Admission Requirements in Greece Universities for International Students

undergraduate and postgraduate admission requirements for Pakistani students in Greece universities

The academic year in Greece generally begins in early September every year and ends in August of the following year.

The academic curriculum per year is set in two semesters

The fall semester
The spring semester,

Each semester comprises nearly 13 weeks of teaching and about two to three weeks of exams.

At the end of each semester prior to the beginning of exam students are allowed to evaluate their study courses and teachers. This is done to bring improvement in the teaching strategies and course content.

Admissions of International Students In Greece Universities 2024

The Greek education policy for admission of a foreign student who wants to study abroad in Greece, strictly focuses that the candidates can only be admitted to Higher Education in Greece if neither the candidate nor his/her parents have the Greek nationality or citizenship. These international candidates have to submit their documents to the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs. Moreover, they will fill in the candidate’s application online entry form. The form should clearly mention the preferred Faculties and the Departments in which the international student want to take admission.

Before filing the application form, all foreign candidates must follow the general instructions for the admission to Higher Education in Greece for foreigners including graduates of non-E.U. Lyceums and graduates of lyceums or equivalent schools of member states of the E.U.

The Application Procedure for Admission to Greece Universities

The application procedure for admission to Greece universities of foreigners of non-Greek origin is carried out electronically by a valid information system. The system is however available electronically during the specified dates. Students can check the official website

The application submission should be done prior to the given deadline

The students are also required to submit the required documents along with the application

The documents must be translated into Greek. These documents are then verified by Greek diplomatic authority abroad like consulate in your home country or by the Translation Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Greece

Remember that after the deadline, the electronic system is locked and no applications will be accepted.

The Ministry of Education website will announce the results of selected candidates. Students can check their names via their Candidate Code and their initials.

Admission in Bachelor’s Program in Greece Universities 2024

To pursue study for a first cycle Greek degree, that is a bachelor’s program, the student has to complete the course in eight to ten semesters, however, a medical school student complete his/her graduate degree course after twelve semesters.

The Documents required for taking admission in a Greek bachelor’s program 2024:

One signed soft copy of Application PRINTED BY THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM
One signed soft copy of the Official Statement PRINTED BY THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM
A photocopy of the graduation/high school certificate with official translation approved by, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy or the Consulate of the foreign country in Greece
One (1) photocopy of the certificate of equivalence and correspondence of the candidate’s high school certificate, approved by the Directorates of Secondary Education or by the Counselors at the Education Offices of the Greek Embassies.
One (1) ID card type photograph
Transcript of records with your GPA;
Language proficiency certification either in Greek or in English
Bank statement or other financial proofs
One photocopy of passport or ID card or other documents with photographs that certifies the identity of the candidate
Application-entry form will be then submitted along with the other documents to the secretariat of the preferred university where the student gets admission. The university authorities then check the documents in order to proceed the registration formalities.

Once your admission is confirmed and the student receive the acceptance letter, he/she has to apply for a Greece Student Visa for all bachelor’s Master’s or PhD program

Applying for a Masters in Greece Universities 2024

The postgraduate studies provide students with the option to specialize in their relevant academic field. The master courses are available for both national and foreign students, especially who graduates from Greek higher education institutes or accredited equivalent institutes from abroad. Generally, most masters programs begin in autumn, therefore, deadlines for application lie in May-July. Master’s degrees take two years to complete. Similar to the first cycle plan, the academic year in Greece consists of two semesters, with 16 weeks duration in which teaching continues for 13 weeks while 3 weeks period is taken for the conduction of exams.

Students who are not studying on scholarships have to pay the tuition fee of around €11,000 to €16,000 per year.

There is no set admission policy regarding the Master's admission of international students in Greece. Each institution has established its own regulation regarding the admission criteria. Obviously, an authorized Bachelor’s degree or equivalent first cycle qualification is required. Moreover, the achieved grade will define where the student stands in the competitive scenario

The European Commission's National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC) in Greece helps with the validation of foreign qualifications. The international and admissions offices at your prospective institution may also be helpful for international students

Language requirements

Generally, first cycle study programs are offered in the Greek language, however, many English-taught masters programs are available for international students. Students, therefore, have to provide a language proficiency certification like IELTS, TOEFL,GRE,GMAT or ACT scores for the English language prior to taking the admission.

Documents required for a Master’s degree program admission in Greece Universities

Online Application Form available at the institution’s website
The first cycle or bachelor’s degree with an equivalency is mandatory along with its translation.
One or two specified size Photographs
An Application Fee usually 50 Euros
Previous academic Records;
Proof of English or Greek language skills
Personal Statement

PhD Courses and Requirements For Greece Universities

A third-cycle study program leads to a Ph D degree. The policies of admission are the same as the academic system adopted across Europe through the Bologna Process.

Greece Tertiary education is divided into four scientific fields: Humanities, Law and Social Sciences; Natural and Technological Sciences; Health and Life Sciences and Sciences of Economy and Informatics.

Types of PhD in Greece

There are two types of PhD degrees awarded in Greece,

Traditional PhD program is a 3-year pure research period with no teaching or lectures
American system PhD program" It is a Masters turned PhD program which takes 4-5 years to complete. In this program, students have to attend lectures and seminars for one year

The traditional PhD program is more common. Students generally apply with a research proposal with their own project ideas.

PhD Program Duration

The Greek academic year for PhD programs runs for a full –year that is from September to August. The academic year comprises two semesters.

According to the European Bologna Process System, the minimum length to complete a PhD program is 3-years full-time.

However, this period of PhD varies significantly depending upon r academic departments And field of study. Technical and Applied Science subjects take 3-years to complete, while 4-6 years are required to complete a PhD degree in Social Sciences and Arts.

The PhD process in Greece Institutes

In the “American system,” PhD programs lectures and seminars are conducted in the first year rendering a masters degree. The research project will begin in the second year. Your research project is not completed without the submission of a thesis.

However, in case of a traditional PhD, students entirely focus on their research and the whole 3-years is taken to complete a thesis

For the “American system” PhD programs within Greece, you will spend the first three years completing lectures and seminars related to your research. In the second year of the PhD program, the research project will begin, with the first year being similar to a Masters course, awarding a Masters qualification. The research project is however concluded after the submission of a thesis.

Moreover, in a traditional PhD program, students will focus on their research and will spend the 3-years in completion of the thesis.

A relevant supervisor is appointed for each doctoral candidate. The supervisor will guide the student about thesis writing. This supervisor will be one of three members of the Academic Advisory Committee appointed for the assessment processes of the student’s PhD.

Generally, Non-EU students, who are not admitted on a scholarship program, have to pay around €1,500 per year as PhD tuition fee

Entry requirements

Greece universities have set their own admission requirements for doctoral candidates

General Requirements and Documents

Application form with proposed research title, the language of the thesis and your suggested supervisor
Masters or second cycle degree from Greece or recognized foreign university
All previous academic transcripts and degree certificates translated in Greek via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Translation Service or a lawyer certified for translations
PhD. Students from countries outside of the EU will need equivalency certificates of their qualification
Language proficiency certification
Bank statement or other financial proof
Reference letters if employed
Personal statement
CV with two academic references from professors you have studied under
Thesis draft. This draft is simply a research proposal