Curriculum Structure

The academic year begins on September 1st of each year and ends on August 31st of the following year. The curriculum of each academic year is divided into two semesters, fall and spring. The undergraduate studies (first cycle) at the School last a total of five (5) years or otherwise ten (10) semesters, which include the work on a diploma thesis. The 1st year of studies includes the 1st and 2nd semesters, the 2nd year of study in the 3rd and 4th semester, and so on.

Each semester includes at least thirteen (13) weeks of classes. If, for any reason, the number of weeks completed in any course is less than (13) then the corresponding course becomes and is considered equivalent to not having been offered.

The holidays in the academic year are as follows.

a. Fall Semester

• October 28 (anniversary of Greece’s entry into the WWII)

• November 17 (anniversary of the 1973 student unrest in Athens)

• November 21 (the annunciation of Virgin Mary – patron Saint of Chania)

• December 24 to January 6 (Christmas and New Year’s Holidays – 2 weeks)

b. Spring Semester

• Lenten Monday (the beginning of the Great Lent before Easter)

• March 25 (Greece’s Independence Day)

• The Holy Week and the Bright Week (Easter vacation – 2 weeks)

• May 1 (Labor Day)

• Student elections day (determined by the federation of student unions)

• Monday following the Pentecost

The courses offered by the ECE School are semester-long and include

• lectures in class,

• tutorials and exercises,

• teaching labs,

• practical training of the students,

• seminars or other activities which are deemed necessary for the better coverage of the material.

The detailed curriculum of the ECE School is updated as needed at the end of the spring semester of each academic year and applies as of the following academic year. The curriculum entails

• the titles of all courses,

• the organization of courses in semesters of study,

• the number of credit units (ECTS) for each course,

• the number of hours per week for lectures, tutorials, and laboratories for each course,

• the recommended prerequisites for each course,

• a detailed description of topics covered in each course.

Coursework is divided in two categories: (a) core or compulsory courses, and (b) elective or optional courses. The first category includes courses that provide the fundamental core knowledge to the students; all of them must be completed successfully. The second category includes many courses on specialized topics; the student must choose and complete successfully a sufficient number of elective courses to meet the graduation requirements. The second category also includes foreign-language courses, where participation of foreign students of the Erasmus program is possible, and gives the opportunity for the local students to become familiar with international terminology. However, it is not allowed to choose a foreign-language course if the student has already succeeded in the corresponding Greek language course, and vice versa.

The recommended ordering of courses given in the curriculum and their organization in semesters is indicative and not mandated. Nonetheless, it corresponds to a nominal flow under normal study conditions, it accounts for the minimum number of semesters towards graduation, and it considers the recommended prerequisite courses for each course. This ordering constitutes the Nominal Curriculum in the ECE School, and it secures the most natural and recommended schedule of course registration that facilitates the completion of the entire program of studies in the ECE School within the nominal duration of five (5) years.