Universities in Greece form one part of constitutionally-recognized institutions
with degree awarding powers. According to Greece's
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
, higher education institutions (HEIs) include
universities
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
,
polytechnics, some
specialist HEIs, and formerly technological educational institutes (TEIs). In Greece, universities are private and public-owned and funded having state-accredited university title and authorization of university degree awarding powers at level 6 (
first cycle qualification,
bachelor's level) under the
Bologna Process
file:Bologna-Prozess-Logo.svg, 96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo
file:Bologna zone.svg, alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone
The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements b ...
and the
National Qualification Framework of Greece which is officially named Hellenic Qualification Framework (HQF; Greek: ).
The State University System of Greece operates on the
term system of two semesters per academic year, has the national
curriculum
In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...
(national education system) set forth by the
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
of Greece ().
Higher education institutions
Public Higher Education Institutions' (HEIs; Greek: ) undergraduate programmes in Greece are government funded and have
free education
Free education is education funded through government spending or charitable organizations rather than tuition funding. Primary school and other comprehensive or compulsory education is free in most countries (often not including primary textboo ...
without any payment of tuition fee. About one-fourth of postgraduate programmes are offered without tuition and 30% of students can be entitled to attend tuition-free postgraduate programmes after they are assessed on individual criteria.
The Hellenic Qualification Framework (HQF) sets out the different levels of education qualifications and the requirements for each of these and is linked to the
European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and thus to other qualifications frameworks across the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
.
The regulated framework for Greece higher education qualifications, which is tied to the HQF, covers degree-levels qualifications of Greece degree-awarding bodies and is linked to the
Qualifications Framework in the European Higher Education Area (QF-
EHEA
The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was launched in March 2010, during the Budapest-Vienna Ministerial Conference, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Bologna Process.
As the main objective of the Bologna Process since its incep ...
) established by the
Bologna process
file:Bologna-Prozess-Logo.svg, 96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo
file:Bologna zone.svg, alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone
The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements b ...
where Greece is a full member since 1999. Joining to the Bologna process Greece began education reforms in order to get higher education meeting the common European Union standards. Now the process is implemented in all higher education institutions. The programmes of EHEA are set at three levels of study which are usually referred to as the three cycle system.
First (entry level), a four-year cycle of study at EQF level 6 to attain a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
or its equivalent (Greek: ;
transliterated
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...
to Ptychio in
dhimotiki from 1976–present; or defunct ; Ptychion in
polytonic
Greek orthography has used a variety of diacritics starting in the Hellenistic period. The more complex polytonic orthography (), which includes five diacritics, notates Ancient Greek phonology. The simpler monotonic orthography (), introduce ...
,
katharevousa
Katharevousa (, , literally "purifying anguage) is a conservative form of the Modern Greek language conceived in the late 18th century as both a literary language and a compromise between Ancient Greek and the contemporary vernacular, Demotic ...
up until 1976). A second cycle of study follows at EQF level 7 lasting one or two years to attain a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
(, also known as: δίπλωμα μεταπτυχιακών σπουδών (Δ.Μ.Σ.), 'diploma of postgraduate studies') or equivalent, which is distinguished from a
postgraduate diploma fILE:Prédio Pós Graduação IMECC Unicamp.jpg, The State University of Campinas, as well as many Brazilian universities, offer Postgraduate courses in Brazil
A postgraduate diploma (PgD, PgDip, PGDip, PG Dip., PGD, Dipl. PGD) is a postgraduat ...
, typically having 120 ECTS, as opposed to a full master's degree which usually has 180. The third cycle of study at EQF level 8, lasting three years, awards a
doctoral degree
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
() or equivalent.
With the law 5094/2024, Government Gazette 39/A/13-3-2024,
the establishment and operation of private ("''non-state''")Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) was permitted. A fully-recognized private Higher Education Institution must obtain a
Higher Education Accreditation
Higher education accreditation is a type of quality assurance and educational accreditation process under which services and operations of tertiary educational institutions or programs are evaluated to determine if applicable standards are met. I ...
by the National (Hellenic) Authority for Higher Education (HAHE)
and an official establishment and operating license by the Greek Ministry of Education. Such HEIs are yet to be accredited and established.
The Open Courses are undergraduate and graduate courses taught in Greek Public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that are free of cost, freely accessible and freely available to any person over the Internet (online). It operated by the Greek Academic Network (GUnet), also known as Greek Universities Network (GUnet), a member of the Open Education Global (OE Global).
With the paragraph 10 of article 34 of the Law 2725/15-6-1999, Government Gazette 121/A/17-6-1999, high school graduate athletes from 17 to 30-year-old who hold specific sport achievements are admitted without entrance Panhellenic Examinations to anyone of their choice undergraduate department of the public Higher Education Institutions of Greece.
Universities and technical universities
Universities () can grant one or more of
bachelor's
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...
,
master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
,
integrated master's and
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
degrees. The undergraduate programme of study for most disciplines is four years with awarded qualification in line with the
Bologna process
file:Bologna-Prozess-Logo.svg, 96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo
file:Bologna zone.svg, alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone
The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements b ...
legal equivalent to a bachelor's degree, 240 ECTS, at level 6 of Greece's
National Qualification Framework (NQF),
European Qualifications Framework
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) acts as a translation device to make national qualifications more readable across Europe, promoting workers' and learners' mobility between countries and facilitating their lifelong learning. The EQF ...
(EQF), or
International Standard Classification of Education
The International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) is a statistical framework for organizing information on education maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is a member of the int ...
(ISCED).
Technical universities, also known as
polytechnics (Greek: ), grant degrees at the integrated master's level (which is divided into a 3-year undergraduate degree qualification and a 2-year postgraduate one),
master's, and doctorate level. In specific disciplines, only the undergraduate programme is five years with awarded qualification (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
: ', Latinised version: Diploma) that is legally equivalent to an integrated master's degree, which is often the standard route to
chartered status for a regulated profession in Greece. The integrated master's degree is a specialized degree corresponding to a master-level degree which has integrated part of an undergraduate degree. It is also called an undergraduate master's degree, where instead of studying for two separate degrees, a student will study for a single, longer programme. A student can also be awarded the 3-year undergraduate qualification (180 ECTS), instead of pursuing the masters should he wishes to. The most common integrated master's is in engineering, for example a Dipl.-Eng or Dip.Arch.Eng/M.Arch, and also others along with some programmes in the fine arts.
In
medical schools
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...
, six years of studying are required to earn a bachelor's degree.
In addition to earning an academic degree in specific disciplines only, state license is required to practice independently within the country of Greece, and some disciplines have further licensing requirements to bestow a recognized appellation (chartered accountant, attorney at law, doctor of medicine, etc.). Diploma is a prerequisite for registration as a
chartered professional, so it is also known as
professional degree
A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...
. The use of specific professional titles for some professions is legally regulated. For a regulated profession, access to professional practice requires holding a particular
specific degree (e.g. professional degree), taken special exams that are required to earn state practice credential such as it must pass the National Council Licensure Examination, a period of practical training under supervision similar to internship, and/or registration with a professional body.
International programmes
With the law 4692/2020, Part II, Chapter III, from Article 82 to Article 95, the Greek Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can provide
first cycle
96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo
alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone
The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements between European countries to ensure comparability in ...
programmes of studies in a language other than Greek.
Among the Greek universities offer English-taught full-time programmes with
tuition
Tuition may refer to:
*Formal education, education within a structured institutional framework
*Tutoring, private academic help
*Tuition payments
Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth ...
are:
*
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...
, 4-year undergraduate programme in Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece.
*
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...
, School of Medicine 6-year undergraduate programme.
*
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki ( AUTh; ), often called the University of Thessaloniki, is the second oldest tertiary education institution in Greece. Named after the philosopher Aristotle, who was born in Stageira, about east of Thessa ...
, School of Medicine 6-year undergraduate programme for international students.
*
University of Thessaly
The University of Thessaly (UTh; Greek: ) is a public university in Thessaly, Greece, founded in 1984. The university includes the main campus in the city of Volos and regional campuses located in Karditsa, Larissa, Trikala, and the city of Lamia ...
, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Degree 6-year undergraduate programme.
*
University of Crete
The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion.
There are 16 main undergraduate ...
, School of Medicine 6-year undergraduate programme for international students.
*
International Hellenic University
The International Hellenic University (IHU; ) is a public university in Greece. It was initially established in October 2005 and was based in Thessaloniki, Greece.
History
The International Hellenic University () was initially established in Oc ...
, University Center of International Programmes of Studies (UCIPS), offers English-taught postgraduate programmes.
*
University of Macedonia
The University of Macedonia (UoM; , ΠΑΜΑΚ, ''Panepistímio Makedonías'', PAMAK) is a public university in Thessaloniki, Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia, Greece.
Founded as School of Higher Industrial Studies of Thessaloniki (in Greek Langua ...
, School of Business Administration, Department of Accounting and Finance, 4-year undergraduate programme in Accounting and Finance.
*
University of Western Macedonia
The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM; ) is a multi-campus university in Western Macedonia region of Greece. It was founded in Kozani in 2003 (Presidential Decree 92/11-4-2003). The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM) operates with 7 Sc ...
, School of Economic Sciences, Department of Economics, 4-year undergraduate programme in Economics and Sustainable Development.
*
University of Western Macedonia
The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM; ) is a multi-campus university in Western Macedonia region of Greece. It was founded in Kozani in 2003 (Presidential Decree 92/11-4-2003). The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM) operates with 7 Sc ...
, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Department of Early Childhood Education, 4-year undergraduate programme in Creative Writing, Arts, and Humanities.
*
Athens University of Economics and Business
Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB; , ''Oikonomiko Panepistimio Athinon'', abbrev. ΟΠΑ, OPA) is a public university based in Athens, Greece, specializing in the fields of Economics, Business Administration, and Information Tech ...
, 4-year undergraduate programme in International Business and Technology.
University rankings in Greece
An external evaluation of all Greek universities was conducted by the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA).
The following universities rank in at least one of the four major global rankings:
Technological educational institutes
Technological educational institutes (TEIs; Greek: ) was a classification of Greek public HEIs (government subsidised) from 1983 to 2019, also called ''Technological Educational Institutes'' (TEIs) ''of Higher Education'', ''Technological Institutes'',
''Institutes of Technology'', ''Technological Universities'', and rarely ''Technical Colleges''.
The undergraduate degree programmes, which by default included a one-time, 960 hours-long
internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used to practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and g ...
term known as ''practical training semester'', consisted of four years and 240
ECTS-credits
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a standard means for comparing academic credits, i.e., the "volume of learning based on the defined learning outcomes and their associated workload" for higher education across the Eu ...
, previously a -year (law 1404/24-11-1983, 1983–1995) and 210 ECTS, in line with the
Bologna Process
file:Bologna-Prozess-Logo.svg, 96px, alt=Logo with stylized stars, Logo
file:Bologna zone.svg, alt=Map of Europe, encompassing the entire Bologna zone, 256px, Bologna zone
The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements b ...
equivalent to a Level 6 ISCED
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
; the postgraduate degree programmes were years full-time or three years part-time with 90 credits and awarded qualification equivalent to a master's degree, ISCED 7. All TEIs in Greece were reformed between 2013 and 2019 and their departments have been incorporated into existing Higher Education Institutions.
Former HEIs
HEIs are defunct due to either closure or merger. Such events include:
The progressive education reforms of the "ATHENA" reform plan restructured higher education from 2013 to 2019.
*
University of Central Greece
The University of Central Greece (UCG; Greek ) was a public university located in Central Greece, which was founded with the Presidential Decree 92, Article 1, Government Gazette 83/A/11-4-2003 by the Greek Government on 11 April 2003 in the Cit ...
, abolished in June 2013 and absorbed into the
University of Thessaly
The University of Thessaly (UTh; Greek: ) is a public university in Thessaly, Greece, founded in 1984. The university includes the main campus in the city of Volos and regional campuses located in Karditsa, Larissa, Trikala, and the city of Lamia ...
(UTH) and
Panteion University
The Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (PUSPS; , ΠΠΚΠΕ), usually referred to simply as the Panteion University (Πάντειο Πανεπιστήμιο), is a university located in Athens, Greece. Founded in 1927, it is the ...
*
University of Western Greece, abolished in June 2013 and absorbed into the
University of Patras
The University of Patras (UPatras; , ''Panepistímio Patrón'', ΠΠ) is a public university in Patras, Greece. It is the third-largest university in Greece with respect to the size of the student body, the staff, and the number of department ...
Mergers of TEIs in 2018–2019:
*
TEI of Thessaloniki,
TEI of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (TEI of Kavala), and
TEI of Central Macedonia (TEI of Serres), merged with the
International Hellenic University
The International Hellenic University (IHU; ) is a public university in Greece. It was initially established in October 2005 and was based in Thessaloniki, Greece.
History
The International Hellenic University () was initially established in Oc ...
in 2019
*
TEI of Athens and
TEI of Piraeus, merged in 2018 to form the
University of West Attica
The University of West Attica (UniWA; , ΠΑΔΑ) is a public university in Athens, Greece. It was established in 2018 as a result of the merger of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens and the Technological Educational Institute o ...
with three campuses in
Aigaleo
Aigaleo or Egaleo ( ) is a town and a suburban municipality in the western part of the Athens urban area, belonging to the West Athens regional administrative unit. It takes its name from Mount Aigaleo, whose name comes from the words αίγα/a ...
municipality in Athens
*
TEI of Crete, abolished in May 2019, founding the new
Hellenic Mediterranean University
*
TEI of Central Greece, a merger of TEI of Chalkida and TEI of Lamia, abolished in 2019 and absorbed by the
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...
, the
Agricultural University of Athens
The Agricultural University of Athens (AUA; ) is the third oldest university in Greece. Since 1920, it has made contributions to Greek agricultural and economic development, by conducting basic and applied research in Agricultural Science and Tech ...
, and the
University of Thessaly
The University of Thessaly (UTh; Greek: ) is a public university in Thessaly, Greece, founded in 1984. The university includes the main campus in the city of Volos and regional campuses located in Karditsa, Larissa, Trikala, and the city of Lamia ...
*
TEI of Ionian Islands, merged with
Ionian University
The Ionian University (IU; ) is a university located in the Ionian Islands (region), Ionian Islands, Greece. It is one of the newest institutions of Higher Education in Greece, created in 1984 pursuant to presidential order 83/84 ΦΕΚ 31 Α/2 ...
in 2018
*
TEI of Thessaly, abolished in 2019 and absorbed by the University of Thessaly
*
TEI of Epirus, merged with the
University of Ioannina
The University of Ioannina (UoI; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων, ''Panepistimio Ioanninon'') is a public university located in Ioannina, Greece. The university was founded in 1964, as a charter of the Aristotle University of ...
in 2018
*
TEI of Western Macedonia
The Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia (TEIWM; ; formerly Technological Educational Institute of Kozani, TEIKOZ, , TEIKOZ) was a state-run institute of highest education based in Kozani, Western Macedonia, Greece.
The in ...
(TEI of Kozani), merged with the
University of Western Macedonia
The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM; ) is a multi-campus university in Western Macedonia region of Greece. It was founded in Kozani in 2003 (Presidential Decree 92/11-4-2003). The University of Western Macedonia (UoWM) operates with 7 Sc ...
in 2019
*
TEI of Western Greece, a merger of two TEIs in Patras and Mesolonghi, merged with the University of Patras and the
University of Peloponnese
The University of (the) Peloponnese (UoP; , ΠΑΠΕΛ, PAPEL) is a Greek tertiary educational institution, composed of campuses in Tripoli, Corinth, Kalamata, Nafplio, Sparta, and Patras.
The University of Peloponnese offers 22 undergraduate ...
in 2019
*
TEI of Peloponnese (TEI of Kalamata), merged with University of Peloponnese in 2019
Specialist HEIs
*
Hellenic Coast Guard
The Hellenic Coast Guard () is the national coast guard of Greece. Like many other coast guards, it is a paramilitary organization that can support the Hellenic Navy in wartime, but resides under separate civilian control in times of peace. The ...
Officers School
*
Hellenic Police
The Hellenic Police (, ''Ellinikí Astynomía'', abbreviated ) is the national police service and one of the three security forces of Greece (the others being the Hellenic Fire Service and the Hellenic Coast Guard). It is a large agency with res ...
Officers School
*
Hellenic Fire Service
The Hellenic Fire Service () is the national fire and rescue service of Greece. It is part of the Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection (Greece), Ministry for Citizen Protection. Today they are 17% of the strength of the Service. Volunt ...
Officers School
Military HEIs offer undergraduate programs which lead to a bachelor's degree-level in military studies, have been called Higher Military Education Institutions (ASEI; Greek: ).
Since 2010, they have offered studies for master's degree-level specialized diplomas and doctoral degrees. They conduct officer training for the
Hellenic Armed Forces
The Hellenic Armed Forces () lead the military forces of Greece. The Hellenic Armed Forces consists of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force and Hellenic Coast Guard.
The civilian authority overseeing the Hellenic Armed ...
and have been considered national defense universities since 1961. Students at all Military Forces Academies are referred to as cadets and receive a monthly stipend during education. All cadets reside on campus and receive meals in dining halls. Cadets are not referred to as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors but instead fourth class, third class, second class, and first class cadets, respectively. All foreign cadets are commissioned into the military forces of their home countries. Upon graduation, all cadets become commissioned as
second lieutenants, entry-level rank, and are employed in the Hellenic Armed Forces for a compulsory minimum term of duty service.
*
Hellenic Military Academy
The Hellenic Army Academy (, ΣΣΕ), commonly known as the Evelpidon, is a military academy. It is the Officer cadet school of the Greek Army and the oldest third-level educational institution in Greece. It was founded in 1828 in Nafplio by Io ...
(Evelpidon Military Academy)
*
Hellenic Naval Academy
The Hellenic Naval Cadets Academy (, abbr. ΣΝΔ, lit. "School of Naval Cadets") is a military university that is responsible for educating and training competent naval officers for the Hellenic Navy. Founded in 1845, the academy is one of the o ...
(Hellenic Naval Cadets Academy)
*
Hellenic Air Force Academy
The Hellenic Air Force Academy (, abbr. ΣΙ (SI)) is a military academy responsible for supplying the Hellenic Air Force with military pilots, aeronautical engineers, air traffic and air defence controllers. The first Greek institution for avi ...
(Icarus Air Force Academy)
* Hellenic Military Academy of Combat Support Officers,
with programs in Economy, Dentistry, Legal Advisors, Medical, Pharmacy, Psychology, Veterinary Medicine.
Non-HEIs
After the law 5094/13-3-2024 published on Government Gazette 39/A/13-3-2024
permits in Greece the establishment and operation of private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Before the law 5094/13-3-2024 it was prohibited the operation of private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
In Greece, there are also the private colleges which are not considered universities and are not recognized as HEIs or degree-awarding bodies by the Greek government. The Post-secondary Education Centres (Greek: ) accredited by the Ministry of Education to which the Private Colleges belong, also they can be called Post-secondary Colleges (non-tertiary), they are bodies of non-typical education (') known as
non-formal education
Non-formal learning includes various structured learning situations which do not either have the level of curriculum, institutionalization, Educational accreditation, accreditation or certification associated with 'formal learning', but have mor ...
bodies.
According to the State
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed.
When these pri ...
of Greece, "education at university level must be provided exclusively by institutions which are fully self-governed public law legal bodies".
This prohibits private companies from operating post-secondary education that provides studies at Level 6 and higher on the Greek Qualifications Framework. However, it does not prohibit colleges from collaborating in Greece with foreign universities to offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
The Panhellenic Association of Recognised Colleges (Greek: ) is the representative body for the Greece located recognised private colleges. All the private colleges located in Greece are
for-profit
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit."
A business entity is not necessari ...
. Generally, any individual who wants to found a college in Greece must obtain a
Higher Education Accreditation
Higher education accreditation is a type of quality assurance and educational accreditation process under which services and operations of tertiary educational institutions or programs are evaluated to determine if applicable standards are met. I ...
by the National (Hellenic) Authority for Higher Education (HAHE)
and a license by the Ministry of Education, but has no obligation to become a participatory member of HCA.
The vast majority of colleges are offering programmes of study under franchise or validation agreements with universities established in other European Union countries, primarily in the UK, leading to degrees which are awarded directly by those universities. The monitoring of those agreements as well as of additional provisions for the operation of colleges is carried out by the Ministry of Education and confirmed by
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
by a 2008 law. Amendments were passed in 2010,
2012,
2013, and 2014. They are also monitored by the respective educational authorities of the countries of the partnered universities, for example
QAA and
NARIC for a British university.
One example of a college which neither operating as a franchise nor was validated through arrangements in the UK was the
University of Indianapolis – Athens Campus, which ceased operations in July 2014. By contrast, this college was wholly owned and operated by its home campus, and is therefore accredited by the same agency which accredits the home campus. Consequently, students of the University of Indianapolis could switch between campuses at any time.
Degrees, diplomas, certificates, and any other type of attestation awarded by universities in
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and
European Free Trade Association
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ...
countries to students that have completed their studies in an accredited private college located in Greece, can be recognized as professionally equivalent "in terms of the professional (practice) rights only" (Greek: ) to higher education titles awarded in the formal Greek education system. Recognition of professional equivalence permits access to a specific economic activity that the title-holder can exercise on the same rules, rights, terms as holders of comparable titles of Greece HEIs education system.
Recognition of legally-recognized professional degree rights in Greece can only be granted by the Independent Department of Implementation of European Legislation (ATEEN; ) of the Ministry of Education (Υ.ΠΑΙ.Θ.), as of the
2005 Directive of the
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
and
Council
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
, implemented domestically by a presidential decree in 2010.
Higher Education qualifications obtained from abroad foreign countries are recognised by the Interdisciplinary Organisation of Recognition Academic Titles and Information (D.O.A.T.A.P.; Greek: ) supervised by the Ministry of Education (). The ''Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center (Hellenic NARIC)'' is the official international name of DOATAP. In most cases, it can obtain a "statement of comparability" of a qualification (certificate of qualification equivalency information), stating how it compares to the qualifications delivered in Greece.
HAHE authority
The Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (ADIP; Greek: ), established by law 3374/2005,
keeps the competent bodies of the state and the HEIs informed on current international developments and relevant issues. The ADIP was reformed by law 4653/2020 to form the Hellenic (National) Authority for Higher Education (HAHE; Greek: ).
At the end of each year, a Higher Education Quality Report is submitted to the Minister of Education. A "Quality Assurance Unit" (QAU) is established in every HEI in order to coordinate and support evaluation procedures. QAU meetings are chaired by the Vice-Rector or vice-president of Academic Affairs of the relevant HEI and representatives of the staff and students take part in the QAU.
The internal evaluation is carried out with the responsibility of each academic unit (faculty or department) in cooperation with the Quality Assurance Unit. The academic units appoint Internal Evaluation Groups or Special Evaluation Groups (if undergraduate or postgraduate programmes are separately evaluated) and these groups compile the Internal Evaluation Report and submit it to the Quality Assurance Unit of the institution. The external evaluation process is repeated at longest every four years with the cooperation of HEIs and the HAHE. The evaluation is carried out by the External Evaluation Committee, which consists of five members from an HAHE register of independent experts.
See also
*
List of colleges and universities by country
This is a list of lists of universities and colleges by country, sorted by continent and region. The lists represent educational institutions throughout the world which provide higher education in tertiary, quaternary, and post-secondary education ...
*
List of universities and colleges in Cyprus
This is a list of universities and colleges in Cyprus, including campuses of foreign universities.
Universities
For the full list of universities and colleges in Northern Cyprus, List of universities and colleges in Northern Cyprus, see.
For ...
*
List of research institutes in Greece
This is a list of research institutes in Greece.
__TOC__
State-run institutes
* "Athena" Research and Innovation Center in ICT and Knowledge Technologies (formerly KETEP/IRIS)
** Industrial Systems Institute (INBIS/ISI)
** Institute for Langua ...
*
Outline of academic disciplines
An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of knowledge, taught and researched as part of higher education. A scholar's discipline is commonly defined by the university faculties and learned societies to which they belong and the a ...
*
State School (publicly funded)
*
Academic grading in Greece
There are four grading systems (or scales) in Greece – four different GPA – one for higher education, one for secondary education, and two for primary education (grades 3 to 4 and 5 to 6).
Primary school
In 1st and 2nd grades in Greek pri ...
*
Open access in Greece
Open access scholarly communication of Greece is preserved in repositories maintained by several academic institutions.
Repositories
There are a number of collections of scholarship in Greece housed in digital open access repositories. They co ...
*
Education in Greece
Education in Greece is centralized and governed by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports (Greek: ) at all grade levels throughout elementary, middle school, and high school. The Ministry exercises control over public schoo ...
*
Private university
Private universities and private colleges are higher education institutions not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. However, they often receive tax breaks, public student loans, and government grants. Depending on the count ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Ministry of Education
Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE)
Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Universities In Greece
*
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
Higher education in Greece
Univ
University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a constituent college of the Univer ...
Education in Greece
Univ
University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a constituent college of the Univer ...