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Structure and Regulations of Undergraduate Studies

The structure of the University's undergraduate studies is determined by the provisions of Law 1268/82, the relevant amendments, as well as by the Regulations of the University of Ioannina.

Mission of Higher Education Institutions

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have the following mission:

a) To generate and facilitate the diffusion of knowledge through research and teaching and to promote the arts.
b) To encourage students to become responsible citizens with a scientific, social, cultural and political conscience.
c) To equip students with the necessary skills that will provide an excellent background for a scientific or professional career.
d) To meet the social and cultural needs of a constantly evolving and developing region.

By definition the mission of HEIs is to contribute to the need for ongoing training and lifelong learning.

Undergraduate Studies

Teaching duties

Teaching duties are split into semesters and include: (1) course lectures, (2) tutorial sessions, (3) laboratory and clinical work as well as general practical training of students, and (4) supervision of diploma theses and seminars or other related educational activities which aim at consolidating student knowledge.

Study Programmes

The Study Programme contains the titles of the compulsory, compulsory elective and optional courses, their content, the number of teaching hours per week, in which all teaching duties are performed, as well as the temporal sequence and interdependence of courses.
The Study Programme is adapted to the lowest possible number of semesters required to obtain a degree, which is determined for each degree by means of a Presidential Decree that is issued following the opinion of the National Education Council and the Schools and cannot be less than eight.
Each semester course consists of a certain number of "credit units" (c.u.). A c.u. corresponds to one teaching hour per week during a semester in the case of the independent course lectures, and to 1-3 hours of teaching or practical training throughout the semester for the remaining teaching duties, in accordance with the relevant decision of the Department's General Assembly. The Study Programme also includes the minimum number of credit units that is required in order to obtain a degree.
The allocation of courses per semester is indicative for students and not mandatory. However, it does correspond to conditions of regular attendance, adapted to the least possible number of semesters required in order to obtain a degree, as well as to the sequence of prerequisite courses and courses dependent on prerequisites. The prerequisite courses and courses dependent on prerequisites are determined during the process of formulating the study programmes. Students submit a statement of selected subjects to the Departmental Secretary's Office at the beginning of each semester on the dates set by the General Assembly.
The compulsory elective courses cover at least 1/4 of the Study Programme.
The Department's General Assembly is responsible for formulating the Study Programme. The Study Programme is reviewed every April. The Head of the Department forms a Programme Committee consisting of members of the Department's General Assembly with a one-year tenure, which submits a relevant proposal to the General Assembly after having previously taken into account the proposals of the Sections.
The decision of the Department's General Assembly regarding the Study Programme is made known to the Dean and the National Academy of Letters and Sciences and is published in the Study Guide of both the School and the Department.
The Study Programme of a Department may include courses that fall within the subject areas/Sections of other Departments in the same or another School. In such cases, the assignment of teaching duties to members of academic staff of that Section take place by decision of the Deanship or the Rector's Council respectively, following a proposal by the respective Departments or Schools.
The Department's General Assembly may replace part of the compulsory elective courses of the last two semesters before graduation with equivalent training sessions intended to help students gain experience in the field they are training for.
All courses in the Study Programme are assigned to the Section that is competent for teaching them. These courses may be aught by all of the Department's members of academic staff.
In the event of a course that is delivered to a large audience, efforts are made to divide the respective class into smaller groups with fewer students and the teaching of the course to each class is then assigned to one member of academic staff of the corresponding Section. The members of academic staff who undertake such an assignment form a course Committee, which is teaching process in terms of the content and extent of the syllabus, exercises and examinations.

Study Regulations

The academic year begins on 1 September every year and ends on 31 August of the following year.
The teaching assignments of every academic year are structured into two semesters.
Each semester includes at least thirteen (13) full weeks of teaching and a corresponding number of weeks for examinations. There are three examination periods: January/February, June and September. The examination period lasts for three (3) weeks in the September and January/February periods, and for two (2) weeks in the June period.
The cessation of teaching duties as well as of the general operation of the University, apart from the provisions of the Law, is possible following a decision made by the Senate and only in special cases.
If for any reason the number of teaching hours that were conducted in a given course is less than 4/5 of the teaching hours determined in the programme for the working days of the corresponding semester, then it is considered that the course in question was not concluded.
The first semester (winter semester) begins in the second half of September and the second semester (summer semester) ends in the first half of June. The exact dates are determined by the Senate. In exceptional cases the Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs, following a proposal made by the Senate, adjusts the beginning and end of the two semesters outside the set dates in order to make up for the number of weeks referred to in paragraph 3.
Students who have completed the determined minimum number of semesters are able to sit examinations in September, January/February as well as June in the courses that they had registered for up until their last statement of selected courses, regardless of whether these are taught in the winter or spring semester. This regulation applies to all students, independently of the number of courses that they still need to pass in order to graduate.
Should a student fail in the examination of any course at least four (4) times, then the Departmental Board may, following the student's application and taking into consideration any additional requirements, which are provided for in the Department regulations, appoint a three-member re-examination committee in which it is mandatory that the examiner participate.
Once the minimum duration of undergraduate studies of a Department, increased by an additional two (2) years, has passed, students shall no longer be entitled to any student benefits such as hospital and health care, achievement scholarships, support scholarships and loans, free board, accommodation and provision of textbooks or other reference books, transport facilitation, etc.
University regulations determine issues regarding the ability to organise and run summer semesters for purposes of fast-track teaching and the completion of the semester's syllabus.
The evaluation of students' performance takes place on the basis of a final written or oral examination which is held after the end of the semester. The instructor may exempt students from the final examination, provided that adequate and repeated assessment has taken place throughout the semester, and on the condition that the smooth running of the Department's study programme is not disrupted.
In the event that a student fails in a compulsory course, he is obligated to retake the course in the next semester in which it will be taught.
In the event that a student fails in a compulsory elective course, he is obligated to either retake the course in the following semesters, or replace it with another compulsory elective course.
Students are considered to have completed their studies and obtain their degrees once they have passed all of the required courses and once they have obtained the necessary number of credit units. The method used to calculate the degree grade for students who have entered Greek universities from the academic year 1983-1984 and onwards is determined by decision of the Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs.
Issues regarding the type of degrees that are awarded and the grading of graduates are set out in the University regulations.
The attendance of courses, tutorial sessions, laboratories, etc. on the part of the students takes place in accordance with the timetable and the regulations of the relevant Department. Both undergraduate and postgraduate students are entitled to make use of the laboratory facilities, libraries, seminar rooms and other equipment of the relevant Departments, in accordance with that which is stipulated in the University regulations or with the decisions of each Department. The attendance of seminars, laboratories, tutorials, clinical and teaching exercises, as well as field studies may be compulsory for students, by decision of the Department's General Assembly, following proposals made by the relevant Sections. Deviations are allowed, provided there are serious reasons.
In the case of courses that are carried out in the form of a seminar, instructors may define the students' special obligations (type of research paper, regular attendance of the course, proposals).
Special care is taken, on the responsibility of the Department's Head, in order to facilitate the attendance of courses by students with disabilities. Following the interested party's oral or written request, the instructor may determine the way in which the student will be examined.
During the formulation of the recommended study programmes and allocation of courses per semester, care was taken, in view of the special conditions existing in each Department, to ensure that the overall workload of students, in terms of attendances and tutorials, does not exceed twenty-four hours per week, or thirty-two hours per week, in terms of attendances, laboratories, tutorials and exercises.
The courses in the undergraduate study programmes are taught according to the timetable that is drawn up by the Department's Administration, with the responsibility of the Head or the Deanship. The timetable includes the allocation of the course teaching hours to the five working days, the instructors and the lecture rooms, and is announced by the Department's Administration at the beginning of each semester.
Provision of books
a) All students receive free books (textbooks, reference books, notes) for every course. The books are distributed by the Sections or by the instructors themselves at the beginning of each semester, based on the statement of selected courses that the student has submitted for that semester.
b) The teaching assignments are complemented by the corresponding textbooks or other reference books, which are provided to students free of charge, as well as by ensuring that students are informed of and have access to the relevant Greek and foreign literature.
c) By decision of the Minister of National Education and Religious Affairs which was published in the Government Gazette, following the opinion of the Senates of all HEIs the following have been determined:
» the process and details regarding the publication and distribution of university textbooks to all HEIs in the country, as well as the terms and processes pertaining to the compensation of the authors, and
» the processes and details regarding the free printing of doctoral theses.

The opinion of the Senates of the HEIs must be forwarded to the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs within an exclusive deadline of thirty days from the submission of the relevant question.

The measures determining the cost of printing books in the two previous sub-paragraphs are determined by the decisions made by the board of directors of the Textbook Publishing Organisation during the first half of January every year.