Chapter A - Postgraduate Studies Programs

1. Establishment of a Master's Program

1. The establishment of Postgraduate Studies Programs (P.S.P.) is included in the multi-year development plan of each Department/School of the Higher Educational Institution (H.E.I.)
and is part of the H.E.I.'s strategic planning.
2. The P.S.P. are organized by one (1) or more Departments of the same or another H.E.I.
of the country and are aimed at the promotion of knowledge, the development of research and the satisfaction of the educational, research and development needs of the country. The P.S.P. are governed by scientific coherence, have a subject related to the scientific fields of the Department that organizes them and meet the conditions that guarantee a high level of studies.
3. By decision of the Senate of the H.E.I., following the recommendation of the Department's Assembly and the opinion of the Postgraduate Studies Committee, the establishment of a new or the modification of an existing P.S.P. is approved. With the establishment decision of the first paragraph, all issues governing the organization, operation and management of the P.S.P. and the following are regulated as a minimum: a)
the title of the P.S.P. and of the diploma awarded, b) the subject and purpose of the program, the learning outcomes and the qualifications obtained from its successful completion, c) the duration of operation of the P.S.P., which cannot be less than five (5) years, with the possibility of extending it and subject to its non-certification during the periodic evaluation of the Department, d) the categories of graduates that are accepted and the other criteria that are necessary or taken into account during the selection process of admissions, as well as the evidence-justifications for their documentation, e) the evaluation method, which may include examinations, file evaluation and personal interview, as well as the candidate selection process, f) the specializations of the P.S.P., which may lead to the award of a different diploma, g) the detailed study program by specialization, the titles and brief description (syllabus) of the courses, seminars, workshops and clinical exercises of the P.S.P., the conduct internship, the preparation of a diploma thesis or the conduct of other educational and research activities defined as mandatory or optional, for the successful completion of the P.S.P., with reference to the number of credit units (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - ECTS ) awarded on a case-by-case basis, h) the total number of credits (ECTS) awarded per P.S.P. specialization, if there are more than one (1)
specializations, and which cannot be less than sixty (60 ) credits (ECTS), as well as the number of academic semesters of the program, i) the official language of the program and the language of the thesis, which may differ from Greek, j) the maximum number of admitted postgraduate students/ three of them, or the maximum number of admissions per specialization of the P.S.P., if there are specializations, k) the funding sources of the P.S.P.
and the amount of tuition fees, if tuition fees are determined, l) the rights and obligations of the students, m) the possibility of granting scholarships based on excellence criteria, as well as the provision of remunerative scholarships, n) the way of organizing the educational process of the P .P.S.P., by life or by modern distance education methods in whole or in part, o) the possibility of providing the program as part-time study, p) any other matter related to the operation and the operation regulations of the program.
4. The recommendation of the Assembly of the Department must be accompanied by: a) a detailed income and expenditure budget for the first five (5) years of operation of the program, which includes all resources of the program, its operating costs, such as fees for the administrative - technical support of the program, teaching staff fees, travel, equipment and logistical infrastructure costs and other operational costs, b) study of the feasibility and viability of the program to be established, in which the scientific and social reasons that make the operation necessary and important are set out in detail of the P.S.P., its scientific coherence, its connection with the first cycle study programs of the Department, the teaching staff expected to teach at the P.S.P., the existing teaching staff of the Department with a related subject , as well as the other personnel who are going to support the organization and operation of the P.S.P., the logistical structure, the equipment and the building infrastructures that are expected to be used for the operation of the program.
5. If the organization of P.S.P. is carried out by more than one (1) Department of the same or another H.E.I. of the country, as an inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P.
respectively, a special cooperation protocol is drawn up, which includes all the elements of par. 3 and 4, the obligations of each cooperating Department, the number of members of the curriculum committee, the participation and representation of each cooperating Department in the bodies of the P.M. S., the process of appointing the Director of the P.S.P., the Department that undertakes the administrative support of the program, the methodology for allocating the resources of the P.S.P. and any other issue that is necessary for its proper functioning. By decision of the Senate of (or of) H.E.I., following a proposal by the Assembly of each cooperating Department, the special cooperation protocol is approved. The establishment decision is expedited by H.E.I. which undertakes the administrative support of the program.
6. The H.E.I. may cooperate for the organization of P.S.P. with Supreme Military Educational Institutions, Supreme Ecclesiastical Academies, research and technological bodies of article 13a of law 4310/2014 (A' 258) (as amended by article 12 of law 4386/2016), Research University Institutes, the Academy of Athens , the Medical Biological Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, foreign institutions and research organizations, European and international bodies and organizations, as well as recognized scientific bodies and associations operating under the form of a legal entity under public law.
Partnership with non-formal post-secondary education institutions of Law 3696/2008 (A' 177) (as amended by Law 4093/2012 and Law 4763/2020) is not permitted. In case of partnerships with institutions that do not provide equal education and equal degrees with H.E.I., the academic operation of P.S.P. belongs exclusively to H.E.I. By decision of the Senate of H.E.I. the special cooperation protocol for the organization of joint P.S.P. is approved, which includes at least the elements of par. 3 and the contribution of each cooperating body in human resources, use of laboratory infrastructures and practical training. GOVERNMENT GAZETTE 39525 Issue B' 3785/12.06.2023 Especially for P.S.P.
organized in collaboration with foreign institutions (common P.S.P.), the special cooperation protocol provides if the successful completion of the joint P.S.P. entails the acquisition of a single degree from the partner institutions or the acquisition of separate degrees from each partner institution.
7. After the issuance of the decision establishing P.S.P. of par. 3 and before the start of its operation, the certification of the P.S.P. is required. by the National Authority of Higher Education (ETH.A.A.E.), in accordance with para. c) of par. 1 of article 8 of Law 4653/2020 (A' 12) (as amended by par. 1 of article 386 of law 4957/2022). After their establishment, the P.S.P. are certified periodically, according to the sub-para. bb) of paragraph b) of paragraph 1 of article 8 of Law 4653/2020, in the context of the evaluation of the academic unit to which they belong.
8. If the establishment decision is amended, re-certification of the P.S.P. is required. by ETH.A.A.E., as long as the amendment concerns elements of para. b) and f) of par. 3.
9. The decision to establish P.S.P. of par. 3 is notified, under the supervision of the AEI, to the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs within ten (10) days from the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.

2. Criteria based on which the minimum and maximum number of admitted students are determined per master's and doctoral studies program of H.E.I.
The minimum and maximum number of admitted (per study cycle or per direction where provided) students in P.S.P. of the Ionian University (IP) is decided by the Assembly of the Department in the case of a single-departmental program or by the Program Committee (P.C.-P.S.P.) in the case of an inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P.. The minimum number may be determined with the primary criteria of the academic functionality and financial viability (at least satisfying the operational needs) of the P.S.P. and refers to the regulation of the P.S.P.. The maximum number may be determined based on: (a) the formation of the ratio of teachers (of the Department or cumulatively of the cooperating Departments) and students, according to decisions of the competent bodies, as well as the teaching load, and (b) taking into account the limits of potential coverage of the needs of the P.S.P. in logistical infrastructure. The maximum number of admissions is stated in the establishment decision and in the regulations of the P.S.P. and may, following a decision of the competent bodies, be increased in excess in case of equality of candidates with the last successful candidate. Scholars of the I.K.Y. and other bodies of the Greek public sector, as well as foreign scholarship holders of the Greek state may be admitted as supernumeraries to P.S.P. without taking part in the admission process, described below, and without reducing the maximum number of admissions per study cycle or (if provided for) per major.

3. Method of Evaluation and Selection Procedure of the candidates 1. Necessary condition for candidacy to P.S.P. is the possession of a first cycle degree H.E.I.
of the country or similar institutions abroad (recognized by Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center) or Higher Military Educational Institution degree.
In addition, a certificate of knowledge of a foreign language may be requested for nationals and of Greek for foreigners in the case of a Greek-speaking P.S.P.
2. Selection criteria among the candidates to be admitted and registered as students in P.S.P. apart from the formal ones imposed by the legislation and since the Regulation of Operation of P.S.P. does not provide (total or partial) otherwise, they may be the following or a combination of the following: • The evaluation of the candidate during the written test (on a scale of 10 out of 10) in percentage, which is defined by the Regulations of the P.S.P.
• The evaluation of the candidate during the individual interview (on a scale of 10 out of 10)
in percentage, which is defined by the Regulations of the P.S.P.
• The evaluation of the candidate's (digital or paper) file (on a scale of 10) in percentage, which is defined by the Regulations of the P.S.P.
3. It is possible to set an assessment limit (basis) in order to accept a candidate to the P.S.P.
This limit is determined by the respective announcement.
4. The Assembly of the Department in the case of a single-departmental program or the Program Committee (EPS-P.S.P.) in the case of an inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P., may appoint a Committee to conduct admission procedures for each new study cycle of the P.S.P.
i) The Committee is made up of faculty members of the Department or the cooperating Departments that teach at P.S.P.
ii) The members of the Committee are responsible for handling the overall evaluation of the candidates (written examination, personal interviews, their file or a combination thereof).
iii) The Committee evaluates, in accordance with the law, the relevant ministerial decision and the Regulations of each P.S.P., the supporting documents of those who have succeeded, after their approval by the Assembly of the Department or by the P.C.-P.S.P., are entitled to be exempted from tuition fees 5. The Secretariat of the Department of single-departmental P.S.P. or of the expediting Department in the case of an Interdepartmental or Interinstitutional P.S.P. receives the applications and supporting documents submitted by the prospective postgraduate students, within the deadlines provided for in the announcement. The Committee, after receiving from the Secretariat the list of candidates, determines the dates of the written examination and interview of the candidates in case these have not been announced in the notice, or modifies them, at its discretion, if there are special reasons.
6. Candidates must submit a nomination file that contains at least the information regarding the formal qualifications (copies of diplomas, etc.) as provided by law and his/her curriculum vitae. Also, they may be called according to the relevant provision of the Regulations of the P.S.P. to the following or a combination thereof: i. in a written examination which can be carried out in person or using electronic means.
ii. in an individual interview of general content, which can be carried out in person or using electronic means.
The percentage of participation of the score of the written examination as well as of the individual interview in the overall evaluation of the candidate is determined by the Regulation of the P.S.P..
iii. in the submission of additional information in the application file to prove the research or artistic experience. The theoretical and technological approaches and skills related to the subjects of the P.S.P. are included in the total assessment at a percentage determined by the Regulation of the P.S.P.
7. Special care is taken for the participation and assessment of people with disabilities or with special educational needs and other social or professional peculiarities.
8. The Committee draws up a list of the evaluation ranking of the candidates, in accordance with the provisions of this regulation, and forwards it to the Assembly of the Department or to the P.C. - P.S.P.
9. The Assembly of the Department or the P.C.-P.S.P. then approves the final evaluation table of winners and runners-up. Any assessment limit is taken into account if it has been set.
10. The list of successful candidates, after its validation by the Department Assembly or the Program Committee of the inter-departmental or inter-institutional Master's Program, is posted in electronic form on the website of the P.S.P. and successful candidates are invited to register at the P.S.P. until the deadline, determined by a relevant announcement. A candidate who does not register by the predetermined deadline loses the right to register in the P.M.S and his place is taken by runners-up in order of success.
11. An objection against the written evaluation of the candidate in the success table can be made within one calendar week from the date of announcement of the results, and is evaluated by the Assembly of the Department or the P.C.-P.S.P. The objection, in which the candidate must invoke documented specific reasons, is finally judged by the Department Assembly or the P.C.-P.S.P. which decides on it.

4. Policy regarding the determination of the amount of tuition fees, as well as the upper limit of these for the Postgraduate Studies Programs (P.S.P.) per School of the H.E.I.
The policy regarding the establishment of tuition fees in the Postgraduate Studies Programs of the IP, where and as long as these are foreseen following a decision of the Departmental Assembly or the Program Committee of the interdepartmental or inter-institutional Postgraduate Studies Program, as well as the determination of the minimum and maximum amount of which can be determined in proportion between the operating expenses of the P.S.P. and the Foundation and all kinds of remunerative benefits to the postgraduate students, in the context of a rational balance of the quality operation of the P.S.P. and social sensitivity towards those in need of support. This can be combined with the possibility of reducing tuition fees upon application to the competent bodies of the P.S.P. (Assembly of the Department or P.C.-P.S.P.) for special categories of students (with serious financial or family problems, living difficulties, health problems, extraordinary financial difficulties, etc.) within the framework of scrupulous compliance with the provisions on personal data. The total number of students studying for free may not exceed the number corresponding to thirty percent (30%) or a percentage each time defined by law, of the total number of registered students per academic year. If, during the numerical calculation of the number of beneficiaries of exemption from tuition fees, a decimal number is obtained, it is rounded to the nearest whole unit. If the number of exemption beneficiaries exceeds the present percentage, the beneficiaries are selected in descending order until the number is reached.
Postgraduate students are required to pay the tuition fees, or part thereof, within two (2)
weeks from the start of the courses of the respective semester, except for the first semester of studies in which they must be paid one week before start of classes. In case of non-compliance with his/her financial obligations, the student will be removed from the program. In case of withdrawal from the P.S.P., the tuition fees already paid are not refunded. For the award of the degree, students are required to have previously fulfilled all their financial obligations.

5. Rights and Obligations of postgraduate students

Postgraduate students have all the rights and benefits provided for first cycle students, except for the right to provide free textbooks. Institutions are obliged to ensure that students with disabilities or special educational needs have access to the proposed texts and teaching.
If the P.S.P. includes the preparation of a diploma thesis, the competent administrative body of the P.S.P. following an application by the candidate, in which the proposed title of the thesis is indicated, the proposed supervisor and a summary of the proposed thesis is attached, appoints its supervisor and sets up the three-member examination committee for the approval of the work, one of whose members is the supervising member. In order for the work to be approved, the student must defend it before the examination committee.
Postgraduate theses, as long as they are approved by the examination committee, are deposited in the institution's library in electronic form. The right to study for free in a Postgraduate Program with tuition fees Scholarships is referred to in article 7 of this regulation.

6. Maximum Number of Specializations per P.S.P. of H.E.I.
The P.S.P. are organized in departments that provide undergraduate studies and are required to refer to the same or related specialties as the academic subjects of the Department, or of the Departments in the case of inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P. The number of specializations per P.S.P. determined by the meeting of the Department or Departments in case of interdepartmental or inter-institutional P.S.P..

7. Procedure for awarding scholarships, remunerative and non-remunerative, to postgraduate students and doctoral candidates, the maximum number of scholarships awarded, as well as the criteria for awarding them

1. Registered students of a Master's Program (P.S.P.) may attend a P.S.P. for free, if payment of tuition fees is provided for, provided they meet the financial or social criteria herein. A condition for granting the right to study for free due to economic or social criteria is the fulfillment of excellence conditions during the first cycle of studies, which corresponds at least to the possession of a grade equal to or higher than seven and a half with excellent out of ten (7.5/10) (or as defined by law each time), as long as the assessment in the basic degree presented for admission to the P.S.P. has been carried out in accordance with the ten-point evaluation scale of the Higher Educational Institution (HEI) of the country, otherwise this criterion is applied proportionally according to the respective evaluation scale, as long as the degree presented has been granted by a foreign institution.
2. The total number of students studying for free may not exceed the number corresponding to thirty percent (30%) of the total number of registered students per academic year or a percentage determined each time by law. If, during the numerical calculation of the number of beneficiaries of exemption from tuition fees, a decimal number is obtained, it is rounded to the nearest whole unit. If the number of exemption beneficiaries exceeds the present percentage, the beneficiaries are selected in descending order until the number is reached.
3. The submission of applications for free studies per P.S.P. according to this, it takes place after the completion of the admission process of the students at P.S.P.
4. The student of P.S.P. has the right to study for free. that meets the condition of par. 1, as long as the following criteria apply: a) the average of the sum of the taxable incomes of the last two (2) financial years of all the family members of the applicant for the exemption from tuition fees, i.e. the applicant himself, his parents his/her, regardless of whether they file a joint or separate tax return, and his/her siblings up to twenty-six (26) years of age, as long as they are unmarried and have the same taxable income within the meaning of Article 7 of Law 4172/2013 (A ' 167), does not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the national median disposable equivalent income, according to the most recently published data of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL.STAT.), if the applicant has not completed the twenty-sixth (26th) year of age and is single or has not entered into a cohabitation agreement, b) the average of the individual taxable income of the last two (2) financial years of the applicant does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the national median disposable equivalent income, according to the most recently published data of EL.STAT., if the applicant has reached the age of 26, c) the average condition of the sum of the taxable income of the last two (2) financial years of the applicant for the exemption from tuition fees and of his/her spouse or common-law partner, as long as he/she is married or has entered into a cohabitation agreement, regardless if they submit a joint or separate tax return, it does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the national median disposable equivalent income, according to the most recently published EL.STAT data.
5. If the applicant for the exemption has not reached the age of 26 and is a child of a family with three or many children or a child of an unmarried parent or an orphan of at least one (1)
parent or a person with a disability or a member of a household with a person with a disability may request a half (50%) exemption from the obligation to pay tuition fees, as long as the average in point a) of paragraph 4 exceeds seventy percent (70%) and does not exceed one hundred percent (100%) of the national median disposable equivalent income.
6. The examination of the criteria for exemption from tuition fees is carried out by the Assembly of the Department in the case of a single-departmental P.S.P. or the Program Committee, in the case of an inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P. respectively and a reasoned decision is issued on the acceptance or rejection of the application.
7. The possibility of exemption from the obligation to pay tuition fees is provided exclusively for studying at one (1) P.S.P. organized by H.E.I. of the country.
8. To postgraduate students who are either exempted from paying tuition fees or are declared P.S.P. they may be assigned support services to the department (or departments in case of inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P.) depending on their qualifications. The relevant assignment is carried out by P.C. or the C.C.
9. This does not apply to citizens of third countries.

8. Terms of full and part-time studies and the possibility of suspending and resuming studies

1. The duration of studies for the awarding of the Postgraduate Diploma of Specialization (P.D.S.) is defined by a decision of the C.C. or of the P.C. in case of an interdepartmental P.S.P.
By decision of the C.C. or of P.C. the possibility of partial study may be given in which the duration of study is extended to n+2 academic semesters, where n is the number of academic semesters that correspond to full study. In order for a student to join a part-time status, he/she must submit a relevant request to the C.C. before the start of the courses. or the E.P.S in the case of an inter-departmental P.S.P., which must necessarily contain the reasons for requesting its inclusion in a part-time status. The maximum number of students who can study part-time cannot exceed 30% of those enrolled in each academic year.
In the case where the applications are more than the allowed number, they are classified by the Coordinating Committee taking into account social criteria and based on the reasons given by the students in their relevant application. All applications are examined by the Department Assembly (or the P.C. in the case of an inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P.) following a relevant recommendation by the Coordinating Committee. A definitive list of approved/rejected applications for part-time study is drawn up. Part-time students pay all the prescribed tuition fees on time, just like full-time students, with the exception of the last installment.
Every postgraduate student has the right to request, with a reasoned application submitted to the Secretariat of the P.S.P. before its endlast one semester of his studies, extension of his studies beyond the normal period, which is examined by the C.C. or the P.C. in the case of an inter-departmental or inter-institutional P.S.P.. Any extension is given taking into account that the total time of study including the time of extension of study cannot exceed n+2 of the normal study. The start date of studies is considered the last day of enrollment in .P.S.P. of the first academic semester, while the final date of the studies is considered the last day of the last compulsory academic semester.
In the event that the P.S.P. does not take place again in a future time then any student who has not completed his/her studies, even if he/she has received a suspension of his/her studies, does not graduate from P.S.P. and is deleted.
During the suspension of studies, the student status is revoked and all the relevant rights of the student are suspended. The student status is recovered after the end of the suspension.

9. Internal evaluation process of P.S.P. and evaluation process of courses and teachers at P.S.P. by the students

1. The Postgraduate Studies Programs (P.S.P.) of each Department, which include the inter-departmental, inter-institutional and common P.S.P., for which the Department undertakes the administrative support, are evaluated in the context of the periodic evaluation/certification of the academic unit by the National Authority of Higher Education.
The internal evaluation process of P.S.P. is a regularly repeated participatory process of self-evaluation of all teachers and procedures at P.S.P. In this context, the overall evaluation of the work carried out by each P.S.P., the degree of fulfillment of the goals set at its establishment, its sustainability, the absorption of graduates in the labor market, the degree of its contribution to the research, the evaluation of the courses and teachers by postgraduate students, the feasibility of extending its operation, as well as other data regarding the quality of the work produced and its contribution to the national strategy for higher education . The annual internal evaluation of the P.S.P. aims to re-evaluate, readjust and update the course material, to remove the negative points, to improve the structure of the P.S.P. and the learning process, in the feedback of the P.S.P.'s quality strategy and targeting, and in the decision-making processes through which the P.S.P. achieves the continuous improvement of the educational process.
2. The evaluation of the courses and teachers by the students is carried out during the last weeks of each semester. The Coordinating Committee of each P.S.P. or the Curriculum Committee of each D.P.S.P. are responsible for conducting the evaluation of the courses and the teachers by the students, in accordance with what is defined by the Internal Quality Assurance System of the Ionian University. In particular, they are responsible for the formation and distribution of a special evaluation form for each course and its teachers to the students, the collection, processing and presentation of their overall answers. Individual topics examined: clarity of course objectives, degree of achievement of objectives, organization of material, use of teaching methods, quality of teaching, effectiveness of teachers, etc. Conducting the evaluation of courses and teachers at P.S.P. by the students is done on a six-monthly basis in a way that preserves their anonymity, reliability and as much participation as possible in the evaluation.
3. The Coordinating Committee (C.C.) or the Program Committee (P.C.) regularly conducts an absorption study of P.S.P. graduates. by questionnaire (or other means of data collection).
Next, the data is analyzed and interpreted, which may include: Demographics, employment of graduates during and after their postgraduate studies, difficulties and benefits they obtained, research performance and proposals for linking graduates with the Department and the University .
4. Regular internal evaluations aim to better monitor, control and revise curricula or individual units of each course, maintain a high level of educational provision and create a supportive and effective learning environment for students. In the process of internal evaluation of P.S.P. factors are taken into account, such as: a) the content of the curriculum and the updating of each course according to the latest scientific trends, b) the changing needs of society and education, c) the set of educational needs and expectations of students/ three, as well as d) the adequacy of the learning environment, the infrastructure and the benefits of the P.S.P. The data collected is analyzed and the program is adjusted accordingly and according to the new data. The needs for improvement are identified through the internal and external evaluation of the Department and also through the experience gained from the teaching and evaluation process of the courses and teachers.
The data is analyzed and discussed at the meetings of the C.C. with the teachers/students of P.S.P. and an effort is made to find solutions or ways to improve any problems and negative points. The curriculum and its revised versions are included in the Study Guide and published on the Department's website.
5. If a P.S.P. during its evaluation stage according to par. 1 it is judged that it does not meet the conditions for continuing its operation, its operation is completed with the graduation of the already registered students in accordance with the founding decision and the regulation of postgraduate and doctoral study programs.
6. To improve the operation of the P.S.P. it is advisable to define the procedure for submitting and managing complaints and objections of postgraduate students. The specific procedure concerns all complaints related to the quality of the educational and administrative services provided by the Department. It is also advisable to determine the procedure for determining the academic advisors.

10. Terms and conditions of organizing P.S.P. with the use of synchronous and asynchronous distance education methods, as well as issues related to the organization of the educational process with distance education methods

1. Necessary condition for the organization of the educational process of a P.S.P. are the thirteen (13) full weeks of teaching for the compulsory courses and a total of thirty-nine (39)
teaching hours as defined in Law 4957/2022 (par. 3 of Article 64) or as the respective law defines. This minimum number of weeks and teaching hours can be either by life or by modern distance education or a combination of them in a percentage allowed by the respective law. Distance education with asynchronous means is in addition to the aforementioned mandatory teaching hours as well as various other practices (study week, etc.). In any case, the use of asynchronous means of e-learning cannot be greater than 25% of the credits of the P.S.P. Law 4957/2022 (par. 1 of article 88) or as stipulated by the respective law.
2. Necessary condition for the organization of a P.S.P. with distance education means if the nature of the courses allows it, for which there should be a relevant justification at the time of the establishment of the P.S.P. The organization of distance education teaching should take into account the possibilities of students to participate without exclusions (availability of hardware and software, issues of access for students with disabilities and special educational needs, introductory training on any electronic platform, etc. ).
3. Additional conditions for distance education are described in joint ministerial decision under items 18137/Z1 (Β΄ 1079/2023) and are specified as follows:

1. For each P.S.P. which is organized by distance education methods, one (or more) natural person is designated by decision of the competent collective body as the Manager of an integrated distance education system and his details are communicated to the users of the system. Each designated person in charge has the knowledge to provide support and all assistance to students and teachers, users of the integrated distance learning system. (par.
7 of article 3 of joint ministerial decision under items 18137/Z1).
2. With regard to access to the integrated distance learning system, the user accreditation process and access rights per user category (teacher, student, supervisor, technician and other staff) these are defined by the respective Digital Governance Unit of Ionian University or the administrative structure until its definition.
3. The Digital Governance Unit oversees the technological infrastructure of the Ionian University, the technical support, maintenance and upgrading of the infrastructure and technologies to support the distance education process, as well as the obligations of each user. The infrastructures used by each P.S.P. they should be consistent with the Ionian University's information systems security policy targeting the field of e-learning systems development, information privacy management policy and cyber security.
4. The educational support of the students is carried out by the institution of the advisor who is one of the teachers of P.S.P. The advisor undertakes to monitor the studies of the students assigned to him/her and to support them throughout the educational process.
5. For each taught course and educational activity implemented by distance education methods, the suitability of the course or activity for its implementation by distance education methods is analyzed. If the distance method is also used for the evaluation of the students, then the appropriateness of distance examination methods related to the nature of the course and the examination should be analyzed.
6. For each teacher, an assessment of his/her capabilities to meet the demands of distance teaching will take place and suggestions for improvement will be made (eg, attending corresponding seminars) as well as based on the previous experience of other teachers.
7. The students' works will be checked for plagiarism by a system that will be available from the Ionian University each time. The issues of plagiarism are serious and the competent body of the P.S.P. must be informed of each event. Plagiarism may result in the expulsion of a student from the P.S.P. regardless of the specific weight of any work.
8. The operation of each P.S.P. practically complies with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation and Law 4624/2019 and the general corresponding policy of the Ionian University.
9. The additional internal evaluation criteria of a P.S.P. implemented by distance methods are determined by MODIP and may indicatively concern the level of technological support, whether the courses had the organization and framework for distance teaching and the training of teachers to support distance teaching.
10. The procedure for registering students in the distance P.S.P. in the register of students of the Ionian University follows the same procedure as in the other P.S.P. and students are also registered in the electronic student register maintained at the Ionian University.
4. With reference to the process of establishing P.S.P. which is organized by distance education methods, the procedure of Article 80 of Law 4957/2022 and Article 5 of joint ministerial decision under items 18137/Z1 (Β΄ 1079/2023) is followed or as applicable at any time and as a minimum required: 1. Suitability of the subject matter of the P.S.P. to be organized by distance learning methods, 2. Analysis of the proposed methods of organizing the educational process (lifetime, synchronous, asynchronous, mixed system) per educational activity of the curriculum and distribution of teaching hours for each educational activity of the P.S.P. per method of implementation, as well as the percentage of any asynchronous distance education per educational activity and overall in the program, 3. Documentation regarding the logistical infrastructure of H.E.I. and in particular the suitability and adequacy of digital infrastructures for the organization of P.S.P. by distance learning methods, 4. Documentation regarding the digital skills and know-how of teaching staff in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), 5. The digital educational material, 6. The methods of digital assessment of students.
5. Remote evaluation procedures must be impartial and in any case user data must be protected based on the provisions of articles 6 and 7 of joint ministerial decision under items 18137/Z1 (Β΄ 1079/2023) or as defined by each time from corresponding provisions.

11. Preparation of a feasibility and viability study and the budgets of the P.S.P.

The feasibility and viability study of the program to be established includes an analytical report concerning the scientific and social reasons that make the operation of the P.S.P.
necessary and important, the degree of connection between teaching and research, the goals of the program, the scientific its coherence, its connection with the first-cycle study programs of the Department (or Departments) provided, the teaching staff who are expected to teach at the P.S.P., the existing teaching staff of the Department (or Departments) with a related subject , as well as the other personnel who are going to support the organization and operation of the P.S.P., the logistical structure, the equipment and the building infrastructures that are expected to be used for the operation of the program.
The detailed income and expenditure budget for the first five (5) years of operation of the program submitted to the proposal for the establishment of the P.S.P. all kinds of resources of the program and its operational costs, such as fees for the administrative - technical support of the program, fees of teaching staff, costs of travel, equipment and logistical infrastructure and other operational costs, The Coordinating Committee or P.C. is responsible for drawing up the initial annual budget of the P.S.P. and its amendments, since the P.S.P. has resources in accordance with article 84 of Law 4957/2022 and recommends its approval to the Research Committee of the Special Account for Research Funds (S.A.R.F.).

12. Issues related to exams and other methods of evaluating the performance of postgraduate students

The regulation of each P.S.P. it should clarify the number of exams allowed per subject and the grade that can be promoted. The method of examination must be known from the beginning of the teaching of each course. Student evaluation methods may include a written or oral test, assignments (optional or not) with or without an oral presentation, or combinations of the above depending on the instructor and the nature of each course. The regulation of each P.S.P. should determine a re-evaluation procedure in accordance with Law 4957/2022 (par. 2 of article 65) the evaluation may be carried out either after the completion of each academic semester or after the completion of the teaching work of each course or the completion of each educational of activity, in accordance with what is defined in the internal regulations of the P.S.P.
The assessment method should be the same for everyone and care should be taken for students with special educational needs or disabilities to be considered equally. In the case of remote assessment, the provisions of joint