A. Master's in Molecular Biology
B. Master's in Experimental Molecular Biology
C. PhD in Molecular Biology

I. ENTRY TO THE POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM

The Department announces positions for each of the above postgraduate programs separately, after approval from the relevant authorities of the University. The determination of the number of the announced positions is based on the specific needs and capacities of the Department and of each of its faculty members. Consequently, each newly arrived student will have prior knowledge regarding the research lab in which he/she will carry out his/her research part of the program (applies to either 'Master's in Experimental Molecular Biology' or to 'PhD in Molecular Biology'). Each postgraduate candidate student is encouraged to contact all Departmental Faculty Members (DFM) with the aim of choosing the research lab for carrying out the research part of his/her studies. Upon entry to the program every student must have identified a DFM who is prepared to host him/her for developing the laboratory part of the research work.

Eligible to apply are those who hold an undergraduate degree from a recognized University with a final general mark of at least 6.5/10 (for graduates from Universities in Greece and Cyprus) or the equivalent for graduates from overseas Universities with a different marking system. Eligible to apply are also those who will hold such a degree by the starting date of the above mentioned postgraduate programs.

I.1 The application has to include:

(a) Curriculum Vitae (CV)
(b) Comprehensive list of the markings for each of the undergraduate degree courses studied (and for postgraduate courses, should there have been any)
(c) Summary of long-term professional/scientific goals (either in Greek or in English).

Each candidate is responsible for arranging the delivery, directly to the Department, of two recommendation letters, preferably from academic staff. Candidates are encouraged to start entry procedure to the postgraduate program before the completion of their undergraduate study. However, they must hold an undergraduate degree by the start of the postgraduate program.

I.2 The applications are submitted to the Department and are reviewed by the Committee for Postgraduate Studies (CPS) which is made up of three members, one of whom is the Coordinator of the committee. The recommendations of the CPS will take effect as long as they are approved by the Departmental Council. The decisions of the Departmental Council will be forwarded to the School of Pure and Applied Sciences of the University of Cyprus. The Departmental Council reserves the right not to fill all the announced postgraduate positions. The CPS invites candidates for interviews after a pre-selection process and reserves the right not to invite candidates who have not met the pre-selection criteria.

II. CONTENTS OF THE POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMME-GENERAL REQUIRMENTS

The postgraduate programs of the Department of Biological Sciences includes theoretical and research courses at both the Master's and PhD levels, as outlined below. For students who enter the PhD program and have already obtained a Master's degree from the University of Cyprus or any other recognized University, it is possible to become exempt from some or all of the required ECTS units on a case by case determination, after a decision by the CPS and approval by the Departmental Council. The requirements for obtaining a Master's or PhD degree are outlined below.

III. MASTER'S DEGREE IN 'MOLECULAR BIOLOGY' OR 'EXPERIMENTAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY'

III.1 The Master's degree in 'Molecular Biology' does not involve any courses that involve a lab-based research dissertation and it is designed for those who do not wish to work in a research lab during their studies. To obtain this Master's degree, candidates have to successfully complete 90 ECTS as follows. The course BIO680 is worth 20 ECTS units and is compulsory. Seminar attendance (BIO800 and BIO801) is also compulsory (Table A ). The remaining 70 ECTS units are obtained by attending classes from a list of restricted elective courses (Table B ). Regarding the completion of the Master's in 'Experimental Molecular Biology' 90 ECTS units are required, 60 of which are obtained by attending classes from restricted elective courses (Table C ) as well as attending the seminar classes (BIO800 and BIO801) which are also compulsory. Another requirement is to carry out a compulsory lab-based research dissertation whose duration is at least one semester and which is worth 30 ECTS units (Table D ). After its completion, this dissertation will be presented in the form of an open seminar. Candidates will also have to successfully pass an oral examination by a three-member Special Exams Committee. They will be examined mainly on their research dissertation as well as on subject matter they were taught during the courses they undertook as part of their postgraduate program.

The duration of study is at least three semesters with a maximum of eight semesters. Students enrolled in any of the two Master's programs will be allowed to apply for a change of Master's program by the second semester of their studies, but not later. A request for a change in the program is subject to approval by the CPS and Departmental Council.

III.2 The Special Exams Committee consists of the research supervisor who is appointed by the Departmental Council prior to the start of the dissertation, one DFM from the Department of Biological Sciences, and a third member who can be a DFM from the Department of Biological Sciences or from another Department of the University of Cyprus or from a DFM of an overseas University who is familiar with the scientific area concerned.

The Special Exams Committee is appointed after recommendation by the CPS of the Department and approval by the Departmental Council. The president of the Special Exams Committee is the research supervisor of the student.

IV. PHD DEGREE IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

IV.1 Those enrolled in the PhD Program must complete 80 ECTS units by taking postgraduate courses (Table E). They also have to attend the seminar series of the Department for at least four semesters (Table F). Candidates who already hold a Master's degree in a relevant scientific area or who have attended postgraduate classes in relevant subjects can be exempt partially or up to 80 ECTS units, after submitting an application to the CPS and provided that the candidate has been advised by his/her research supervisor regarding this matter. In either case candidates must enroll to attend the seminar series of the Department.

After the completion of the postgraduate courses (excluding the seminars), candidates will undergo a 'Comprehensive' examination (BIO810, Table F) according to the general University guidelines of postgraduate studies. This will involve preparation and presentation of a research proposal in an area different from that of their PhD research dissertation.

IV.2 Students officially become PhD candidates after their successful completion of the 'Comprehensive' examination, the latest by the fifth semester, and provided they have also prepared and presented successfully a research proposal regarding their PhD research dissertation, the latest by the fifth semester. The two research proposals ('Comprehensive' examination and PhD research proposal) will include a detailed description of the aims and methodology and must adhere to internal guidelines and regulations of the Department. Each of these proposals will be presented before a three-member committee appointed by the CPS of the Department upon recommendation from the research supervisor. This three-member committee is made up from the Research Supervisor who is also the president, one DFM from the Department of Biological Sciences, and a member who can be a DFM from another Department of the University of Cyprus but who is familiar with the relevant scientific or research area, or from a different University or Research Institute. These two committees may or may not have the same member composition. Candidates reserve the right to take the 'Comprehensive' exam twice. After the completion of the theoretical classes and while they are currying out their PhD research, the candidates are obliged to enroll every semester in the appropriate research stage of their PhD (Table D). Towards the end of their research and during their PhD thesis write-up, students enroll in the 'Write-up Stage' (BIO835-BIO837, Table D).

IV.3 For the evaluation of the direction and progress of the candidate's PhD research work, each candidate will have to carry out an oral presentation before the three-member committee regarding their research progress, within one year from their successful completion of the 'Comprehensive' exam.

The PhD dissertation thesis can be submitted only after the elapse of at least six semesters from their entry into the PhD Program and after the student has successfully completed his/her 'Comprehensive' exam and obtained the required ECTS units.

IV.4 The PhD thesis defense takes place before a five-member Exam Committee which is appointed by the CPS after recommendation from the research supervisor. This committee is made up of three DFMs from the Department of Biological Sciences one of which is the research supervisor, one member from a different University or Research Institute and of another member who can be a DFM from another Department of the University of Cyprus but who is familiar with the relevant scientific or research area, or from another University or Research Institute. The president of this committee is a DFM from the Department of Biological Sciences, other than the research supervisor. Prior to the submission of the PhD thesis dissertation, the Department requires that every PhD candidate has at least one first-author publication (or accepted for publication) of innovative research work.

Upon approval to be awarded the title of Master's in 'Experimental Molecular Biology' or PhD in 'Molecular Biology' the candidate has to donate one copy of the thesis to the Library of the University and one copy to the Department of Biological Sciences.