The Programme
This Joint Degree Programme entitled European Master in “Field Archaeology in Greece - Interdisciplinarity and Cutting-edge Technologies is a Master’s programme of 120 ECTS credits. The structure and the contents of the programme fulfil the national and institutional requirements of all associate universities. It is addressed to international graduates, preferably holding a first degree in the field of Humanities or in Archaeological Sciences. A maximum of twenty (20) students per intake can be admitted to the joint programme. Students are required to spend the first term (30 ECTS) at the University of Thessaly and the subsequent terms (90 ECTS) in at least one of the cooperating institutions. Courses include lectures and seminars in class as well as trips to archaeological sites and museums. During summer, students are required to participate for at least one month in archaeological field projects in Greece directed by members of the partner institutions. The last semester is devoted to the preparation of the Master’s thesis. Students can choose in which of the partner institutions they wish to spend this semester in order to prepare their thesis.Table of Contents
🎓 Degree Requirements 💰 Fees 📚 Courses 📝 Application Form 📍 Location of Courses 🗣️ Language Policy 📖 Dissertation Guidelines 🏅 Degree 📜 Regulations🎓 Degree Requirements
The student must complete 120 ECTS to graduate.
💰 Fees
The tuition fee for the program is €4,000.
📚 Courses
Core Modules
- The discipline of Archaeology (10 ECTS)
- Landscape Archaeology & Archaeological Field Survey (10 ECTS)
- Archaeological Excavation (10 ECTS)
Sector Modules
- Digital Humanities: Archaeo-informatics & Data Management (10 ECTS)
- Ethnoarchaeology & Experimental Archaeology (10 ECTS)
- Marine Archaeology (10 ECTS)
- Household Archaeology (10 ECTS)
- The Archaeology of Death & Burial (10 ECTS)
- Archaeology of the Sacred (10 ECTS)
- Archaeology of Primary & Secondary Production (10 ECTS)
- Geo-archaeology - Geology, Geophysics & Archaeology (10 ECTS)
- Archaeological Materials (10 ECTS)
- Bioarchaeology (10 ECTS)
- Ancient Epigraphy & Numismatics (10 ECTS)
- Landscape & Digital Archaeology (10 ECTS)
For more details about each course, including ECTS, assessment methods,etc visit our detailed course descriptions page.
📝 Application Form
To apply for this program, please fill out the official Application Form.
📍 Location of Courses
- Associate Universities - Main university campuses.
- Field project - Field study locations.
🗣️ Language Policy
The official language of instruction is English. The University of Thessaly and the Ionian University offer foreign students the opportunity to learn Greek, starting at an elementary level, with additional language support available.
📖 Dissertation Guidelines
Students must complete a research dissertation in their final semester. Completing an MA dissertation (M.D.) is a mandatory component of the program, designed to assess a postgraduate student's ability to produce a substantial and original academic work.
During the third semester, all students undertake a supervised research project, resulting in an M.D. of 15,000–20,000 words. They also have the option to complete this semester at one of the three collaborating institutions in the Joint Master’s Degree (J.M.D.) program:
- Department of History, Archaeology, and Social Anthropology, University of Thessaly
- Department of History, Ionian University
- Department of Humanities, Roma Tre University
The M.D. dissertation is written in English.
🏅 Degree
Graduates will be awarded a Master's Degree issued by all participating universities.
📜 Regulations
All students must adhere to the academic regulations outlined below:
M.D. Supervision and Examination
The Coordinating Committee is responsible for nominating each candidate's M.D. supervisor. The supervisor is selected from the academic staff of the J.M.D. By May 31st, candidates must submit to the Coordinating Committee the proposed title of their M.D., a brief summary of the research topic, and the name of their suggested supervisor. The suggested supervisor then formally nominates the candidate's supervisor.
By the end of the second semester, candidates must confirm their M.D. topic, specify the institution where they will complete their research, and provide the name of their supervisor. Following topic selection, in consultation with their supervisor, candidates must submit a research proposal, including an indicative bibliography (up to 1000 words), to the J.M.D. Administration Office.
Once the research proposal is approved by the supervisor, it is ratified by the Assembly of the Coordinating Committee. If necessary, candidates may change their research topic with supervisor approval, while a supervisor change requires exceptional approval by the Coordinating Committee.
Supervision and Defense
During the third semester, candidates are required to meet with their supervisor regularly (at least once a month). If a candidate fails to attend meetings for two consecutive months, the supervisor has the right to resign.
When the M.D. is considered ready, the candidate submits the final draft to their supervisor. After making any necessary revisions based on supervisor feedback, the final draft must be submitted no later than twenty (20) days before the defense date.
The M.D. defense cannot be scheduled earlier than three (3) weeks after the final submission. The J.M.D. administrative staff will announce the defense date on the official program website.
The defense is conducted before a three-member Examining Committee consisting of the supervisor and two additional faculty members or recognized researchers in the relevant scientific field.
Defense Procedure
- The candidate presents their research project in an open lecture.
- A discussion follows between the candidate, the Examining Committee, and the audience.
- The Examining Committee deliberates privately, assigns a grade, and submits an evaluation report to the J.M.D. Administration Office.
Grading Scheme
| Grade | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinction | 8.5 to 10 |
| Merit | 6.5 to 8.5 |
| Pass | 5 to 6.5 |
| Fail | 0 to 4.9 |
Retaking the Examination
If a candidate fails the M.D. examination, they may retake the defense once. The Coordinating Committee will schedule a second defense at least three (3) months after the initial attempt. If the candidate fails again, they will not be awarded the degree.
After incorporating any revisions suggested by the Examining Committee, candidates must submit two copies of the approved M.D. in PDF format—one to the Library of the University of Thessaly and another to the J.M.D. Administrative Office. The M.D. will also be submitted to the University of Thessaly’s Institutional Repository (open-access digital library), but reproduction requires the author's written permission.