen Terrett (adwokat),

- Ruairi O'Neill (barrister),

- Will Odogwu.

Guest lecturers include distinguished academics and lawyers from the UK, including from Cambridge University and leading law firms.

Mode of study and frequency of meetings

The course is taught via lectures and workshops. Participants can either attend face-to-face at WPiA, or online.

Lectures take place Monday to Friday (18:30-20:00) over 14 selected weeks between October 2023 and June 2024. Details are available in this teaching schedule.

Workshops happen (09:30-13:30) on 8 Saturdays between October 2023 and June 2024. Details are available in this teaching schedule.

In order to graduate the studies, candidates must pass 4 multiple-choice tests – one in each of the 4 course blocks (i.e. Company law; Commercial Transactions; Intellectual Property law and International commercial litigation and arbitration).

In blocks consisting of two parts (i.e. Company Law and Commercial Transactions) a single test is set at the end of the second parts – i.e. there is not a test for each separate part.

The course lecturers prepare candidates for each test in advance.

Graduates of the course will have a significantly enhanced knowledge of core principles and documents of English commercial law. They will be able to advise clients on a wide variety of legal and practical issues that may affect their business. They will also gain a new comparative perspective on familiar Polish commercial law.

To apply for the course, please click here.

These postgraduate studies in English commercial law are available to university graduates (with a master's or bachelor's degree or an engineering degree), regardless of their field of study. Teaching is conducted entirely in English by native-speakers, so candidates should be able to understand and read English to at least B2 level. If a candidate does not possess proof of language proficiency, he/she may undertake these studies if their linguistic ability is confirmed by the Head of Studies, inter alia during a recruitment interview.

Admission to the studies is determined by the order of application via the IRK system. A candidate for studies must have a university degree (at least at level VI PRK), register in the IRK system and pay a recruitment fee of PLN 85.

Required documents

After registering in the IRK system, each candidate must submit the following documents:

• signed application for admission to studies - generated via the IRK system;
• original or certified copy of higher education diploma: Master's diploma or Bachelor's diploma or Engineer's diploma or an equivalent diploma issued abroad¹⁾, in order to make a copy and certify that it is a true copy of the original or a certified copy, or an original certificate of graduation containing information about the level, field and profile of studies, the degree obtained and a written confirmation of the result of such studies, together with a declaration that the candidate undertakes to present the original or a certified copy of the higher education diploma within 30 days of its issuance, and that failure to do so shall result in the candidate being removed from the list of participants in the Studies;
• a signed agreement on conditions of payment for postgraduate studies (in two copies, or in three copies in the case of an agreement on conditions of payment for postgraduate studies financed/co-financed by a third party) - generated via the IRK system;
• a signed undertaking to pay the tuition fees (in two copies) - generated via the IRK system;
• a signed declaration of the candidate’s e-mail address - generated via the IRK system.

 ¹⁾ If the candidate’s higher education diploma was issued outside Poland, he/she must supply:

1. certification of the higher education diploma in a legalized or apostillized form;
2. a sworn translation of the diploma into Polish;
3. a certificate confirming that the higher education diploma was awarded outside Poland or a declaration by the candidate confirming that he/she is obliged to submit such a certificate within 30 days of it being awarded (if the higher education diploma is subject to nostrification - a certificate of nostrification of the diploma or a declaration by the candidate that he/she is obliged to submit a certificate of nostrification of the diploma within 30 days of it being awarded)

The complete set of documents should be submitted in person or by post to:

Postgraduate Studies in English Commercial Law

Faculty of Law and Administration, University of Warsaw

Collegium Iuridicum IV

ul. Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie 47

00-347 Warsaw

Registration: 01.08.2023 -  23.10.2023

Period for receiving application documents: 01.08.2023 - 24.10.2023

Deadline for paying registration fee (or 1^st instalment if paying in instalments): 24.10.2023

Information on whether a candidate has been accepted to the Studies: 31.10.2023

Fees can be paid on 1, 2 or 4 instalments, as below. Payments options are chosen during the application procedure.

5 000 zł – one-off payment, payable by 20 October 2023

5 800 zł – two instalments, payable as follows:

• I instalment of 2 900 zł payable by 20 October 2023
• II instalment of 2 900 zł payable by 19 January 2024

6 000 zł – four instalments, payable as follows:

• I instalment of 1 500 zł payable by 20 October 2023
• II instalment of 1 500 zł payable by 19 January 2024
• III instalment of 1 500 zł payable by 15 March 2024
• IV instalment of 1 500 zł payable by 17 May 2024