1. To ensure the quality of doctoral dissertations, the following should be applicable:
1.1 The number of PhD positions per Department is determined by the capability of each Department to support its PhD students in accordance with the established Doctoral Studies Support Policy of the University. In any case, the number of positions offered should not exceed the number of elected Teaching and Research staff members of the Department per year. The Departments or Faculties establish criteria for the maximum number of doctoral students per Teaching and Research staff member and, if deemed necessary, they set a maximum number of doctoral students depending on the rank of Teaching and Research staff members and the stage of studies of the existing doctoral students. Criteria are also laid down for the minimum number of doctoral students who are fully committed to their doctoral dissertation.
1.2 All PhD students attend at least one compulsory module on Research Methodology. The module is taught in the first year of doctoral studies. In order for the student to proceed towards the comprehensive examination, he / she must successfully complete the module. In case of failure two consecutive times in the module examination, the Department considers the termination of the student’s studies. The Departments should include at least one Research Methodology module in postgraduate degree programmes so that it can be selected by postgraduate students as well as PhD students. Exclusively for this module, PhD students are not charged with tuition fees.
1.3 Each Department or Faculty may organize a series of seminars with compulsory attendance by PhD students. The purpose of the seminars is to provide the students with the necessary knowledge on the subject of their studies (academic lectures, software programmes, statistical packages, professional skills lectures, etc.). Seminars are obligatorily credited with credit units (ECTS), the exact number of which is determined by each Department or Faculty. Seminars are not counted as teaching assignments for workload purposes of the Department and the teaching and research staff, while PhD students are not charged with additional tuition fees for them.
1.4 Every 12 months, the PhD candidate submits an Annual Progress Report on his/her doctoral dissertation to his/her Advisory Committee, which, if approved, it is forwarded for ratification to the Council of the Department, which through the Academic Affairs and Student Welfare Service, updates the student's register. It is very important that the Advisory Committee is informed on the progress of each PhD student throughout his studies. In this way, it will be possible to see whether a student is working systematically and qualitatively and that the necessary feedback is provided to the student. In the event of a student failing to deliver a progress report unjustifiably or the progress report is not approved for two consecutive times by his/her Advisory Committee then the Council of the Department examines the possibility of terminating student attendance or compliance. The progress report may be submitted in the Greek or English language.
1.5 A PhD candidate is able to make scientific publications before the doctoral dissertation’s defense. Each Department or Faculty determines whether the publication is a prerequisite for obtaining a PhD title, as well as the type and number of publications.
1.6 Each Department or Faculty organizes a conference of presentations of the research work of its PhD candidates. The conference is held on an annual basis and those who have successfully got through the comprehensive examination have the right to participate. The PhD candidate should attend the conference at least once during his/her studies. The aim is to develop a research and cooperation culture within the CUT research community, the exchange of views and the feedback of the students with suggestions.
1.7 Each PhD candidate should participate as a teaching assistant in a module during his doctoral studies. The payment of remuneration is at the discretion of the Departments.
1.8 Every PhD candidate maintains his/her student status by registering each academic semester in the registry kept by the Academic Affairs and Student Welfare Service, according to his/her current status in the curriculum.
2. A doctoral dissertation must meet the following basic requirements:
2.1 It should include extensive bibliography and make a comprehensive and in-depth reference to the international research on the subject of the dissertation, thus linking the results of the doctoral dissertation to what has been achieved so far in the scientific field relevant to the subject of the dissertation.
2.2 It should make explicit reference to the scientific contribution of the dissertation, in particular as regards the extension of the specific field of knowledge on the basis of the research carried out. Therefore, it should make explicit reference to the originality points of the dissertation.
2.3 It should be a significant contribution to knowledge and should therefore not be limited to a simple application to solve a problem of local scale and importance. In other words, a doctoral dissertation should have a theoretical background and its results should have an impact within the broader scientific field.
2.4 The scientific contribution and originality data of the dissertation should be summarized but clearly stated in the dissertation abstract, being analyzed more extensively in the main part of the dissertation.
3. As for the procedural part of the elaboration of a doctoral programme the following are applicable:
3.1 In order to present his/her research proposal, the student submits his proposal in writing, stating explicitly the originality and scientific contribution of this proposal, according to his/her beliefs. The three-member committee evaluating the proposal submits a structured evaluation of the proposal, which refers both to points of agreement with the student's statements and points of disagreement. The evaluation of the committee is submitted to the Council of the Department for information only.
3.2 The dissertation is submitted after the approval of the three-member Advisory Committee of the student. One of the members is the students' Research Supervisor.
3.3 The external members of the Examination Board of the PhD dissertation must have specialties relevant to the subject of the dissertation and meet the limitations set in the Rules (article 1.8.1.3.6). Additionally, any conflict of interest between the student and his/her external evaluators should be avoided.
3.4 The members of the Examination Board, except the Research Supervisor responsible for the PhD candidate, must submit to the Chairman of the Committee, each one separately and independently of the other members, a written report with preliminary comments and positions on the content of the dissertation. The independent Preliminary Reports are communicated to all members of the Committee before the dissertation is examined and are attached as Annexes to the Committee’s final report. The submission of a preliminary report by the Research Supervisor responsible for the PhD candidate is optional.
3.5 The suggestion provided in the report of the Examination Board to the Senate must be convincingly substantiated. In particular, if the suggestion is positive, the report should analyze the significance and originality of the research carried out and therefore record its scientific contribution to the field it belongs.
3.6 The report of the Examination Board should refer to the dissertation data that is publicly available as well as to their form (articles, monographs, etc.). If some publications have been released from the dissertation, then the list of publications should be attached together with the publications themselves.
3.7 Together with the report of the Examination Board and the other supporting documents, a copy of the dissertation should be submitted to the Senate Secretariat, which will be available to the members of the Senate for examination. The copy of the dissertation is submitted to the Senate Chamber during the discussion of the Committee report.
3.8 All the above, before being submitted to the Senate, are submitted under the responsibility of the Department Chair to the relevant Faculty.
Quality Assurance for Doctoral Dissertations
1. To ensure the quality of doctoral dissertations, the following should be applicable:
1.1 The number of PhD positions per Department is determined by the capability of each Department to support its PhD students in accordance with the established Doctoral Studies Support Policy of the University. In any case, the number of positions offered should not exceed the number of elected Teaching and Research staff members of the Department per year. The Departments or Faculties establish criteria for the maximum number of doctoral students per Teaching and Research staff member and, if deemed necessary, they set a maximum number of doctoral students depending on the rank of Teaching and Research staff members and the stage of studies of the existing doctoral students. Criteria are also laid down for the minimum number of doctoral students who are fully committed to their doctoral dissertation.
1.2 All PhD students attend at least one compulsory module on Research Methodology. The module is taught in the first year of doctoral studies. In order for the student to proceed towards the comprehensive examination, he / she must successfully complete the module. In case of failure two consecutive times in the module examination, the Department considers the termination of the student’s studies. The Departments should include at least one Research Methodology module in postgraduate degree programmes so that it can be selected by postgraduate students as well as PhD students. Exclusively for this module, PhD students are not charged with tuition fees.
1.3 Each Department or Faculty may organize a series of seminars with compulsory attendance by PhD students. The purpose of the seminars is to provide the students with the necessary knowledge on the subject of their studies (academic lectures, software programmes, statistical packages, professional skills lectures, etc.). Seminars are obligatorily credited with credit units (ECTS), the exact number of which is determined by each Department or Faculty. Seminars are not counted as teaching assignments for workload purposes of the Department and the teaching and research staff, while PhD students are not charged with additional tuition fees for them.
1.4 Every 12 months, the PhD candidate submits an Annual Progress Report on his/her doctoral dissertation to his/her Advisory Committee, which, if approved, it is forwarded for ratification to the Council of the Department, which through the Academic Affairs and Student Welfare Service, updates the student's register. It is very important that the Advisory Committee is informed on the progress of each PhD student throughout his studies. In this way, it will be possible to see whether a student is working systematically and qualitatively and that the necessary feedback is provided to the student. In the event of a student failing to deliver a progress report unjustifiably or the progress report is not approved for two consecutive times by his/her Advisory Committee then the Council of the Department examines the possibility of terminating student attendance or compliance. The progress report may be submitted in the Greek or English language.
1.5 A PhD candidate is able to make scientific publications before the doctoral dissertation’s defense. Each Department or Faculty determines whether the publication is a prerequisite for obtaining a PhD title, as well as the type and number of publications.
1.6 Each Department or Faculty organizes a conference of presentations of the research work of its PhD candidates. The conference is held on an annual basis and those who have successfully got through the comprehensive examination have the right to participate. The PhD candidate should attend the conference at least once during his/her studies. The aim is to develop a research and cooperation culture within the CUT research community, the exchange of views and the feedback of the students with suggestions.
1.7 Each PhD candidate should participate as a teaching assistant in a module during his doctoral studies. The payment of remuneration is at the discretion of the Departments.
1.8 Every PhD candidate maintains his/her student status by registering each academic semester in the registry kept by the Academic Affairs and Student Welfare Service, according to his/her current status in the curriculum.
2. A doctoral dissertation must meet the following basic requirements:
2.1 It should include extensive bibliography and make a comprehensive and in-depth reference to the international research on the subject of the dissertation, thus linking the results of the doctoral dissertation to what has been achieved so far in the scientific field relevant to the subject of the dissertation.
2.2 It should make explicit reference to the scientific contribution of the dissertation, in particular as regards the extension of the specific field of knowledge on the basis of the research carried out. Therefore, it should make explicit reference to the originality points of the dissertation.
2.3 It should be a significant contribution to knowledge and should therefore not be limited to a simple application to solve a problem of local scale and importance. In other words, a doctoral dissertation should have a theoretical background and its results should have an impact within the broader scientific field.
2.4 The scientific contribution and originality data of the dissertation should be summarized but clearly stated in the dissertation abstract, being analyzed more extensively in the main part of the dissertation.
3. As for the procedural part of the elaboration of a doctoral programme the following are applicable:
3.1 In order to present his/her research proposal, the student submits his proposal in writing, stating explicitly the originality and scientific contribution of this proposal, according to his/her beliefs. The three-member committee evaluating the proposal submits a structured evaluation of the proposal, which refers both to points of agreement with the student's statements and points of disagreement. The evaluation of the committee is submitted to the Council of the Department for information only.
3.2 The dissertation is submitted after the approval of the three-member Advisory Committee of the student. One of the members is the students' Research Supervisor.
3.3 The external members of the Examination Board of the PhD dissertation must have specialties relevant to the subject of the dissertation and meet the limitations set in the Rules (article 1.8.1.3.6). Additionally, any conflict of interest between the student and his/her external evaluators should be avoided.
3.4 The members of the Examination Board, except the Research Supervisor responsible for the PhD candidate, must submit to the Chairman of the Committee, each one separately and independently of the other members, a written report with preliminary comments and positions on the content of the dissertation. The independent Preliminary Reports are communicated to all members of the Committee before the dissertation is examined and are attached as Annexes to the Committee’s final report. The submission of a preliminary report by the Research Supervisor responsible for the PhD candidate is optional.
3.5 The suggestion provided in the report of the Examination Board to the Senate must be convincingly substantiated. In particular, if the suggestion is positive, the report should analyze the significance and originality of the research carried out and therefore record its scientific contribution to the field it belongs.
3.6 The report of the Examination Board should refer to the dissertation data that is publicly available as well as to their form (articles, monographs, etc.). If some publications have been released from the dissertation, then the list of publications should be attached together with the publications themselves.
3.7 Together with the report of the Examination Board and the other supporting documents, a copy of the dissertation should be submitted to the Senate Secretariat, which will be available to the members of the Senate for examination. The copy of the dissertation is submitted to the Senate Chamber during the discussion of the Committee report.
3.8 All the above, before being submitted to the Senate, are submitted under the responsibility of the Department Chair to the relevant Faculty.
