The Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens offers a Doctoral Studies Program in accordance with the provisions of Law 4957/2022 (Articles 90-97) and the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law-NKUA (Government Gazette 4235/2020). The aim of the program is to promote original scientific research, contribute to the development of knowledge in the relevant field of law, and lead to the award of a Doctoral Degree in Legal Science (J.D.).
Admission Requirements
Eligible candidates for a doctoral dissertation (thesis) are those who hold a degree in Law from any recognized national or foreign institution of higher education (as acknowledged by https://www.doatap.gr/home_english/hellenic-institutions/ and https://www.doatap.gr/national-registry-of-foreign-recognized-higher-education-institutes/), with a grade point average (GPA) of "Very Good", and who also possess a postgraduate degree from a recognized national or foreign institution of Higher Education, in accordance with Article 2 of the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law-NKUA (Government Gazette 4235/2020).
In exceptional circumstances, candidates who do not hold a postgraduate degree may be admitted based on their outstanding scientific or professional work, subject to adequate justification and approval by the Faculty Assembly. Similarly, candidates without a Bachelor's Degree in Law, but who demonstrate sufficient familiarity with legal science, may be admitted under specific circumstances, provided their academic record is "Very Good" and it is deemed probable that they can successfully complete the doctoral program.
In both cases, the Faculty Assembly may require the candidate to attend and successfully complete specific courses or seminars as part of their PhD studies.
Application Process
Applications for a doctoral dissertation can be submitted to the Secretary's Office of the Law School throughout the academic year. The application, addressed to the Faculty Assembly, must include the following:
The application must also be accompanied by:
Selection Process
The Faculty Assembly, following recommendations from the Dean, categorizes the applications based on the relevance of the research topic and assigns a three-member committee for each category. Each committee consists of teaching and research staff from the Law School.
The committee reviews the applications and supporting documents, conducts interviews with the candidates, and submits a detailed report to the Faculty Assembly. This report includes the reasons for accepting or rejecting each candidate, taking into consideration the criteria outlined in the PhD Regulation. The committee also proposes a supervisor if the candidate has not nominated one.
If the proposed supervisor is unable or unwilling to accept the role and no other faculty member with the relevant expertise is available, the application will be rejected. The language in which the dissertation will be written is also specified in the approval decision. Once a PhD student is registered and their advisory committee appointed, the student's name, supervisor, dissertation title, and a brief summary will be posted on the Law School's website in both Greek and English.
Supervision of the Doctoral Dissertation
Supervisor
Supervision of a doctoral dissertation is undertaken by members of the teaching and research staff of the Law Faculty. A three-member advisory committee, including the supervisor and two additional faculty members, is responsible for guiding the student throughout their research.
Each supervisor may oversee up to eight PhD candidates. The supervisor meets with the candidate regularly, reviews their progress, suggests corrections or changes, and provides guidance on methodology and structure. If the supervisor determines that the candidate’s progress is inadequate or that they have unreasonably delayed the work, the three-member committee is informed, and the process for excluding the candidate is initiated according to the School’s regulations.
Three-Member Committee
The Faculty Assembly formally appoints the supervisor, subject to their consent, and assigns a three-member advisory committee. This committee, responsible for overseeing the development and completion of the dissertation, may include teaching and research staff from the Law Faculty or other faculties of NKUA, faculty from recognized foreign institutions who are PhD holders themselves, or researchers (of the same/relevant field of study) of research centres of A, B or C degree (article 13A, Law 4310/2014), including research centres of the Academy of Athens and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA) or of any other acknowledged foreign research centre/Institute. At least one committee member must be a faculty member from the Law School at NKUA (article 5.2. of the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law-NKUA, FEK 4235/2020).
Replacement of Committee Members
If the Supervisor is unavailable or unable to oversee the doctoral dissertation for more than six months, or if they resign from their supervisory role, the Faculty Assembly will appoint another member of the Law Faculty to assume supervision, either on its own initiative or at the request of the Candidate with the agreement of the proposed new Supervisor. Alternatively, the Faculty Assembly may assign one of the other two members of the Three-Member Advisory Committee to take over supervision, even if this exceeds the maximum number of PhD candidates allowed per supervisor, as stipulated in the regulations.
Transfer or Retirement of Supervisor
If the supervisor transfers to another institution or retires, they will continue to supervise the dissertation until its completion. The doctoral degree will be conferred by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Law School.
