This clarification is issued in order to provide students with a transparent and consolidated explanation of the procedures that apply between the academic completion of the MARes in Hybrid Arts programme and the issuance of the Master's Diploma and Diploma Supplement. It does not introduce additional academic requirements, alter the requirements applicable to enrolled students, or establish retroactive conditions for graduation. The programme operates within the broader regulatory framework of postgraduate studies of the Ionian University, including the Regulation of Master and Doctoral Programmes of the Ionian University, Senate Decision No. 2033, Government Gazette B' 3785/12.06.2023, adopted pursuant, inter alia, to Law 4957/2022, both published in the MARes in Hybrid Arts website under Regulations. Where there is any inconsistency between this explanatory clarification and the applicable legislation, University regulations or MARes Study Regulations, the applicable legislative and regulatory provisions prevail.
1. Completion of Academic Requirements
A student is considered to have completed the academic requirements of the MARes programme once all required coursework and the master's thesis have been successfully completed, corresponding to a total of 60 ECTS credits. Following the successful public defence of the master's thesis, the final approved version of the thesis must be submitted to the MARes Secretariat together with all required documentation, including: the final thesis file(s), including the Rights and Permissions Declaration page; the relevant Ethics Committee research approval; the completed MARes Library Submission Form; and any other documentation required for the completion and archiving of the student's academic record. Regulatory reference: MARes Study Regulations, Articles 14 and 15.
2. Administrative Clearance
Before the completion of studies can be formally declared, the MARes Secretariat verifies that the student has fulfilled all academic requirements and has no outstanding administrative obligations towards the University. Students are responsible for ensuring that any outstanding administrative matters are resolved promptly. Such obligations may include, but are not limited to: outstanding tuition fees; pending library obligations; unreturned equipment or other University property; and incomplete administrative documentation. Regulatory reference: MARes Study Regulations, Article 15(5).
3. Formal Declaration of Completion
Once all academic and administrative requirements have been fulfilled, the MARes Secretariat prepares the student's file for consideration by the competent Department Assembly following the recommendation of the Postgraduate Program Committee. The Department Assembly ordinarily meets on the second Thursday of each month, with the exception of August. The Department Assembly formally confirms the successful completion of the programme and declares the student a graduate. Completion of the academic requirements alone does not constitute formal completion of the graduation process until the relevant academic, administrative, and Departmental procedures have been concluded. Regulatory reference: MARes Study Regulations, Article 15(3).
4. Certificate of Completion of Studies
Students who complete their studies during an official examination period, as defined by the Ionian University Academic Calendar, and who resolve all outstanding administrative matters within one month following the end of that examination period may request a Certificate of Completion of Studies. Students should normally expect to receive the Certificate within the three-month period following the relevant examination period, provided that all required academic, administrative, and Departmental procedures have been completed. Official University holiday periods are not included in the calculation of this timeframe. The Certificate of Completion of Studies formally confirms that the student has successfully completed the academic and administrative requirements of the MARes programme and that completion has been duly verified through the appropriate University procedures. Regulatory reference: MARes Study Regulations, Article 15(6).
5. Graduation Periods
The MARes Master's Diploma and Diploma Supplement are issued during one of the University's two annual graduation periods, normally held in May and December. The graduation period in which a student is eligible to receive the Diploma and Diploma Supplement depends on the timely completion of all academic, administrative, and Departmental procedures. Completion of studies and receipt of the Certificate of Completion of Studies do not, in themselves, determine the date on which the Diploma and Diploma Supplement will be issued. Regulatory reference: MARes Study Regulations, Article 15(6) and Article 15(7).
6. Delays in Administrative Clearance
Where a student has not completed the required administrative procedures within the applicable timeframe, the issuance of the Certificate of Completion of Studies and/or the Diploma and Diploma Supplement may be delayed. If outstanding academic or administrative matters prevent the student's file from being completed and approved in time for the next scheduled graduation period, the Diploma and Diploma Supplement will normally be issued during the subsequent graduation period. The University and the MARes programme cannot guarantee participation in a particular graduation ceremony where the student's academic or administrative file has not been fully completed within the required deadlines.
7. Diploma
The Master's Diploma is formally awarded in connection with the official graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Music and Audiovisual Arts organised twice a year. The precise date, location, and arrangements for each graduation ceremony are communicated separately by the MARes Secretariat. Graduates normally receive: the Master's Diploma; and the Diploma Supplement, containing details of the student's academic record and master's thesis.
8. Graduation Ceremony
The graduation ceremony should be distinguished from the earlier completion of the academic requirements of the MARes programme and the formal confirmation of completion through the applicable academic and administrative procedures. The practical arrangements for each ceremony are determined by the University and communicated to graduates in advance. Under the University's current ceremony instructions, graduates participating in person are normally required to: attend the ceremony at the designated University venue, including, where applicable, the Ceremonial Hall of the Ionian Academy; arrive one hour before the scheduled starting time; carry an official identity document in physical form; collect and wear the academic gown; take their assigned place in the ceremony; and follow the procedural instructions provided by the University staff before and during the ceremony. The University may also issue specific instructions concerning guests, access to the ceremony venue, safety, and appropriate conduct within and around the ceremonial premises. Graduates are expected to read and follow the instructions communicated for the particular ceremony. These arrangements concern the organisation and conduct of the graduation ceremony and do not constitute additional academic requirements for successful completion of the MARes programme.
9. Students Unable to Attend the Graduation Ceremony
Non-attendance at the physical ceremony does not alter the graduate's prior successful completion of the academic requirements of the programme. Students who are unable to attend the graduation ceremony in person may receive their Diploma and Diploma Supplement in accordance with the procedures established by the University. The MARes Secretariat will provide the relevant instructions following the graduation ceremony or once the Diploma and Diploma Supplement become available.
* Transitional Clarification for the 2024–2025 Cohort
As a specific transitional provision, students of the 2024–2025 cohort who defended their master's theses in March 2026, and received special mention in the programme's inaugural graduation ceremony in May 2026, having already received their Certificates of Completion of Studies will receive their Master's Diploma and Diploma Supplement in the winter’s semester graduation ceremony 2026 (precise date to be confirmed). This specific deadline concerns the administrative completion and delivery of the Diploma and Diploma Supplement for this cohort and does not alter the general procedures and timelines set out above.
