DOCTORAL DEGREE (Ph. D.)

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Prerequisites: 
a. Candidates for admission to the Ph. D. Programme must possess a Master's degree, with exceptions defined by PD. 380/89, article 12 and N. 2083/82, article 12, paragraph 2(a). 
2. Duration of study: 
a. For Ph.D. candidates holding only a Bachelor's degree at the time of first registration in the Graduate Studies Programme, at least eight (8) but not more than twelve (12) academic semesters in total. 
b. For Ph. D. candidates holding a M Sc. degree or equivalent title in Biological Sciences from another Institution of Higher Education at the time of first registration in the Graduate Studies Programme, at least six (6) but not more than eight (8) academic semesters in total. 
3. Fulfillment of the basic knowledge requirements. 
4. Completion with satisfactory performance of at least 200 graduate course credits. These can include graduate course credits completed for a Master's degree from the Department. 
5. Passing of the General Graduate Examinations. The student must take the General Graduate Examinations (G.G.E.). If unsuccessful, the student has the right to try once more. Following successful G.G.E. the student is declared to be a doctoral candidate and undertakes the completion of a doctoral dissertation under the supervision and guidance of a supervising professor, a member of the faculty. Monitoring of the doctoral candidate's progress is the responsibility of a three-member advisory committee (N2083/92, articles 12 and 13). 
6. Successful defence of thesis. Upon completion of the thesis, a seven-member Examination Committee is appointed in accordance with N2083/92, article 13. The doctoral dissertation must be an original research and contain note-worthy research results which confirm the doctoral candidate's personal contribution to his/her field. The doctoral candidate must present his/her dissertation in the presence of the Examination Committee, which will evaluate the originality of the thesis and whether it constitutes a substantial contribution to the field.