Transfer from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin: Where to Continue Veterinary Medicine in 2026

Is a transfer from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin possible in 2026?

Yes. A transfer from the University of Life Sciences in Lublin to another veterinary faculty is possible in 2026, both after a smooth semester and after failed exams. Your passed courses and ECTS credits stay on your transcript and are compared with the target curriculum. Medschool Experts organises the move to a matching European partner university, and the consultation is free.

UP Lublin is one of Poland's established life-science universities. It was founded in 1944, and its Faculty of Veterinary Medicine runs its own clinics on Głęboka Street with eight surgical theatres and a clinical skills laboratory. The English-taught programme lasts 11 semesters. A transfer is therefore not a judgement on the faculty. It is a planning decision about where the rest of your degree fits best.

What do the UP Lublin exam regulations say about resits and failing a year?

The Study Regulations of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin (adopted in April 2024 and amended by Senate Resolution No. 28/2025-2026, in force from 1 October 2026) give every exam one regular sitting and two resits, so three sittings in total. Veterinary students must pass the winter semester by 10 March. A conditional pass allows a maximum deficit of 12 ECTS.

The details matter, because Lublin is strict in a very specific way. The second resit is final. After the first resit you can ask the dean, within five days of the result, for a commission exam (egzamin komisyjny) if you believe the exam was irregular or went beyond the syllabus. The commission exam has to take place within three weeks in the winter session and no later than 20 September for summer exams. Its result is final, and missing it without an excuse means you lose the right to sit it at all. The 2026 amendment set out this procedure in more detail.

The rules for moving on without every exam passed are tighter than many students expect. A conditional pass of the semester (warunkowe zaliczenie) covers at most two failed subjects worth no more than 8 ECTS in one semester, and at most three subjects worth 12 ECTS across the academic year. You have to apply in writing by 10 March after the winter session or by 30 September after the summer session. The dean may refuse if the failed subject is a prerequisite for the next semester, which in veterinary medicine is often the case for anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.

Repeating is limited too. A student who does not pass a semester can apply to repeat it, but only once during the entire degree. A second repeat needs a long illness or another documented, serious reason, and the dean decides. In the first semester, repeating is not possible at all. There is one more practical limit: no more than eight exams per academic year and five per session.

So the regulation gives you three chances per exam, one safety net of 12 ECTS and one repeat. That sounds generous. In a programme with heavy prerequisite chains, it often is not.

What happens if you are dismissed from UP Lublin?

At UP Lublin, removal from the list of students (skreślenie z listy studentów) is a formal decision of the dean. Under § 28 of the Study Regulations it can follow from lack of progress, a semester not passed by 10 March or 30 September, unpaid fees or repeated unexcused absences. You may request reconsideration within 14 days, and your passed credits stay on your transcript.

The regulation separates mandatory and discretionary grounds. Mandatory grounds include not starting the studies, written resignation and disciplinary expulsion. The discretionary grounds are the ones that hit struggling vet students: no progress after repeated courses or semesters, a semester not passed by the deadline, or fees not paid on time. Before the decision, the faculty must notify you in writing and give you the chance to explain yourself and to see the file.

Three points are worth knowing.

• The 14-day window is real. A request for reconsideration has to be filed in writing within 14 days of receiving the decision. Use it if there are grounds, for example illness that was not taken into account.
• Return is possible only once. A student removed after passing the first semester can resume studies once, with the dean's consent, within three years. A student removed in the first semester has to go through first-year admission again.
• Your credits do not disappear. Every passed course, with its hours and ECTS, remains on your academic record. That record is what a receiving faculty assesses in a transfer.

The most important advice is about timing. Act before the formal decision arrives, ideally as soon as it becomes clear that the second resit or the 10 March deadline is at risk. While you are still enrolled, a transfer is easier to plan, your documents are easier to obtain and your options are wider. We help in both situations, before and after a dismissal.

Which subjects do students fail most at UP Lublin?

At UP Lublin, the bottleneck subjects for veterinary students are anatomy, histology with embryology, and chemistry with biochemistry in the first year, followed by physiology in the second year and pathology, pharmacology, microbiology and parasitology in the middle years. First-year exams end the winter semester with anatomy and biochemistry back to back.

Anatomy is the subject that decides most first years. Students start with osteology and myology, learned in theory and on specimens, and move on to the organ systems. The amount of material is far larger than anything from school, and the practical part requires you to identify structures on real bones and preparations. Histology and embryology follow the same pattern: a lot of slides to recognise, a lot of terms to know precisely.

Chemistry and biochemistry are the second hurdle. Students describe timed computer-based multiple-choice tests that leave little time per question. That format punishes gaps rather than rewarding partial understanding.

In the second year, physiology connects everything that came before. Later, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology and parasitology add a different difficulty: long lists of agents, drugs and doses across many species. The rule on course sequence adds to this: a course cannot be taken before its prerequisite is passed.

None of this makes Lublin unusual among veterinary faculties. It does mean that one open anatomy exam can block a whole chain of later subjects.

What do students criticise about UP Lublin?

Recurring student criticism of veterinary medicine at UP Lublin concerns a strongly theoretical, slide-based teaching style, limited hands-on contact with animals in large groups, much unguided self-study, placements that students must organise themselves and strict course-sequence rules. Students also mention scarce dormitory places. The faculty's clinics and committed departments are praised.

These themes appear repeatedly in student reviews and public discussions over several years, and they are worth knowing before you plan the next steps.

• Theory over practice. A recurring complaint is that many classes consist of slides, with few animals per group. Students describe large practical groups that share few animals.
• Self-study without guidance. Students frequently report that instructors explain little, presentations are not always shared, and much of the learning happens in student-organised notes and study groups.
• Placements. Compulsory placements after the second and fourth year have to be found by the students themselves. Some describe the later placements as passive.
• Course sequence. Students point out that the rule that a course can only be taken after its prerequisite is passed can turn one failed exam into a lost year.
• Housing. Dormitory places go quickly, and private rooms are not as cheap as many expect.

Each of these points can be a reason why a different faculty fits better for some students, especially when a strict sequence rule turns one open exam into a lost year. In that situation we look for a partner faculty where your passed courses count and where the teaching style suits you. That is our daily work.

One practical point applies to every English-taught programme in Poland: in clinics and on farms, most animal owners speak Polish. Students who want to lead conversations with clients in the clinical years benefit from learning Polish early, and some prefer a faculty where clinical work in English is easier.

To be fair: UP Lublin also has real strengths. Its own veterinary clinics with eight surgical theatres, a clinical skills laboratory and dedicated departments such as microbiology, histology and parasitology are regularly praised, and Lublin is a friendly, affordable student city.

Failed exams at UP Lublin: what now?

If you have failed an exam at UP Lublin, first check which sitting you are in. After the regular sitting two resits remain, and after the first resit you can request a commission exam within five days. If a semester cannot be passed by 10 March or 30 September, a conditional pass, a single repeat or a transfer are the realistic options.

A short decision guide:

1. Regular sitting failed. Prepare for the first resit and look at the exam format. Was it the content or the format? Ask to see your graded paper, which the regulation allows before the next sitting.
2. First resit failed. Decide within five days whether a commission exam makes sense. It is useful only if there are concrete grounds, such as procedural errors or questions outside the syllabus.
3. Second resit failed. Check whether a conditional pass is still possible: at most two subjects and 8 ECTS in the semester, and no more than 12 ECTS overall. If the subject is a prerequisite, the dean may refuse.
4. Repeat already used. If you have used your one semester repeat, the margin is very small. This is the moment to talk to us, before the deadline passes.

Two further rules are easy to overlook. First, a dean's leave (urlop dziekański) can be taken once, without giving a reason, but only after the preceding semester has been passed, so it is not a way out of an open exam. Health leave cannot be granted because of poor results. Second, the 2026 amendment tightened exam conduct: identity checks, no unauthorised aids and no communication. A breach ends the exam with a grade of 2.0, although the later sittings remain available. Losing a sitting this way hurts when only three exist.

Many students wait until the decision is final. Do not. A transfer prepared early can begin at the next semester start, without a gap in your record.

Why do students consider a transfer from UP Lublin?

Students consider leaving UP Lublin for five recurring reasons in 2026: failed exams combined with strict sequence and repeat rules, the cost of €8,000 tuition per year, a teaching style that does not suit them, the wish for more hands-on work in English, and personal reasons such as distance from home or family.

Each reason points to a different solution.

• Exam pressure. One repeat during the entire degree is little margin for a 5.5-year programme. A faculty with a different exam format can change the outcome.
• Costs. €8,000 per year plus rent, food and travel adds up. Our partner faculties teach Veterinary Medicine from €3,000 per semester.
• Teaching style. Some students learn better with more small-group practicals and clearer guidance.
• Clinical work in English. Students who want more active case work look for faculties with strong English-speaking clinical teaching.
• Personal circumstances. Family, health or the long journey from eastern Poland can make a move closer to home sensible.

A student who is doing well in Lublin and is happy with the costs has every reason to stay. For everyone else, the question is fit.

How are credits from UP Lublin recognised (ECTS)?

Credits from UP Lublin are recognised through the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). A receiving veterinary faculty compares each passed course by content, hours and ECTS with its own curriculum and places you in the matching year. The rule of thumb in 2026: usually no more than two exams may be open, and their credits must stay below a maximum.

In the European Union, one academic year of full-time study equals 60 ECTS credits, and one credit stands for roughly 25 to 30 hours of student work. Poland uses ECTS throughout, so your transcript from Lublin already speaks the language that receiving faculties understand. What they check is less the name of a course and more its substance: anatomy hours, practical components, clinical rotations and completed placements.

Outside Europe, credit systems work differently, and that shapes how a transcript is read. In the United Kingdom, universities count CATS credits, where 120 credits make one academic year and 2 UK credits roughly equal 1 ECTS. In the United States, veterinary schools use semester credit hours tied to contact time, and they rarely admit transfer students into a running Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme. Across the EU, the common 60-ECTS year and the shared minimum training requirements for veterinarians make a transfer between faculties far more practical. That is why Medschool Experts works with European partner faculties for veterinary transfers.

Faculties often place transfer students into higher years when the record is complete. Every case is checked individually, and missing courses can sometimes be made up in the first semesters after the move.

Which universities accept transfer students from UP Lublin?

Veterinary students from UP Lublin can transfer to European veterinary faculties that accept students with ECTS credits into higher years. Medschool Experts has 25+ partner universities in Europe specifically for this situation, including faculties that teach Veterinary Medicine in English, and checks every profile individually and free of charge. Which faculty fits depends on your transcript, your open exams and the country where you want to work later.

We do not publish a list of target faculties, and there is a good reason for it. The right destination is different for every student. A student with all first-year exams passed and one open physiology exam needs a different match than a student who was removed from the list in the third year. We compare your record with our partner network and present the option where your credits count the most.

A study transfer is a complex undertaking. Our experts have almost 10 years of experience in study transfers worldwide, which is why they plan and carry out each move confidently. The consultation is free.

What does studying at our European partner universities cost compared with UP Lublin?

At UP Lublin, Veterinary Medicine costs €8,000 tuition per year in 2026 (€4,000 per semester), plus living costs of roughly €400 to €600 per month. English-taught Veterinary Medicine at our European partner universities starts from €3,000 tuition per semester. For comparison, Medicine and Dentistry start from €1,750 per semester and Pharmacy from €1,500.

Over three remaining years, the tuition difference alone can reach €6,000 or more. Exact amounts depend on the faculty and the city, and we show them to you before you decide. We help with the application without loss of time and rescue the career you have already invested in.

Can I transfer from UP Lublin without losing a year?

Yes, in many cases. Transfers from UP Lublin can often be planned so that you continue at the matching level, especially when no more than two exams are open and their credits stay below the faculty's maximum. Medschool Experts aims for the highest possible entry year and plans around the semester start of the receiving faculty in 2026 or 2027.

Three factors decide whether you lose time:

• Open exams. The fewer, the better. Each open exam is either made up before the move or after it, if the receiving faculty allows that.
• Curriculum overlap. Courses are matched by content. Lublin's 11-semester structure differs from 12-semester programmes, so timing and placement in the right semester matter.
• Timing. Starting the transfer before the 10 March or 30 September deadline keeps more doors open than starting after a removal.

Stay enrolled at UP Lublin until the new study place is confirmed in writing. It keeps your options open and your record without gaps.

Can I work as a vet in the EU, UK or USA later?

Yes. A veterinary degree from an EU member state, such as a degree completed after a transfer within the EU, is automatically recognised across the European Union under EU Directive 2005/36/EC. The United Kingdom and the United States have their own registration routes for graduates from European veterinary faculties.

• European Union. Directive 2005/36/EC sets minimum training requirements for veterinary surgeons and provides for automatic recognition of the qualifications listed in its annex. Registration in a specific country can still include national steps such as language proof.
• United Kingdom. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) registers vets in the UK. Graduates whose degree is not on its list of recognised qualifications sit the RCVS Statutory Membership Examination. English language proof may be required.
• United States. Graduates of European veterinary schools usually complete the ECFVG certification programme of the American Veterinary Medical Association or the PAVE programme, pass the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) and then apply for a state licence.

Plan the destination country early. It influences which partner faculty fits best for the rest of your degree.

How does a transfer from UP Lublin work with Medschool Experts, step by step?

A transfer from UP Lublin with Medschool Experts runs in six steps and usually takes four to seven months: free consultation, transcript and syllabus check, choice of a matching partner faculty, application file, written confirmation of the study place, and the start at the new faculty. You stay enrolled in Lublin until the new place is confirmed.

1. Free consultation. We talk about your situation, your open exams and your deadlines, including 10 March and 30 September.
2. Transcript and syllabus check. We review your ECTS, course hours, practicals and placements.
3. Matching partner faculty. You receive a concrete option with the entry year we can achieve.
4. Application file. We prepare and submit the file with you, so no deadline is missed.
5. Confirmation. You receive the study place in writing before you leave Lublin.
6. Start. You move, enrol and continue your veterinary degree.

The earlier you contact us, the more options remain. Book your free consultation.