The University of Silesia in Katowice was established on 8 June 1968 by a regulation of the Council of Ministers, which took effect on 14 June 1968. Its roots lie in a Pedagogical Institute opened in Katowice in 1928, and it was formed from the Higher Pedagogical School in Katowice together with a branch of the Jagiellonian University set up in the city. Its first academic year began on 1 October 1968 with four faculties.
Facilities are located in Katowice, Sosnowiec, Chorzów and Cieszyn, and the university has its address in Katowice. Since 2019, teaching has been arranged in eight units: the faculties of Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, Law and Administration, Arts and Educational Science, and Theology, together with the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School.
Courses range from the natural sciences to law, theology and film. The directory lists computer science and materials science, physics and chemistry, and earth and environmental sciences among its main fields. Information on studying there is published in Polish and English on the official website.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Astroscience, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Fluid Dynamics, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Part of Transform4Europe European University Alliance. Strong regional presence in Silesia.
Research:
Materials physics & Nanotechnology, AI & Data science, Theoretical computer science, Environmental geochemistry & Biotechnology, Earth sciences.
Famous Alumnis:
Kazimierz Kutz (honorary doctorate)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
2500
Current students***:
23000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Major comprehensive university in Silesia, strong science faculties, engaged in regional transformation.
Cons
Located in an industrial region, engineering options are limited compared to Silesian University of Technology.
Best For
Major comprehensive university in Silesia with strong programs in computer science, materials science, physics, and chemistry.
Universität Leipzig in Germany is a public university listing physics, earth sciences, chemistry and mineralogy.
Italy's Università degli Studi di Trieste is public and strong in physics, neuroscience and engineering.
Austria's University of Innsbruck is a public university covering physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology and law.
Sweden's Lund University is public and lists engineering, law and medicine.
Finland's University of Turku is a comprehensive public university including humanities, medicine, science and law.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was the University of Silesia established?
It was established on 8 June 1968 by a regulation of the Council of Ministers. The first academic year opened on 1 October 1968.
What institutions did it grow out of?
It grew out of the Higher Pedagogical School in Katowice and a branch of the Jagiellonian University. The pedagogical tradition goes back to the Pedagogical Institute of 1928.
In which cities are the facilities?
The university has facilities in Katowice, Sosnowiec, Chorzów and Cieszyn. Its address is in Katowice.
How is the university organised?
Since 2019 it has had eight units: the faculties of Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, Law and Administration, Arts and Educational Science, and Theology, plus the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School.
What is the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School?
It is one of the eight units of the university and is named after the film director Krzysztof Kieślowski.
Which science fields does the directory list?
The directory lists computer science, materials science, physics, chemistry and earth sciences.
Where can applicants find admission information?
The university publishes recruitment and programme details in Polish and English on its official website. Fees and entry requirements depend on the programme.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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