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Diploma Thesis and Exam

Graduation procedures for Polish-language programmes at WNPiSM

Use of artificial intelligence in diploma theses

These rules apply to diploma theses submitted from the 2025/2026 academic year onwards.

Under the University of Warsaw’s Rules and Regulations of Studies, University Council for Teaching and Learning Resolution No. 98/2023, and WNPiSM Teaching and Learning Councils’ Resolutions Nos. 11/2025 and 29/2025, the following rules govern the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools when preparing diploma theses on programmes offered by the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies from the 2025/2026 academic year onwards.

  1. Although the use of AI tools when preparing a diploma thesis may be permitted, it must not compromise the overriding requirement that the thesis be prepared independently and meet the academic and formal requirements established by the Teaching and Learning Council for the relevant degree, in accordance with the University Council for Teaching and Learning’s guidelines (§ 46(1)–(2) of the University of Warsaw’s Rules and Regulations of Studies).
  2. Supervisors determine the rules for using AI tools for students attending their diploma seminars. These rules should be included in the seminar syllabus or communicated to students in another way. Supervisors may use the five-level scale described in WNPiSM Teaching and Learning Councils’ Resolutions Nos. 11/2025 and 29/2025. If a supervisor has not specified these rules, students must still prepare their theses independently, and any use of AI tools requires the supervisor’s approval.
  3. Students bear full responsibility for their use of AI tools when preparing their diploma theses. Their use must comply with applicable law, including copyright law, ethical principles, and other relevant requirements.
  4. Supervisors assess throughout the preparation process whether the thesis constitutes the student’s independent work, including in relation to AI use. They may use available detection tools, including those integrated into the Archive of Diploma Theses (APD), to assess the likelihood that AI tools have been used to prepare the text. A detection result, such as a percentage indicating the likelihood of AI use, should not be the sole basis for suspecting a breach of legal or ethical requirements.
  5. Supervisors confirm in APD that the diploma thesis is the student’s independent work. This assessment must also take account of the extent to which the student has used AI tools.
  6. The use of AI tools within the limits and conditions set by the supervisor should not be grounds for either the supervisor or the reviewer to lower the grade awarded in their assessment of the thesis.
  7. The AI systems used, together with the purposes and methods of their use, must be clearly identified and described in the thesis, particularly in the introduction or the research methods chapter, in accordance with § 4 of University Council for Teaching and Learning Resolution No. 98/2023. This requirement does not cover footnotes, spelling and grammar checks, or thesis formatting, including inserting a table of contents or changing the style of footnotes and the bibliography.
  8. Breaching the rules on AI use may lead to proceedings concerning the preparation of a diploma thesis in violation of the law, under § 5 of University Council for Teaching and Learning Resolution No. 14 of 13 July 2020. The supervisor reports any suspicions to the Head of Studies for the relevant degree. The Head of Studies conducts a preliminary assessment and may refer the matter to the Head of the Teaching Unit for further consideration, following a procedure analogous to that used in suspected plagiarism cases.
  9. Before uploading the completed thesis to APD, students must complete a declaration describing the extent of their use of AI tools. The declaration must follow the prescribed template in Appendix 1 and be signed and included in the thesis file immediately after the opening title pages required for the degree. Students must complete the template, print it, sign it by hand, scan or photograph the signed document, and insert it into the thesis file as pages 3 and 4. Only once the declaration has been included should the thesis be uploaded to APD.
  10. After the student uploads the thesis to APD, the supervisor checks that the declaration has been correctly included. The supervisor also checks whether its contents comply with the AI-use rules they established and whether the extent of AI use is consistent with the requirement for independent work and the other requirements applicable to diploma theses.

Diploma examination arrangements and dates for 2025/2026

Diploma examinations are held in person.

On receipt of a reasoned request from the thesis supervisor, the Head of the Teaching Unit (KJD) may exceptionally approve a remote diploma examination. Remote examinations are governed by Rector of the University of Warsaw Ordinance No. 120 of 7 September 2020, announcing the consolidated text of Ordinance No. 120 of 5 June 2020 on the remote submission of diploma theses and the conduct of remote diploma examinations.

When arranging individual examination dates, please take account of the weekly maintenance window on Wednesdays from 14:00 to 23:59. Access to systems including USOS, USOSweb, USOSadm Java, and the Archive of Diploma Theses (APD) may be interrupted during this period. In accordance with the diploma examination instructions available in the Downloads section and guidance from the Inter-University Centre for Informatisation, diploma examinations must not take place on Wednesdays after 14:00.

In the 2025/2026 academic year, diploma examinations will be held up to 24 July 2026 and from 31 August 2026 onwards. Examinations will not be organised during the intervening summer holiday period because of academic and administrative staff leave.

The supervisor must email the Students’ Section responsible for the relevant degree with one of the following completed forms:

  • Application to appoint a diploma examination committee.
  • Application to appoint a remote diploma examination committee, including justification for holding the examination remotely.

The application must be submitted at least two weeks before the proposed examination date. It must include the proposed date and committee membership.

The application is forwarded through the internal administrative process to the Head of the Teaching Unit for approval and signature. The Head of the Teaching Unit appoints the examination committee.

Once the committee has been appointed, the Students’ Section informs the student and supervisor that the thesis may be uploaded to APD as a PDF file. The student must upload the thesis at least two weeks before the scheduled examination date.

Scheduled completion date and extensions

The scheduled date for completing studies is 30 September 2026. This date may be extended exceptionally in the circumstances set out below.

Under § 47(2) of the University of Warsaw’s Rules and Regulations of Studies, the Head of the Teaching Unit may, at the request of the student or supervisor, extend the period of study by no more than three months beyond the scheduled completion date, excluding any period of leave, where:

  1. The student has a long-term illness confirmed by an opinion issued by the Office for Persons with Disabilities (BON), based on the student’s medical documentation.
  2. The thesis cannot be completed by the deadline for justified reasons beyond the control of the student or supervisor.

Under § 47(3), a change of supervisor during the final six months before the scheduled completion date may also provide grounds for extending the thesis submission deadline under § 47(2). This applies where the change results from circumstances relating to the supervisor that could significantly delay submission.

The diploma examination must take place within three months of thesis submission and no later than the day before the scheduled completion date, in accordance with § 48(2) of the Rules and Regulations of Studies.

Resumption of studies in 2025/2026 to complete the final stage

Under § 13(5) of the Rules and Regulations of Studies, students may apply to resume the final stage of their studies within two years of completing the required coursework and being removed from the student register for failing to submit their diploma thesis on time.

For resumption in the 2025/2026 academic year, applications must be submitted by 26 June 2026.

The application must include a statement from the supervisor confirming:

  • Their agreement to supervise the student’s individual completion of the final seminar cycle.
  • The progress made on the thesis.
  • Whether the student is expected to be able to complete the final semester of the seminar, submit the thesis, and take the diploma examination by the applicable deadline.

The standard deadline for the examination is 29 September 2026, unless an extension has been granted under § 47(2), § 47(3), and § 48(2) of the Rules and Regulations of Studies.

Applications received by the Faculty after 26 June 2026 will be considered as applications to resume studies in the 2026/2027 academic year.

The diploma examination

Diploma examinations are held in person.

During an in-person or remote examination, the chair of the examination committee prepares the examination record electronically in APD. All committee members must approve it in APD without delay. Electronic approval is equivalent to signing the examination record.

Remote examinations

On receipt of a reasoned request from the supervisor, the Head of the Teaching Unit may exceptionally approve a remote examination. The procedure is governed by Rector of the University of Warsaw Ordinance No. 120 of 5 June 2020 on the remote submission of diploma theses and the conduct of remote diploma examinations, as amended.

The supervisor must email the Students’ Section with a completed application to appoint a remote diploma examination committee, including justification for holding the examination remotely. The application is forwarded through the internal administrative process to the Head of the Teaching Unit for approval and signature.

The technical requirements for remote examinations are set out in Appendix 2 to Ordinance No. 120 of 5 June 2020, as amended.

Remote examinations may use the following tools, provided that they allow the examination proceedings to be monitored:

  • Google Meet, available through G Suite for Education.
  • Microsoft Teams.
  • Zoom.

The requirement to make an audiovisual recording of the examination and retain it for one month has been repealed.

Examination format and committee

Diploma examinations on all degrees administered by the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies are oral examinations.

The examination committee consists of three people:

  • The chair.
  • The thesis supervisor.
  • The thesis reviewer.

The chair and reviewer must be academic staff members holding at least a doctoral degree.

During the examination, committee members ask the student at least three questions. At least two concern the content of the student’s studies, and at least one concerns the diploma thesis, unless the graduation rules for the relevant degree provide otherwise.

The committee meeting has three parts:

  1. The diploma examination.
  2. A closed deliberation without the student present.
  3. Announcement of the result.

During the closed deliberation, committee members discuss the examination and agree on the grade.

Diploma thesis submission deadlines

Students must submit their diploma thesis by uploading a PDF file to APD at least two weeks before the scheduled diploma examination.

This requirement follows § 47(1) of the University of Warsaw’s Rules and Regulations of Studies and § 5(2) of Rector’s Ordinance No. 120 of 5 June 2020 on the remote submission of diploma theses and the conduct of remote diploma examinations, as amended.

Do not submit a printed, bound copy of the thesis.

Regulations and supporting documents

  • University of Warsaw Senate Resolution No. 441 of 19 June 2019 adopting the Rules and Regulations of Studies at the University of Warsaw.
  • Rector of the University of Warsaw Ordinance No. 120 of 5 June 2020 on the remote submission of diploma theses and the conduct of remote diploma examinations.
  • Rules on the use of artificial intelligence tools in graduation procedures for degrees offered by the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies.
  • Declaration of the use of artificial intelligence tools.

Restricting access to a diploma thesis or its reviews

A supervisor or student may apply to restrict access to a diploma thesis and its reviews where the subject matter is covered by legally protected confidentiality or the thesis contains information protected under legislation on classified information. The application form is available in the Downloads section.

Applications are considered by the Head of the Teaching Unit.

Depending on the classification of the thesis and the type and extent of protection granted, the thesis may, for example:

  • Be exempt from checking through the Uniform Anti-Plagiarism System (JSA).
  • Be excluded from the National Repository of Written Diploma Theses.
  • Have access to its reviews restricted.

Notice from the Head of the Teaching Unit: thesis submission and diploma examination procedures for 2025/2026

The following stages apply to thesis submission and the preparation of diploma examination documentation at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies.

1. Checking the thesis for plagiarism

While supervising a student’s work, the supervisor may check the thesis using available plagiarism detection systems, such as plagiat.pl or the Open Anti-Plagiarism System (OSA).

All diploma theses must undergo a mandatory check through the Uniform Anti-Plagiarism System (JSA) before the diploma examination, subject to any exemption granted for a protected thesis as described above.

If plagiarism is suspected at any stage, the supervisor should discuss the matter with the student to clarify the circumstances. Based on that discussion and the plagiarism detection report, the supervisor either accepts the thesis or maintains the suspicion of plagiarism and immediately informs the Head of the Teaching Unit.

The reviewer may also report suspected plagiarism to the supervisor and the Head of the Teaching Unit.

Further proceedings are governed by University Council for Teaching and Learning Resolution No. 14 of 13 July 2020 on guidelines concerning standards and procedures for dealing with coursework and diploma theses prepared in violation of the law at the University of Warsaw.

2. Applying to appoint an examination committee

The supervisor must email the Students’ Section responsible for the relevant degree with a completed application concerning the student:

  • Application to appoint a diploma examination committee; or
  • Application to appoint a remote diploma examination committee, including justification for holding the examination remotely.

The forms are available in the Downloads section.

The application, including the proposed committee membership, must be submitted at least two weeks before the proposed examination date. It is forwarded through the internal administrative process to the Head of the Teaching Unit for approval and signature.

3. Checks and arrangements made by the Students’ Section

After receiving the application from the supervisor, the Students’ Section:

  • Checks that the student has passed all courses required by the academic programme and study plan, and records completion of the relevant stage of studies in USOS.
  • Checks that the thesis topic stated in the application has been approved by the Faculty’s Teaching and Learning Council.
  • Forwards the application to the Head of the Teaching Unit for approval and signature. Once approved, enters all required information in USOS and informs the student and supervisor that the thesis may be uploaded to APD as a PDF file.
  • Activates the electronic clearance form in USOSweb.
  • Notifies the student, supervisor, and other committee members by email if any outstanding formal requirements prevent the examination from taking place as scheduled.
  • Once all documentation has been prepared, emails the student and the entire examination committee to confirm that all formal requirements for the examination have been met.

Outstanding requirements may include:

  • Missing grades or course completion records in USOS.
  • A thesis topic that has not been approved.
  • A change to the thesis topic.
  • Incomplete electronic clearance from the relevant library or libraries, the University of Warsaw’s School of Foreign Languages, or the Physical Education and Sports Centre.
  • Outstanding payments owed to the University.

4. Degree certificates and diploma supplements

Students who began their studies in 2019/2020 or later receive a set of graduation documents comprising:

  • The degree certificate.
  • The diploma supplement.
  • Two official copies of the degree certificate in Polish.
  • Two official copies of the diploma supplement in Polish.

At the student’s request, one official copy of the degree certificate or one official copy of the diploma supplement may be issued in a foreign language.

This standard set of documents is provided free of charge to students who began their studies in 2019/2020 or later.

Additional copies of the degree certificate or diploma supplement in a foreign language, requested by the student, are subject to a fee under § 36(1)(2) of the Minister of Science and Higher Education’s Regulation of 27 September 2018 on studies (Journal of Laws, item 1861, as amended).

5. Uploading the thesis and completing declarations in APD

After receiving confirmation from the Students’ Section that the thesis may be submitted, the student must:

  • Enter the thesis information and all other required details in APD.
  • Approve the required declarations.
  • Upload the thesis as a PDF file.
  • Follow the instructions available in the Downloads section.

The author’s and supervisor’s declarations approved electronically in APD replace the declarations previously included on the second page of the printed thesis. These declarations must no longer be included in the electronic thesis file.

The separate signed AI-use declaration described above must still be included in the thesis file.

The thesis must be uploaded at least two weeks before the scheduled diploma examination.

Do not submit a printed, bound copy of the thesis. The PDF file uploaded to APD may have any filename.

6. Supervisor approval and the JSA check

Once the student has entered and approved the required information and declarations and uploaded the thesis, the supervisor checks the submission and sends the thesis for checking through JSA.

The supervisor then completes the following steps in APD, in this order:

  1. Accepts the JSA report.
  2. Approves the supervisor’s declaration.

Completing these steps in the specified order enables the supervisor and reviewer to enter their reviews.

7. Thesis reviews and grades

The supervisor and reviewer must enter and approve their reviews and thesis grades in APD at least three days before the scheduled diploma examination. Approval in APD is equivalent to signing the review.

If a required review is missing, the examination cannot take place and must be rescheduled.

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