The Quality Assurance Policy of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment is fully aligned with the quality policy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Accordingly, the Department is committed to providing high-quality Greek- and foreign-language higher education to the students who choose it, by organizing and delivering Master’s degree programmes of high academic standards and significant added value, in both Greek and English, across the Department’s principal scientific fields and areas of expertise.

Furthermore, the Department seeks to foster a creative environment for research, free scientific expression, and professional activity for all staff and members of its academic community. The Department is committed to implementing this Quality Policy in all Master’s degree programmes that it currently offers or may offer in the future, by applying the quality procedures prescribed by the Institution’s Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS), with the ultimate aim of their continuous improvement. Through this Quality Policy, the academic identity and orientation of the Master’s degree programmes are strengthened; their purpose and subject matter are promoted; specific annual objectives are pursued; the means and methods for achieving those objectives are defined; and the participation of stakeholders in their evaluation and redesign is ensured.

More specifically, in implementing this policy within the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources”, the Department undertakes to apply the quality processes and procedures set out and analyzed in the Institution’s IQAS Quality Manual. These are implemented at the level of the Department’s study programmes with the necessary adaptation and customization to this specific MSc Programme, and in close cooperation with the University’s Quality Assurance Unit (QAU). All quality assurance procedures for the Department’s MSc programmes are subject to audit, review, and revision, conducted annually by the Internal Evaluation Group (IEG) in cooperation with the Institution’s QAU. The processes and procedures applied to monitor and continuously improve the quality of the Master’s degree programmes are as follows:

1. Implementation of a Quality Assurance Policy for MSc Programmes, comprising specific quality assurance actions designed to establish the framework within which the Master’s degree programmes are required to operate.

2. Allocation and management of the Department’s MSc programme resources through procedures that support optimal decision-making and create an appropriate environment for achieving the Institution’s objectives. These procedures ensure the provision of the necessary staff, funding, infrastructure, and equipment, thereby supporting the operation of the MSc programmes and the continuous improvement of their effectiveness in meeting their quality objectives.

3. Establishment of annual Quality Assurance Objectives for all Master’s degree programmes of the Department that are operating or are scheduled to commence during the academic year. Following consultation and agreement between the administrations of the Department and the respective programmes, specific, measurable, and directly observable annual quantitative and qualitative objectives are selected for each MSc programme and assessed through defined indicators. Achieving these objectives is considered essential to improving the effectiveness of the programmes’ internal administrative, educational, and research operations.

4. Periodic Internal Evaluation and Annual Monitoring of all the Department’s MSc Programmes in cooperation with, and with the support of, the Institution’s QAU. Every MSc programme undergoes internal evaluation and an assessment of all its procedures. By identifying elements and issues requiring correction and implementing improvements agreed jointly with the QAU, the programmes pursue their defined objectives, with the ultimate aim of improving all MSc programmes offered by the Department.

5. Collection of quality data: measurement, analysis, and improvement of the MSc programmes of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment. Effective procedures are applied for collecting and analyzing information concerning the Master’s degree programmes, including data on students, teaching staff, course structure and organization, teaching, and services provided to postgraduate students. These data are entered into the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education’s OPESP information system, as well as into the internal information systems of the Department and the Institution.

6. Public disclosure of information on the MSc programmes of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment. Through this process, all information concerning the MSc programmes is made readily accessible, up to date, objective, and clearly formulated. This includes verifying that the Department’s website contains a dedicated area presenting the MSc programmes, that a dedicated bilingual webpage is available, and that procedures are in place for reviewing and updating its content.

7. External Evaluation of the Department’s MSc Programmes. All MSc programmes of the Department are subject to periodic accreditation by the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education, conducted through external evaluation by panels of independent experts.

The implementation of the above procedures in the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” will ensure: (a) the suitability of the structure and organization of its curriculum; (b) that the learning outcomes and resulting graduate qualifications are aligned, to the greatest possible extent, with Level 7 of the European and National Qualifications Frameworks for Higher Education; (c) the promotion of the quality and effectiveness of the Programme’s teaching through monitoring by its Coordinating Committee, the IEG, the Department’s administration, and the NKUA QAU; (d) that the qualifications of the teaching staff, particularly external associates, are appropriate for postgraduate education; (e) the formulation, implementation, and review of specific annual quality objectives for improving the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources”; (f) the level of labor-market demand for the qualifications acquired by graduates, through periodic investigation of labor-market needs and monitoring of the career paths of graduates of the MSc Programme “Earth and Environmental Sciences”; (g) that the support services provided to postgraduate students—including students with disabilities and/or special educational needs—are of high quality and meet their needs for effective participation in the Programme, including readily accessible administrative services and libraries, online services, scholarships, and student-welfare services appropriate to the MSc Programme; (h) the efficient use of the Programme’s financial resources derived from tuition fees, so that the necessary services are provided to postgraduate students and the Programme’s operation is facilitated within the Department’s facilities and wherever else required, including field visits to locations outside the Department for the completion of their education; and (i) the annual internal evaluation and review of the quality assurance system for the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources”, in cooperation with the Institution’s IEG and QAU.

The Quality Objectives on which the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment will focus its efforts for the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” are as follows:

1. Specialization in contemporary fields of scientific and professional activity

2. Enhancing participation in the learning process and supporting students in completing their studies on time

3. Strengthening the Quality Culture within the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources”

4. Activation of Academic Advising

5. Student participation in research activities

6. Improving the quality of the research output produced by the Programme’s teaching staff, based on publications and scientific impact

7. Internationalization of studies

8. Attracting teaching staff to the MSc Programme from institutions in Greece and abroad

9. Increasing participation in activities of European university alliances and collaborations (e.g. CIVIS and Erasmus Mundus)

10. Implementing actions that connect the MSc Programme with the labor market and society

11. Improving the computational capacity of the existing infrastructure

12. Developing Management Information Systems and Digital Governance Services

13. Improving the infrastructure and support services available to the MSc student community

14. Improving accessibility to the Department’s facilities for persons with disabilities

15. Promoting equal gender representation

Download the Quality Assurance Policy of the MSc Programme “Exploration and Sustainable Exploitation of Mineral Resources” pdf file