Academic year - Official holidays

The academic year starts 1st of September and ends on 31st of August the following year. It is separated into two semesters, from which one is called winter semester and the other is called spring semester. Winter semester begins in the 1st of September, and then follows the spring semester that ends in the beginning of June.

Each semester includes fifteen (15) full weeks of teaching. Two examination periods, that each one is of two weeks, follow the end of teaching period. The second examination period for the spring semester takes place during the first two weeks of the coming September.

Classes and exams do not take place during the official holidays, which according to the TEI regulations are the following:

§ National holiday of October 28th

§ Student holiday of November 17th

§ Christmas holidays (24 December - 2 January)

§ Epiphany day of January 6th

§ January 30th

§ Green Monday

§ Easter holidays, from spy Wednesday to Wednesday after Easter.

§ National holiday of March 25th

§ May 1st

§ December 4th (Karditsa city holiday)

§ Holy Spirit day

§ Summer holidays (6 July - 31 August)

§ Student elections day

Statement of courses

At the beginning of each semester, students must submit to the Department’s Secretaryship a statement of courses, which declares the desired courses to take in and be examined at the end of the semester. At the beginning of classes, students have the chance to alter merely this statement.

For the completion of the statement of courses, each student should take into account the following :

§ Not to state courses, which have a prerequisite, that he or she did not pass successfully the last semester.

§ The sum of all the teaching hours per week be at most: 37 hours for the 1st semester, 38 hours for the 2nd semester, 37 hours for the 3rd semester, 38 hours for the 4th semester, 35 hours for the 5st semester, 32 hours for the 6st semester, 35 hours for the 7st semester and 50 35 hours for the 8st semester and above.

§ In case of a course which has both theory and lab parts, the statement of courses should include both the two parts in hours, unless one part has already been passed with success.

§ A student cannot be certified as a degree holder sooner than the total duration of studies (4 active years)ς.

Course notes or books

After the suggestion of the Course Supervisor in each course, the Board of the Department checks and accepts the printing and distribution of proper course notes or books. These notes or books are distributed to the students free of charge. Almost all of the course notes in the Department have been read and prepared by the current full- and part-time Teaching Staff. However, for complete studying, each member of the Teaching Staff suggests to the students additional reference books, which can be found in the library of the Branch of Karditsa.

Grading System

1. The grating system used is formed with an arithmetical degree from zero until ten (system 0-10), with the passing-a-course grade being at the mark of five (5).

2. The student performance in a course and in the deggree is defined:

from 0-3.9: «low»

from 4-4,9: «insufficient»

from 5-6,49: «good»

from 6,5-8,49: «very good»

from 8,5-10: «excellent»

3. All final grades are estimated and put in with the approach of (1/10) one tenth of the unit.

4. During the first week of classes, the teaching staff ought to explain to the students the existing grading system.

5. The Grade Point Average (GPA) of the total performance of each student is calculated at the end of each semester. GPA represents the mean performance of all the courses, in which one student has been examined. For the graduation students, the final GPA is calculated taking into account the grade from his or her degree thesis. GPA is the basic performance measurement for all the students during their studies. The calculation of GPA is summed by multiplying the CU for each course, in combination with the grade of each one course past. The sum of the multiplication is divided with the course CU sum giving the result of the courses that the student has passed. In case of a combined theory/lab course, the grade is taken by the final grade, and not from the grades of each part.

Mid-term, lab and final examinations

1. To pass with success in a laboratory, seminar or combined course, each student must be present at the 80% of the classes that have been performed during the semester. In the last week of the semesters, there are complementary lessons in exercises, that have been taught during the semester, in order to help students to catch up so they can cover the 80 % of the class time that they need to obtain.

2. The final grade of a theoretical course or a combined course is the maximum grade between the sum of the marks that the student has collected during his or her mid-term exam and the final exam. The mid-term examination and the final examination are performed with the grading system of 10, and the final result is the highest grade.

3. For the calculation of the final grade, the mid-term exam grade counts for 40% and the final exam grade counts for 60% of the totalA student passes with success a course, only if collects a grade of 5 in the final examination. If the student does not collect at least a grade of 5, he ought to repeat the course in the following semester.

4. Students that did not fully participate in an compulsory course, then they must attend it in the next semester. If they fail in an optional compulsory course, which characterises a ‘specialisation’, they must repeat the course the next semester, or change the course or area of specialisation. Students who do not succeed in an optional course, then they may repeat the course in the following semesters, or replace it with another. For each course, students according to their statement of courses, can participate in the two examination periods, that follow the end of each semester.

5. The final grade results from the summary of grades from the theoretical and seminar or laboratory grade. In case of a successful participation in one part of a combined course, then the passing grade is recorded. and the course is repeated only for the other part.

Elaboration of degree thesis & practicum

Each student is obliged to start his or her thesis and present it with a subject of his or her choice or with the help of a teacher, who will be the thesis supervisor. The subject must be on the basic and surrounding environment of the studies, like problems from the industrial sector, furniture design, economics or marketing of the wood and furniture products.

Each CS of the Department examines the potential subjects that are suggested for theses so the subjects have a specific area and target so all of them can form a sufficient coverage in different problems in the scientific area of the Sector. The final decision is taken by the GA of each CS, and are reported to the students in order to choose from.

For the research and the completion of the thesis, the laboratory equipment and facilities are in use from the students, and in some cases, funding from the TEI is allocated. The thesis can be also carried out outside of the TEI, like in organisations, institutes, private enterprises.

Up to three students can undertake a thesis subject, determining ahead the allocation of work.

Every full-time or part-time teacher of the department, holding a university degree, can take in charge of a number of degree theses to supervise, and all depends on the number of teaching hours that are set to carry out. The number of theses that a part-time teacher can supervise is set by the Board of the Department.

Each CS sets for every thesis a part-time or full-time member of the Teaching Staff, that holds the necessary specialisation, to supervise the progress and the thesis processing and also guide the students towards the best solutions and taking care all the needs, like setting up the laboratory equipment. They suggest to the Head of the Department the necessary founding for expendable materials needed. The supervisor is in charge of the supervision of the scientific and technical part of the thesis that are performed outside of the TEI of Larissa.

The thesis can be supervised by a teacher of another department under the decision from both of the departments boards.

The assignment of the thesis to the students are made from the departments board after a certain suggestion made from the specialty sector in charge.

The process of the thesis can be extended after the final semester depending on the length and essential requirements of the subjects chosen. The finalizing must be at most in two years from the day the thesis was assigned, otherwise the student must change and take over other subject with a new assignment.

After the completion and the subjection of the supervisor in charge the thesis is submitted following the protocol of the departments. The Board sets a three party comity that will set a period of 10 days before the examination. The three party comity is formed from the supervisor of the thesis and two members with similar specialty.

In case of lack of similar specialty member in the department, then the comity is compiled with members of other departments that have a similar specialty fieldThe members of the comity watch the presentation of the thesis and is then submitted under clarification and examination questions so they can form their decision about the correction and completion of the solution that was presented to the problem and about the degree of participation for each one of the students in process of subjects.

The presentation of the thesis can be watched by all the members of the department and all the students of the department. After the completion of the examination process, the three party comity form the credits in private and the credit summary of the comity is divided by three and this will give the credit mark for the students that where examined. Every member of the comity decides in separate about the credit that he or she believes about the thesis for each student that participated in the group project. The credit for the thesis is submitted from the supervisor according to the protocol.

In case a thesis is judged insufficient by the Examining Committee, then additional process and corrections must be made and therefore the process of submission and presentation is repeated.

Thesis that was judged worthy marking with excellently are published as technical reports of the Department.