Programme regulations

1. Study regulations

Subject-objective of the MSc.

The School of Veterinary Medicine of the Faculty of Health Sciences organizes and operates a Postgraduate Studies Programme (hereinafter referred to as the MSc programme) entitled: “Porcine and Poultry Health Management”.

The objective of the MSc programme is to train postgraduate students in the aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical picture, necropsy findings and lesions, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention of clinical and subclinical pathological conditions (infectious, parasitic, metabolic, toxic, etc.) of the various organs and systems (digestive, respiratory, hematopoietic, nervous, circulatory, musculoskeletal, urinary, immune, etc.), which lead to a reduction in performance and a deterioration of the health and welfare of pigs and poultry, both individually at animal level and at farm level. The graduates of the programme will be able to monitor and apply this knowledge to advanced treatments and diagnostic tools in the future. Also, in the context of One Health initiative, special emphasis is given to swine and poultry zoonoses, as well as to proper treatment, control and prevention practices in order to minimize the risk of development of antibiotic resistance.

The aim of the MSc Programme is to provide postgraduate academic education and the production of high quality scientific potential in the field of pig and poultry health management and in the application of modern techniques that contribute to the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases. In particular, the aim of the MSc is, on the one hand, to provide postgraduate students with a solid foundation, modern knowledge, methods and basic principles that will enable them for continuous education, improvement and creation of an innovative spirit through the application of modern technologies, and on the other hand, to cultivate in them the critical and creative skills required for a socially and ethically responsible professional activity.

The guiding philosophy of the MSc is both to highlight the importance of the holistic approach and combined treatment of multifactorial cases, and to develop the skills and ability to combine the latest data for the treatment and prevention of these pathologies, as well as to apply individualized treatment and prevention strategies, taking into account the specificity of each case (legislation, breeding conditions, age/immunological background of the animal population).

The learning outcomes and qualifications of those who have successfully completed the Programme are:

identify and solve problems related to all aspects of porcine and poultry health management
perform all procedures in accordance with the principles of good veterinary practice
collaborate with experts and colleagues in other related and complementary disciplines for the benefit of porcine and poultry science under the One Health-initiative
contribute to the development and application of concepts and methods in the science of veterinary medicine, with particular emphasis on the management and prevention of swine and poultry diseases
carry out clinical research in farms and experimental facilities
perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as well as preventive interventions in breeding
assess the importance of National and EU regulations regarding all aspects of pig and poultry production
apply the Code of Good Veterinary Practice

Awarded Degree of the MSc Programme.

The MSc awards a Diploma of Postgraduate Studies (MSc) with the title: “Porcine and poultry health management “.

Successful completion of the studies leads to level seven (7) of the National and European Qualifications Framework according to article 47 of Law No. 4763/2020 (Α΄254).

Number of Admission, Criteria and Selection Procedure.

The maximum number of admissions per year is set at twelve (12) postgraduate students. The MSc cannot operate with less than four (4) postgraduate students.

Following a decision of the Assembly of the School, the MSc announces positions through an open procedure. In particular, the invitation specifies the admission requirements, the number of admissions, the categories of candidates, the mode of admission, the selection criteria, etc., the deadlines for submitting applications and the supporting documents required.

The notice of admission of postgraduate students is published at the School’s website. Applications signed and accompanied by the necessary documents are submitted to the School’s Secretary Office, either in paper or electronic form.

Categories of candidates who can be admitted to the course are holders of first cycle degrees of the Schools of Veterinary Medicine in Greece and abroad. An MSc Diploma shall not be awarded to a student whose first cycle degree from a foreign institution which is not included in the National Register of Recognized Foreign Institutions posted at the website of the DOATAP.

The selection will be based on the candidates’ curriculum vitae (evaluation of the supporting documents) and interview by the Admission Selection Committee, which consists of three (3) faculty members of the same or related subject belonging to the MSc Programme. The Committee draws up a complete list of all candidates and, after the relevant screening, rejects those who do not meet the minimum criteria set by the Department and invites for an interview the qualified candidates who have met the prerequisites.

Candidates must submit the following documents:

a) Application form for participation in the MSc (available in paper form from the Secretariat of the School of Veterinary Medicine or in electronic form from the website of the Postgraduate Programme)
b) A copy of a national or foreign degree.
c) A full curriculum vitae, detailing the candidate’s studies, teaching and/or professional experience, scientific and social activity.
d) For the participation of the candidates in the selection process for the MSc, it is considered necessary to have a certification of English language proficiency (at least B2 level), which, when it is not their mother tongue, is certified either by a degree of a corresponding foreign language University Department, or by possession of at least recognized diplomas of B2 proficiency which are: a) State Certificate of Language proficiency (State Certificate of Language proficiency of the State Language Institute (State Certificate of Language proficiency) of Law No. 2740/1999, as amended by Article 13 of Law No. 2740/1999. b) a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language and Literature or a Foreign Language Translation and Interpreting Degree of the domestic language or an equivalent and equivalent degree of a foreign language school, c) A Bachelor’s degree, undergraduate or postgraduate diploma or doctoral degree of any recognized higher education institution abroad, d) a diploma equivalent to the Greek Secondary Education Schools, if obtained after at least six years of regular study abroad.

The foreign language teaching license does not prove knowledge of a foreign language (Decree 347/2003). Candidates who hold the relevant license must provide a certified copy and an exact translation of the diploma based on the foreign language for which the teaching certificate was issued.

Knowledge of another foreign language will be taken into account.

e) Evidence of any research and publications activity, participation in student mobility training programmes and professional experience relevant to the field of specialization.
f) Photocopy of the identity card or passport.

The marks awarded to candidates for admission to the MSc are as follows:

Evaluation Criteria	Maximum Score
Degree grade	up to ten (10) points
MSc or PhD	up to ten (10) points
Oral interview *	up to fifty-five (55) points
Presentation at Greek Conferences	up to five (5) points
Presentation at International Conferences	up to ten (10) points
Publications in Greek Journals	up to fifteen (15) points
Publications in International Journals	up to seventy-five (75) points
Participation in Research Projects	up to thirty (30) points
Recognised Professional Experience	up to twenty-five (25) points
English language	up to ten (10) points
Additional foreign languages	up to five (5) points

*The oral interview evaluates the scientific training, research experience, relevant extra-university activity and any special qualifications of the candidates.

The maximum number of points that candidates can obtain is determined by the above criteria and is two hundred and fifty (250) points.

After the completion of the evaluation process based on the supporting documents and an interview by the three-member Admissions Selection Committee, which is appointed each year by decision of the General Assembly of the School, the final list of successful candidates and any runners-up is drawn up and validated by the General Assembly of the School and posted on the Bulletin Board and on the School’s website. The announcement of the results is made in accordance with the provisions on the protection of personal data. The procedure for selecting candidates, issuing the results and registering successful candidates must be completed by the end of September each academic year at the latest.

Objections to the results may be lodged within five (5) working days of the notification of the results.

In the event of vacancies, these will be filled up to the maximum number of admission positions (as specified in the notice of proclamation), either by classifying as successful, the runner-up candidates in descending order of overall score, provided that they have gathered at least thirty (30) points, or by means of a supplementary proclamation of vacant places.

Duration and Terms of Attendance

Time Duration

The duration of study in the MSc Programme leading to the award of the Diploma of Master of Science (MSc) is defined as three (3) semesters, which includes the time for the preparation and assessment of the MSc thesis.

The possibility of part-time study is provided for working students (e.g. students who can prove that they work 20 hours per week, etc.), the duration of which may not exceed twice the normal period of study (6 semesters). Part-time attendance is also provided for non-working postgraduate students who are unable to meet the minimum requirements of the ‘full’ programme and for certain exceptionally serious cases (e.g. illness, serious family reasons, military service, reasons of force majeure, etc.), which are decided by the General Assembly of the School.

In addition, postgraduate students may be granted, upon application, a suspension of studies, which may not exceed two (2) consecutive semesters. During the period of suspension, the postgraduate student shall lose his/her student status. The period of suspension shall not count towards the maximum period of regular study. Upon resumption of studies, postgraduate students shall return to the status of regular students with all the rights and obligations provided in the MSc Programme.

In addition, before the completion of the normal period of study, the postgraduate student may, only in exceptional cases, apply for an extension of studies, which concerns the completion of studies or the preparation of the MSc thesis for up to one year. After the end of the extension of studies, the postgraduate student can be removed from the MSc according to the recommendation of the Coordination Committee (C.C.) and the decision of the General Assembly of the School.

Applications by students for partial attendance or suspension, or extension of studies are submitted before the beginning of the academic semesters.

Terms of Attendance

Studies in the MSc Programme begin with the first (A’) semester courses after the 21st of September. The winter (A’) semester ends on 31 January, when the spring (B’) semester begins and ends on 30 June. The preparation, carry out and examination of MSc Theses takes place during the third (C’) semester of study, which begins on 1 September and ends on 31 January The graduation ceremony is determined by decision of the General Assembly of the School.

If a postgraduate student fails three (3) times the examination of a course or courses and is deemed not to have successfully completed the MSc Programme, he/she has the right, within ten (10) days past the third failed examination results announcement, to submit an application for examination by a three-member committee of members of the School’s teaching staff, who have the same or a related scientific expertise, as the course under examination, and are appointed by the General Assembly of the School. The lecturer responsible for the examination of the course, shall be excluded from the Committee.

Reasons for the expulsion of a postgraduate student are: a) insufficient progress of the postgraduate student (documented by non-participation in the educational process: attendance, examinations), b) inadequate fulfilment of other obligations defined by the Regulations, c) behaviour that offends academic ethics such as plagiarism, and d) request of the postgraduate student himself/herself. The General Assembly of the School decides on the deletion of the postgraduate student after a recommendation of the MSc Programme C.C.

Tuition Fees

The fees for the MSc are set at six thousand euros (6.000,00 €). The amount of the fees and the method of payment can be adjusted by the proposal of the C.C. of the MSc, the decision of the School General Assembly and the approval of the Senate. The payment of the tuition fees is made to a bank account of the Research Committee (ELKE – AUTH) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in three (3) instalments, two thousand euros (2.000,00 €) at the time of registration, two thousand euros (2.000,00 €) at the beginning of the second (B’ ) semester, and two thousand euros (2.000,00 €) before the start of the MSc Thesis.

Domestic postgraduate students who meet special social or financial criteria and the criterion of excellence during the first cycle of studies, which corresponds at least to the possession of a grade equal to or higher than eight and a half out of ten (8.5/10), have the ability to request free tuition. Domestic postgraduate students whose individual income does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the national median equivalent income, or whose family income does not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the national median equivalent income could be exempted from the tuition fees. Exempt students should not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the total number of students enrolled in the MSc and the exemption refers only to a single MSc programme. If the beneficiaries exceed the above percentage, they will be selected in order of ranking starting from those with the lowest income.

The application for exemption of tuition fees is submitted by the interested party to the School after the completion of the selection process of students to the MSc programme. The possibility of exemption from the obligation to pay tuition fees is provided exclusively for the attendance to one (1) MSc programme organized by a domestic higher education institution. Within 10 working days from the announcement of the results, the interested students must submit to the Postgraduate programme Secretariat the relevant application for exemption from tuition fees together with the necessary documents. The Secretariat, after collecting the applications, notifies the Graduate Programme C.C., which checks the criteria for exemption and decides on the application.

For those who wish to attend individual courses of the first semester or the practical training of the second semester then tuition fees apply per course based on the following table.

Course title
Α΄ Semester	Cost (€)
Basic principles of porcine and poultry science	500,00€
Innovative practices on biosecurity and welfare of pigs and poultry/	350,00€
Epidemiology and Research Methodology	350,00€
Clinical and reproductive interventions in pigs and poultry	500,00€
Advanced swine and poultry production science and nutrition	1300,00€
B’ Semester
Clinical porcine health management	1500,00€
Clinical poultry health management	1500,00€

The attendance to individual courses and/or practical training courses leads to the receipt of a certificate of successful attendance after a relevant examination, without giving the possibility of receiving a cumulative MSc Diploma.

Please note, that after installment of any amount of fees through the ELKE – AUTH, no refund is available. Failure of students to cover the financial obligations of the MSc Programme constitutes sufficient reason for not awarding the Diploma or for removal from the MSc Programme

Rights and Obligations of Attendance

Postgraduate students are enrolled and participate in postgraduate programmes under the terms and conditions set out in the Regulations for Postgraduate Studies. Postgraduate students shall have all the rights, benefits and facilities provided for first cycle students, except for the right to free Books. The School shall ensure that facilities are provided for postgraduate students with disabilities and/or special educational needs.

Postgraduate students admitted to the MSc are required to:

Attend the courses of the curriculum without fail. Attendance of the courses and exercises is compulsory. Exceptions are allowed only for serious and justified reasons.
Participate in all educational and research activities.
To submit course statements on time each semester.
Submit the assignments required for each course within the prescribed deadlines.
Attend examinations.
Submit to the Secretariat, together with the thesis to be assessed, a declaration that there is no evidence of plagiarism.
Pay the tuition fees by the dates specified.
Have settled all their financial obligations, as well as any other obligations to the Institution, prior to taking the oath ceremony. Otherwise, they will not be entitled to take the oath and/or receive the MSc diploma.
Respect and comply with the decisions of the Competent Bodies of the MSc Programme as well as the academic ethics.

Failure to comply with all of the above without serious and documented justification is grounds for the graduate student’s removal from the MSc Programme.

Curriculum – Knowledge Assessment

Curriculum – Education level evaluation

The teaching of the MSc Programme entitled “Porcine and Poultry Health Management” will be carried out using the method of hybrid learning, which is a combination of two educational methods, on-site education and modern distance learning, as the requirements of the Ministerial Decision (Government Gazette 1079/Tb/28-2-2023) are fulfilled.

The MSc Programme is structured in three (3) semesters [ninety (90) ECTS].

Five (5) courses are taught in the first (A’) semester [thirty (30) ECTS].

Two (2) courses are taught in the second (B’) semester [thirty (30) ECTS].

In the third semester, a MSc thesis is carried out [thirty (30) ECTS].

During the second semester students will devote time, apart from lectures, on the practical application of medicine, surgery (where relevant) and reproduction of pigs and poultry in the Farm Animals Clinic of the School of Veterinary Medicine of AUTH (Government Gazette 398/T.b./28-03-2005).

The official language of the programme and the language of the MSc thesis is English.

A) Curriculum

MSc “Porcine and Poultry Health Management”
A’ Semester
Course title	Mandatory [Yes: Y, No: N)]	Distance learning	ECTS	Teacher
Basic principles of porcine and poultry science	Υ	100%	5	George Papadopoulos
Innovative practices on biosecurity and welfare of pigs and poultry	Υ	100%	3,5	Vassileios Tsiouris
Epidemiology and Research Methodology	Υ	100%	3,5	George Papadopoulos
Clinical and reproductive interventions in pigs and poultry	Υ	100%	5	Panagiotis Tassis
Advanced swine and poultry production science and nutrition	Υ	0%	13	George Papadopoulos
*Total ECTSof the semester***			30

B’ Semester
Clinical porcine health management	Υ	0%	15	Panagiotis Tassis
Clinical poultry health management	Υ	0%	15	Vassileios Tsiouris
*Total ECTS of the semester*			30
C’ semester
Planning, preparation, writing and successful presentation of the MSc Thesis			30
*Total ECTS of the semester*			30

The start and end of the courses and the duration of the examination periods are determined by the academic calendar or by decision of the General Assembly of the School. assessment of students is performed after the completion of each course teaching activities.

Postgraduate students are required to attend all courses in all semesters. The teaching of the courses consists of an in-depth presentation of specific topics in specific fields of knowledge, either by means of development by the lecturers, or in the form of a dialogue discussion, or in the form of practical exercises, or in the form of the preparation of assignments, or in the form of a research project, or in the form of educational visits, and/or in any other method or way that, in the judgement of the lecturers, may best contribute to the acquisition of scientific knowledge and assist students in their learning.

Postgraduate students of the MSc must participate in the programme without interruption. If there are serious reasons that make it impossible for them to attend the course, they are allowed to be absent from twenty percent (20%) of the teaching hours per semester. Recovery of absencies may be made by attending the course in the next academic semester without financial burden or special administrative procedures.

B) Knowledge evaluation – Student assessment

The assessment in individual courses or other educational activities is carried out at the end of each semester by means of written or oral examinations, preparation of essays, or a combination of the above. The method of assessment is determined by the lecturer of each course at the beginning of the academic semester.

If more than two lecturers are involved in the teaching of a course, the course coordinator may propose that all lecturers participate in the examinations and grade them in parallel. The final grade shall be the average of the grades of the lecturers.

The grading scale for evaluating the performance of graduate students is defined from zero (0) to ten (10), as follows:

Excellent (8,5 to 10)

Very Good (6,5 to 8,5 not including)

Good (6 to 6.5 not including)

The qualifying grade is six (6) and above.

Attendance of the course or any other educational activity is compulsory. A postgraduate student shall be considered to have attended a course (and therefore be eligible to sit for the examination) only if he/she has attended at least eighty percent (80%) of the theoretical hours of the course and eighty percent (80%) of the clinical training in any courses provided. Otherwise, the graduate student shall be required to repeat the course in the following academic year.

If a graduate student’s absence rate exceeds twenty (20%) of the total number of courses, the student will be subject to withdrawal. This issue is examined by the C.C., which makes a recommendation to the General Assembly of the School.

In cases of illness, the lecturer is recommended to facilitate the student in any way he/she deems appropriate (e.g. oral or remote examination).

If a postgraduate student fails three (3) times the examination of a course or courses and is deemed not to have successfully completed the MSc Programme, he/she has the right, within ten (10) days past the third failed examination results announcement, to submit an application for examination by a three-member committee consisting of School’s teaching staff members, who have the same or a related scientific expertise, as the course under examination, and are appointed by the General Assembly of the School. The lecturer responsible for the examination of the course, shall be excluded from the Committee.

The grade of the MSc Diploma is obtained from the weighted average of the courses of the MSc Programme and the MSc Thesis. The weighing is based on the credits of the courses and the ECTS) and is calculated, to the second decimal place, in the following way:

The grade of each course and of the MSc Thesis is multiplied by the corresponding number of credits (ECTS) and the sum of the multiplication is divided by the minimum number of credits required for the award of the MSc.

The mathematical formula is as follows:

Degree M.Sc. = (Course grade 1 x ECTS course 1 + Course grade 2 x ECTS course 2 + …+ MSc thesis grade x ECTS MSc thesis) / Total number of ECTS.

Teaching Staff

The teaching work of the MSc Programme is assigned, upon recommendation of the C.C. of the M.Sc. and decision of the General Assembly of the School, to the following categories of lecturers:

Teaching staff of the School or other Schools of the same or another Higher Educational Institution (HEI) or Higher Military Educational Institution (HEMI), with additional employment beyond their legal obligations, if the MSc has tuition fees,
Emeritus Professors or retired members of the School or other Schools of the same or another HEI,
Collaborating Professors,
Assigned professors,
Adjunct professors or researchers,
Researchers and specialized scientists from research and technological bodies referred to in Article 13A of the law 4310/2014 (A’ 258) or from other research centers and institutes in Greece or abroad.

7.Recognized scientists, who have specialized knowledge and relevant experience in the scientific field of the MSc Programme.

The Assembly’s decisions on the allocation of teaching work must include the following elements:

the name of the lecturer.
the title of the lecturer,
the type of teaching work assigned per lecturer (course, seminar), and
the number of teaching hours per course or seminar.

In addition, by decision of the General Assembly of the School, taking into account the recommendation of the Director of the MSc, may invite, as guests, renowned scientists who have a position or qualifications as a professor or researcher in a research center, scientifically recognized scientists with specialized knowledge or relevant experience in the subject of the MSc from Greece or abroad. The obligation of the invited lecturer is to adhere to the weekly teaching schedule, as determined by the C.C., and to follow the examination and evaluation conditions as described in the present Regulations.

Upon the recommendation of the C.C. or the Director of the MSc programme, doctoral candidates of the School may be assigned supplementary teaching work, under the supervision of a lecturer of the MSc. Supporting work is defined as assisting members of the Teaching and Research Staff in the exercise of their teaching duties, training students, conducting tutorials, laboratory exercises, supervising examinations and correcting exercises. By decision of the General Assembly of the School or the C.C., either supplementary work may be assigned or a call for expressions of interest may be published in subjects offered in the Curriculum of the MSc Programme. At the Call of Interest, the expiration dates for submission of applications and the special qualifications and respective documentation are suggested. The maximum hourly fee for the assignment of adjunct teaching work to doctoral candidates is set by the respective Competent Body of each MSc programme and may not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the Assistant Professor’s salary. In any case, the assignment of the teaching of the courses, seminars and exercises of the MSc is decided by the General Assembly of the School, following the recommendation of the C.C.

The obligations of the lecturers include, among others, the description of the course or lectures, the citation of relevant literature, the way of examining the course, the communication with the postgraduate students.

Teaching in the MSc is carried out in accordance with the timetable of courses drawn up under the responsibility of the Director of the MSc.

Upon commencement of the MSc, a permanent member of the MSc Teaching and Research Staff is appointed for each postgraduate student as an Academic Advisor. His/her role is to monitor the progress of the students’ studies, to be informed by the lecturers of any continuous absences of students for whom they are responsible, and to inform them (via the Registrar’s Office) that such absence may result in failure of the course. In addition, the Academic Advisor will provide assistance with the selection of the subject of the MSc thesis, taking into account the research interests of the postgraduate student. Postgraduate students are required to contact their academic advisor for any problem that may affect the smooth progress of their studies.

The Academic Advisor provides the postgraduate student with the necessary advice to meet the requirements of the MSc Programme.

The Academic Advisor shall ensure that he/she meets regularly with the postgraduate students under his/her charge and no less than two (2) times per semester. His/her duties include among others:

Identifying the graduate student’s needs and research interests, supporting the graduate student’s aptitudes and skills, and encouraging the student to direct him/her toward areas of interest.
To inform and facilitate the postgraduate student’s contacts with the competent bodies of the MSc programme and the administrative services.
To assist in the preparation of his/her individual semester study plan and in determining the topic of the postgraduate thesis.
The identification of students who have not successfully qualified in several courses.
Providing for and developing a plan for these students.

The teaching staff, the administrative staff, as well as the competent services of the Institution cooperate and support the Academic Advisors in their work, while taking into account their information, observations, suggestions and requests, for any deficiencies, malfunctions that create problems for students and any proposals for addressing them.

Lecturers may, during the period of time they are on educational leave or suspension, provide teaching work for the MSc, if they consider that their programme allows it, provided of course that under the circumstances this is practically feasible, a matter to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Plagiarism

When submitting the MSc thesis, the postgraduate student is required to indicate whether he/she has used the work and opinions of others.

Copying is considered a serious academic misconduct. Plagiarism is considered copying someone else’s work, as well as using someone else’s work – published or unpublished – without proper attribution. The citation of any documentary material, even from the candidate’s own studies, without proper reference, may constitute grounds for a decision by the General Assembly of the School to remove the student from the course.

In the above cases – and after a reasoned recommendation of the supervising professor – the General Assembly of the School may decide to delete the student from the course.

Any misconduct or violation of academic ethics is referred to the C.C. of the MSc for judgment and recommendation for addressing the problem to the General Assembly of the School. Offences of copying or plagiarism and in general any violation of the provisions on intellectual property by a postgraduate student when preparing publications, during courses or preparing the MSc thesis are also considered as offences.

For violations of ethical rules and quality of studies, the Ethics Committee of the Institution is responsible.

Certification-Assessment of the MSc.

After the adoption of the decision to establish a MSc programme and before the start of its operation, the accreditation of the MSc by the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) is required, in accordance with paragraph c) of par. 1 of article 8 of Law No. 4653/2020 (A’ 12). After the establishment, the MSc is periodically accredited, according to sub-case bb) of paragraph b) of Article 8 of the Law 4653/2020 (A’ 12), in the context of the evaluation of the academic unit to which they are affiliated.

In case the MSc establishment decision is amended, a new accreditation of the MSc is required by the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE), if the amendment concerns elements such as the scientific field, the purpose of the programme, the learning outcomes and the qualifications acquired through successful completion of the programme, as well as the specializations that award a different diploma.

Internal Evaluation of the MSc Programme by MODIP

In order to ensure and improve the quality of the MSc Programme, the Quality Assurance Unit of AUTH (MODIP-AUTH) carries out a periodic internal evaluation of the MSc within the framework of the Internal Quality Assurance System of the Institution and in accordance with the instructions and guidelines of the NEA.

The obligations of the Administration Bodies and the lecturers of the MSc programme include all the procedures foreseen, based on the instructions and guidelines of the MODIP-AUTH for the internal and external evaluation and accreditation of the Study Programme and the academic units.

Evaluation of teaching staff and courses by students

With the sole purpose of improving the quality of studies of the MSc and with absolute guarantee of anonymity, students are invited to evaluate the courses and the lecturers of each semester.

For the sake of uniform statistical data maintenance and the possibility of drawing conclusions that can be used for the educational work of the Schools/Departments and the Institution as a whole, the evaluation questionnaires are prepared by the MODIP and may be partially differentiated, based on the specific characteristics and needs of each academic unit and/or each course. They are completed electronically.

The evaluation is carried out under the responsibility of the Internal Evaluation Team (IEG) operating in each School/Department of AUTH, in cooperation with the MODIP-AUTH, and is carried out through the information system of the AUTH Quality Management System (QMS). The Administration and the School’s/Department’s IEG must take action to encourage students to participate in the assessment, in accordance with the guidelines of the MODIP-AUTH and the relevant decisions of the Senate.

The IEG of each School/Department monitors, through the QMS, the degree of student participation in the evaluation process, analyses the relevant results and informs the management bodies of the MSc and the respective academic unit. The evaluation questionnaires relate to each taught course and to each lecturer individually.

The Administration Bodies of the MSc programme and the academic unit, in cooperation with the respective IEG, must assess the evaluation results, announce their findings, decide on the publication of the summary evaluation results, when necessary and in any case after the announcement of the semester’s course grades, in accordance with the current legislation on the protection of personal data, and take action to address any problems.

Study Guide

Each year the MSc Programme publishes a Study Guide in order to inform postgraduate students about its operation. The Study Guide shall include:

General Information as well as useful electronic information about the Institution and the School, in particular about administrative services or competent bodies that the postgraduate student can address for the successful completion of his/her studies.
The purpose, the subject of the MSc and the qualifications acquired after the award of the MSc Diploma.
The course programme, credit units, teaching staff, rights and obligations of postgraduate students.
The official language of teaching and preparation of the MSc thesis.
The management body of the MSc.
Databases
Use of the Library.
Services to graduate students.

2. Practical Training Regulations

Based on the operation and rationality of the MSc programme “Porcine and Poultry Health Management”, the practical training is not part of the Programme. Students may seek a practival training internship during their studies, provided that the specific form of the internship does not affect their participation in the educational activities.

3. Mobility Regulation

Students of the MSc programme ” Porcine and Poultry Health Management” may, under the same terms and conditions as other students of the School of Veterinary Medicine, move for an Erasmus+ placement, provided that this move does not affect their participation in the educational activity of the programme. For the students of the MSc ” Porcine and Poultry Health Management”, apply the same regulations for the Erasmus+ placement mobility, in accordance with respective provisions, as to the other students of the School of Veterinary Medicine. The person responsible for the Erasmus+ placement appointed by the General Assembly of the School of Veterinary Medicine shall also be responsible for the students of the programme. Based on the operation and the rationality of the programme, no other form of mobility is possible other than that provided for by the School of Veterinary Medicine.

4. Thesis Preparation

At the beginning of the third (3rd) semester (September of each year), postgraduate students submit an application form to the C.C. stating the proposed title of the MSc Thesis, the proposed supervisor and the abstract of the proposed thesis. The C.C. makes a recommendation to the General Assembly of the School, which appoints the supervisor and the topic of the MSc Thesis, whereas creates also a three-member Examination Committee. Members of the that Examination Committee must have the same scientific expertise with the scientific field of the MSc programme.

The right to supervise dissertations is granted to lecturers of the categories described in article 83 of Law No. 4957/2022:

Members of Teaching Research Staff (D.R.P.), Special Teaching Staff (S.T.P.), Laboratory Teaching Staff (L.T.P.) and Special Technical Laboratory Staff (S.T.L.P.) of the Department or other Departments of the same or another Higher Educational Institution (HEI) or Higher Military Educational Institution (HEMI), with additional employment beyond their legal obligations, if the MSc has tuition fees,
Emeritus Professors or retired members of the Department or other Departments of the same or another HEI,
Collaborating professors,
Assigned professors,
Adjunct professors or researchers,
Researchers and specialized operational scientists of research and technological bodies referred to in Article 13A of the law 4310/2014 (A’ 258) or of other research centers and institutes in Greece or abroad.

Public presentation of the MSc thesis is performed before the three-member Examination Committee (either with physical presence or online) at a suitable date suggested by the supervisor of the study, who informs the student and the Secretary office of the School of Veterinary Medicine at least ten (10) days before the presentation date. Graduate students may attend the Thesis support only after they have successfully passed the examinations in all courses.

To be approved, a postgraduate thesis must meet the following requirements:

The topic and content of the thesis must be relevant to the scientific field of the MSc.
The thesis must be original.
The paper (excluding the bibliography) must be at least forty (40) typed single-sided pages, in Times New Roman font, size 12, fully justified, with one and a half space lines distance. The paper must include (in addition to the text relating to the main body of the paper) a detailed table of contents, a table of abbreviations (if necessary), an abstract and a reference section.
The preparation of the MSc Thesis is governed by the Code of Academic Ethics of AUTH. Any author or co-author of any intellectual work is entitled to be referred to and recognized as such, enjoying both the property and intellectual rights/authorities arising from that work. Exceptionally, if the original intellectual creation (“work”) is the final output of a financed research project commissioned by an entity outside the AUTH, the property rights of the author or co-authors may be limited under the terms of the contract under which the research work in question is commissioned, while the moral rights remain with the author(s), subject to the contractual restrictions necessary for the exploitation/economic exploitation of the resulting intellectual creation.
The language of the MSc Thesis is English.

After the defend of the MSc Thesis, a protocol is drawn up in which the individual grade of each member of the three-member Examination Committee, the average grade and any comments or remarks are indicated. After its approval by the C.C., it is posted on the website of the relevant School. The supporting minutes are submitted to the Secretariat of the School, signed by all three (3) members of the Committee.

If the assessment of the MSc Thesis is negative, the postgraduate student may submit his/her thesis incorporating the remarks for its improvement within a period of time determined by the Examination Committee. If the second review is negative, the postgraduate student loses the right to be awarded the MSc Diploma.

If a member of the Examination Committee justifiably requests an extension of up to thirty (30) days, after the expiry of this period, and if the member does not meet his/her obligations, he/she must be replaced. In this case, the process must be completed within one month of the expiry of the extension.

Once the procedure of the presentation of the MSc Thesis has been completed and the minutes of the presentation have been submitted to the School’s Secretariat, the postgraduate students shall submit the MSc Thesis in electronic and paper form to the School’s Secretariat. They also deposit it in electronic form at the Central Library of the AUTH and at the School’s Library.

In exceptional cases, if there is an objective impossibility or an important reason, it is possible to replace the supervisor or a member of the Examination Committee. and to change the topic of the MSc Thesis after the recommendation of the supervisor, the C.C. and the decision of the General Assembly of the School.