M1.1 Quality Policy of the Academic Unit for the Development and Improvement of Postgraduate Studies Program

The School of Chemistry’s Quality Assurance Policy is fully aligned with Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) quality policy, committing to providing high-quality Greek and English language higher education to its students. This commitment involves organizing and implementing Undergraduate, Postgraduate, and Doctoral Programs of high academic standards and significant added value in Greek and English in the most important areas and fields of the School of Chemistry’s science. The School of Chemistry also seeks to develop a creative research environment, fostering free scientific expression and work for all its personnel and academic community members. The School of Chemistry commits to implement this quality policy in all its existing and future Postgraduate Studies Programs, executing the quality processes prescribed by the Institution’s Quality Assurance Scheme (QAS), with the ultimate goal of continuous improvement. Through this Quality Policy, the academic identity and orientation of the postgraduate programs are strengthened, their purpose and subject matter are promoted, specific goals set annually are realized, and the means and methods of achieving the aforementioned are determined, ensuring the participation of interested parties in the evaluation and redesign processes.

Specifically, to implement this policy, the School of Chemistry commits to applying the quality processes/procedures outlined in the Institution’s QAS Quality Manual to its postgraduate programs. These processes are applied in the School of Chemistry’s Study Programs with the required specialization/customization in the Postgraduate Studies Programs and in close cooperation with the University’s Quality Assurance Unit (QUASU). All quality assurance processes of the School of Chemistry’s Postgraduate Studies Programs are subject to inspection, review, and revision, conducted annually by the Internal Evaluation Group (OMEA) in cooperation with the Institution’s QUASU. The processes and procedures applied for monitoring and continuously improving the quality of the Postgraduate Studies Programs are as follows:

The implementation of a quality assurance policy for Postgraduate Studies Programs, which includes specific quality assurance actions through collaboration with QUASU DUTH, the transfer of expertise from the School’s OMEA, and the acquisition of accreditations and certifications from International Organizations. This aims to create a framework within which the Postgraduate Studies Programs must operate.
The allocation and management of the resources of the School of Chemistry’s MSc Programs through processes that contribute to the best choices for creating an appropriate environment for achieving the goals of the Institution regarding the assurance of providing the necessary resources to essential personnel, funding, infrastructure, and equipment. This is to continually improve the effectiveness of the MSc programs in achieving the quality goals they set. Indicatively mentioned are the renovation of spaces and the renewal of equipment, the attraction of teaching staff to the MSc from foreign institutions, and the support of the MSc’s teaching staff to improve the quality of the research work produced based on publications and scientific impact.
The establishment of quality assurance goals on an annual basis by all Postgraduate Studies Programs of the School of Chemistry that are operational or about to commence within the academic year. Specific measurable and directly observable annual quantitative and qualitative goals are selected for each MSc after consultation and agreement with the School’s administration and the MSc programs. These are assessed by specific indicators and recorded in Annex M1.2 (Quality Targeting of the Academic Unit for the MSc). These goals are crucial for improving the effectiveness of the program’s internal operations (administrative, educational, and research).
The periodic internal evaluation and monitoring on an annual basis of all the MSc programs of the School of Chemistry in cooperation and with the support of the Institution’s QUASU. In all MSc programs, internal evaluation and assessment of all implemented processes are conducted so that through identifying elements and issues for correction with agreed improvements with QUASU, the set goals are achieved, resulting in the improvement of the MSc programs of the School.
The collection of quality data: measurement, analysis, and improvement of the MSc programs of the School of Chemistry. Effective procedures for collecting and analyzing information about the postgraduate programs (data of students, teaching staff, structure and organization of courses, teaching, and provision of services to MSc students, etc.) are implemented, developing management information systems and digital governance services and feeding the National Information System for Quality Assurance (NISQA) of Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) as well as the internal information systems of the Schools and the Institution.
The publication of information about the MSc programs of the School of Chemistry. Through this specific process, all information concerning the MSc programs becomes directly accessible, up-to-date, and formulated with objectivity and clarity, aiming to improve the infrastructure and support services of the MSc student community. The existence of a specialized space on the School’s website for the promotion of the MSc programs, the existence of a special bilingual page for them, and the procedures for checking and updating their content are examined.
The external evaluation of the MSc programs of the School of Chemistry. In all MSc programs of the School of Chemistry, processes of periodic certification by HAHE are applied, which are carried out with external evaluation procedures by committees of independent experts.

The implementation of the above processes will ensure a) the suitability of the structure and organization of the Postgraduate Studies Programs of the School of Chemistry b) that the learning outcomes and the resulting qualifications of the graduates of the MSc programs are sought to correspond to the maximum possible extent with the European and National Framework of Qualifications for Higher Education level 7, c) the promotion of the quality and effectiveness of the teaching work in the MSc programs of the School of Chemistry through their monitoring by the MSc coordinating committee, the OMEA, the administration of the School of Chemistry and the QUASU DUTH, d) that the qualifications of the teaching staff, especially of the external collaborators, are suitable for the education of postgraduate students, e) the drafting, implementation, and review of special annual quality goals for the improvement of the MSc programs of the School of Chemistry, f) the implementation of actions linking the MSc with the labor market and the local community as well as the level of demand for the acquired qualifications of the graduates in the labor market through regular investigation of the needs of the labor market and monitoring the progress of the graduates of the MSc programs, g) that the support services provided to postgraduate students – including the students with special needs and disabilities are of high quality- cover their needs for effective monitoring, e.g., easily accessible and available administrative services and libraries, online services, scholarships, and MSc-appropriate student care services, h) the efficient utilization of the financial resources of the MSc programs derived from tuition fees, so as to provide the necessary services to postgraduate students and facilitate the operation of the programs in the facilities of the School of Chemistry and whatever else is required, e.g., on-site visits to off-department locations for their comprehensive education, and i) the conduct of the annual internal evaluation and review of the quality assurance system for the MSc programss with the cooperation of the OMEA and the QUASU of the Institution.

The quality goals on which the School of Chemistry will focus its efforts for the “MSc in Oil and Gas Technology” will be as follows:

Improving the graduation rate of postgraduate students
Activating study counseling
Active participation of students and graduates in internal evaluation processes
The quality of the research work produced by the MSc’s teaching staff based on publications and scientific impact
Participation of MSc students in research processes
Linking the MSc with doctoral-level studies
Implementing actions linking the MSc with the labor market and the local community
Utilization, cooperation, and networking with the School’s and MSc’s graduates
Attracting international students to the MSc
Attracting teaching staff to the MSc from foreign institutions
Developing management information systems and digital governance services
Improving the infrastructure and support services of the MSc student community

The Department of Chemistry’s Quality Policy is available on the Department’s website: https://chem.duth.gr/index.php/el/programmata-spoudon/politiki-poiotitas