For the completion of the Thesis, the 10th semester is normally allocated. However, students often engage with various faculty members earlier to timely decide on the area in which they will conduct their Thesis and adequately prepare for it.
Each student is required to undertake an independent Thesis. The Thesis is conducted in a Division and subject area of their choice, within or in the broader field of the Division, under the supervision of a faculty member from the Division who teaches the most relevant module. The formal selection of the Division and the topic is made following a student’s application to the School’s Secretariat, in accordance with the School’s Academic Calendar. In essence, the determination of the topic and the subsequent selection of the Division take place as follows:
- By selection from a list of specific topics announced by each faculty member at the beginning of each academic semester.
- By direct arrangement between the student and the faculty member.
- By a proposal from the student, provided it is accepted by the faculty member.
- By a student’s application to the School.
The Department approves the topic of the Diploma Thesis, assigns the supervisor and the members of the Examination Committee, and informs the School’s Secretariat in writing so that the applications can be forwarded to the School’s General Assembly for final approval and allocation of Diploma Theses. The Examination Committee consists of three members: the supervisor and two (2) additional faculty members with expertise related to the subject of the Thesis.
There are two application submission periods in each academic year, which are announced in advance by the School’s Secretariat. A student cannot be formally assigned a Diploma Thesis topic if they owe more than the modules of the 9th semester or an equivalent number of modules from other semesters plus three additional modules.
When the supervisor or supervisors determine that the work on the topic has been completed, they grant permission for the writing and reproduction of the Thesis, which must be submitted at least one week before its examination. The student submits three (3) copies of their Diploma Thesis to the School, which are then forwarded to the examiners under the supervisor’s responsibility.
The examination is oral and takes place each year immediately after the examination periods of February, June, or September, as scheduled in the NTUA Academic Calendar. The examination committee consists of three members: the supervisor and two (2) additional faculty members with expertise related to the Thesis topic. In order to be eligible for the examination, the student must have successfully completed all the modules required by the curriculum for obtaining the diploma.
The presentation of the Thesis and the evaluation of the student take place in front of the committee, with the presence of any interested parties allowed, and lasts a total of thirty (30) minutes. The grade for the Thesis takes into account its quality, the student’s knowledge, and the manner of presentation.
The successful completion of the entire course of study is certified with the Diploma, the grade of which is calculated based on the average of all modules and the grade of the Thesis, with coefficients of four (4) and one (1), respectively.