Scholarships

A significant number of PhD candidates are financially supported during their studies in the framework of research programs. Also, the University of Crete regularly awards scholarships to support PhD candidates. Finally, several PhD candidates are competing for scholarships from institutions such as ELIDEK, IKY etc.

Requirements for obtaining a PhD

Studies in the PhD program require the successful fulfillment by candidates of a series of obligations, related to basic knowledge, auxiliary teaching work, and other activities. The requirements for obtaining an AP are:

1. Success in General Examinations (Prelims)
2. Submission of a written detailed progress report and an oral presentation of the progress of their thesis on an annual basis to the tripartite advisory committee.
3. Offering teaching assistant work to the Department for a minimum of two (2) academic semesters.
4. Preparation and writing of the Doctoral Dissertation.
5. Public support of the Doctoral Dissertation.
6. Fulfillment of the duration requirement of the program.

If the candidate does not meet any of the above requirements, the PhD is not awarded and is removed from the Phd Program.

Rights and Obligations

• PhD students have up to five (5) full academic years from their first enrollment, all the rights and benefits provided for students of the second cycle of studies. Up to five (5) years after the completion of their doctoral dissertation, they retain rights of access, borrowing and use of the electronic services of university libraries.
• PhD students are obliged to offer teaching assistant (TA) work to the Department for at least two (2) academic semesters. The nature and the number of hours of the TA work are determined by the Department Assembly following a proposal by the Postgraduate Committee. The above teaching experience is recognized with the issuance of a relevant certificate by the Department. The Department ensures the financial support of PhD students who offer auxiliary educational work, if possible.

General Postgraduate Examinations (Prelims)

All PhD students of the department must successfully pass the general postgraduate examinations (prelims). At the end of one year from the appointment of the three-member advisory committee, the PhD student is invited by the Postgraduate Studies Committee to examine the progress of his work. This exam takes place 2 times a year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall Semester.

One month before the day of the prelims, the Director of Postgraduate Studies, who has the overall coordination of these examinations, prepares in cooperation with the secretariat the list of doctoral students who are obliged at that time to take part in the examination. Then, the Director communicates with faculty members outside the narrow subject area of the PhD candidates under examination so that they can assign candidates a paper (not review) which they will present in the second part of their examination.

Each PhD is examined in English in 2 parts (after the end of each part there is a series of questions).

1. The first part presents:
   1. The scientific aims and objectives of the doctoral dissertation,
   2. Progress so far (short presentation),
   3. The next steps required until its completion (PhD plan).

   The presentation should not exceed 20 minutes.

2. The second part presents a publication that is outside the thematic area of the Doctoral Thesis.

   The presentation should not exceed 10 minutes.

This oral examination (prelims) takes place before the Postgraduate Studies Committee, the three-member advisory committee, and any faculty members of the Department who wish to attend, who may also submit general questions. This examination is conducted after approximately one (1) year from the beginning of the preparation of the Doctoral Thesis (appointment of a three-member committee) and in any case within the second year of doctoral studies. In case of failure, it can be repeated once, after one (1) semester.

Writing, Support and Evaluation of the Doctoral Thesis

After the completion of the doctoral dissertation, the three-member advisory committee accepts or rejects the candidate’s application for public support and evaluation. If the three-member advisory committee accepts the candidate’s application, it prepares a detailed explanatory report and submits it to the Departmental Assembly requesting the appointment of a seven-member examination committee for the evaluation of the doctoral dissertation (PhD).

A prerequisite for the establishment of the seven-member examination committee of the Doctoral Dissertation is the publication of all or part of the results of the research work in at least one recognized international journal after a peer review process. The publication must meet the following criteria:

• The doctoral candidate is the first author, or at most the second with equal participation after justification and approval of the CC.
• The publication should be an original research article and not a review article or conference proceedings.
• The journal(s) in which the publication will take place should be international with referees and have an impact factor.

The application of the three-member committee and the candidate to Departmental Assembly for the establishment of the seven-member examination committee must be accompanied by all the candidate’s annual progress reports and by the reprint of at least one (1) publication in an international peer-reviewed journal as mentioned above. In case the publication process has not been completed and there is no reprint, the application should be accompanied by a simple copy of the paper to be published and the letter or email of acceptance of the publication by the journal.

The members of the three-member advisory committee participate in the seven-member examination committee, except for its retired members, who are replaced by an equal number, as defined above, as well as four (4) additional members, who meet the criteria described above, in accordance with the applicable provisions.

The Doctoral Thesis is publicly supported by the PhD Candidate. The process of public support requires the physical presence of at least four (4) members of the Selection Board, while the other members may also participate via teleconference. Subsequently, the Examination Committee meets without the presence of third parties, judges the work in terms of quality, completeness, original thinking and contribution to science and based on these criteria approves it, with a majority of at least five (5) of its members. Retired members of the three-member advisory committee, who have been replaced, may attend the meeting without the right to vote.

The seven-member examination committee may ask the doctoral candidate to improve or modify certain parts of the dissertation. The corrected thesis shall be submitted to the Secretariat after approval by the Advisory Committee. The nomination of the candidate as a PhD is made by the Assembly of the Department if he has fulfilled all his obligations.

Duration of PhD Thesis

The duration for obtaining a doctoral degree cannot be less than three (3) full calendar years from the date of appointment of the three-member advisory committee. According to the provisions of Law 4957/2022, the maximum duration of completion of the doctoral dissertation is six (6) calendar years. The General Assembly of the Department may exceptionally extend this limit for important reasons, at the request of the interested PhD candidate and approval by the three-member committee and the supervising Professor.