Diploma Thesis

Regulations Concerning the Preparation of a Diploma Thesis

The diploma thesis should be a synthesis that encapsulates the student’s experience and knowledge of the biggest possible number of scientific subjects of Electrical and Computer Science Engineering, and aims at the promotion of this science.

The diploma thesis is completed by close collaboration between the student and a supervising member of the academic staff of the department. While the student prepares his/her diploma thesis, members of the academic staff of the department or of other DUTh Departments, can be called upon for guidance/assistance.

The diploma thesis is prepared during the tenth academic semester and requires at least a full semester of work. The diploma thesis grade will contribute to the final grade of the diploma.

1. Assigning a thesis topic

The preparation of the thesis concerns only subjects belonging to the course followed by the student, that is to say no theses are prepared on subjects not covered by courses taken by the student during the years of study. Subjects of joint coursesof both cycles are also eligible for thesis preparation

Diploma thesis topics are chosen at the beginning of each academic year by the assemblies of the Sectors. Each faculty member of the technological sectors will submit to the Department at least 5 diploma thesis topics for the current academic year, to be approved until October 5. Each member of the Department of Physics and Applied Mathematics must submit at least two topics. Those who propose the topics are the theses supervisors as well.

All academic staff members may supervise a maximum a of five theses per year, but if there are any problems the General Assembly of the Department can change this number until the end of May, regarding the following academic year, to enable students to choose thesis topics within the course of study they chose.

The number of theses to be prepared under the supervision of members of the Sector of Physics and Applied Mathematics will be, at most ,equal to the current number of the academic staff members of this sector, minus the number of those who are on sabbatical. However, there may be an increase in this number, in some exceptional cases, following a sufficiently reasoned decision of the Board of Directors of the Department.

The diploma thesis topics proposed should be accompanied with a brief analysis of the issue and a description of the work the student is required to do, in order to complete the thesis. Also in these proposals there should be a description of the feasibility and of any equipment necessary for the preparation of the thesis that either is available, or should be bought out. The main criteria for the Sector to give its approval of the topics proposed are: whether the diploma thesis contributes to the Science of Electrical and Computer Engineering, its feasibility, the time for its preparation and whether the faculty member proposing the thesis is appropriate to supervise it.

The sectors are able to approve, reject or modify the contents of the proposals to better meet the above criteria. The approved content is binding on the selection board as to the final grade of the diploma thesis.

The sectors are required to decide until October 15 on the diploma thesis topics that will be approved for the current academic year and post on the bulletin boards which of them are approved, their descriptions, as well as the names of the supervisor and of the selection board.

Students are required to reach agreement with the supervisors of the topics proposed until November 20, and affirm their choice and its selection priority (1st, 2nd, 3rd) so as to secure their diploma thesis topic. The laboratories to which the members of the faculty belong keep signed lists of the students who ask for a diploma thesis topic. In these lists the proposed topics are listed, as well as their selection priority (1st, 2nd, 3rd).

The faculty members, based on the performance of the students in courses related to the diploma thesis topic, have to decide and recommend to the sectors where they belong, until November 25 at the latest, the names of the students selected for the preparation of each approved topic.

The laboratories of the Sectors then submit copies of the lists of applications. The sectors, after calling a meeting, finalize these choices and communicate to the Secretariat a list of student names who have taken theses, the names of the members of the respective selection boards and any existing thesis topics that are not taken. The final lists and the topics still available are posted on the notice boards of the Secretariat to inform the students.

In the event that as a result of force majeure the contents of the diploma thesis have to be amended during its preparation, the sector responsible can give its consent to this, after the supervisor and at least one more member of the selection board have suggested it promptly. If some students’ amendment applications are not approved,the sectors have to submit a list of these students to the Secretariat of the Department too. The deadline for the submission of these lists to the Secretariat by the sectors will be the 30th of November. After that date and until December 5 students who have not found diploma thesis topics, and other students who wish to find one but have not yet contacted the laboratories, have to submit to the Secretariat of the Department an application with three options chosen from the thesis topics still available.The Board of Directors of the Department bases its decision on these applications, and then distributes to students the thesis topics available on 15th December.

If a student does not submit an application for a thesis in the Laboratory or the Board of Directors of the Department until December 5, they will not be able to prepare a thesis for this academic year, unless due to force majeure, which should be fully documented in a request submitted to the Board of Directors of he Department. In this case the Board may approve and entrust a late thesis on one of the available topics.

A change in the topic of the diploma thesis due to force majeure can be made after a sufficiently reasoned request by the student to the Secretariat of the sector where the thesis is being prepared. The official request should be signed by both supervisors and then is approved by the respective sector. Changes in the thesis topics are announced at the Board of Directors of the Department.

2. Time duration and real-time students

The diploma thesis is generally prepared in the laboratories of the School of Engineering. Diploma thesis preparation (or part of it) in other places outside the Faculty is possible if the Board of Directors has given its consent, after the faculty member supervising has submitted a sufficiently reasoned request.

The preparation of the thesis must take place in a continuous, intensive and organized manner to make the best use of both the student’s and the faculty member’s- supervisor’s time and to minimize the time of using laboratory equipment.

The thesis preparation time is calculated starting from the beginning of each spring semester until June 1. This period is the minimum time-frame allowable and may be automatically extended until September 30 if the circumstances show there is such a need so as to optimize the final result. -a decision which is at the discretion of the supervising faculty member.

After October 1 the preparation of a diploma thesis is continued only after the supervisor has submitted documented recommendation and at least one of the other members of the selection committee has agreed. This recommendation also mentions the period of extension, which is binding.This extension period cannot be more than twelve months (until 30 September of the following academic year). The recommendation is communicated to the Board of Directors until October 1. If the recommendation is not made, the diploma thesis is considered not completed and the student is required to participate in the selection process of the new diploma thesis topics that will take place in the following academic year. The unsuccessful preparation of the thesis is announced at the Board of Directors of the Department, in a report stating the reasons for failure and countersigned by the other members of the selection committee.

Students who do not complete their thesis successfully, after the four-month extension has passed, will be entitled to take a new thesis topic of the ones still available in the Department for this year, after submitting an application to the Board of Directors of the Department.

The topics of the theses that were unsuccessfully closed at the end of the academic year may be re-submitted by the supervisors to be prepared for the next academic year, through the existing approval process.

Each department is responsible for the proper preparation of its theses and for the prevention of failures that are due to insufficient technological equipment. Supervisors must inform the other members of the selection committee and the board of any problems that arise during the preparation of the theses they are responsible for.

3. Submitting the Diploma Thesis

A diploma thesis is considered completed when, after the supervisor has given his or her consent, five copies of it are printed and delivered to him (one for each member of the selection committee, one for the library of the Laboratory and one for the library of the Faculty of Engineering). The printing and bookbinding costs are covered by the student.

After a period of no more than one week after the thesis has been submitted, the Selection Committee, having been informed of the contents of this thesis, is required to announce the examination date by notifying the Board of Directors of the Department.through a document signed by the supervisor and the members of the selection committee This date should give the student the opportunity to graduate within the specific academic period .The diploma thesis is examined by the three-member committee appointed by the Department at a date and site of the School of Engineering that are communicated to the Secretariat in writing. It is the supervising faculty member’s responsibility to report the examination of the thesis widely in the university community.

If due to force majeure one (and only) member of the selection board cannot be present on the scheduled examination date (except, of course, for the supervisor), the replacement of this member is possible , following a decision of the President of the Department.

Theses are normally examined five (5) days after the examination period of the spring semester and last for one (1) week or less. If there is an extension during the holiday period, the thesis examination can take place five (5) days after the examination period in September and will last for one (1) week or less. In the rare case that the thesis completion is extended into the coming academic year, if the Board of Directors decides so, the thesis should be completed and examined five (5) days after the end of the examination period of the fall semester and will last for one (1) week or less. It is preferable that the thesis examinations take place on special days organized by the sectors.

4. Evaluation of the diploma thesis.

The sectors ensure the existence and maintenance of uniform scoring criteria that also assess the scientific standard of the theses.

The sectors decide on the composition of the three-member examining committee in which there are, apart from the supervisor, another member of the same sector and a member of another sector acting as an outside arbiter to ensure uniform criteria for the entire Department. The only criterion for the choice of these members, as estimated by the Department commissioning the thesis, is their relevance to the topic . The sector informs the faculty members of other sectors that are included in the thesis selection boards of the names of students, the thesis topics and the abstracts in writing until November 15.

The member of the academic staff of the other Sector, that is called to examine the thesis, is entitled to indicate inability to participate in the committee, in a letter sent to the Board until November 20, citing reasons of lack of affinity with the issue of the thesis or work overload. The issue of this replacement is then referred to the Head of the Department who makes the final decision, based on criteria such as the kinship of subject with the specialties and the commensurable distribution of the instructive work among the members of the academic staff of the Department.

The diploma thesis is scored based on the following general criteria, in order of importance:
a. Elements of originality (desirable) and contribution to the wider cognitive field of Electrical and Computer Engineering
b. Degree of achievement of the objectives set.
c. Quantity of work.
d. Integrity of the text.
e. Oral presentation.
f. Editing and overall presentation

The final grade of the thesis consists of the average of the three grades given by the members of the Selection Committee.

In the case where the grade of a thesis is not qualifying the student is entitled to receive, upon his request of the Board,. either a change of topic, or a time extension for the preparation and improvement of the thesis in the next graduation period . The student has the right to ask for a time extension for the preparation and improvement of the thesis in the next graduation period through an application submitted to the Board of Directors if the scores of examiners differ by five points.

5. Copyright and other rights of the Diploma Thesis.

The thesis a joint effort of both students and faculty members who supervise its preparation in DUTH These individuals have the right to publish the results of this thesis in scientific journals, respecting the scientific ethics.

The expenses for the preparation of the thesis are covered, as a rule, entirely by DUTh. DUTh, funding the preparation of the theses and being the employer of the faculty members. that participate in them, reserves all the rights to any financial gains may result from commercial or other applications of the theses findings.

In special cases, and upon approval of the Board of Directors of the Department, the funding of part of a thesis can come from other sources, e.g. other national bodies or private companies. This funding of the theses does not give the outside sources any rights in any commercial or other applications resulting from these theses.

The student, when starting the preparation of a diploma thesis, signs a personal statement conceding his or her rights to DUTh. Otherwise, the preparation of the thesis is not considered legitimate and the process stops.

6. Any interpretation issues concerning the current Diploma Thesis Preparation Regulation during its implementation, and any issues not covered by this regulation will be dealt with by the Board of Directors of the Department

Completing the Diploma Thesis Preparation Regulation

The General Assembly of the Department at its meeting No. 3/10-11-92 decided to complete the Diploma Thesis Preparation Regulation, specifying that where the phrase “completion of the thesis” is stated, this refers to a statement made by the supervisor to the appropriate Sector where it can be clearly seen that the thesis is completed.

That is to say the relative deadlines contained in the Diploma Thesis Preparation Regulation actually refer to the thesis completion as explained above.

It should be noted that the examination of the diploma thesis as well as the submission of the corresponding grades to the Secretariat of the Department will take place whenever the student finishes all his or her courses, according to the law.

In the event that the thesis has not been completed (the supervisor has the task of informing the corresponding sector), the thesis topic will be lost, as stated in the regulation, and will again be one of the topics available for the next academic year, if the supervisor decides so.