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SCHOOL OF LAW

PHD PROGRAMMES

The Law School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens organize a Program for Doctoral Studies, in accordance with the provisions of Law 4957/2022 (artlicles 90-97) and the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law-NKUA (FEK 4235/2020). The Program aims to foster the original scientific research, the essential contribution to the development of knowledge in the relevant scientific field and lead to the obtainment of a Doctoral Degree in Legal Science (J.D.).

Admission requirements

Eligible apply for a doctoral dissertation (thesis) are the Candidates who hold a Degree in Law of any national (https://www.doatap.gr/home_english/hellenic-institutions/) or foreign Institute of Higher Education (AEI) (https://www.doatap.gr/national-registry-of-foreign-recognized-higher-education-institutes/), which has been aknowledged , with a grade point average (G.P.A.) "Very Good", as long as they hold a Postgraduate Degree of any national or foreign Institute of Higher Education, in accordance with the provisions of article 2 of the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law-NKUA (FEK 4235/2020).

Under special circumstances of an exceptional scientific or professional work, they can also be admitted as PhD Students, after an adequate reasoning and the Assembly's decision, those who do not hold a Postgraduate Degree [art. 2 of the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law –NKUA (FEK 4235/2020)]. Moreover, under special circumstances, can be admitted, after a specific reasoning, candidates who do not hold a Bachelor's Degree in Law, with a grade point average (G.P.A.) "Very Good", as long as there is an adequate familiarity with the legal science, in order to be probable for them the successful completion the cycle of doctoral studies.

In both cases, the decision of approval may define the obligation of the PhD Student to attend and successfully be examined in a certain/ certain modules/seminar by the Law School's Curriculum.

Application for a doctoral dissertation

During the academic year, Candidates may apply at the Secretary's office of the Law School. Application for a doctoral dissertation, which is addressed to the Assembly, is submitted to the Secretary's office, with the following:

  1. proposed title for the doctoral dissertation,
  2. proposed language of the doctoral dissertation,
  3. nominated Supervisor of the doctoral dissertation.

 The Application for the dissertation is accompanied by the following supporting documents:

  1. a Detailed curriculum vitae of the Candidate.
  2. a Documented scientific proposal with a draft diagram of the doctoral dissertation and bibliographic documentation.
  3. Copy of the Degree
  4. Copy of Master's Degree.
  5. Transcript of records of the undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
  6. Certificate of language proficiency, if the proposed language of the doctoral dissertation is not in Greek or in case the Candidate is a foreigner. The certificate does not required if the Candidate has already obtained a degree in the language they wish to draw up their doctoral dissertation.

Selection Process

The Assembly of the School, after taking into account the submitted applications, with a suggestion of the Dean, categorizes them regarding the relevance of the research subject, and appoints a three member Committee per category of applications.

Each three-member Committee is consisting of members of the Teaching and research personnel of the School. This Committee examines the relevant applications and the presented together documents and invites candidates for an interview.

Then the Committee submits to the Assembly of the School a detailed memorandum, in which they are written the reasons concerning the reason of the each candidate selection or not, taking into account the criteria of the present Regulation, as well as the proposed Supervisor, in case they have not been proposed by the candidate. After receiving the opinion of the proposed by the Committee Supervisor, the Assembly of the School shall take into account the relevant memorandum of the Committee and approve or reject reasonably the Candidate's application.

In case the Supervisor is a member of the three-member Committee, their opinion is entailed in the memo. In case the proposed Supervisor is unable or unwilling to undertake the supervision of the proposed dissertation and there is no other faculty member of the specific subject, the application is rejected. The language of the composition the doctoral dissertation is also defined in the approval decision. After the registration of each PhD Student and the appointment of the Three-Member Advisory Committees, the names of the PhD Students, the Supervising members of the Faculty, the titles of the doctoral dissertations and a brief summary of them, as well as the members of the Three-Member Advisory Committees are posted by the School Secretary's  on its website in Greek and English.

Supervision of the Doctoral Dissertation

Supervisor

The members of the Faculty of Law (Teaching and Research personnel) have the right to supervise doctoral dissertations. The three members Committee is consisted of the supervisor and two more members of the faculty (Teaching and Research personnel).

Each Supervisor may supervise up to eight (8) PhD Candidates. The Supervisor meets with the Candidate at regular intervals, is informed on their progress, may indicate corrections or changes regarding the thesis, provides guidance on the methodology and structure of the work, and any other assistance, which is necessary for the completion of the thesis.

In case the Supervisor deems that the progress of Candidate is insufficient or stagnant or the latter has unreasonably interrupted the composition of the dissertation, informs the Three-member Advisory Committee to activate the process of the exclusion, according to the present Regulation.

The three- member Committee

The Assembly of the School assigns to the proposed Supervisor, after their consent, the Supervision of the Doctoral Thesis and appoints a Three-Member Advisory Committee, which has the responsibility to frame and support its elaboration and composition. The Committee may consisted of members of the Teaching and Research personnel of Law or another Faculty of UoA or other Institution, as well as professors of aknowledged as co-educational foreign institutions, who are PhD holders, or researchers  (of the same/relevant filed of study) of research centers of  A, B or C degree (article 13A, Law 4310/2014), including research centers of the Academy of Athens and the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA) or of any other aknowledged foreign research center/Institut.  In the Committee may participate at least one (1) member of the Faculty of Law from the first three levels of Law School (article 5.2. of the PhD Regulation of the Faculty of Law-NKUA, FEK 4235/2020).

Replacement of a member of the three- member Committee

In case the Supervisor is missing or unable to supervise the doctoral dissertation for a period of more than six months or resign from supervision, under this circumstances the Assembly of the School,  assigns to another member of the Faculty of Law its supervision  either on its own initiative or after the Candidate's request and the assent of the proposed Supervisor. Otherwise, it assigns to one of the others two (2) members of the Three-Member Advisory Committee, even in excess of the maximum number of PhD candidates that can be supervised per person, as defined above.

In case a member - apart from the Supervisor - of the three-member advisory Committee is missing or is unable to participate for more than six months in the Committee or resign from the Committee, the Assembly of the School, considering the circumstances, appoints another faculty member as a member of the three-member advisory Committee, as defined above, either on their own initiative or after Candidate's  at the request.

Transfer / retirement of Supervisor

In case the Supervisor moves to another Institution or Department of Institution or retire, they continue to deputize the undertaken duties regarding the thesis' supervision and the PhD Degree is granted by the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.