EN
Unemployment, which also hits people with higher education, is one of the major socio-economic problems in Poland. This unfavourable situation is caused by the wrong conception of higher education which doesn't prepare graduates for employers' requirements. Curriculum strategies that have been followed contributed to the situation where many faculties at universities are perceived as the admission pass to professions poorly paid or even as those ones that don't give the opportunity of finding any job in the future. The author of this paper presents results of research performed among graduates of geographical studies in the system of two-stage studies (Bachelor's three-year studies and Master's two-year studies) and Master's five year-studies at Pedagogical University of Cracow. The main aims of this research were as follows: • Getting to know how graduates assess the competences acquired during their studies. These competences are regarded as the key ones in tuning research on a European scale; • Getting to know geographical studies graduates' plans, expectations and attitudes towards challenges of labour market. The results obtained proved that geography graduates, especially those with Bachelor's degree assessed most of the key competences as good and very good. Criteria which are taken into account while choosing a job are not dependent on money. The dominant criteria are the ability to join work with passions and the prospects for professional development. Respondents declared the intention to look for a job in the education sector and the civil service by means of the direct contact with an employer.