UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
The Undergraduate Study Programmes aim at providing comprehensive theoretical and practical education that will endow the Graduate with the basic requirements and skills expected of a modern Earth or Environmental Scientist, while emphasizing the complexity of the Earth System and the trans‐ disciplinary effort, methods and techniques required for studying and understanding it. In this way, the Department aspires to produce graduates with a broad and comprehensive understanding of Earth Sciences and their interactions while still being able to offer services to a broad spectrum of employers.
The nominal duration of the studies is four academic years. Each academic year comprises a Winter and a Spring Semester, i.e. a total of eight semesters. Each semester includes a number of compulsory and optional courses. Each course comprises lecturing, practical (laboratory) work, field trips and exercises (where applicable). The studies culminate with the compilation of a Dissertation under the guidance of one academic or research staff.
The compulsory courses are designed to provide the comprehensive basic knowledge required of modern Earth Scientists and the optional courses are intended to provide a basic level of specialization and many of the practical skills required by prospective employers. An optional course is taught only when is elected by at least seven (7) students. The optimal blend of optional courses is determined after due consideration of the intended specialization and the objectives of individual students and following consultations with the advisor assigned to them at the beginning of their studies and the academic staff of the Department.
The faithful attendance of lectures is an academic obligation of the student, but is not compulsory. The attendance of laboratory exercises and field trips/exercises is compulsory. At the end of each semester, the students will sit in the examination of the courses taken during this semester. The examinations can be written or oral, as determined by the staff responsible for each course. The students are graded on a 0 – 10 scale and must achieve at least five tenths (5/10) to pass. In case of failure, one can sit in the supplementary examination, which usually takes place in September (for both semesters). Those who fail the supplementary examination must repeat the course at a later semester. Students cannot take the semester examinations unless they have successfully fulfilled their laboratory obligations.
Most of the compulsory and optional courses are associated with laboratory exercises and practical training. Students are considered to have successfully concluded their laboratory training only if they have successfully taken the entire set of exercises and fieldwork foreseen for the course, have successfully completed the corresponding assignments and have successfully passed the laboratory examinations. The students’ performance is reflected in their “laboratory score”, which is also measured in the 0 – 10 grading scale and must be at least 5/10 for success.
Students must obtain a score of at least 5/10 in the examinations and secure a laboratory score of at least 5/10, in order to pass a course. The mean of the two scores is the final grade of the course. Scores below 5/10 are not taken into consideration.
Field trips and exercises are compulsory. They usually take place between 15‐30 November (Winter Semester) and 15‐30 May (Spring Semester). Additional, interdisciplinary field trips and exercises are offered to the students of the final four semesters; these are designed to assist them in integrating their knowledge and consolidating their understanding of Earth systems.
The Dissertation comprises a student’s first integrated study. In general, it would require research of the literature, field measurements and laboratory analysis/reduction of the data, interpretation of the results, authoring and presentation. The subject of the Dissertation is drawn from a list prepared and publicized each year by the Departments of the Department. The Dissertation is supervised by one academic staff that guides the student and scores his/her performance.
Courses begin at the last week of September. The Winter Semester is concluded by mid‐January. The winter examination period ends by mid‐February. The Spring Semester begins at the third week of February and finishes at the end of May. The spring examination period ends by late June. The supplementary examination period takes place between late August and mid‐ September. All courses are taught in the Greek language.
Students must re‐register at the beginning of each semester and declare the optional courses of their choice. If a student does not register for two consecutive semesters, then one may be automatically de‐matriculated subject to approval by the Deanship of the School of Sciences.
It is possible for one to enrol as a part‐time student. This usually applies to working individuals who can demonstrate that they are occupied for at least 20 hours per week and subject to the approval of the Deanship of the School of Sciences.
Students may request the suspension of their studies for a definite period of time. At present, suspension is allowed for a maximum of two years. The student is de‐matriculated and all privileges and benefits associated with studentship are automatically suspended during this period. If the suspension has been compelled by reasons of failing health, then health care benefits are not suspended.
Students are allowed a maximum of 16 semesters (eight years) to complete their studies. Afterwards, they are automatically de‐ matriculated.
Students will generally have to attend eight (8) optional courses offered by at least two different Sessions of the Faculty. Any information on the Timetable, the courses, the marks, and every necessary document is given in my‐studies.uoa.gr,as long as students have been subscribed and been provided with a username and a password from webadm.uoa.gr.Students must re‐register at the beginning of each semester and declare the optional courses of their choice. If a student does not register for two consecutive semesters, then one may be automatically de‐matriculated subject to approval by the Deanship of the School of Sciences
The New Curriculum, effective as of academic year 2011 – 2012, comprises 33 compulsory and 52 optional courses. A student is eligible for graduation subject to:
- Having attended a minimum of eight semesters.
- Having successfully passed forty (40) courses, compulsory and optional.
- Having accumulated at least 220 credit units.
Since 2007, courses at the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment have been assigned a rating according to the European Credit System (ECTS), for the purposes of facilitating the ERASMUS program exchanges. A credit unit is defined to be one hour of lecturing or laboratory exercise per week per semester. Therefore, the number of credit units corresponding to a course is equal to the sum of the hours per week required for lecturing and laboratory exercises. The successful attendance of all the compulsory courses accumulates 190 credit units. The remaining 30 credit units are accumulated through the optional courses. A student will generally have to attend eight optional courses offered by at least two different Sections of the Department
