SCHOOL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION
Programme Title
Degree of specialization in Educational Sciences
Programme Director
Vassilaki Eleni, Head of the Department
Programme presentation
General information
With the establishment of the appropriate framework determined by the Greek law
2083/1992 concerning postgraduate studies in Greek Universities, the Department has been
offering Postgraduate Programs since 1993-94. However, since 1988-89, soon after the
Department was established and accepted its first undergraduate students (1984-85),
postgraduate studies had been made possible.
Educational objectives of the programme
The scope and purpose of the program is to offer the opportunity to young scientists from the
field of Education or other scientific fields to promote the discipline of Educational Sciences
and to staff the corresponding scientific centers and University Departments. The graduate
program is uniform for all the Department’s Divisions and the courses are divided into two
categories: a) Four core courses, b) Two specialization courses plus a graduate thesis, c) a
weekly organized Colloquium.
All core courses are compulsory, irrespective of the specialization students follow.
Specialization courses are organized and implemented by each one of the Department’s
Divisions
Collaborations and partnerships: Following the standard academic practice worldwide,
distinguished scholars from Greece or abroad are invited to lecture either in the regular
Colloquium or as part of the lecture courses of the Programme.
Employment Prospects following graduation: Graduates primarily work in Education
(primary, secondary, or tertiary), many of them as advisors/counselors on educational issues
in the public education system, while relatively few are active professionals in the private
sector.
Programme outcomes
Master’s degree in Educational Sciences
Doctoral degree in Educational Sciences
Each student follows a specialization which is reflected in the student’s academic record and
especially by his/her Graduate Thesis.
Academic resources, Laboratory facilities
In the Department of Primary Education the following Scientific Laboratories operate
1. Laboratory of Science and Mathematics Education which includes separate
labs on Physics & Chemistry, Biology & Environmental Education, Computer
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and ICT and Educational Robotics
2. Laboratory of Intercultural and Migration studies
3. Laboratory of Language and Literature in Education.
4. Laboratory of the History of Education and the teaching profession.
5. Laboratory of Educational Sciences and Audiovisual techniques/means
The Museum of the History of Education
The Arveler Collection.
Programme degrees and titles
Master’s degree in Educational Sciences
Doctoral degree in Educational Sciences
Duration of studies
The studies for the Master Degree (M.A) must be completed in 4 semesters. Only in
special cases and after the decision of the General Assembly of the Department it is
possible for an extension to be given for two more semesters, upon request of the
student’s dissertation supervisor, due to exceptional and serious reasons, like health
problems etc. For the Doctorate degree (PhD) the minimum time for completion is
considered to be three (3) academic years and the maximum five (5) years. Only in
special cases and with the unanimous decision of the General Assembly of the
Department an extension can be given.
Mode of study: full-time
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Programme Structures and Features
Language of the programme: Greek
Length of the programme: 2 years
The graduate program is uniform for all the Department’s sectors, and the courses are
divided into two categories:
a) Core courses
b) Specialization courses
Courses, Attendance, Examinations
Every semester consists of thirteen (13) weeks of lectures and two (2) weeks for
examinations. Attendance is compulsory and the students can be absent only if there
is serious reason for it and only two (2) three hour lectures can be missed.
The Master program includes Core courses, specialization courses and a Graduate
Thesis. The courses of the graduate program can be altered, increased or decreased in
number, following the decision of the General Assembly of the Department.
The core courses are:
1. Methodology of research I
2. Methodology of research II
3. Statistics I: Descriptive Statistics
4. Statistics II: Inferential Statistics and computation methods for data processing
5. Colloquium.
In Methodology I and II, graduate students are familiarized with the methods of
scientific research in theory as well as in practice. Colloquium is a series of seminar
lectures that take place in a week’s time. Distinguished scientists from Greece and
abroad give lectures on subjects relating to scientific research. The objective of these
lectures is to provide graduate students with the information on the latest
developments in the field of Education, while familiarize them with the fields for
which there is currently great interest for research.
Coursework
Postgraduate students in the context of their courses can undertake the analysis of a
published study or article, clarifying the methodological tools and research methods
used. The professor assigns tasks and meets with his/her students on a regular basis.
The work relates to a subject of the broader scientific area, which is pertinent to the
subject of the student’s orientation.
Exams
The evaluation of courses is based on a written exam or/and a term paper. The
examination procedure and grading of graduate students is the responsibility of the
professor, who is in charge of each course.
Graduate Thesis
The Graduate Thesis is written and submitted by the graduate student under the
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guidance of the supervising professor and two other scholars who belong to the
academic staff of the University of Crete or other universities. All three constitute
members of the supervising committee of the student’s thesis.
At the beginning of the third semester (end of September) the student, under the
guidance of his/her supervisor must submit a complete research proposal for the topic
of his/her thesis. The General Assembly of the Department convenes and examines
the validity of these Thesis proposals. If a proposals is considered valid, the next
General Assembly meeting of the Department validates them. If not, then the student
is asked to make the necessary amendments and corrections, before it is reexamined
through the same procedure as before.
The Thesis is completed during the 3rd and 4th semester, unless the student has
received special permission for suspension or extension of his/her studies.
When the Thesis is completed, it is submitted to the three members of the committee
as long as it complies with all the necessary requirements. A recommendation note is
prepared and the student is called to publicly support his/her Thesis, within a month
after it has been submitted to the Department.
The Thesis is publicly supported and the Department will make a relevant
announcement at least 8 days in advance.
The student is awarded his/her graduate degree during the first General Assembly
meeting of the Department following the public support of the Thesis.
Criteria for Admission
For the selection of the students who will be admitted to the graduate program, the
Department specifies through a public announcement:
a) The scientific field for which the prospective students must express their
interest. This field must relate to the five Divisions of the Department as
follow:
1) Theory and Sociology of Education
2) Educational Psychology and Research Methodology
3) Educational Programs, Teaching Methodology and Educational Technology
4) Humanities and Social Studies.
5) Sciences and Mathematics Education
b) The number of students to be admitted in the program.
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c) The conditions under which candidates will be evaluated.
d) The necessary documents which must be submitted by the students.
e) The exact dates until which the candidates should have applied, and the
address to which their applications must be sent.
f) The graduate students’ selection procedure as well as the corresponding
criteria.
g) The subject matter on which written examinations will be based.
h) Every other detail that is considered important and will facilitate the selection
procedure of the prospective graduate students. The graduate program
entrance exam takes places in September of the academic year, for which the
graduate program is offered.
i) Every time 15 graduate students are admitted in various fields of study relating
to the field of Education.
Criteria for the selection of students for the Graduate Program:
1) Applicants should be interviewed by Academic staff.
2) Students should participate in three written exams on the following subjects:
a) Introduction to the Science of Education, which is a subject that all students
must be examined on irrespective of their field of study, b) A subject relevant
to their field of specialization, c) Foreign Language.
3) The students who have achieved the highest grades overall are the ones
admitted to the program. In case two candidates achieve the same grade, then
they are both admitted.
4) In case there are vacancies in a field of study, candidates who have received
high grades in other fields, may fill these positions.
Besides the number of the students who have been successfully admitted in the
program, other students from various backgrounds are also admitted. These students
may have been selected by the National Institute for Scholarships or they may be
Greeks from abroad and can enter the program without examinations. These students
may comprise at most 30% of the students who are admitted through the regular
entrance examination process. It is required that these students have a Bachelor
degree and are proficient in the Greek Language. The selection procedure for these
special categories follows the same guidelines as that of the other candidates for
applications, deadlines and interview dates. The results are announced at the same
time with the rest of the results.
Contact details of administrative and/or academic staff
Names, address, web-site: Mrs Eleni Mountaki, Registrar of the Department of Primary
Education, School of Science Education, University of Crete, Rethymnon 74100, Crete
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Greece
Programme web-site: www.edc.uoc.gr
Scholarships and Grants
Fellowships are offered by the Programme/School/University/Government.
The ARISTEIA scholarship is awarded by the Research Committee of the University of
Crete, following the recommendation made of the Department’s General Assembly
IKY Scholarships
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