MSC Political Analysis

The number of admitted students per year is set at a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of fifteen (15) postgraduate students.

Each academic year, at the end of the spring semester, the School Assembly, following a proposal by the Coordinating Committee, announces an open call for applications to the Master’s Programme.

The announcement is published in the daily and electronic press, on the website and social media of the School of Political Science and the Master’s Programme, and is sent to related Schools/Departments. The announcement specifies the admission requirements, the categories of graduates eligible for admission, the number of admitted students, the admission procedure, the selection criteria, the application deadlines, and the required documents.

The application for admission to the Programme, when submitted to the School Secretariat (in printed or electronic form), must be accompanied by the following documents:

• A copy of the applicant’s degree.
• Official transcript of grades for all studies.
• Letter of intent (a well-developed text of 500–1000 words, demonstrating the applicant’s general research interests and motivations that justify their specific interest in the Master’s Programme).
• Language proficiency certificate in a foreign language (English, French, or German) demonstrating “good knowledge” (level B2) according to the Council of Europe framework, accepted by ASEP (Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection).

In addition to the above required documents, applicants may also submit, if available:

• A Master’s degree from a Greek university or an equivalent foreign institution.
• A doctoral degree from a Greek university or an equivalent foreign institution.
• Additional language certificates. If the applicant is a foreign national, they must also provide a Greek language certificate (at least level B2).
• Supporting documents for any research and publications, participation in student mobility programmes, or relevant professional experience.

The above documents may be submitted either as certified copies or simple photocopies.

The selection process begins with the Master’s Programme Secretariat, which checks the completeness of the applications and then compiles a list of candidates who have submitted all required documents within the deadline.

The selection process follows two (2) successive stages: written examinations and an interview. The evaluation and ranking of the candidates takes place after their successful participation in written exams, held in September, and in interviews conducted in the same month. Candidates eligible to sit the exams are those who meet the required criteria (undergraduate degree, transcript, letter of intent, language certificate), as demonstrated by their submitted documents.

Stage A:
Candidates are examined in writing on the topic “The Greek Political System after WWII (Elections, Parties, Institutions, and Competitions).”

The Coordinating Committee also serves as the Selection Committee of Postgraduate Students (S.C.P.S.). All exam papers are evaluated and graded by two (2) faculty members of the School who teach in the Master’s Programme. and are appointed by decision of the Coordinating Committee. Grading is on a scale from zero (0) to ten (10), with five (5) as the pass mark.

The Coordinating Committee, in its meeting, adds the two grades of each exam paper and calculates the average or orders a re-evaluation if the difference between the two grades exceeds three (3) points. In that case, the re-evaluator’s grade is considered final. Afterward, the candidates’ names are revealed, and a grade list of all examinees and a special list of successful candidates are prepared.

The results are announced by the School Secretariat and include in detail the grades obtained by each candidate and their final score.

Candidates are considered successful in the exams if their average grade from the two examiners is equal to or greater than five (5) on the scale of 0–10.

Stage B:
Successful candidates from the exams proceed to an interview before the S.C.P.S., which convenes with at least three (3) of its members present. The interview is based on the submitted letter of intent, and the evaluation criterion is the assessment of the candidates’ ability to follow and successfully complete the Master’s Programme. The interview is graded by all members present, on a scale from zero (0) to ten (10), with ten (10) as excellent and five (5) as the pass mark. The average score of all members is then calculated for each candidate. Candidates with an average of at least five (5) are considered successful in the interview.

Once approved by the School Assembly, the final results of the entrance examinations are issued and published by the School Secretariat under the responsibility of the Coordinating Committee. Up to fifteen (15) top-ranking candidates are admitted to the Master’s Programme. in total, based on the following evaluation weights:

• 10% from the degree grade [rounded to one decimal if above 6.5].
• 10% from language proficiency [6.5 for “very good,” 8.5 for “excellent,” 10 for two (2) or more languages].
• 60% from exam performance [30 × grade of examiner A and 30 × grade of examiner B].
• 20% from the interview evaluation [20 × average grade of the S.C.P.S. members].

In case of a tie, the undergraduate degree grade is considered for the final ranking. If a tie still remains, the Selection Committee evaluates the relevance of undergraduate courses to the Master’s Programme for final ranking.

The final list of successful and reserve candidates, once approved by the School Assembly, is posted on the notice board of the Secretariat and on the websites of the School and the Master’s Programme.

Appeals against the results may be submitted to the School Secretariat within five (5) working days of the announcement. They are examined by the School Assembly, which either accepts or rejects them following a justified recommendation from the Coordinating Committee of the Master’s Programme.

The registration of successful candidates takes place following an announcement by the Master’s Programme Secretariat within fifteen (15) days, with the submission of any additional required documents.

If a candidate does not register within the specified period, this is considered a refusal of the position, which is then offered to the first reserve candidate.

The Master’s Programme offers the opportunity to engage with international research programmes and networks (e.g., collaborations with the international research projects and networks CSES, CCS, VoteMatch Europe, ISSP, POVB ECPR), as well as the possibility of participating in research projects.

The Master’s Programme is structured into three (3) semesters.

In the 1st semester, two (2) compulsory courses and up to two (2) elective courses are offered.

In the 2nd semester, three (3) compulsory courses are offered.

In the 3rd semester, students prepare their Master’s thesis.

Each course (compulsory or elective) consists of three (3) teaching hours per week and is credited with ten (10) ECTS credits, while each teaching semester corresponds to thirty (30) ECTS credits.

In the 1st semester, students attend and are examined in two (2) compulsory courses (Political Science Methodology and Comparative Politics) and one (1) of the two (2) elective courses offered that semester. In the 2nd semester, students attend and are examined in three (3) compulsory courses (Electoral Analysis, Electoral Sociology, Parties and Political organizations). The elective courses to be offered in the following year are determined at the end of the previous academic year by the Coordinating Committee of the Programme, which also assigns teaching responsibilities for all courses. At the beginning of each academic year, a maximum number of students who may enroll in and attend each elective course is also set, depending on the number of admitted students.

The Master’s thesis is prepared during the 3rd semester, carries thirty (30) ECTS credits, and is graded separately.

The total number of ECTS credits required for the award of the Master’s Degree is ninety (90), of which sixty (60) are obtained through successful completion of coursework examinations and thirty (30) through successful defense of the Master’s thesis.

The grading scale for assessing the performance of postgraduate students ranges from zero to ten (0–10). The minimum passing grade is six (6)

Curriculum

1st Semester

Total (1st Semester): 2 Compulsory + 1 Elective | 9 hours | 30 ECTS

2nd Semester

Total (2nd Semester): 3 Compulsory | 9 hours | 30 ECTS

3rd Semester

Total (3rd Semester): Thesis | 30 ECTS

The language of instruction of the Programme is Greek. However, certain lectures and the preparation of the Master’s thesis may be conducted in English, subject to a justified decision of the Coordinating Committee of the Programme.

The beginning and end of teaching periods, as well as the duration of examination periods, are determined by the academic calendar or by decision of the School Assembly.

The Master’s Programme “Political Analysis” is offered free of charge. No tuition fees or other study-related fees are required, either at the time of registration or at any other stage.

By decision of the Coordinating Committee, and depending on the available resources of the Programme, scholarships or awards of excellence may be granted to postgraduate students. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of objective academic criteria (such as academic performance, calculated by the grade point average of the previous semester, etc.). The terms of award, as well as the obligations and rights of scholarship recipients, are determined by decision of the Coordinating Committee.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki may also grant work-based (assistantship) scholarships to postgraduate students, with the obligation to support the educational process and provide auxiliary teaching work. The Coordinating Committee of the Programme determines the maximum amount of such a scholarship per student, the maximum number of weekly working hours, and other relevant details concerning the award of scholarships.