A total of ninety (90) credit units (ECTS) are required to obtain a Master's Degree.
Each elective course is taught to more than five (5) students. If the number of students who register for the course does not exceed five (5), the course will not be taught.
The courses of the MSc program correspond to sixty (60) credit units.
During the third semester, students focus exclusively on writing their master's thesis, which they must successfully defend before a three-member examination committee. During the period of preparation of the master's thesis, students have the opportunity to participate in specialized seminars and workshops. The master's thesis corresponds to 30 ECTS.
Students must attend all courses of the MSc program they have chosen, in accordance with the instructions provided in the Study Program, and actively participate in discussions, presentations, and other research activities of the Program. By decision of the EDE, courses may be held in the form of an intensive thematic week.
Classes begin at the time indicated in the Timetable. Arriving more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of the class constitutes an absence, but the student is still entitled to attend the class. Student attendance is monitored by the instructor, who also continuously evaluates their performance.
Students are required to keep themselves informed by checking the announcements posted on the official notice board and on the website of the Postgraduate Program. In exceptional cases where the content of a posted announcement changes, those concerned will be notified.
Upon completion of the MSc program, each student: (a) will have successfully completed the exams in the courses taught, (b) will have written a sufficient number of theoretical and research papers, (c) will have successfully completed their master's thesis.
Courses are taught in person or remotely for up to 35% of teaching hours. Courses are organized into semesters, take place on a weekly basis, and are conducted in Greek or English.
Α. The course schedule is as follows:
1st semester of postgraduate studies: compulsory courses compulsory attendance
| No. | Lesson | Credit Units (ECTS) | |
| 1 | Contemporary technology in pedagogy science (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 2 | Methodology of educational research (Course outline A – Course outline B) | 6 | |
| 3 | Modern technologies and management of educational units (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 4 | General and developmental psychology (Course outline A – Course outline B) | 6 | |
| Elective Courses | |||
| 5α | Handling of students’ diversity (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 5β | The social environment and child development (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 5γ | Adult education and learning technologies | 6 | |
| Total ECTS | 30 | ||
2nd semester of postgraduate studies: courses in the 1st specialization
| No. | Lesson | Credit Units (ECTS) | |
| 1 | Educational science and contemporary educational directions (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 2 | Educational assessment and quality assurance (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 3 | Education through new technologies / Synchronous and asynchronous education / Writing tools of e-learning educational material / Digital learning items – repository of digital material (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 4α | Didactics of exact sciences / Technology’s didactics / Development of educational implementations in sciences | 6 | |
| Elective Courses | |||
| 5α | Environmental education and contemporary technologies’ usage (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 5β | Philosophy, literature and exact sciences (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| Total ECTS | 30 | ||
2nd semester of postgraduate studies: courses in the 2nd specialization
| No. | Lesson | Credit Units (ECTS) | |
| 1 | Educational science and contemporary educational directions (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 2 | Educational assessment and quality assurance (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 3 | Education through new technologies / Synchronous and asynchronous education / Writing tools of e-learning educational material / Digital learning items – repository of digital material (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 4β | Didactics of social sciences (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| Elective Courses | |||
| 5α | Ecology, society and environmental education (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| 5β | Internet and social networks (Course’s outline) | 6 | |
| Total ECTS | 30 | ||
3rd semester of postgraduate studies
In the third/fifth-sixth semester of the full/part-time program, respectively, a thesis is written. (30 ECTS credits). (Thesis’s outline)
Every postgraduate student, individually, has to prepare a thesis, which will be assigned to him/her, under the supervision of a specific professor. The thesis is presented before a three-member examining committee, which is chosen by Interinstitutional – Interdepartmental Master’s program special committee. At that said committee, the supervisor professor and other two (2) professors of the I.I.M.P, participate.
B. Course content/description and master's thesis
The outline of the courses taught in the master's program is defined as follows:
- Modern technology in education: practical and scientific developments in education and its relationship with modern technology. Pedagogy answers questions such as the following: What are society's motivations and for what purpose is pedagogical training sought for teachers? By what means and in what direction does the teacher carry out the work of pedagogy? What is the relationship between pedagogy and teaching? What motives drive society to develop a particular pedagogical practice? What is the contribution of modern technology to pedagogy and how and to what extent does it help teachers?
- Educational research methodology: reference to issues of educational research methodology, such as the two main methodological approaches, qualitative and quantitative, the criteria on which research work should be judged, etc. Study of the processes involved in research design through the preparation of an empirical study.
- Modern technologies and educational unit management: providing knowledge and skills to managers or those who are going to manage educational units or adult education organizations in the following four areas: design, planning, and human resource management; linking educational institutions and organizations with social institutions; financial management; and utilization of European Union programs. An important aspect will be the use of modern technology in the decision-making process of the management of an educational unit.
- General and developmental psychology. The course has a dual theme, focusing on the examination of important issues in general psychology and developmental psychology. The content of the course is then described by thematic unit.
I. General Psychology: Fundamental theories, research methods, and branches of psychology are examined with the aim of developing critical thinking skills in problems and issues related to human behavior. The biological bases of behavior, theories of personality development, and individual behavior in the social environment are explored, with particular emphasis on the role of motivation, cognitive functions, and mental health issues.
II. Developmental Psychology: The aim of this thematic unit is to provide an in-depth understanding and study of the basic principles governing human development, familiarization with research methods, and critical analysis of contemporary theoretical and methodological trends in developmental psychology.
In particular, the stages and course of an individual's development from preschool to adolescence are examined. The most important theoretical approaches are analyzed: psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavioral, sociocultural, etc. The physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of children and adolescents is presented, while important issues, difficulties, and challenges faced by the developing individual at each stage of development are explored.
5a) Managing learner diversity: analysis of diversity in education based on the existence of many categories of learners, specifically: students with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, reading disorder, written expression disorder, dyscalculia, etc.), students with special psychosocial needs (those related to the interaction of social and psychological factors), repatriated students, foreigners (children of economic migrants), Roma, etc.
5b) The social environment and child development: understanding the stages of child development from preschool age to adolescence. The child's first relationships with caregivers, the role of language as a tool for communication and thought, the learning process, and the role of the child/student in the learning process are examined.
5c) Adult Education and Modern Learning Technologies: This course is designed to introduce the basic principles of adult education and the role of modern learning technologies in the field of lifelong learning. In particular, it presents the characteristics, educational needs, motivations, learning styles, and barriers to learning of adults. Important theories, such as transformative learning, person-centered theory, the learning cycle, etc. The profile of the adult educator, the design of educational objectives, educational techniques, and the evaluation of learners are examined. The basic principles for the organization and implementation of educational programs are developed.
Particular emphasis is placed on the role of modern learning technologies in adult education, with an attempt to explore theoretical approaches and forms of e-learning in greater depth. Issues related to teaching and learning, program design, and learning environments using new technologies are explored. In addition, the advantages and difficulties of distance learning, the process of evaluating learners, as well as ethical and deontological problems are discussed.
- Teaching science and contemporary teaching approaches: lesson planning, teaching objectives, content, teaching process, phases – activities for implementation. Forms of education. Contemporary teaching principles, the personality of the teacher, classroom and teacher psychology. Structuring a lesson plan and course file.
- Educational assessment and quality assurance: approach to the concept of educational assessment based on two very general models, which are in contrast to each other, namely the technocratic and the humanistic-pluralistic model. Reference to those involved in educational assessment, as well as what each of them will be assessed on. Quality assurance in education/educational unit.
- Education through new technologies / Synchronous and asynchronous education/ Tools for writing e-Learning learning material / Digital learning objects-digital material repositories: reference to the pedagogical principles of utilizing New Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) oriented towards the process of instructional design and goal setting, the past and present of technology's contribution to teaching. The future of technology in the service of science teaching and thoughts on the future of the relationship between technology and modern science teaching. It aims to provide educators with knowledge of the pedagogical possibilities offered by each audiovisual medium separately. Upon completion of the course, they will also know how to use each audiovisual medium in the classroom. Specifically, it covers: lesson presentation tools, spreadsheets, activity design using Java, the internet, email, e-books, e-tests, and the use of asynchronous education. The terms synchronous and asynchronous education are explained, and emphasis is placed on their importance in relation to learners and social institutions, as well as on the design and development of educational printed and electronic material based on the principle of interaction between learners and learning material.
9a) Teaching of science / Teaching of technology / Development of educational applications in science: reference to the basic principles of teaching Mathematics, Physics, Informatics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Economics, Environmental Studies, etc. at all levels of education. Emphasis is placed on the specific characteristics of teaching subjects such as those mentioned above.
9b) Teaching social sciences/humanities: the course refers to the teaching of social sciences/humanities, examines the evolution of teaching thinking and learning theories, presents teaching models and methods, and the principles on which the teaching of social sciences/humanities is based. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of visual aids and new technologies in the teaching of social sciences/humanities.
10a) Environmental education and the use of modern technologies: the ecosystem (structure – organization – functional relationships – principles – laws), humans and the environment, and the characteristics and objectives of environmental education.
10β) Philosophy, literature, and education: philosophical pedagogy, philosophy of education, philosophy of science, connection between philosophy, literature, and education. Literature is an important field in education and contributes to student development.
10c) Ecology, society, and environmental education: by environmental education, we mean a system that includes both the knowledge provided by the science of ecology and a sociological analysis of the relationship between humans and the environment. The structures, principles, etc. of the ecosystem will be analyzed, as well as the relationship between humans and nature through relevant theories and references to sociological research on the environment. We will also study the critical factors that contemporary sociological research on the environment has highlighted for changing environmental behavior.
10d) Internet and social networks: This course covers recording and analyzing ways and methods for safe navigation on social media, from the perspective of students, parents, and teachers. Emphasis is placed on the pedagogical dimension of Internet use and on modern navigation methods and techniques aimed at preventing and addressing phenomena of electronic addiction and electronic delinquency.
It should be added that postgraduate students also have to complete a teaching internship. Specifically, this involves preparing new teachers who have no experience, but also changing traditional practices to more conscious and innovative teaching interventions by teachers with teaching experience. The process consists of a detailed search for aspects of scientific knowledge and its transformation into a form that meets the experiences, interests, and thinking of students in primary and secondary education. The experience of analytical teaching plans, their implementation in small groups and then in school classrooms, is extremely valuable on many levels: scientific, educational, communicative, and personal.
- Diploma thesis: its preparation provides an opportunity to synthesize and utilize the knowledge acquired throughout the master's program.
In their Master's Thesis, depending on their field of specialization, graduate students are expected to demonstrate that:
a) possess the international and Greek bibliography relevant to their subject,
b) have the ability to develop and document a sound theoretical position in relation to their topic, and
c) can link theoretical issues to research problems and apply them in practice.
Supervision of Master's Thesis
The supervision of MSc students and participation in MSc support and evaluation committees is undertaken by the teaching staff of the MSc program. Each member of the teaching staff may supervise up to five MSc students. They must declare their areas of research interest at the beginning of the second semester. Each student is supervised by a professor of the Postgraduate Program and must be in regular contact with him/her.
Personal development
Advisor Professor
With the aim of (a) providing students with a clear picture of the opportunities offered by the program, (b) organize their individual course schedule in the most appropriate way for their interests, and (c) assist them in the choices they will need to make during their postgraduate studies (course selection, academic progress, etc.), the EDE assigns each student a faculty member as an advisor. Advisors are appointed at the beginning of the first semester of study and work with their respective students throughout their studies. In addition, a former graduate student may be assigned as an advisor to each new student in order to facilitate the orientation and integration of new students into the program.