Master Thesis

In order to obtain the Master’s Degree, it is necessary to prepare and submit a Master Thesis, which corresponds to 30 ECTS.

The Master Thesis is an essential component of the program that aims at the student’s in-depth involvement with a specific subject and at the same time at the development of skills in written and oral presentation. The Master Thesis could be:

  • experimental i.e. carrying out and processing laboratory or field measurements,
  • computational, i.e. development, improvement or application of mathematical models,
  • bibliographic/synthetic, i.e. gathering, reviewing & composing existing information ,
  • or a combination of the above.

Language of Master Thesis

The writing language of the Master Thesis is Greek or English and is defined after the decision of the Special Interdepartmental Committee. In any case the Master Thesis includes an extensive summary in Greek and English.

Time restrictions

  • The undertake of the Master Thesis can take place after the end of the 2nd Semester only if the postgraduate student has been successfully examined at least in the half of the courses of the master programme.
  • For postgraduate students who are re-registered in the 3rd and 4th semester, in order to attend courses from the 1st and 2nd semester respectively the Coordination Committee (CC) decides if the undertake of the Master Thesis can take place at the beginning of the 3rd
  • If the Master Thesis is not completed successfully within the 3rd semester, it can be continued during the 4th semester.

Size, structure and contents

The structure of the Master Thesis shall be organized as much as possible in accordance with the following:

  • Cover and (similar) inside cover
  • Foreword
  • Table of contents (page numbered)
  • Summary (300 to 500 words in Greek and English)
  • Extended Abstract (Extended summary of 1200-2000 words in English and/or Greek)
  • Introduction
  • The main parts of the work
  • Results, with the relevant commentary
  • Conclusions
  • Bibliography – Reports
  • Annexes (e.g. with analytical tables of measurements or results of computational simulations).

The text of the master thesis is composed by editing text in a logo of the approval of the Special Inter-departmental Committee, is submitted in at least 5 copies and in any case includes a summary of 1,200 to 2,000 words, a table of contents, bibliographical references and a summary of 300 to 500 words in Greek and English.

The master thesis should include but this is not a limitation (depending on the subject of work):

  • Introduction, by placing the object/problem, formulating the objectives of the task and describing the structure and individual contents.
  • Summary bibliographical presentation of the most important elements of existing relevant knowledge internationally.
  • The methodology that was followed.
  • The results and main findings of the work.
  • Discussion of the results in relation to pre-existing knowledge and the objective possibilities and limitations of the methods applied.
  • Summary of conclusions.

Process

  • The postgraduate student submits an application, indicating the proposed title of the Master Thesis, the proposed supervisor and a summary of the proposed work is attached as well.
  • Based on the application, the Coordinating Committee appoints its supervisor and sets up the three-member Committee of Inquiry for the approval of the master thesis. The Committee of Inquiry shall include a supervising member from Teaching and Research Staff and other faculty members or teaching staff or researchers with A, B, C, grade that hold a Ph.D. The members of the Inquiry Committee must have the same or relevant scientific expertise as the subject of the Master’s program.
  • On the proposal of the supervisor, the postgraduate student could be scientifically assisted in the preparation of the master thesis by Ph.D scientists, doctoral candidates or postgraduate students and other scientific collaborators of NTUA or invited teachers outside NTUA.
  • Auxiliary technical staff (EEP, EEDIP, ETEP, EDIP, etc.) may also be involved in the laboratory support of postgraduate Master Thesis, where necessary.

Evaluation criteria and rating

The rating of the Master Thesis is derived as an average of the score of the three examiners on a scale between 1 to 10 and is rounded to half fractional unit, based on success of a minimum of 5.5 (five and 50%).

The evaluation criteria are (1) Project volume and initiative (gravity=25%), (2) Deepening and contributing to the subject (gravity=40%), and (3) Written and oral presentation (gravity=35%).

Publication

After the approval of the Master Thesis, the postgraduate student is obliged to submit a copy and electronic record of the work to the Central Library of NTUA and to submit on-line the file of the work to the Foundation Repository of NTUA.

The Master Thesis approved by the Committee of Inquiry must be posted on the website of the concerned School.