Among the numerous offers for studying abroad, it is not easy to find Greek universities. Meanwhile, public Greek education is a practically free opportunity to get good knowledge, a European-style diploma, and a one-year internship in European countries, which is provided in many universities for third-year students.
Over the past decade, new universities, branches, and individual faculties have opened in Greece, located on the picturesque islands of Crete, Rhodes, Samos, Lesbos. Whether to enroll in the well-known universities of Athens, Thessaloniki, other major Greek cities, or to prefer a more romantic 'island' study option is your choice.
Who goes to Greece and why
Among Europeans, Italians, Bulgarians, Albanians, and representatives of other Balkan countries show great interest in studying at Greek universities. Why? They are Greece's neighbors, with longstanding and close trade and economic ties that need to be maintained and developed. Also because Greek education, while having a European level, is quite inexpensive. It is accessible to our compatriots with average incomes who cannot afford studies at elite universities in the UK or USA. They come to Greece for diplomas in tourism and hotel services, business management, international relations, journalism, philology, as well as architecture, history, and art.
Fundamental education in the humanities, natural sciences, and medicine is traditionally offered by the oldest universities in Greece: the University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Specialized institutions operate in today's in-demand fields: the Athens University of Economics and Business, the Business School (a department of the University of the Aegean) on the island of Chios, the University of Patras with a strong computer engineering faculty, the Technical University of Crete, and the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, renowned for its finance and economics programs. This university also has a young and interesting faculty of a different profile: musical sciences and arts. Specialists in the arts are also trained at the departments of the Ionian University and the University of Thessaloniki.
From Ptychio to Didaktoriko
Higher education in Greece is represented by universities (AEI) and technological educational institutions (TEI). The pan-European education system is adopted here, consisting of two stages. The first stage ends with the award of a bachelor's degree, Ptychio. For specialties in the natural sciences and humanities, the duration of the bachelor's program is four years; for medical specialties, six years; and for engineering, agricultural sciences, and veterinary medicine, five years. Students who receive a four-year education do not write a thesis, but only take exams. Postgraduate education lasts at least one year (from one to three years) and ends with the awarding of a master's degree - Metaptychiako diploma exidikefsis. This step is not mandatory, and it can also be taken at any other university in the country under programs corresponding to the bachelor's education.
With a Metaptychiako diploma, one can continue studies in a doctoral program, although for some fields, such as engineering, a Ptychio diploma is sufficient for admission. This is a stage of individual research and further specialization, ending with the defense of a dissertation and the award of a doctoral degree - Didaktoriko.
Admission without exams
For foreigners, there is a special and very attractive condition for admission to Greek universities: no exams. Instead, there is a competition of school certificates: the higher the average grade, the more prestigious the university you can enter. Moreover, to pass the competition, you do not need to be an excellent student; it is enough to have 50% A's and 50% B's. But holders of less successful certificates can also try their luck.
When choosing a faculty and institution, a foreigner must compile a list of a maximum of 20 faculties from different universities, starting with the university of primary importance and then in descending order. This list is submitted along with other documents to the unified Document Reception Center of the University of Athens. If you do not get into the desired faculty through the certificate competition, the admissions committee will offer another one in accordance with your competition scores. The faculties in the list must belong to the same field, and there are five of them in the Greek educational system:
* Philological and legal;
* Mathematical (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.);
* Medical;
* Polytechnic;
* Economic.
However, to enter a university, you will have to learn Greek: a document proving you have passed a language exam is a mandatory requirement for applicants. The exam must be taken in Greece, but you can learn the language at home.
If you decide to immerse yourself in the language environment before university and learn Greek in its homeland, you must first submit documents to the university or technical school where you plan to study, and after a positive response from them, you will be offered a one-year language course in Greece. The duration of the course is an academic year, during which a place at the university will be reserved for you. Attendance is optional; you can even not go to classes at all and just take the exam, which is held twice a year - in June and September, so you will have two attempts. After receiving a certificate of Greek language proficiency, the foreign applicant becomes a full-fledged student.
Gathering documents
It is quite difficult to collect and prepare all the necessary documents on your own, but it is quite possible if you know the rules and sequence of actions.
To enroll in a university, you will need the following documents:
- a completed application form (issued on the day of document submission) with a passport photo attached;
- a secondary education certificate certified with an Apostille stamp, a transcript of the average grade converted to the Greek grading system from 0 to 20 points;
- a certificate from the consulate confirming that the applicant and his or her parents do not hold Greek citizenship.
The admissions committee has the right to request additional documents at its discretion. In this case, a deferment of 10 days is given, during which the applicant must provide them.
All documents must be translated into Greek at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Athens, 10 Arionos St., Monastiraki metro), and all originals and the consul's signature must also be certified with the international Apostille seal.
Documents must be submitted from July 20 to 30 at the Greek Ministry of Education at 15 Mitropoleos St., Athens. If you cannot come to Greece to submit documents, you need to find a representative, issue a notarized power of attorney for them, and have it certified at the Greek consulate. Your assistant must provide a sworn statement certified by the Greek police that you are not in the country. After the admissions committee issues a certificate of admission, you can apply for a student visa.
If you are not selected, all documents will be returned to you within a year.
For language courses in Greece, you need to provide:
- a copy of your education certificate or diploma, translated into Greek at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- a copy of your passport;
- a copy of your residence permit (or student visa);
- a copy of the tuition payment document;
- two photographs.
If the above procedure seems too complicated to you and you want to know what a visa to Greece is and how to get it, contact organizations that will help you gather and properly prepare documents, as well as find a representative of your interests in Greece for the period of admission.
The cost
An annual course of studying Greek in Greece costs €500. Tuition at state universities and technical colleges in Greece is €200 per semester. Having successfully passed 70% of credits during the exam session, a student can apply for exemption from tuition for the next semester and study completely free until the next exams.
International students are provided with all conditions for a comfortable life: they receive a residence permit for the entire period of study, a dormitory, free meals, discounted transportation, and the right to work (part-time) – all this quite allows them to ensure an interesting and decent student life.
Olga Krutovertsova, graduate of Panteion University of Athens, head of academic affairs at the Komninos-Varvakis Foundation (FKV):
- Ten years ago, I graduated from a school in a small town in the Rostov region. My certificate, assessing my achievements, was average, but I really wanted to study! My family's financial situation was modest, so I could not afford to enroll in a paid department, and for the state university, my certificate was not competitive. After a long search on the Internet, I found out that there is an opportunity to get a higher education at a state university in Greece. It turned out that getting into a Greek university is not difficult at all, and living and studying there is even cheaper than at home. Moreover, the Greek diploma is recognized not only in our country but also in all EU countries.
I did not need to take exams - I was enrolled based on the average score of my certificate, and my presence was not required when submitting documents. During my studies, I was provided with free meals, discounted public transportation, a residence permit, the right to work, etc. In 2005, I graduated from the Faculty of Public Administration at Panteion University of Athens and immediately got a job at FKV. Now I live with my mother in Greece and enjoy this wonderful country.