SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities (reviews)

I am doing my master’s at SWPS University. My professors are experienced professionals in their field of study. They are innovative and up-to-date when it comes to operating their classes. Materials are always provided. The university building isn’t that big. There are no many facilities where students can take their times and relax. Inside the building is very clean. Overall, it’s a good university to study.

I enrolled in the Psychology in English Bachelor’s program during the pandemic in 2020. The pandemic situation was not clear, so the information regarding the format of the study was changing. Unfortunately, the first year was fully online, and I neither met most of my colleagues nor I studied in the building. It is hard to assess the quality of the program during this period; however, my overall perception was rather positive than negative. Most of the subjects were very interesting and some teachers met the “golden standard”. They were engaged in the process and tried to encourage us. It was obvious that they were knowledgeable and interested in the subject they taught. On the other hand, since this program is in English and the teachers are Poles, a couple of them were not enough proficient in spoken English to provide us with information in a clear way. I consider it as a huge drawback because one of them was teaching Neurobiology subject which is quite challenging by itself and with language problems from the teacher’s side it was almost impossible to stay focused and motivated during these lectures.
The second year was brightened up by the fact that we were finally able to visit the building for some of our classes, although the minority of them. The building was right after the repairments, we witnessed modern and comfy classes with all the technical equipment that we might need. There are also a few cafes and a cafeteria with fair prices. All the pros and cons which I mentioned above moved to the second year, however, I noticed something more. From my point of view, the program is too easy. I realized that I do not have to spend too much time and effort to receive straight 5 points. On the one hand, it is good, since I have a lot of spare time and I can work. On the other hand, I see that after 2 years of studying I do not have the level of knowledge I expected to gain. I reckon the problem exists due to the two factors. First, a small number of graded assignments and a lack of truly challenging tasks. Second, lack of negative (fair) feedback. Psychologists are aware of the importance of feedback; therefore, we receive a lot of it, however, It is usually positive or neutral even in the cases when It should have been negative. That leads to a situation in which students do not actually know about their mistakes and will continue to make them in the future. Also, it gives the feeling that it is possible to cheat and do not put much effort into tasks, because the work will be marked as good or excellent either way. I was able to meet a couple of students from the psychology program in the Polish language and according to their stories, I concluded that the program in English is more theoretical and easier than in Polish.
The second year has also shown several pros of the University regarding communication between University authorities and the student community. In case of any reasonable desire of changes in the studying process, it was possible to contact the University, write a petition, collect signatures and achieve the results. The University seems to care about students’ opinions and satisfaction with the study process.
In addition, the offline study format opened opportunities to participate in scientific and other activities. The University has several student scientific clubs and some professors offer an opportunity to assist in conducting research, however, that is very limited and not as interesting as I expected.
I wish I’d started my education here after the pandemic to see how the University actually functions, whether there is a student’s life and whether it is worth its price.

To summarize:
Pros:
– Some of the teachers are very passionate and knowledgeable about their subject;
– Good communication and attitude between the University and students;
– Comfy classes with modern technical equipment;
– Some opportunities to do scientific work.

Cons:
– Low level of spoken English of some teachers;
– Easy/not very challenging program (lack of fair feedback and challenging tasks);
– Increasing price without apparent reasons.

My program is English Studies with Japanese. I have been in this program since October 2021 (this is my first year). Overall, all the subjects are related to the English language, with different aspects of it. Teachers gave quite a good explanation during classes even though sometimes they would say some problematic things. Overall, the SWPS atmosphere is pretty friendly though. The part that many students didn’t like is the absence of the majority of the on-site classes due to COVID and, then, the invasion of Ukraine. Also, in my opinion, some subjects appear quite boring and unnecessary (in a way that I couldn’t see the use of them in the future) plus some professors are prone to the old-fashioned manner of conducting classes. I am, personally, thinking of changing my degree as English Studies no longer seems that appealing to me, but I suppose it is not really an SWPS issue, but rather my own opinion based on what exactly the course consists of. Also, more on-sight classes would be more appealing to me. Another thing to mention is the absence of classes on the Japanese culture – as someone who studies Japanese, such knowledge would have come in handy. The building of the SWPS in Warsaw has just been renovated and I would say it is pretty modern, has comfortable classrooms, nice cafes and so on.

As a psychology enthusiast, I chose SWPS as my university and let me tell you, I’m not regretting my decision. As you would expect from a private school the level of education is quite high- we get to learn about new experiments and have a hands-on experience in researching and dissertations. The academic staff is highly knowledgeable and eager to help with any worries. I could go on and on about the pros of studying at SWPS but I think it’d be good to mention some issues, such as low communication level with some of the teachers both in person and via emails or the indecisiveness about functioning during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Overall, I would highly recommend attending SWPS University if you are interested in psychology. Be ready to study hard and learn a lot of extremely interesting things tho!

The program constructs clearly and the lecturers are very passionate. You get to meet people from many other different countries like Turkey, Malaysia, China etc. The textbook needed for lectures is available in the library and most of them are in perfect condition.

One of the main advantages of studying at SWPS University is an opportunity to learn from professionals who have a wide background in various research, workplaces and specialities. The teachers aren’t just experienced – they also capable to explain the complicated material, making it less complex and more digestible for students. The only downside that I can highlight is lower than average level of requirements for passing the courses, which creates a feeling of not being prepared enough for the future career

I liked that the course was challenging and really motivated me to want to pursue my future in the business industry. I managed to learn a lot from the teachers about character as well. I did not like that the schedule and rules were so fixed that it seemed impossible to work whilst going to school. But the overall experience was great.

So far it’s been great, it’s a friendly environment where teachers allow you to express your ideas comfortably. The course is quite insightful and the teachers manage to make it interesting. The fellow students are friendly and make it easier for you to share your ideas without feeling silly.