MSC Political Analysis

The Senate of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (A.U.Th.), in its session no. 2980/20 & 21-2-2019, decided to approve the adoption of good practices for the proper implementation of the ERASMUS+ program. These practices apply proportionally to all cycles of studies at A.U.Th., in accordance with current legislation and the regulations of each respective postgraduate program.

Furthermore, since then, the procedures have been updated and specialized according to the current guidelines of the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) and are published by the Department of European and Educational Programs on its website: https://eurep.auth.gr/el/students/studies

The aforementioned decision of the A.U.Th. Senate is summarized as follows:

A) Outgoing Students

The following measures aim to ensure the right of mobile students to automatic and full recognition of their study period at a partner institution, provided they successfully complete their academic obligations.

1. During the completion of the Learning Agreement for Studies, which takes place before the mobility period, the appointed ECTS Coordinator, as the designated representative of the respective Department according to Ministerial Decision No. F.821/2318T/89676/Z1, must ensure that the workload at the Host Institution, declared in the corresponding table of the form (Table A), amounts to 30 ECTS credits for one academic semester. For flexibility, and given the heterogeneity of study programs, a deviation of one course (positive or negative) is allowed for a trimester or semester mobility, and two courses for a full academic year mobility.

2. At the same stage, the ECTS Coordinator must ensure full recognition of the aforementioned workload by recording in the corresponding table of the Learning Agreement (Table B) the ECTS credits and courses/academic obligations from which the student will be exempted upon successful completion of the courses listed in Table A. This procedure must be approved by the Departmental Assembly or the competent governing body of the Department, via a relevant decision (which may be taken once). This decision is recorded in the Student Application-Declaration Form submitted to the Department of European Programs.

3. Recognition should be classified into three categories:

I. Compulsory courses according to the Department’s study program, provided the content of the offered course at the Host Institution largely matches the content of the corresponding course at the home Department.
Recognition: Courses successfully completed abroad will be recognized with the title used at the home Department. Instructor’s signed consent is required before completing the Learning Agreement.

II. Elective courses (directional or non-directional) according to the Department’s study program, where content matching is not required, but they must align with the academic field covered by the School, Department, or Sector/Direction of the Department.
Recognition: Courses successfully completed abroad can be recognized either with the title used at the Host Institution or with the Department’s course title, provided content correspondence exists. The university’s electronic registration system supports the recognition and integration of Exchange Program Courses (PAN) into the Department’s curriculum. These courses can be listed in the Learning Agreement either under their title (if a corresponding course exists in the Department) or as “elective course.”

It is recommended to include a sufficient number of elective courses within the Department’s curriculum, offering flexibility for recognition and enriching the curriculum with courses not taught in the Department but relevant to the program.

III. Free-choice courses where neither content matching nor alignment with the Department’s academic field is required.
Recognition: Successfully completed courses in this category will be recognized under the title used at the Host Institution. The maximum ECTS for free-choice courses declared in the Learning Agreement must match the maximum allowed by the home program. These courses can also be listed in the Learning Agreement without their title as “free-choice course.”

It is recommended to include a small number of free-choice courses (e.g., 6–10 ECTS) in upcoming curriculum updates.

4. For courses within the Department’s academic field (compulsory or elective), detailed recognition examples are provided in Appendix I. Courses outside the Department’s field are recognized as free-choice courses. Alternative combinations proposed in Appendix I should be applied for credit recognition. Students are guided by the ECTS Coordinator to ensure declared credits outside the field comply with the home program’s free-choice credit limits. This ensures full recognition upon return: 60 ECTS for a full academic year, 30 ECTS for a semester, 20 ECTS for a trimester.

5. In case of deviation in credit amounts between A.U.Th. and the Host Institution, maximum flexibility should be applied, and all recognition combinations considered after the student’s return, in line with the program’s regulations. The principle of fair recognition in the ECTS Guide allows deviation of 1–2 credits in favor of the mobile student.

6. Upon return, full recognition of all successfully completed credits is mandatory according to the signed Learning Agreement (initial or modified). Students may use Article 60 of the A.U.Th. Regulation to replace lower grades with up to two elective courses completed abroad, provided they meet the required ECTS for graduation.

7. Additional credits beyond those allowed by the Department’s program are generally considered improper course selection, unless the Host Institution does not offer other options. ECTS Coordinators must review the program to ensure recognition. If not feasible, options include: (a) restricting bilateral agreements to 2nd/3rd cycle mobility, (b) restricting to staff mobility, or (c) terminating the agreement. Annual evaluation of bilateral agreements considers course availability as a key criterion.

8. ECTS Coordinators should inform students about Erasmus+ mobility options from early years to facilitate proper planning of course selection and required ECTS.

9. The role of the ECTS Coordinator is critical to ensure proper Erasmus+ implementation and full recognition of mobility periods. It is recommended to avoid frequent changes for continuity and efficiency. The Coordinator should be a member of the Department’s curriculum committee and the General Assembly to report on Erasmus+ issues affecting large numbers of students (≥600 per year).

B) Incoming Students

1. Adequate knowledge of the language of instruction must be ensured, based on bilateral agreement requirements. Submission of a recognized language certificate is mandatory if required by the Department and included in the agreement appendix.

2. The transcript of records of incoming students must be sent to the home institution no later than five weeks after the mobility period ends. Failure to comply may result in termination of cooperation between institutions; the ECTS Coordinator and Department staff must ensure timely submission.

Note: The terms “student,” “students,” “professor,” and “professors” refer to all genders.