Doctoral Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation in the School of Chemical Engineering NTUA is done in accordance with the Doctoral Studies Regulation of the School (Issue B ‘2811 / 16.07.2018, No. 26460). Doctoral Studies (DScs) aim at preparing and empowering young researchers who have the ability to promote scientific knowledge by autonomously producing research results in the science and technology of Chemical Engineering as well as in interfaces with other scientific areas.

Doctoral Studies lead to the award of a Ph.D. and Doctor of Engineering degree, for those who are PhDs or otherwise a PhD in NTUA. The Doctoral Program is organized within the School, united for all Departments. Doctoral studies are offered free of charge. Candidate PhDs have up to five (5) full academic years from their first enrollment all the rights and benefits for PhD candidates as provided by their respective regulations, scholarships or other.

Applications for a doctoral thesis are submitted to the Secretariat of the School. Candidates are selected up to twice per academic year. The maximum number of doctoral candidates per selection period for each School is decided by the General Assembly.

The positions of the new doctoral candidates, with a description of the broader subject area of each post, are announced by the School. The selection of new doctoral candidates ends with the final approval by the General Assembly, which takes place in April and October.

Right to apply for doctoral dissertation have the Graduate Diploma holders (BScs) who hold a master degree on the same or related subject to the doctoral dissertation, and the NTUA and postgraduate diplomas (5 year diplomas). In exceptional cases (such as, for example, if the candidate has a high-quality publication or patent), he or she may be accepted as a doctoral candidate while not holding a Master.

Graduates of ASPETEs or equivalent schools may be accepted as PhD candidates only if they hold a master degree. Graduates from ASPETE or equivalent schools, if elected, are required by the relevant decision of the General Assembly of their respective School to successfully attend the specified undergraduate or postgraduate courses in order to be awarded a doctorate degree.

Applications are evaluated by the relevant three-member Selection Committee in which the doctoral dissertation will be prepared. The General Assembly of the School, taking into account the Memorandum of the Selection Committee, approves or rejects the candidate’s application. The General Assembly additionally appoints the Supervising Professor (SP) as well as the Three-member Advisory Committee of the PhD candidate, of which the Supervisor is a member. The three-member advisory committee, in collaboration with the doctoral candidate, determines the topic of the doctoral dissertation and its provisional title in Greek and English, which is validated by the School’s General Assembly and communicated to the Department. Once every academic year and in the month of September, each doctoral candidate presents orally and submits, in writing, through the Protocol of the School Secretariat, a detailed memo to the Advisory Committee on the progress of the doctoral dissertation. The memorandum, along with any additional comments from the supervisor or advisory committee, is in the position of a progress report. Progress reports are submitted by the Supervisor at the School Secretariat in October of each year, are recorded in the candidate’s individual file and are indicated on the list of active doctoral candidates.

The time for obtaining a Doctorate (PhD) may not be less than three (3) full calendar years from the date of appointment of the Three-member Advisory Committee. The prerequisite for obtaining a Doctorate is the attendance and successful examination in three (3) to six (6) semester courses of the Graduate Program of the School of Chemical Engineering. This includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the School of Chemical Engineering or other NTUA Schools or other ATEIs, which are approved by the School’s General Assembly. For those graduates of NTUA or other equivalent Chemical Engineering Schools of Greece or abroad (Master’s level) the number of these compulsory courses is three (3). For the Diploma Engineers of other NTUA Schools or Graduate Departments of other HEIs (Higher Education Institutes) and holders of Postgraduate Degrees related to the subject of their Doctoral thesis, the number of compulsory courses is five (5).

The thesis is evaluated by a seven-member selection committee, which is appointed by a decision of the General Assembly, following the recommendation of the three-member advisory committee. A prerequisite for the final thesis evaluation is that the candidate doctorate has presented evidence of his/her work with at least two (2) publications in reputable international peer-reviewed journals.

Detailed information on the process of preparation of the PhD is given in the NTUA Doctoral Regulation (in Greek).