MASTER’S THESIS

According to the Internal Regulation of Studies of the "MSc in Medical and Surgical Retina Modern Approaches", the Master's thesis is carried out during the 4th semester of studies and corresponds to 30 of the total 120 credits (ECTS). The remaining 90 credits are covered by the compulsory courses and the clinical training.

To be assigned a thesis, postgraduate students must have successfully completed the compulsory courses with a minimum grade of 5/10. Each student must complete a thesis on a topic related to the fields and subjects of the Programme.

Master's theses aim to produce new knowledge, and their quality should be such that their results can be published in reputable scientific journals and presented at conferences in Greece and abroad.

Choice of topic, assignment and approval

The thesis is assigned after students have attended and successfully passed all the courses of the curriculum. Students, in cooperation with the Programme's teaching staff, explore possible topics before and/or during the 4th semester. The criteria for choosing a topic include:

relevance to the subject of the curriculum,
originality in terms of topic and/or methodology,
production of new knowledge or enrichment of existing knowledge.

Once a topic has been chosen, students submit an application for approval of the thesis topic to the Coordinating Committee, in agreement with their supervisor. The application must state the proposed title of the thesis, the language in which it will be written (Greek or English) and the name of the supervisor.

Supervisors are members of the Programme's teaching staff, whose names and proposed topics are approved by the Assembly of the School of Medicine. The Assembly also appoints the three-member Examination Committee, which includes the supervisor.

For research theses (retrospective or prospective) involving the collection and/or use of patients' biomedical data, the required approval must be obtained from the competent body of the institution where the research is conducted, such as the Hospital Scientific Council or the University Research Ethics Committee. Submitting the research protocol and obtaining the required approval are the responsibility of the student.

Important: Approval must be obtained before any data are collected or processed.

Types of Master's thesis

Review theses: These consist of a review of a topic in the literature. The review should focus on identifying gaps in the literature and include proposals for future research. The total length of the thesis should not exceed 50 pages, including references. Submission of the thesis for publication in a Greek or international medical journal is encouraged.

Research theses: These involve original research (basic, clinical or experimental) under the supervision of a member of the Coordinating Committee or of the other teaching staff. The aim is to produce a research paper to be published in an international medical journal, with the students listed as first or second author. The total length should not exceed 50 pages, including references, and consists of an initial general part of up to 20 pages and a specific part.

General writing rules

The thesis is written in Greek or English, as stated when the topic is submitted. Before final submission, the thesis is checked with appropriate plagiarism detection tools, such as Turnitin (see Plagiarism). The thesis is accompanied by a Statement of Non-Plagiarism signed by the student, placed on the second-to-last page of the thesis.

Formatting guidelines

Font: Arial
Size: 16pt bold (title), 14pt bold (chapters), 12pt italic (sub-chapters), 12pt (main text)
Margins: 2.5 cm on each side of the page
Line spacing: 1.5, with no spacing between paragraphs
Page numbering: Continuous, centred at the bottom of the page

The detailed structure of the final text (cover, title page, abstract, main text, references, etc.) is described in the Guide to Writing the Master's Thesis.

Submission, presentation and assessment

The student sends the final text electronically to the members of the three-member Examination Committee at least one (1) month before the scheduled presentation date. A copy of the thesis is also submitted to the Programme Secretariat at least one (1) week before the presentation date.

The date, duration and rules of the presentation are set by the Coordinating Committee and announced in good time. The presentation lasts approximately 10–15 minutes and takes place before the three-member Examination Committee, in the presence of an open audience. The thesis is accepted by majority decision and graded out of 10. After the presentation, minutes are drawn up and signed by the members of the Committee.

If the thesis is not approved, the student receives written reasons and suggestions for improvement and may present it again within a set period.

Requirements for the award of the Master's degree and graduation

Submission of the full text of the thesis in electronic form to the Programme Secretariat.
Presentation of the thesis before the three-member Examination Committee.
Minutes of successful assessment of the thesis signed by the three-member Examination Committee.
Deposit of the thesis in the "PERGAMOS" Digital Repository (instructions are sent after the presentation).
Decision approving the research protocol by the Hospital Scientific Council or the competent Ethics Committee (where required).