Rules and Regulations

 

RULES AND REGULATIONS
 
OF THE GRADUATE PROGRAM
 
BRAIN and MIND
 
Article 1
 
General
 
The Faculties of Medicine, Computer Sciences, Physics, Psychology as well as the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Studies of the University of Crete and the Faculties of Nursing and Philosophy-History of Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens as well as the Institutes of Computer Science (ICS) and Applied and Computational Mathematics (IACM) of the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FO.R.T.H) organize and operate the Graduate Program in the "BRAIN and MIND" SCIENCES (GP-B&M) according to the present Rules and Regulations, the Ministry of Education decree (Journal of the Government 3606/B'/31.12.14) and Article 7 of Law 3685/2008.
The aim of this program is to provide global, integrated and interdisciplinary education in brain processes and the phenomena that emerge from them such as the mind, consciousness and behavior and to train the next generation of scientists in addressing relevant questions.
 
 
Article 2
 
Degrees
 
The Graduate Program in the BRAIN and MIND SCIENCES awards the degree of Master in the BRAIN and MIND SCIENCES.
 

  

Article 3
 
Personnel
 
Members of the GP-B&M belong to the Faculties of Medicine, Computer Sciences, Physics, Psychology as well as the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Studies of the University of Crete and the Faculty of Nursing as well as the Faculty of Philosophy and History of Science of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, other Greek and foreign Universities, the Institutes of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Computer Sciences of FORTH and other Research Institutions.
 
To participate, faculty members must fulfill the following criteria: i) An interest in the Programs goals. ii) Active involvement in scientific fields addressing brain and mind related issues. iii) Research funding. iv) Willingness to teach graduate courses. v) Serve as principal investigators in research proposals in the fields of the brain and mind sciences.
Faculty members of the GP-B&M have the right and the obligation to vote for officers and hold office in all Program committees. In addition they assume the following responsibilities:
 
      a) Course teaching.
 
      b) Student oversight during rotations.
 
New members are accepted to the GP-B&M by the General Assembly of the Program and their election is confirmed by the Special Interdepartmental Committee (SIC).
 
The program includes as adjunct members faculty and researchers working in Greece or abroad who have contributed to the Program.
 
 
Article 4
 
Admission of Graduate Students
 
To be admitted to the Program candidates must hold a Bachelor degree from a Greek University or Technological Educational Institute or an equivalent degree from a foreign University. The maximum number of students admitted each year can not be higher than 25. Graduate students are admitted after taking the following into consideration: scientific articles/abstracts authored by the student, previous research experience, recommendation letters, prior degrees awarded to the candidate, detailed record of courses and grades, grades in courses related to the program, a written description of research interests, knowledge of English (level B2 or higher). If necessary, the candidate’s knowledge of English will be evaluated during the interview (part of which can thus take place in English).
 
In case of numerous applications the Admissions Committee can pre-select the candidates to be invited for interview. Program members other than those in the Admissions committee can be present at the interviews but cannot cast a vote for or against a candidate.
 
Appeals concerning admissions  and/or rejection are possible within 10 days of the announcement of the list of successful applicants. Their merit is judged by the SIC.
 
 
Article 5
 
Administrative Organization
 
1.    Plenary Meeting of GP-B&M faculty:
Participants are all faculty members of the Program and one representative of the Graduate Students. It elaborates long term strategies for the reorganization and transformation of the program and to modify the Rules and Regulations of the Program. It is chaired by the Program Director, it convenes on a regular basis, appoints individuals to Program Committees once every two years, admits new faculty members and recommends to the SIC the name of the Program Director and the members of the Program Committees.
Further, it carries out a yearly audit of thε program finances and more generally an evaluation of the Program's activities.
 
2.    Program Director:
Convenes and chairs the Plenary Meeting of the GP-B&M as well as the Steering Committee and the SIC. He/She sets up the agenda for these meetings taking into consideration the wishes of the faculty of the GP-B&M. He/She arranges for elections to fill vacant committee seats. He/She is appointed for two years by the SIC committee and this appointment can be renewed. He/She may belong to any one of the Institutions that participate in the Program but must be a full member of the Program and the appointment must be in agreement with the wishes of the Program's General Assembly.
The Program Vice Director replaces the Program DIrector whenever necessary. The appointment to the position of teh Vice Director follows the procedure and requirements necessary for that for the appointment of the Director.
 
3.    Special Interdepartmental Committee (SIC):
It replaces the General Assembly of single department programs and its responsibilities are defined in paragraph b of article 2 of the Law 3685/2008. These include the appointment of the Director of the GP-B&M following the recommendation of the Plenary Meeting of the Program, the appointment of student advisors and examiners, the appointment of admissions committee members, etc. It approves the decisions of all administrative organs of the Program. The SIC consists of the Program Director, 1-2 full members of the Program appointed according to Law 3685/2008 and the interdepartmental agreement as well as two graduate students. The two graduate students and their replacements are appointed for one year and are elected in a plenary session of the graduate students enrolled in the Program.
Its responsibilities include:
a) Publication of Program related material.
b) Award of Graduate Scholarships.
c) Recruitment of administrative and technical personnel.
d) Disbursement of Program related travel funds.
e) Procurement of Program related laboratory equipment and consumables etc.
 
4.    Steering Committee: 
It consists of 9 or less full members of the GP-B&M in such a way as to represent the Faculties participating in the Program. It is responsible for supervising the progress and coordinating the activities of the Program according to paragraph c of Article 2 of the Law 3685/2008. Its members are appointed by the SIC following the recommendation of the Plenary Meeting of the GP-B&M and serve for a term of 2 years. It is chaired by the Program Director and is responsible for monitoring the progress and coordinating the Program's activities according to paragraph c of Article 2 of the Law 3685/2008.

           

 
5.    Curriculum Committee:
It consists of 5 full members of the Program appointed for 2 years. It is responsible for:
 
a) Recommends to the SIC the curriculum of the GP-B&M (course theme, content, weekly hours, units of credit, course master, instructors and schedule of the graduate courses and rotations).
b) Matching students and laboratory rotations.
c) Approving the transfer of units of credit for work accomplished in other graduate programs or professional schools. This number can not be higher than 12 (i.e., 25% of the total number of units of credit required for a Master's degree).
d) Recommending appointees to the Advisory and Examining Committees.
 
6. Admissions Committe
The selection is made by the Admissions Committee which is responsible for: (a) announcing the deadline for the submission of applications and defining the criteria for the selection of graduate students, (b) recruiting graduate students according to paragraph 2 of Article 4 of Law 3685/2008.
 
 
Article 6
 
Academic Responsibilities of the Graduate Students
 
For each graduate student, the SIC appoints a full member of the Program as an “advisor” following the recommendation of the steering committee and according to paragraph b of Article 5 of Law 3685/2008. The Curriculum Committee and the Advisor bear the responsibility for evaluating how well the student progresses in his studies, for overseeing his/her work and for guiding the student.
 
Study in the GP-B&M is a full time endeavor and graduate students are not given the option of part time work. In unusual circumstances, attendance can be suspended for up to one year following the request of the student, the reasoned suggestion from the Advisor and the Curriculum Committee and the approval of the SIC. To recommence studies, student application must be similarly approved by the SIC.
 
The coursework, rotations, teaching assistantships, research and any other educational activities leading to the Master's degree are as follows:
 
(a) Graduate courses are described in the Syllabus (course title, semester, duration, prerequisites and units of credit). The units of credit (UC) correspond to European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) units. One ECTS unit equals five hours of teaching per week for the Graduate Courses and forty hours for the rotations. Teaching assignments are made per paragraph 3 of Article 12 of Law 3685/2008. All graduate students must take a number of graduate courses and rotations corresponding to at least 120 ECTS units. The core course is considered obligatory (and its successful completion corresponds to 36 ECTS). The graduate student must also be physically present in the courses for which he/she has signed up. The highest number of graduate courses that a graduate student can take in a semester is four (4). Absence from educational activities leads to the expulsion of the graduate student following the recommendation of the Curriculum Committee and the approval of the SIC. Before the end of each semester, graduate students must sign up for the courses and rotations they will follow during the next semester. At least 3 students must sign up for a course if it is to be taught. A number of units of credit (up to 25% of the minimum required) can be transferred from other Graduate Programs or Professional Schools where the student may have studied before. After completion of each course, the student's performance in it is evaluated through written exams or any other method of the Instructor's choosing (9-10: Excellent, 7-8: Very good, 5-6: Pass, 0-4: Fail). A student is excluded from further studies in the GP-B&M if he/she receives a Fail grade in 3 or more courses. He/She is also excluded if he/she fails twice in the core course.
 
(b) Attendance and participation in research seminars, Journal clubs and other scientific activities of the Program (e.g., annual presentations of Thesis work, research seminars of program members and invited speakers, etc.).
 
(c) Enrollment in at least 2 six month rotations described in the Program Curriculum (title, themes, techniques) and active involvement in the activities (lab meetings, literature searches, Journal clubs, research programs) of the research groups participating in the GP-B&M. Rotations should be approved by the Curriculum committee and should not last for less that 3 months each. One month (120 hours) corresponds to 3 ECTS units. Consequently, each GS obtains 36 ECTS units during the mandatory one year period of rotations. The performance of the GS in each rotation is graded (0-10) by the Instructor who prepares a report for the Curriculum Committee. In case of failure (<=6), the GS must choose a different rotation.
 
(d) Comprehensive examinations: Following the successful completion of graduate courses and rotations, each graduate student is examined in 3 topics approved by an examination committee in consultation with the graduate student. The committee consists of 3 members of the GP-B&M appointed by the SIC on the recommendation of the Curriculum Committee per paragraph b of Article 5 of Law 3685/2008. The student will need to show a broad knowledge in the fields of the Brain and Mind Sciences to succeed in these exams. His/Her performance is graded separately in each of the 3 topics (on a scale 0-10), and to be considered successful the mean of the three grades must be higher than 7.
 
(e) Thesis: Instead of signing up for a six month rotation and 2 graduate courses (i.e., class work amounting to 30 ECTS units) graduate students can opt for Thesis work. This includes at least one original question posed by the graduate student, solid literature search regarding the question and the methodology best suited to answer it as well as the public defense of both. Oversight of the Thesis work is assigned to a committee according to paragraph 4 of Article 5 of Law 3685/2008.
 
(f) Briefly, to be awarded a Master’s degree from the GP-B&M, students must:
 
     a)         Successfully complete the core course.
     b)         Complete 2 rotations (12 months total).
     c)         Or, to have successfully defended a Thesis and completed one six month rotation.
     d)         Collect at least 120 ECTS units.
     e)         Successfully complete comprehensive exams.
 
 
The grade of the Master’s Degree is the weighted average of the grades of the Core Course and the Elective Graduate Courses (the weight-factor is proportional to the ECTS units awarded). The Thesis work is also taken into consideration (its weight corresponds to 12 ECTS).
 
(g) The duration of enrollment in the graduate program cannot be longer than 4 years.
 
(h) Scholarships can be awarded to a small number of graduate students, based on their prior research experience, their contribution to the literature, their financial status, and whether there is a need to support the scientific team that houses the candidate.
 
(i) Disciplinary infractions can lead to the expulsion of Graduate students from the GP-B&M following the recommendation of the Curriculum Committee and the approval of the SIC.
 
 
Article 7
 
Degree Award
 
The Master's Degree is awarded to the graduate student in a formal ceremony that takes place in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Crete. The degree is a public document bearing the following:
 
 
[Σήμα Πανεπιστημίου Κρήτης]                                                                                           [Σήμα Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών]
 
ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑΤΟΣ
 
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ
 
Τo ΤΜΗΜΑ Ιατρικής,
 
σε συνεργασία με τα Τμήματα Φυσικής, Επιστήμης Υπολογιστών, Ψυχολογίας
 
και Φιλοσοφικών και Κοινωνικών Σπουδών ΤΟΥ ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟΥ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ
 
ΚΑΙ
 
ΤΑ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΑ Νοσηλευτικής και Μεθοδολογίας Ιστορίας και Θεωρίας Επιστημών
 
ΤΟΥ ΕΘΝΙΚΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΠΟΔΙΣΤΡΙΑΚΟΥ ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟΥ ΑΘΗΝΩΝ
 

 

 
ΑΠΟΝΕΜΟΥΝ
 
ΜΕΤΑΠΤΥΧΙΑΚΟ ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑ ΕΙΔΙΚΕΥΣΗΣ
 
 
ΜΕ ΤΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΣ ΥΠΟΧΡΕΩΣΕΙΣ ΠΟΥ ΤΟ ΣΥΝΟΔΕΥΟΥΝ
 
ΣΤΟΝ / ΣΤΗΝ
 
ΟΝΟΜΑ ΕΠΩΝΥΜΟ
 
 
Ο ΟΠΟΙΟΣ / Η ΟΠΟΙΑ ΑΝΤΑΠΟΚΡΙΘΗΚΕ ΜΕ ΕΠΙΤΥΧΙΑ ΣΤΙΣ ΑΠΑΙΤΗΣΕΙΣ ΤΟΥ
 
ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΟΣ ΜΕΤΑΠΤΥΧΙΑΚΩΝ ΣΠΟΥΔΩΝ
 
ΕΓΚΕΦΑΛΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΝΟΥΣ
 

ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟ

Ο ΠΡΥΤΑΝΗΣ/Η ΠΡΥΤΑΝΗΣ

 
Ο/Η ΠΡΟΕΔΡΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΟΣ                                                             Ο/Η ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΟΣ      
 
ΟΝΟΜΑ ΕΠΩΝΥΜΟ                                                                                   ΟΝΟΜΑ ΕΠΩΝΥΜΟ
 
 
 
 
Article 8
 
Evaluation of the Graduate Program
 
The training of graduate students in the GP-B&M is continuously evaluated. As soon as a course is completed, graduate students are encouraged to anonymously fill questionnaires whose goal is to evaluate its content and the teaching skills of the instructors. The filled in forms are then collected by the Curriculum Committee and following their study, the major problems are discussed with the instructors in question to formulate a solution.
Also, the GP-B&M is evaluated by a Committee of outside examiners who participate in sight visits at regular intervals, to provide feedback on the research of its members and the training of its graduate students. After the conclusion of sight visits, the members of the Evaluation Committee compose a report which includes suggestions about actions to be taken to improve the Program.
The Evaluation Committee is comprised of 5 Greek speaking scientists of international renown who work in Academic Institutions abroad. The following colleagues have served on it during the first several years of the Program’s existence:   1) A. Georgopoulos, University of Minnesota, U.S.A. 2) N. Logothetis, Max-Planck Institute, Germany. 3) H. Barbas, Boston University, U.S.A. 4) A.K. Papanikolaou, University of Texas in Houston, U.S.A. 5) M. Petrides, McGill University, Canada.
Replacement of its members must be approved by the SIC following the recommendation of the present members of the Evaluation Committee.
 
 
Article 9
 
Resolution of Academic differences
 
Academic differences are debated and resolved through majority voting in the Plenary Meeting of the Program.