Przejście między studiami I i II stopnia. Wybory edukacyjne absolwentów studiów I stopnia nauk ekonomicznych

The year 2007 marked a significant change in the Polish higher education system. A three-stage organization of studies was introduced creating a new educational threshold, i.e., the transition from first-cycle to second-cycle studies, thereby forcing students to take yet another decision regarding their educational paths. The choices made at the new threshold have been largely under- researched so far. This paper aims to shed some light on the matter by analyzing administrative records of the Polish Graduate Tracking System on educational choices of the entire population of Polish graduates who finished their studies in 2014. The results show that more than two-thirds of graduates of first-cycle programs pursue further education and most of them continue studies in the same field and at the same institution. The study reveals significant differences between graduates of various academic disciplines. Graduates from economic programs proved to be most likely to remain in the same discipline when they choose their second-cycle programme.