• Law 3347/2005 Gov. Gazette 189/A’/2.8.2005 Ch. B n. 14
• Ministerial Decision No F5/89656/B3/ 13-08-2007 Gov. Gazette 1466/Β΄/13-8 2007
• Law 4495/2017 Gov. Gazette 114/Α΄/4-8-2017
• Law 4009/2011 Gov. Gazette 195/Α΄/6-9-2011

Higher Education Ιnstitutions’ undergraduate and postgraduate programs are organized on the basis of the European Credits Transfer System (ECTS). 
The European Credits Transfer System (ECTS) is a system which describes H.E.Is syllabus, by attributing credits to the elements comprising them. These credits denote the workload that is required so as students to achieve the objectives of an academic program. 
The reporting burden indicates the time that is needed to be put in order students to complete all scheduled learning activities, within the framework of an academic curriculum containing lectures or seminars attendance, independent study, projects preparation, internships, admission to tests as well as thesis preparation. 
The burden of work during an academic year of full-time education is assessed at sixty credits. It is evaluated at thirty credits every semester and at twenty credits every trimester. The multisectoral H.E.Is regulatory body is responsible for matching the workload per course, always in accordance with the legislation in force.
Higher Education Institutions (H.E.I) organize their undergraduate and postgraduate programs on the basis of European Credits Transfer System (ECTS), so that the curricula can be described by the issue of credits in all autonomous ingredients of education and education activities comprising them, while an eventual successful performances’ credits transfer in other equivalent curricula of the same H.E.I. or of a different one is also remaining  possible both at national and European level. The European Credits Transfer System is based on the time that students have to spend so as to achieve the objectives described in a curriculum, depending on the learning outcomes and the knowledge, competences and skills that are intended to be acquired after its successful completion. The workload designates here students devotion to a successful completion of all the planned educational processes as well as to the achievement of learning outcomes widely prescribed by each syllabus. The ingredients of education and other education activities specified in details are courses or short courses and workshops attendance, participation in seminars, independent study, projects preparation, completion of traineeships, admission to tests, writing of a doctoral thesis, etc.
Credits shall reflect the workload required by each ingredient of education or education activity so that to reach the objectives and learning outcomes pursued by them, always in relation to the general burden required for the successful completion of one (1) academic year of full-time education.
Credits are attributed to each course (lectures, seminars, etc.), internships or thesis, according to the curriculum prescriptions, but also where appropriate, towards the achievement of learning outcomes, depending on the subject of every education process. These credits are acknowledged to students only after proof of positive exam results or the achievement of learning outcomes pursued by each autonomous ingredients of education or education activity of the curriculum.
The minimum and maximum limit of credits that can generally be attributed to an undergraduate or postgraduate program, according to its entire duration, is divided by academic years, based on the minimum number of semesters required to obtain Bachelor or Master’s degree. Students have to work hard during one (1) academic year of full-time education, which includes an average of thirty-six (36) or forty (40) weeks full of instruction, preparation and examinations, equate to one thousand five hundred (1,500) till thousand eight hundred (1,800) working hours, corresponding to sixty (60) credits. The workload is assessed either by semester at seven hundred and fifty (750) to nine hundred (900) working hours, corresponding to thirty (30) credits, or by trimester at five hundred (500) to six hundred (600) working hours, corresponding to twenty (20) credits. In such cases, one (1) credit corresponds to twenty-five (25) till thirty (30) working hours. In exceptional cases of intensive postgraduate programs, in which one (1) full-time academic year includes an average of forty-six (46) to fifty-two (52) weeks full of instruction, preparation and examinations, without laying down any student holidays, the workload is assessed at one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five (1,875) to two thousand two hundred and fifty (2,250) working hours, corresponding to seventy-five (75) credits per academic year. These cases shall be accurately reported in details to the Study Guide s of each H.E.I., according to Articles 2 and 3 of this Decision”.
In accordance with the second subparagraph of article 32 (1), “Faculty dean is defined as the competent body for the issue of credits in each activity of education, following a recommendation of the assembly in case of an undergraduate program, while in case of a postgraduate program, the Grad school dean is the competent body, after a recommendation of instructors group”.
“The competent bodies issue credits by matching the workload that is deemed necessary to achieve the objectives or learning outcomes, as designated by instructors concerned or by those responsible for ingredients of education and other education activities in the curriculum. Credits attributed to each ingredient of education or other education activities in the curriculum might, under no circumstances, not be calculated solely or principally on the basis of teaching hours or class hours, from the one side, and on the basis of the minimum number of credits required by the curriculum for the acquisition of Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. No curriculum shall include autonomous ingredients of education and other education activities to which less than two (2) credits could be attributed.
The respective competent bodies of each faculty have the general responsibility for the formation of their undergraduate and postgraduate programs as well as the attribution of credits in all autonomous ingredients of education and other education activities that compose them. Credits attribution is performed on the basis of instructors assessment or the assessment of those responsible for the work required to be undertaken by each student in order to achieve the objectives or learning outcomes pursued by the ingredients of education or other education activities. Such effort also comprises the whole workload that is required to successfully complete one (1) academic year of full-time education, along with the minimum and maximum limit of credits that could be attributed as a whole in an undergraduate or postgraduate program.
Instructors or those responsible for autonomous ingredients of education and other education activities of the curriculum in which they are involved, determine and describe the objectives and the learning outcomes that are intended to be acquired after a successful completion of any specific process of education. On the basis of these objectives and outcomes, instructors or the persons in charge, have in first place to carry out an assessment of the workload that is theoretically required so that students to achieve their goal. Instructors and responsible parties concerned, proceed to regular review of their first estimations, which may followed up by possible modifications, taking into account students participation or the results of any other appropriate method (e.g. by questionnaires, calendar recording of learning time). Such modifications could be possible only if it is proved that the workload originally calculated does not correspond to realistic data. This review shall be carried out under the responsibility of instructors or responsible parties concerned, either by adjusting the workload to the objectives or learning outcomes pursued by each particular process of education and vice versa. For the calculation of the estimated workload, all the planned educational procedures provided for each autonomous ingredients of education or other education activities of the curriculum should be taken into account, in conjunction with the objectives or the learning outcomes pursued as well as the time required to be spent by students in order to successfully achieve their goals, depending on the subject and the type of each particular process of education as well as on the proof of the successful goals achievement pursued by them. The hours at which the workload is assessed have also to correspond to the credits assigned to each autonomous ingredient of education or any other education activities of the curriculum, in relation to the whole cope required to be undertaken by each student during one (1) academic year of full-time education.
Alternatively, instead of attributing, every time, a different number of credits to each autonomous ingredient of education or any other education activities of the curriculum, the competent bodies may proceed to standardisation of the estimated workload by a solid performance of a specific number of credits (or of an integer multiple number of credits) on each specific ingredient of education or education activities, corresponding to a similar burden. In such cases, standardisation must be carried out on the basis of autonomous ingredients of education and education activities defined by reliable and substantive criteria, so as not to be materially deviated from each other, in terms of duration and qualitative or quantitative requirements vis-à-vis the entire curriculum, and which, according to these characteristics, serve as templates for standardisation. The above templates, including the workload and credits attributed to these standards, shall be described in details, at least in terms of content, of learning outcomes, of teaching methods, of relevant conditions for appropriate preparation and successful participation and examination, of grading scale, of matching the degree of success and attribution of credits, of the semester, the duration, the frequency of repetition, as well as of the necessary workload and the single number of attributed credits. Both the definition and description of templates should be based on instructors assessments or those of responsible parties. The workload of each standard must be derived from all the planned training procedures in which students are asked to successfully participate, in view of the learning outcomes sought by it and the time that is needed to be spent on their successful completion. The procedures for periodic review of the estimated workload for each standard, carried out by students themselves, and those of a possible revision of this workload in the event of a serious deviation from the actual workload that is required, might also be applied in cases of workload standardisation and credits attribution by the use of templates.
The necessary formal requirements for the proper and full implementation of the European Credits Transfer System are the information documents and those of system’s implementation.

These documents shall be the following :
a) Institutions Information Package
This Course catalogue describes in details the undergraduate and postgraduate programs of all faculties belonging to one H.E.I., so that to make their content available and understandable to the public. Moreover, the Course catalogue allows interested parties to find out detailed information on all autonomous ingredients of education and education activities of which they are composed. The Guide is drawn up under the auspices of the foundation concerned and should be published, both in Greek and in English, on each Institution’s website as well as to be printed in a comprehensive form or in several sections. In addition, the Guide should also be accessible to the visually impaired and to be updated at regular basis, that is to say at least once a year. Previous versions of the information package have to remain available on the website for a reasonable period of time. The above mentioned information package must contain all the information listed in the Checklist appendix published both in Greek and in English accompanying the present Decision, including information on foreign students too.
b) Transcript of Records
Transcripts certify students’ performance by providing an itemized list of all courses that the student has attended and been examined to, the amount of credits he has obtained, the positive evaluation score that he received, as well as the equivalent grades of the European Credits Transfer System, as they are calculated according to Article 4 of this Decision. The Certificate is issued both in Greek and in English and shall contain all the information mentioned in the relevant form.

In addition to the documents mentioned in above, the following ones are also required, especially in case of credits transfers:
a) Students Application Form
This application form has to be completed by students wishing to participate in a mobility and exchange program for students and who are planning to carry out a specific and time-limited period of studies in a foreign H.E.I. The application must be completed in English and contain all the essential information mentioned in the relevant document. Further information may be requested by the foreign H.E.Is with the completion of a separate form.
b) Learning Agreement
The Learning Agreement between “Home” Institution and the “Hosting” one, includes the list of courses that the student in mobility can attend at the foreign H.E.Is during the mobility and exchange program and which have been agreed between the authorized representatives of the associated Institutions and the student. The title of every class in the list, as well as its code number and credits must be indicated. The Agreement shall be made between three parties and to be signed before students departure, while it is necessary to be immediately updated in the event of subsequent amendments and to be signed by all three parties The present Agreement, together with the Official Transcripts, ensures credits recognition and transfer as far as the courses in which the student has been successfully examined at the foreign H.E.I. is concerned. In addition to this Learning Agreement, the “Home” Institution may approve a Recognition Sheet, in which it is clearly declared from which courses students are exempted after a successful completion of their study period at a foreign H.E.I..
c) Official Transcript of Records 
Transcript of Records have to be sent by “Home” Institution prior to students departure abroad and to be returned completed by the “Hosting” Institution by the end of their studying period abroad. 
d) Proof of Recognition
The Proof of Recognition issued by the “Home” Institution, certifies credits full recognition and transfer. These credits have been gained by the courses in which students were successfully examined at the foreign H.E.I.. 
Checklist Appendix along with all the relevant documentation mentioned in above and the details need to be included in the corresponding forms completed by the instructors or the responsible parties for each autonomous ingredient of education and education activities and by students, as declares the Article 2 of this Decision, are fully available in electronic version on the official website of the European Commission with further instructions and information, together with a complete list of National Coordinators/Advisors of the European Credits Transfer System (ECTS/DS Counselors).
For the most possible transparency, better understanding and students performance comparability based on the current absolute grade scale from zero (0) to ten (10), students are divided in five (5) groups according to their successful or unsuccessful performance. Students successful performance is further categorized into five subgroups: most successful candidates amounting to a percentage of 10% are graded with A grade, the next successful ones amounting to a percentage of 25% with grade B, the following ones amounting to a percentage of 30% with grade C, the other 25% with grade D and less successful candidates amounting to a percentage of 10% with grade E. Schematically, successful students’ performance is based on the following relevant scale of the European Credits Transfer System:
ECTS per percentage of students who usually achieve the score:

• Grade A For the most successful candidates at 10%
• Grade B For subsequent successful candidates at 25%
• Grade C For subsequent successful candidates at 30%
• Grade D For subsequent successful candidates at 25% 
• Grade E For the rest successful candidates at 10%

Unsuccessful students’ performance is also categorized on the basis of the European Credits Transfer System in two subgroups: Students of the first subgroup are graded with the FX grade, which means “Unsuccessful examination – A number of further improvements is required so that performance could be judged as a successful one”, while students of the second subgroup are graded with the F grade, which means “Unsuccessful examination – Further substantial improvements are required”.
A prerequisite for the reliable matching of courses grade and the one of any other autonomous ingredient of education or education activities of the curriculum with the above scores of the European Credits Transfer System, is the categorization of students’ performance by a reference to groups, which include a minimum but sufficient number of at least one hundred (100) students who participated in exams. Otherwise, by a reference, through comparative statistics, to students performance during the last three (3) academic years at least. For this purpose, each Faculty of H.E.I. collects and processes the necessary statistics for the creation and maintenance of a relevant database. In case that the number of students who take part in examinations is insufficient or if there are insufficient comparative statistics, the matching of students performance is, first of all, obligatory only for the final grade of their Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, and optional for each particular course or other autonomous ingredient of education and education activities in the curriculum, only if this is possible and if there is a special need to, e.g. in case of students  who are moving to a foreign H.E.I.. In such cases, the capital letter E or P along with the words “successful” or “pass”, both in Greek and in English, shall be appeared to Official Transcripts. In any case, the indication of an unsuccessful performance to Official Transcripts is optional, and may be appeared upon  students request.
In order to ensure and observe the correct ECTS implementation in each H.E.I., a competent Foundation’s Coordinator is appointed by Faculties Senate or General Assembly, together with a competent Coordinator of each faculty appointed by the or the General Assembly or Council of the foundation concerned. The Coordinators may be members of Institutions teaching, research or administration staff, having gained concrete knowledge and experience in European educational programs, with ability to effectively carry out their duties on behalf of the concerned institution and its faculties. Responsibilities allocation between Foundations’ Coordinator and the Faculties’ Coordinators shall be carried out on the basis of Foundation Internal Rules of Operation, while their competences shall be clearly and transparently established by binding signature on all documents providing information about system’s implementation (students application forms, learning agreements, official transcripts). H.E.I. with a small number of faculties, having only one Coordinator.
The competent H.E.I. Coordinator shall ensure the foundation’s compliance with the principles and rules of the European Credits Transfer System, as well as to oversee their implementation. In addition, he is also responsible for credits recognition and transfer. All along with Faculties Coordinators, the H.E.I. Coordinator is in charge of the organization, the progress and completion of Information Package drafting and publishing, while he ensures the full and effective implementation of credits transfer and accumulation in all H.E.I. faculties. Faculty Coordinator plays the role of an intermediary in the communication between students and instructors, when at the same time he is dealing with all practical and academic issues concerning the ECTS application in all relevant faculties. Students could reach him for any kind of guidance counseling for credits transfer. Furthermore, he ensures students access to Information Packages of the Foreign H.E.Is, he helps them in applications correct completion and explains the prescribed procedures for academic recognition to them. In the end, this person has the responsibility for correctly issuing students official transcripts, prior or after the completion of their studies in the foreign H.E.I., as well as for the correct issue of foreign students, studying at a national H.E.I., official transcripts. 
3. H.E.I. Coordinators together with Faculties Coordinators cooperate closely with each other as well as with National Coordinators/Advisors of the European Credits Transfer System (ECTS/DS Counselors) on all issues related to ECTS implementation in the relevant H.E.I. or their faculties, while at the end of each academic year, they prepare a detailed report on all their actions, proposals and initiatives, and which they submit for approval to H.E.I Senate or General Assembly as well as to faculties General Assembly or Council. These reports along with the positive decisions from the side of faculties Senate or General Assemblies, shall be communicated to National Coordinators/Advisors of the European Credits Transfer, as well as to the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs”.
Responsible for ensuring and controlling the correct and  effective implementation of the European Credits Transfer System at the Democritus University of Thrace, upon Senate’s decision (Reference No B 4724/25-7-2012 during meeting No 857/24-7-2012) has been appointed the Professor of the Faculty of Physical Education, Mrs. Maria Michalopoulou.
According to Article 32 (1) and (2) of Law 4485/2017 (Gov. Gazette 114/A ́/4-8-2017): 
Establishment of Post Graduate Programs:
Post Graduate Programs are established upon Senate’s decision, adopted following General Assembly’s recommendation, and published in the Government Gazette. Such a decision has to determine both the title of the program and of the awarded degree, the different specializations involved, the Faculty assuring the program, the discipline covered, the language of the proceedings, program’s duration, the number of credits acquired, the lifespan of the program, as well as the amount of possible tuition fees.

Each Faculty’s General Assembly proposes under the absolute majority of its members. The report sets out in details:
(a) the title, the discipline and the purpose of the program, (b) students’ categories that could be accepted, (c) studies duration for degree’s acquisition,
(d) the different specializations covered by the program; which have to not be more than three, (e) the indicative program, per specialization if there are many specializations, for theoretical, laboratory, artistic or clinical courses, including the thesis writing, practical exercises and any other type of research and education activities, as well as the corresponding credits, (f) the language of teaching and thesis writing, which may be other than Greek,
(g) the number of postgraduate students, (h) both the potentials and needs of each faculty as far as staff and logistical infrastructure for the smooth operation of the program are concerned,
(i) the detailed budget, including the detailed operating cost of the program, the funding sources and the basic operational resources, (j) any special justification for an urgent abandoning of the program, as well as for the duration of abandoning in proportion to students benefits resulting from the program, (k) program’s duration of existence.
According to Article 33 (5) of Law 4485/2017 (Gov. Gazette 114/A ́/4-8-2017): 
“All Post Graduate courses correspond to a minimum of sixty (60) credits”.
According to the subparagraph b of article 32 (1) of Law 4009/2011 (Gov. Gazette 195/6-9-2011 i. A): “According to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) of Higher Education, each curriculum shall also contain the learning outcomes and qualifications acquired from the entire program, as well as from each individual course or education activity or traineeship included therein and the credits obtained, in accordance with the decision P.5/89656/B3/13.8.2007 of the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs (B’1466). Moreover, curriculums have to include the NQF level in relation to those of the National Qualifications Framework, the European Lifelong Learning Qualifications Framework and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Domain. The competent bodies for credits assessment in each education activity of the curriculum, are the Dean of the faculty concerned, following the recommendation of faculty’s General Assembly in the case of an undergraduate program, and the Dean of the Graduate school, following the recommendation of a group of instructors in the case of a postgraduate program”.
The Article 36 of Law 4009/2011 (Gov. Gazette 195/6-9-2011 i. A) declares the following: “(d) In the case of students enrolled in Greek H.E.Is, credits, studies duration, courses successful assessment and the grades obtained, are taken into account, while they are transferred and deemed to have been carried out at the “Home” H.E.I., only if such courses are provided by an approved cooperation program. e) The H.E.I. Organizations may provide the possibility of a temporal transfer of a student between a National and a Foreign H.E.I. to another resident, for a short period of time which doesn’t exceeds the one academic year. Credits transfer and other relative issues are also regulated. (f) The H.E.I. Organizations regulate the terms and conditions for credits transfer, as well as the maintenance of any student benefits that may be transferred to the “Hosting” Institution. 

Checklist for the Information Package/Course Catalogue
Part One: Information on the Institution

• Name and address
• Academic calendar
• Academic authorities
• General description of the institution (including type and status)
• List of degree programmes offered
• Αdmission/registration procedures
• Main university regulations (notably recognition procedures)
• ECTS institutional coordinator

Part Two: Information on degree programmes
A) General description

• Qualification awarded
• Admission requirements
• Educational and professional goals
• Access to further studies
• Course structure diagram with credits (60 per year)
• Final examination
• Examination and assessment regulations
• ECTS departmental coordinator

B) Description of individual course units

• Course title
• Course code
• Type of course
• Level of course
• Year of study
• Semester/trimester
• Number of credits allocated (based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives or learning outcomes)
• Name of lecturer
• Objective of the course (preferably expressed in terms of learning outcomes and competences)
• Prerequisites
• Course contents
• Recommended reading
• Teaching methods
• Assessment methods
• Language of instruction

Part Three: General information for students

• Cost of living
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Medical facilities
• Facilities for special needs students
• Insurance
• Financial support for students
• Student affairs office
• Study facilities
• International programmes
• Practical information for mobile students
• Language courses
• Internships
• Sports facilities
• Extra−mural and leisure activities
• Student associations