The Undergraduate Programme of Studies (UPS) of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics is highly specialized and tailored to the Department’s field of study, as clearly defined in the Government Gazette establishing the Department. Furthermore, it is fully consistent with the Institution’s strategy of always aiming for excellence in teaching and research, so as to provide students with excellence in knowledge and infrastructure and to facilitate links with the international and domestic scientific community. Thus, upon completion of their studies, students rightfully earn the specialized title of Molecular Biologist-Geneticist.
Studies in the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics last four academic years and are organized into eight semesters. The academic year begins on September 1 of each year and ends on August 31 of the following year. Each academic year consists of two semesters: winter and spring. According to current legislation, each semester includes at least 13 weeks of teaching, while each examination period lasts 3 weeks. During the first two years of their studies, students become familiar with the basic concepts and principles of Molecular Biosciences as well as modern methods and techniques. During the third and fourth years, students delve deeper into the study of Molecular Biology and Genetics, as well as their applications. Students have the opportunity to learn about contemporary and emerging trends in specialized fields through elective courses offered in the fourth semester of their studies. In semesters 1-3, only compulsory courses are taught, which the General Assembly of the Department considers absolutely necessary for the scientific training of a Molecular Biologist-Geneticist. Consequently, students are required to successfully complete all of these courses in order to obtain their degree. From semester 4 onwards, in addition to the compulsory courses, elective courses are also taught, from which students are required to choose eight. Students are required to declare the elective courses they intend to attend at the beginning of each semester.
In the eighth semester, students choose one of the following options:
- Preparation of a thesis/dissertation
- 10 elective courses
- Certificate of Pedagogical and Teaching Competence
The purpose of the thesis is to familiarize students with the resolution of a scientific issue, to adapt them to the environment of the Molecular Biosciences laboratory, and to gain experience in writing a scientific paper. The thesis is an experimental research project aimed at providing practical training in laboratory techniques, the organization of experimental protocols, sharpening the student’s critical thinking skills, understanding scientifically documented research practices, using bibliographies, analyzing and evaluating results, and writing an independent scientific text.
Also, as part of the Undergraduate Programme, students have the opportunity to write their undergraduate thesis.
As part of the program, students have the opportunity to obtain a Computer Skills Certificate by successfully completing the following four courses in the field:
- Introduction to Computational Biology
- Bioinformatics
- Special Topics in Computational Biology
- Special Topics in Bioinformatics
Practical training can take place in private or public sector organizations and is funded by the NSRF operational program.
According to current legislation (Law 3848/2010, paragraph 2, article 2 – Government Gazette A’/71, as supplemented by Law 4186/2013 and replaced by Law 4547/2018, A’102, 12-06-2018, Article 111, par. A), certified pedagogical and teaching competence is a prerequisite for appointment in public and private education. Students of the department who successfully complete the following courses obtain the Certificate of Pedagogical and Teaching Competence.
The courses of the program for obtaining Pedagogical and Teaching Competence are:
- Current Trends and Methodology in Teaching Biosciences
- Adult Education
- Microteaching
- Organizational Psychology
- Inschool Training
Erasmus+ enables students to undertake either part of their studies (Erasmus+ Studies) at a higher education institution in Europe, without paying tuition fees, or an internship (Erasmus+ Traineeship) at a company, training center, research center, or other organization based in Europe, with full academic recognition.
Upon completion of the undergraduate programme, students of the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics will have:
- acquired fundamental theoretical knowledge in the field of Life Sciences and will be able to describe the basic concepts and principles that govern them.
- acquired specialized theoretical knowledge in the field of Molecular Biology and Genetics and their applications and will be able to analyze in depth the concepts and principles that govern them.
- acquired basic knowledge and laboratory skills in Life Sciences Technology, as well as specialized knowledge and laboratory skills in the field of the Technology of Molecular Biology and Genetics, enabling them to pursue careers in fields and professions related to the Biosciences or to proceed to postgraduate studies.
- developed skills in evaluating results, developing scientific hypotheses, and experimental design following the scientific method.
- developed skills in written and oral presentation of scientific data and ideas.
Course attendance is optional. However, due to the nature of the subject matter of the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, attendance is necessary for understanding the material and completing laboratory and tutorial exercises. Attendance at laboratory courses, laboratory or tutorial exercises is compulsory. The details regarding the conditions for attending the above educational activities are determined on a case-by-case basis by the respective instructors, who inform the students accordingly. Each student is required to register at the beginning of each semester for the courses they intend to attend during that semester and to be examined at the end of the semester. Registration takes place at the Department Secretariat on specified dates. Students who have not registered for a course within the specified deadlines will not be admitted to the examination for the corresponding semester, nor to the repeat examination in September.
There are three examination periods: January-February, June, and September. In the first two examination periods, only the courses of the corresponding semesters are examined (i.e., the winter semester in January-February and the spring semester in June). In particular, students with a decision by the Senate of the Democritus University of Thrace have the opportunity to be examined in the courses of both semesters during the June examination period. The examination periods last three weeks. During the September examination period, all courses from both semesters are examined. Students are only eligible to take the exams if they have registered for the corresponding course during the registration period for the corresponding semester and have completed the required coursework (if there are laboratory exercises). In order to participate in the exams, students must bring their student ID or Study Booklet for identification purposes.
The grading scale for each course is from 0 to 10. The exam is considered successful when the student’s grade is at least five (passing grade). The final grade for a course may be the result of a comprehensive exam or a combination of individual assessments (written or oral exams, practical exams, participation in the educational process, presentation of assignments on specific topics, etc.). The student’s grade in each course is determined by the instructor, who organizes written, oral, or other types of exams at his or her discretion.
Based on Article 24, Paragraph 3 of Law 1268/92, each semester course corresponds to a specific number of teaching units. One teaching unit corresponds to one hour of teaching per week for a semester in the case of a stand-alone course and to one to three hours of teaching or practice per week for a semester for the rest of the educational work (laboratories, tutorials) in accordance with the relevant decision of the General Assembly of the Department. By decision of the General Assembly of the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, the minimum number of teaching units required to obtain a degree in Molecular Biology – Genetics is specified in the Study Program.
- Successful completion of all compulsory courses in the Programme of Study.
- Successful completion of elective courses
- Successful completion of the thesis OR successful completion of elective courses in the 8th semester equivalent to 30 ECTS (in addition to those mentioned in b).
The fulfillment of all the above requirements corresponds to a total of 240 ECTS credits.
According to Ministerial Decision B3/2166/1987 (Government Gazette 308 B) and the provisions of paragraph 5 of Article 14 of Law 3374/2005, credit units are taken into account when calculating the degree grade. More specifically, the grade for each course is multiplied by a coefficient, called the course weighting coefficient, and then the sum of the individual products is divided by the sum of the weighting coefficients of all courses.
The weighting coefficients are 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 and are calculated as follows:
- Courses with 1 or 2 teaching units have a weighting coefficient of 1.0.
- Courses with 3 or 4 teaching units have a weighting coefficient of 1.5.
- Courses with more than 4 teaching units have a weighting coefficient of 2.
The degree grade is given to the nearest hundredth and ranges from 5.00 to 10.00. The degree also includes the following classification:
- Good (degree grade 5.0 – 6.49)
- Very good: (degree grade 6.5 – 8.49)
- Excellent (degree grade 8.5 – 10.00)
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is a system for awarding and transferring academic credits, which aims to facilitate academic recognition through effective mechanisms of universal validity. It provides a code of good practice for the organization of academic recognition based on the transparency of study programs and student performance. The ECTS system does not regulate the content, structure, or equivalence of academic programs, as these are matters whose quality must be determined by the universities themselves when designing their curricula. The credit points awarded for each course, internship, or thesis reflect the workload required for each individual educational component to achieve the objectives pursued, in relation to the total workload required to complete a full academic year of study. The workload required of each student during a full academic year is estimated at an average of 1500-1800 hours of work and is equivalent to 60 ECTS credits. By decision of the General Assembly of the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, the workload for each course is defined in the Study Program with a total workload per semester of 30 ECTS credits. The total number of credits that students accumulate over the four years of study is 240 ECTS. The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics has been applying the credit transfer and accumulation system since the 2008-2009 academic year and, since 2012, upon completion of studies, in addition to the Degree, it awards the Diploma Supplement in Greek and English.
The Diploma Supplement certifies the student’s performance with a detailed record of the courses they attended and were examined in, the teaching and credit units they accumulated, the grades they received, and the corresponding grades in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. The Diploma Supplement is issued in Greek and English by the responsible ECTS/DS coordinator. The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics has been issuing certificates since 2012, when students who enrolled in the 2008-2009 academic year began to graduate.
The performance of successful students is categorized based on the following relevant grading scale of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System:
Percentage of students who usually achieve the grade
- Grade A -> For the top 10% of successful students
- Grade B -> For the next 25% of successful students
- Grade C -> For the next 30% of successful students
- Grade D -> For the next 25% of successful students
- Grade E -> For the last 10% of successful students
The classification of the performance of unsuccessful students is as follows:
- Grade FX -> Some further improvements are needed in order for the performance to be considered successful
- Grade F -> Failed exam – Substantial further improvements are needed
Skavdis Georgios, Associate Professor, Chair
Alexiou-Hatzaki Maria, Associate Professor, Member
Koffa Maria, Professor, Member
Sandaltzopoulos Raphail, Professor, Member
Kyriaki Sofia, Member
