Program Regulation

32325

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE  OF THE GREEK REPUBLIC

3 August 2020                        SECOND VOLUME                                   Paper Number 3182

DECISIONS

Num. 29801

Regulation Approval of the Postgraduate Studies Program entitled: «Master of Arts in Digital Media, Communication and Journalism (Ψηφιακά Μέσα, Επικοινωνία και Δημοσιογραφία) of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communications, School of Economic and Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

THE ACADEMIC SENATE OF

ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI

(Meeting 2958)

Having considered:

The provisions of Act 4485/2017 (A’ 114) «Organization and function of Higher Education, arrangements for research and other provisions», as amended and are applicable, especially the article 45 par. 1.

The provisions of article 19 (par 7) of Act 4521/2018 and 17 (par c) of Act 4559/2018.

The Ministry decisions num. a) 217672/Z1/8-12-2007 (B’ 4334): «Way of implementation of the analytic budget of function and sustainability report of the Postgraduate Studies Programs» and b)13175/Z1/2-8-2018 (B’ 3387) «Arrangement of issues on exemption from the fees in Postgraduate Studies Programs of the Greek Universities».

The clarifying circulars of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs num.: a) 163204/Z1 URGENT/29-9-2017 «Implementation of the provisions of Act 4485/2017 (A’ 114) on issues of postgraduate studies and the conducting of doctoral theses-other issues», b)203446/Z1/22-11/2017 «Clarifications in relation to the implementation of provisions of Act 4485/2017 (Α΄114), and c) 227378/Z1 URGENT/22-12-2017 «Implementation of the provisions of Act 4485/2017  (Α΄114) on issues of postgraduate studies», d) 22879/Z1/9-2-2018 «Implementation of the provisions of Act 4485/2017  (Α΄114), e) 26407/Z1/15-2-2018 «Establishment and reestablishment of the Postgraduate Studies Program implementing the provisions of Act 4485/2017  (Α΄114), and f) 45070/Z1/19-3-2018 Publication of the provisions of Act 4521/2018 (A’ 38) «Establishment of the University of Western Macedonia and other provisions».

The document with number 34783/Z1 URGENT/5-3-2019 entitled «Implementation of the provision of Act 4559/2018 (A’ 142) for the minimum number of students entering the Postgraduate Studies Programs» (ADA: Ω66Η4653ΠΣ-ΤΩΚ).

The provisions of Act 3374/2005 especially the articles 14 and 15 (A’ 189) «Quality assurance in higher education. System of transfer and accumulation of credit units. Annex of degree», as was modified and is valid.

The num. 108075/Z1/03-07-2019 (ΥΟΔΔ 432), error correction (YODD 809) fact-finding act of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs with subject «Election of Rector and four (4) Vice-rectors of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki» appointed from 1-9-2019 till 31-8-2022.

The decision of the General Assembly of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communication of the School of Economic and Political Sciences of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (meeting num. 371/28-2-2018).

The decision of the Senate num. 29585/11-7-2018 (B’ 3333) regarding the reestablishment of the English-speaking P.S.P. entitled «Master of Arts in Digital Media, Communication and Journalism» of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communication of the School of Economic and Political Sciences of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Based on the fact that from the provisions of that decision there are no expenses against the Public Budget or the regular budget of A.U.TH., we decide:

The approval of the Regulation of the Postgraduate Studies Program entitled: «Master of Arts in Digital Media, Communication and Journalism» of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communication of the School of Economic and Political Sciences of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, as follows:

Article 1

Aim of the Postgraduate Studies Program

The general aims of the P.S.P. are to provide specialist knowledge, of theoretical and practical nature, the promotion of scientific research as well as the development of critical and research skills which are required for higher level studies (Doctorate level).

Guiding philosophy of the P.S.P. is, on the one hand, to offer to the postgraduate students contemporary knowledge, methodological tools and research directions to make them capable for an ongoing education, innovation and creative application of the current technologies, and, on the other hand, to cultivate their critical skills which are necessary for a socially responsible and ethically correct professional activity.

Obligation of the managing members of the P.S.P. is the quality assurance and continuous improvement of every part of the program, the educational process and research, and the promotion of cooperation with related Postgraduate Study Programs, Research Centers, and national and international Institutes.

Article 2

Management Bodies of the P.S.P.

Management Bodies of the PSP are a) The Senate of the University, b) The Committee of the Postgraduate Studies, c) The General Assembly of the Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communication, d) The Coordinating Committee (C.C.) and e) The Head of the P.S.P.

The appointment of the C.C. and the Head of the P.S.P. takes place at the end of the academic year.

1) The Senate of the University is responsible for issues of academic, administrative, organizational and financial nature of the postgraduate program and takes responsibilities that other organs cannot.

2) The Committee of the Postgraduate Studies has the responsibilities mentioned in paragraph 5 of article 32 of Act 4485/2017.

3) The General Assembly of the Department, which consists of the President, the Teaching and Research Academic Staff of the Department and one (1) representative of the postgraduate students from the P.S.P., has the following responsibilities to:

1. a) Appoint the members of the Coordinating Committee.
2. b) Distribute the teaching work among the teaching staff of the P.S.P.
3. c) Appoint the members of the Selection Board, which supervises and carries out the choice of the candidate students, applying the criteria of the present Regulation.
4. d) Validate the final board of the successful candidates of the P.S.P.
5. e) Validate the successful completion of studies in order to award the Diploma of Postgraduate Studies.

4) The Coordinating Committee, which consists of five (5) Teaching and Research Academic Staff members who have undertaken postgraduate duties in the P.S.P. and who are elected from the General Assembly of the relevant Department for two years, has the responsibilities to:

1. a) Set up and recommend to the Assembly proposals for the functioning of the P.S.P.
2. b) Recommend to the Assembly the allocation of the successful candidates in each Specialization,
3. c) Appoint the supervisors and the members of the examining committees for the approval of the Postgraduate Dissertations.
4. d) Supervise and coordinate the function of P.S.P.

5) The Head of the P.S.P., who is a professor or associate professor, is appointed after the decision of the General Assembly of the Department and s/he is of the same or relevant discipline as that of the P.S.P. The Head of the P.S.P is a member of the C.C. and is appointed with the Deputy Head from the General Assembly of the Department for two years. S/he needs to qualify for the criteria of par. 8, article 31 of Act 4485/2017, s/he cannot stay in the position for more than two consecutive terms and s/he is not entitled to additional payment for his/her administrative work:

1. a) S/he has the responsibility of the administrative, organizational and functional management of the P.S.P.
2. b) S/he recommends to the C.C. and the General Assembly of the Department every topic which concerns the effective function and the qualitative improvement of the P.S.P.
3. c) S/he participates with equal rights in the C.C.

Article 3

Categories of candidates

In the P.S.P., graduates from the Departments of Journalism, Media or Communication, as well as graduates of humanities and social science studies from national or international recognized equivalent Institutions are accepted. Also, graduates from Technological Educational Institutions of related subjects are accepted.

Article 4

Number of entrants, Criteria and Process of Choice of Entrants

1. Number of Entrants

The number of entrants in the P.S.P. is set maximum to forty-five (45) postgraduate students per year (15 per pathway). The ratio of postgraduate students per tutor is 4:1, whereas the ratio of undergraduate students per tutor is 30:1.

If the predefined number of places is not covered due to the lack of sufficient number of successful candidates, these places can be given to the other pathways after the recommendation of the Coordinating Committee and the decision of the Assembly of the Department. In case of tie, the candidates with the highest graduation degree are admitted.

1. Process of application submission

Until the end of December of every year, under the decision of the Assembly of the Department, a formal call of places is published, and the candidates can submit their applications in the pathway they prefer. The process of submission, assessment and selection of the candidates takes place gradually, starting from the 1st of February and continues if there are available places, till the end of September.

Upon the application each candidate states the pathway s/he prefers to follow and submits the following information:

1. a) A copy of degree. In case the graduate is from an academically equivalent international institution, s/he needs to submit the official recognition of the degree or a certificate that it has been submitted for recognition.
2. b) Copy of a transcript of all the undergraduate modules.
3. c) English language certificate of C1 level (very good knowledge) at least. This is not a requirement if candidates have a graduate or postgraduate degree from an English-speaking University or Study Department, or an English Language and Literature Department.
4. d) Any proof of professional experience related to the pathway.
5. e) Any research and writing activity (including a graduate or postgraduate dissertation), as well as participation in mobility educational programs.
6. f) Two (2) references from Teaching and Research Academic Staff Members in Universities or recognized Research Institutes. In case there is a professional experience related to the chosen pathway, one (1) reference can be from the head/manager of the institution where they received the experience.
7. g) An application letter no more than 500 words in which the candidate should mention the reasons they want to follow postgraduate studies in the specific pathway and in the specific Department.
8. Criteria and Process of student choice

The choice of the students of the S.P.S. takes place based on the statement of choice of the pathway and the overall points that follow from the criteria, according to the provisions of Act 4485/2017, as below:

1. a) Graduation degree, 40%.
2. b) Any research and writing activity (including a graduate or postgraduate dissertation), as well as participation in mobility educational programs, 15%.
3. c) Any professional experience, 10%. The experience needs to be in a private, public or broader public Institution, and in a related area to the pathways of the postgraduate program of studies: print, audiovisual or online mass media, news agencies, press, communication, advertisement and marketing offices.
4. d) Certified knowledge of the English language, at least C1 level (Very good knowledge), 15%.
5. e) Two (2) references, 10%.
6. f) Possession of any other postgraduate degree, 10%.

The assessment of the candidates is done from the Selection Committee, which is appointed from the Assembly of the Department, and consists of a member from the Teaching and Research Academic Staff from each pathway and the Head of the P.S.P.

The final overall grade of each candidate comes from the addition of the points mentioned above under the scale 1-100. The results are announced in the Assembly of the Department and on the Notice Board of the Registry of the Department at the end of September of each academic year.

Article 5

Duration and Terms of Study

1. Duration

The duration of study in the P.S.P., which leads to the attainment of the Diploma of Postgraduate Studies (D.P.S), is at least three (3) semesters, the first two are for the attendance of the courses and the third one is for the conducting of the dissertation.

Postgraduate students, after filling an application, are entitled to receive suspension of their studies and extension, which cannot exceed two (2) consecutive semesters. During the suspension period, a postgraduate student loses their student capacity. The suspension time is not considered part of the period of studies.

It is possible, and under special circumstances, for a student to suspend their studies for a whole year, after a justified decision of the Assembly of the Department.

1. Obligations and Rights

The attendance of the modules in the P.S.P. is compulsory. For absences more than 1/5 of the teaching hours per module, the Coordinating Committee (C.C.) in collaboration with the tutor-advisor of the postgraduate student, evaluates the importance of the impediment as well as the way that the student will return to the class attendance. In case there is still a problem, the student must repeat the module due to inadequate attendance.

After the proposal of the C.C. and the decision of the Assembly of the Department, a postgraduate student can be delisted from the course due to a) failure to attend the classes, b) failure to gather the minimum eligible grades (which is 6 out of 10) in two or more courses, c) behavior that is against any academic decency (i.e. insult fellow students or tutors), d) behavior that is against academic ethics (i.e. plagiarism), e) application of the students themselves.

If the postgraduate student fails in one or more than one module and is considered, based on the Regulation of Postgraduate Studies, that s/he has not successfully completed the program, s/he is examined, after completing an application, by a committee of three members from the Teaching and Research Academic Staff with the same or related discipline to the module that the student has failed, and the members are appointed from the General Assembly of the Department. The tutor of the specific module is exempt from the Committee.

For every postgraduate student, the Coordinating Committee appoints a consultant tutor from the Teaching and Research Academic Staff Members who is responsible for the guidance, monitoring and progress of the studies of each student.

Postgraduate students have all the rights, provisions and facilities that are applicable for undergraduate students, until the end of any extension they have received as students, apart from free books. The corresponding Department aims to facilitate postgraduate students with disabilities or special learning needs (access to the buildings and facilitation of their examination).

1. Student Fees

Postgraduate students must pay fees, the amount of which is 3000€ euros and is set by the Assembly of the Department. The payment of fees every semester is a necessary requirement for their participation in the exams and in the supervision of their Postgraduate Dissertation. The fees are paid in three installments within the first two weeks of every semester as follows: 1200€, 1200€ and 600€ in the ELKE account of AUTH. In case a postgraduate student has difficulties in paying, it is possible to arrange a more convenient schedule of fee payment and it is possible to be arranged with the Registry of the P.S.P.

Postgraduate students are exempt from fees when their personal income does not exceed by hundred per cent (100%), or the family income does not exceed by seventy per cent (70%), the national equalized median income, according to the recently published data of the Greek Statistical Authority (EL-STAT). The students who are exempt from fees cannot be more than 30% of the total number of students of the P.S.P. According to article 35 of Act 4485/2017, if the entitled students are more, they are selected based on their ranking position of income, starting with the lowest income.

The application on the exemption from fees is submitted from the student to the Department after the completion of the process of choice of the students in the P.S.P. The financial situation does not determine the choice of students in the P.S.P.

Requirement for graduation is the fees payment.

Article 6

Program of studies- Assessment of knowledge

1. Program of Studies

The P.S.P of the Department of Journalism and Communications of AUTH awards a Diploma of Postgraduate Studies in one of the three pathways:

European Journalism

Digital Media, Culture and Communication

Risk Communication and Crisis Journalism

The teaching language of all modules of the P.S.P. is English.

To obtain a Diploma of Postgraduate Studies, the student needs to attend and successfully complete six (6) modules, three (3) in semester A and three (3) in semester B. In addition, during semester C, the student must prepare a dissertation the topic of which is decided at the end of the second semester. Every semester as well as the dissertation correspond to 30 ECTS, therefore the Diploma of Postgraduate Studies (D.P.S.) corresponds to 90 ECTS overall.

In every semester, the Department offers in every pathway at least three (3) postgraduate modules, including the compulsory module of each pathway that is offered in semester A. Overall, students must attend the compulsory module, as well as at least three (3) of the optional modules of each pathway, whereas they can also attend up to (2) modules from the optional modules of the other two pathways of the P.S.P.

The list of the optional modules of each pathway can be modified depending on the availability of the teaching staff and the proposals for new modules. The addition of new optional modules requires a justified proposal and a detailed description to the Coordinating Committee of the P.S.P., which is responsible for their approval and integration in the teaching program.

Beyond the modules that are included in the teaching program of each pathway, postgraduate students are obliged to attend the “Dissertation Research and Writing Skills”, unless they already have another postgraduate degree. Apart from the teaching program of each pathway, the P.S.P. offers two (2) modules on the English language (one in each semester), specially designed for the teaching areas of the P.S.P., which postgraduate students must attend if they have a weakness in the English language, or if they wish to improve their English level. The attendance of these additional modules, which are supportive, is not followed by the award of ECTS but it is written in the official transcript. In addition, any other module of the P.S.P. that the postgraduate student has attended and has been assessed in, beyond their basic obligations, is written in the transcript, as described in article 6.

Every semester lasts for 17 weeks and includes 13 teaching weeks, followed by one (1) week το replenish the lost lessons, two (2) weeks of exam preparation or completion of the written essays or projects, and one (1) week for the exams.  Semester A starts at the beginning of October of each year, whereas semester B starts at the beginning of February. The dates for the beginning and end of classes, the exam period and the submission of final coursework are announced on the website of the P.S.P. before the beginning of each academic year.

1. Knowledge assessment

The assessment of each module is set by the tutor, and it may include either an ongoing assessment (tests, presentations and exercises during the semester) or a final assessment or a combination of both.

The marking of the modules and the postgraduate dissertation is done by the tutors in the decimal (0-10) and the percentage scale. The minimum grade eligible for graduation is six (6 or 50%). In particular, the system of marking that is used in all types of exams, tests, projects/essays, the dissertation and the final grade of the postgraduate diploma is as follows:

 

Correspondence in the percentage scale	Correspondence in the decimal scale	Descriptive	Detailed description
85% and above	8.5-10	Distinction	High level of knowledge -none or few weaknesses
70-84%	6.5-8.4	Very good	Very satisfying level of knowledge -some noteworthy weaknesses
50-69%	6-6.4	Good	Sufficient level of knowledge – meets the minimum requirements
Up to 49%	-5.9	Fail	It does not meet the minimum requirements

 

A mark which has already been issued by the registry office of the P.S.P. can be modified only after an application of the responsible tutor, who needs to justify the faulty statement in the marking catalogue that was originally submitted.

In case of failure of a final examination or project/essay, it is possible for the postgraduate student to be reassessed during the next examination period.

If the postgraduate student fails for two consecutive times in a module examination and has not successfully completed the program, is assessed, after completing an application, by a committee of three Teaching and Research Academic members from the School, who teach the same or related subjects with the assessed module and are appointed by the Assembly of the Department. The tutor who has already examined the student is exempt from the committee.

1. Postgraduate Dissertation

The process of writing the postgraduate dissertation begins with the submission of a proposal by the students, which includes a title, a summary of the proposed topic and the preferred supervisor. The Coordinating Committee is responsible for the approval of the proposed topics, and the appointment of the supervision of the dissertation topics to the tutors of the P.S.P. based on the relevance of the topic to their research areas, and the announcement of the topics and the supervisors in the C.C. The topics of the approved P.D. are registered in the specific catalogue of postgraduate dissertations, which is held by the Registration Office. The name of the supervisor and the date of the announcement by the C.C. is included in the catalogue. The student must support the dissertation topic in front of the examination committee in order to be approved.

The postgraduate dissertations, after their approval from the examination committee, are posted on the website of the School.

Requirement in order to start writing the P.D. is that the student must have successfully passed at least 5 modules of the program of studies and specifically one (1) compulsory module and four (4) optional modules.

The partial modification of the topic of the P.D. of a candidate is possible only after the decision of the Assembly of the Department and the submission of a justified proposal from the supervisor. The complete change of the topic of the P.D. can take place only after the repetition of the process of the approval and it is not a reason for the extension of the duration of studies, beyond the approved extension provided.

The P.D. is written in the English language and according to the regulations that are set in the Guide of Writing Diploma Essays, provided by the Department.

Upon its completion and with the agreeable opinion of the supervisor that it fulfills the requirements to be set for assessment, the P.D. is submitted in the Registration Office of the Department electronically in three CDs followed by a signful certificate that it is according to the authenticity regulations.

Hereupon, the Registration Office sends the P.D. to the members of the Three-member Examination Committee, which must carry out an open, public examination, within a period not beyond 30 days, decide its acceptance and its marking and submit in the Registration office the Minutes of the examination.

The completion of the process of examination of the P.D. must be concluded with the completion of the normal circle of studies (January examination period). It is possible after the justified application of the student and the decision of the Assembly of the Department to be given an extension of one (1) academic semester for the writing and submission of the P.D. Further extension can be given only for serious reasons (i.e., health, pregnancy, militancy) and with the charge of extra fees worth equal to 1/3 of the overall cost (1000€), which must be paid all within the first half of June. If the second extension passes without any action, the dissertation topic is deleted from the catalogue and the completion of the second cycle of studies is considered that it has ended unsuccessfully.

During the above period, a certificate can be issued to the student that s/he is registered in the P.S.P., and up until the process of assessment of the P.D. a certificate can be issued to the student that s/he is in the process of writing the P.D. on a specific topic.

A P.D. can be approved only if it follows the requirements below:

Its content should be related to the specialization that the postgraduate student has attended.

To address the topic, without necessarily completely new elements, but with a new way of approach to the sources and the bibliography, in order to justify convincingly the research effort and ability of the postgraduate student.

The P.D. should be (+/- 10%) twenty thousand (20.000) words excluding the Bibliography and the Appendices.

Requirement for the public examination of the P.D. is that the student must have completed all the exam obligations, to have successfully passed the six (6) modules of the P.S.P.

The average grade of the P.D. from the three members of the examination committee cannot be less that six (6), otherwise it is rejected, and the student cannot complete his/her studies.

The final grade of the Diploma of Postgraduate Studies (D.P.S.) follows from the grades of the student in the modules and the P.D. Specifically, the final grade of the D.P.S. is defined as follows: the mark of each module multiplied (X) by the Module Credits (ECTS), plus (+) the grade of the Postgraduate Dissertation multiplied (X) by the Module Credits (ECTS) assigned to it, the result is divided (/) by the total number of ECTS of the P.S.P., which is 90.

 

P.D. Grade = total sum (grade of each module x corresponding ECTS of each module) + (grade of P.D. x ECTS)

(Sum of ECTS)

 

In case the grade of the student is Distinction in all essays and the P.D., then the P.S.P. is assigned with Distinction (cum laude).

Article 7

Scholarships

Upon the decision of the Assembly of the Department, it is possible to grant up to one (1) scholarship per pathway, to candidate students of the P.S.P. who show high academic achievement and documented financial weakness, with the form of relief from the 2/3 of the overall fees. Also, during the end of semester A’, the student with the highest performance is relieved from further financial burden until the completion of their studies. Postgraduate students, who have already received another scholarship or are subject to the case of c2 article 5 of the present regulation, are exempt from the above categories of scholarships.

Article 8

Teaching Staff

The teaching of the modules of the P.S.P can be held by:

Teaching and Research Academic Staff of the Department.

Senior Teaching Fellows, Teaching Fellows, Teaching and Research Fellows of the Department, PhD possessors, except in cases where the subject is exceptionally and indisputably specific for which the conducting of a doctorate thesis is impossible or unusual.

Teaching staff according to the presidential decree 407/1980 of the Department.

Emeritus and retired professors of the Department.

In case the teaching staff of the above categories is not enough, the Assembly of the Department with a justified decision, can assign the teaching of modules to Teaching and Research Academic Staff of other Departments of the same University, or invite as visitors Teaching and Research Academic Staff from other Universities or researchers from research centers of the article 13 A of Act 4310/2014 (A’ 258). In addition, the General Assembly of the Department after their decision, and considering the proposal of the head of the P.S.P., can invite, as guest lecturers, from Greece or abroad, according to par. 5 of article 36 of Act 4485/2017, as modified and it is valid, accomplished scientists who have a position or qualifications of a professor or researcher in a research center, artists or scientists of recognized prestige with specialized knowledge or relevant experience in the subject of the P.S.P. in order to cover the teaching needs of the P.S.P.

With a justified decision of the Assembly of the Department, and according to what is defined in article 242 of Act 4610/2019, it is also possible to assign non-self-supported teaching of a part of a module  or seminar or lab to non-holders of a PhD under the supervision of another Teaching and Research Academic Staff, who teaches in the P.S.P., under the condition that this allocation does not exceed ten per cent (10%) of the total teaching hours of the courses, seminars or labs, respectively, of the P.S.P.

In any case, the allocation of teaching the courses, seminars and fieldworks of the P.S.P.   is decided by the Assembly of the Department, after the proposal of the Coordinating Committee.  The obligations of the tutors include: to provide the course outline or the description of lectures, the relevant bibliography, the course evaluation method, the communication with the students.

The assignment of postgraduate work to the Teaching and Research Academic Staff is carried out by the General Assembly of the Department in June of the previous year.

  Article 9

Revenue of the Programs- Process of Financial Management

The revenue of the P.S.P. comes from:

the budget of Higher Education Institutions and the institutions they cooperate with for their organization, the budget of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs,

donations, provisions, endowments, and any type of donations from the public sector as specified in case A’ of par. 1 of the article 14 of the Act 4270/2014 (A’ 143) or the public sector,

resources from research projects, resources from programs from the European Union or other international organizations, part of the income from the Special Account for Research Funds of Higher Education, fees, any other legal source,

According to article 37 par 4 of Act 4485/2017, the management of the income of the P.S.P. is carried out by the Special Account for Research Funds and 70% is allocated in operating expenses of the program, and 30% in operating expenses of the Institution. According to par 6 of the same article, the P.S.P. must publish yearly on its website a repost of the income and expenses, where they must record the allocation of the expenses per category, and especially the fees, the payment of teaching staff in the P.S.P., and the number of the tutors that have received their payments.

Article 10

Administrative support – logistical support

The administrative support of the P.S.P. is allocated to the Registry of the department of Journalism and Mass Media Communications, as well as to the administration staff who only deal with the administrative support of the P.S.P and are chosen after a public call of interest which is carried out by the Special Account for Research Funds, AUTH. The cost of additional administrative staff is covered from the income of the P.S.P. The P.S.P.  functions using the basic facilities (classrooms, library, Labs) of the Department of Journalism and MMC.

Article 11

Graduation Process

The award of titles is done after an announcement before the Assembly of the Department. This process is accompanied by the public award of the diploma, taking place during the graduation ceremony that is organized by the department for the graduate and postgraduate students.

Article 12

Type of Awarded Diploma of Postgraduate Studies (D.P.S.)

The Diploma of Postgraduate Studies (D.P.S.) is issued by the Registry office of the Department, in the Greek and the English language. The Department of Journalism and Mass Media Communications, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and its emblem, the completion year of studies, the date of issue of the D.P.S., the registration number of the graduation, the title of the P.S.P. and the pathway, the details of the postgraduate student and the grade, Good, Very Good or Distinction, are inscribed on the Diploma.

A certificate of successful attendance and completion of the Program can be issued to the student before the graduation.

In addition to the Diploma of Postgraduate Studies, a bilingual Annex of Diploma (see article 15 of the Act 3374/2005 and the num, Φ5/89656/B3/13-8-2007 (B’ 1466) Ministerial Decision] is issued, which is an explanatory document and provides information on the nature, the level, the general framework of studies, the content and the status of studies that have been completed.

Article 13

Plagiarism

On submitting any essay or the postgraduate dissertation, the postgraduate students of the P.S.P. are obliged to cite, using the present conventions (citation, bibliography), if and to what extent they have used the works of others.  Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and the detailed compliance with the academic writing ethics is a substantial component of the academic ethos cultivated by the P.S.P. Plagiarism is copying part or whole of the work of others, but generally the use of the work of others – published or not- without any reference. The reference of any material of argumentation without any citation, even from the works of the student himself/herself can lead to the decision of the Assembly of the Department to suspend the student, upon the recommendation of the supervisor.

Article 14

Transitional arrangements

The students who have already enrolled in the P.S.P. during the entry into force of Act 4485/2017, as well as the students who have enrolled and started their studies during the academic year 2017-2018, continue and complete the program according to the present provisions in force, up until the entry into force of Act 4485/2017.

The present Regulation concerns the P.S.P. «Master of Arts in Digital Media, Communication and Journalism» which was reestablished with the Government Gazette of reestablishment B’ 3333/2018. Any problem that arises in the future and it is not covered by the relevant Act or the provisions of the present Regulation, will be addressed upon the decision of the Assembly of the Department or/and the Senate of the Institution, following a relevant amendment and reform of the present Regulation and publication in the Government Gazette.

This decision will be published in the Government Gazette.

Thessaloniki, 13 July 2020

The Rector

NIKOLAOS PAPAIOANNOY