Polish Studies at Trinity
The Department of Russian and Slavonic Studies is the only department in Ireland offering Polish pathways on three different degree programmes:
- Business Studies with Polish (BSL)
- European Studies with Polish
- Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures (MEELC)
Our students benefit from small group teaching, high level of individual contact, which will give you the opportunity for full immersion into the languages and cultures that you study. They will enable you to acquire a high level of language competence and fluency, combined with an in-depth understanding of the main cultures and societies in which these languages are spoken.
The emphasis of our programmes is on interactive and communicative small-group teaching, often provided by native speakers, and our students benefit from a great deal of individual attention and support.
- Students with no prior knowledge of Polish study the language and culture from scratch. They can apply for summer scholarships in Poland (intense language and culture courses).
- Special provisions are made for students with prior knowledge of Polish (heritage speakers, near-native speakers or those who have an entrance qualification in Polish). The focus is on academic writing, advanced language structures and Polish-English translation.
- All students spend their third year on an Erasmus exchange, studying at leading Polish universities.
For more detailed information on these programmes, contact the course coordinator Dr Krzysztof Rowiński.
Polish as a New Minor Subject
Starting in the 2024/25 academic year, Trinity students can take up Polish as a New Minor Subject as part of Trinity's Joint Honours degree programme. A New Minor Subject is a new subject that may be taken up by Single Honours Students on selected Single Honours programmes, in their second Year. Students may then choose to continue taking that subject in their third and forth Years and finish with a Major with Minor degree.
Students will take 20 ECTS worth of modules in Polish language, history, and culture in years 2, 3, and 4.
What will I learn?
By taking up Polish as a New Minor Subject, you will study Polish language, history, and culture, as well as gain a rudimentary knowledge of the broader region. In SF and JS, you will learn Polish from A1 to the level of B1/B2 (beginner path) or further hone your advanced written and oral skills in Polish (heritage speaker path). You will also gain a foundation in the history and culture of Poland and Central Europe, examining issues the region and country are facing today.
If you decide to continue with Polish as a minor, you will continue to learn the language and finish your degree by learning about the key concepts in Polish society and culture today on a more detailed level.
Course structure
In Senior Fresh you will learn the language and gain knowledge of the broader region:
Polish Beginners 1 or Polish Advanced 1, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
One of the following optional modules:
Introduction to Central, East European, and Russian Area Studies, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
Polish Diaspora, year-long, 10 ECTS
Literary Translators’ Workshop: Poland, year-long, 10 ECTS
Translation Tools for Polish, year-long, 10 ECTS
Junior Sophister
If you decide to take Polish as a Minor, you will continue to study the language and get a basic introduction to the history, culture, and society of Poland:
Polish Continuing Beginners 2 or Polish Advanced 2, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
Polish Area Studies, two semesters, 5+5 ECTS
Senior Sophister
In SS, you will dive deeper into the basics covered in Polish Area Studies:
Contemporary Polish Society, year-long, 10 ECTS
Modern and Contemporary Polish Culture, year-long, 10 ECTS
If you decide to not continue to award, you can still take Polish Area Studies for 10 ECTS breadth.
How will this be assessed?
Language modules are assessed with continuous assessment and tests. The other modules combine continuous assessment with research essays (one per term).
Learn more about Polish as a New Minor Subject:
Business Studies with Polish (BSL)
This degree is an exciting way to learn about business concepts, theories and models as well as getting to grips in an in-depth and comprehensive manner with Polish language, culture and business environment. Over its four years, the third of which is spent studying and working in Poland, the course simultaneously broadens and deepens your academic command of business theories and practices and develops your linguistic and cultural competence.
Why study Business Studies with Polish?
A degree in Business and Polish from Trinity College Dublin will provide you with business, linguistic and cultural skills that you will need to operate successfully in an international commercial environment. With a population of 38 million, Poland is the largest country in Central Europe and Polish is the biggest Slavic language in the EU. The Polish economy has been growing steadily since the early 1990s, reaching record highs in the EU. Poland is ranked 6th in the EU and 23rd worldwide in terms of GDP, and classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank.
Trinity has exchange agreements with leading universities in Poland (including the University of Warsaw). Students spend their third year studying and doing 2-month work placements in Poland. Furthermore, all students are eligible to apply for scholarships to attend summer courses in Poland.
Armed with a degree from Trinity, you will be well equipped to enter the global job market, do business in Polish, and get an exciting job in an international environment.
Graduate skills and career opportunities
Trinity’s enviable location at the heart of Dublin’s global hub of business activity means that our students are recruited for internships, summer jobs and graduate careers by international employers who look to Trinity as a key provider of top quality graduates.
On graduation you will have a strong academic knowledge of international business and management, together with a high level of competence in Polish language, culture and business environment. Recent graduates are employed in Ireland and abroad by leading international companies such as Google, Whirlpool, KPMG, AIB Capital Markets and Goldman Sachs, as well as by consultancy organisations, embassies and public sector bodies.
Business Studies and Polish at a glance
Download a sample timetable for the Business Studies and Polish degree [PDF].
Study abroad
European Studies and Business Studies students spend their third year on an approved course in a university or institute in the country of their major language. In in the case of Poland, students spend a year at the University of Warsaw or Kozminski University.
Furthermore, all students of Polish are eligible to apply for scholarships to attend summer courses in Poland.
MEELC (Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures) with Polish (TR040)
Trinity's undergraduate degree in Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures (MEELC) gives students a unique opportunity to study the history, cultures and one language of the Middle East (Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish) combined with a choice of a European language (Polish, Russian, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian) and its history and culture. In this course students explore diverse perspectives on Middle Eastern and European societies through a study of history, literature and identity politics.
The skills and in-depth knowledge acquired in this course prepare students to engage critically with, and contribute to, current discussions about the cultures, histories and religious affairs of the Middle East and their relationship with European societies as well as Europe’s millennia-long history of engagement with this region.
What will I study?
In your first year you will study Polish language and ‘Introduction to Central, East European and Russian Area Studies’. In addition, you will take a module focused on a subject related to the study of Europe, e.g. ‘Introduction to the History of Ideas’ and a module with a focus on the Middle East, e.g. ‘Introduction to Jewish/Islamic Civilisation’ or ‘Introduction to the Ancient Near East/Turkish Cultural History’. There will also be a module that examines the relationship between the Middle East and Europe, e.g. ‘Cultural Encounters between the Middle East and Europe.
In your second year, you will continue to study Polish and you will start a Middle Eastern language of your choice (Arabic, Hebrew or Turkish). As in the first year, some of your modules will focus on Europe, others on the Middle East, and there will be a module that examines the historical and cultural encounters between Europe and the Middle East.
The third year is spent abroad in a university in Europe or in the Middle East. If you choose to go to Poland, you will study at the University of Warsaw.
Your final year offers you many different options and focuses on both languages (or only Polish if you choose), and continues to deepen your knowledge of European and Middle Eastern cultures and their engagement. Modules are assessed through a combination of project work, in-class tests, essays and end of year examinations.
Why study Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures (MEELC)?
The course in Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures at Trinity is a new degree that is unique in Irish and UK universities. This is the only course that gives you the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of both European and Middle Eastern culture and society and, crucially, their long, complex and sometimes fraught interaction. The degree course is offered by the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, which is ranked in the top 100 language schools in the world.
Our staff members have international reputations as researchers and a feature of the School’s approach is to offer research inspired teaching, ensuring you have access to the most up-to-date ideas in the study of the Middle East and Europe. The emphasis on small group teaching guarantees that your educational experience will be interactive and collaborative.
Why study MEELC with Polish?
Polish has a strong position as the sixth biggest mother tongue and the largest Slavic language in the EU by the number of native speakers. It can be a convenient gateway to the fascinating wider realm of Slavic languages, a community which geographically makes up a large part of Europe and Asia, and includes over 300 million speakers worldwide. Studying Polish opens up the possibility of exploring this rich cultural legacy, as well as learning other Slavic languages.
Students enrolled on the course study Polish from scratch and do not need to have any prior knowledge of the language or culture. Special provisions are made for students with prior knowledge of Polish (heritage speakers, near-native speakers or those who have an entrance qualification in Polish). They study academic writing, advanced language structures and Polish-English translation.
MEELC with Polish at a glance
Download a sample timetable for MEELC with Polish [PDF].
European Studies and Polish (TR024)
European Studies is a full-time four-year undergraduate course of study covering the continent of Europe from the Renaissance to the present. Students study the nature of Europe and the forces that have shaped it through the disciplines of history, history of ideas, political science and sociology. They also develop proficiency in two modern languages of their choice (including Polish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Irish).
Why study European Studies with Polish?
European Studies is designed for students with a broad intellectual appetite who are interested in a range of disciplines and subjects. It offers students the chance to learn two European languages, and to study history and social sciences. This programme encourages students to think about our continent in all its complexity, and to analyse Europe’s cultures, literature, and politics.
Polish has a strong position as the sixth biggest mother tongue and the largest Slavic language in the EU by the number of native speakers. It can be a convenient gateway to the fascinating wider realm of Slavic languages, a community which geographically makes up a large part of Europe and Asia, and includes over 300 million speakers worldwide. Discover Polish culture and history through literature, film, and social studies. Poland is a member of the NATO and the EU. If you would like to work for EU institutions, public administration or international companies, knowing Polish will add to your employment prospects and help you develop proficiency in one or more Slavic languages.
Why study at Trinity?
Founded in 1592, Trinity College is one of the oldest and best-known universities in Europe. It is ranked 1st in Ireland and consistently among the top 100 in the world (QS World University Rankings). European Studies at Trinity offers a unique and broad range of languages and subjects for study, and draws on the expertise and dedication of lecturers from a wide range of disciplines.
Staff from different departments work together to deliver a fully-integrated programme that offers flexibility and choice for students. Trinity has exchange agreements with leading Polish universities (including the University of Warsaw), and students spend their third year studying in Poland. Furthermore, all students are eligible to apply for scholarships to attend summer courses in Poland.
Graduate skills and career opportunities
The language skills and understanding of a variety of disciplines gained through European Studies allow our graduates to take up opportunities in a diverse range of careers. Recent graduates are employed in international organisations, in the EU, in the civil service and the diplomatic corps, in business, finance and marketing. Other popular career paths are in consultancy, translating and interpreting, journalism, and tourism.
European Studies with Polish at a glance
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International students
Trinity ranks as the 31st most international university in the world.
The Study at Trinity website details country specific admissions information and details on how to make an application for any of the programmes in our School.
Supports for students
Trinity provides a wide range of student facilities including a health service, counselling services, accommodation, career advice, and study skills workshops. These supports are available to all students, as is Trinity's unique tutorial support.
Trinity’s disAbility service provides more information on all of the supports available to students.
Download our Polish Studies brochure(s):
Hear from our graduates
Milena Barnes was a student of the Middle Eastern, European Language and Culture undergraduate degree with Polish, who was awarded the Polish Ambassador's Prize for the best student of Polish language and culture at Trinity in 2019/2020.
In an interview with Dr Kasia Szymanska, she asks about Ireland's biggest minority, the second most widely spoken language after English, and the history of Irish-Polish relations.