Program of studies

The special features of the Program of Studies in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University of West Attica are summarized as follows:

1. The option of two course directions: 1) direction 1 (Energy Sector) and direction 2 (Design & Manufacturing Sector). An equivalent  Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering is awarded in either of the two directions. The Master’s degree allows all students to have access to the same job opportunities as professional Mechanical Engineers. Upon graduation, there is no indication on the diploma certificate regarding the specific direction selected by the student.
2. Both broad-content directions consist of a balanced combination of courses that blend common-core mechanical engineering knowledge with innovative technologies in the areas of energy and design & manufacturing, while including high demand subjects such as environmental engineering, nano/composite/smart materials and production management.
3. Core courses comprise the first three years of study.
4. The students have an opportunity to customize their specialization preferences from the 7th to the 9th semester. Both directions offer their own track options.
5. Teaching of the newly introduced scientific areas is carried out using modern educational techniques and it is supported by extensive laboratory work.
6. The collaboration between the members of the Department is strengthened, as the majority of the courses are currently supported by a group of teachers, in order to ensure the synthesis of knowledge and scientific approaches, to cultivate the spirit of cooperation and teamwork and to ensure the required objectivity in student assessment.
7. The lab exercises are upgraded, which in combination with the coursework assigned, contribute to the interconnection of theory and application.
8. Both the existing laboratory infrastructure of the Department and the results of the scientific research of the members of the Department are utilized in the best way.

Finally, utilizing the experience of the design, adaptation and implementation of the previous four-year curriculum, the new five-year curriculum was prepared by taking into account, among other things, the smooth “transition” of the students to it.

It is clarified that throughout the text the classification of the courses is, according to the instructions of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (H.A.H.E.), in a) general background or foundation courses, b) special background or core courses and c) knowledge deepening/consolidation (specialization) courses.

The quantitative data of the Program of Studies of the Department, are tabulated below:

Table 1: Tabulated quantitative data of the Program of Studies of the Departmentof Mechanical Engineering.

In conclusion, in order to obtain the diploma of Mechanical Engineer, the student must successfully attend fifty (50) courses from the 1st to the 9th semester, and prepare his/her diploma thesis during the last (10th) semester of studies. Of these courses, thirty-three (33) are compulsory courses of general and special background, ten (10) are compulsory specialization courses and seven (7) are compulsory elective specialization courses in each direction.

The total number of awarded credits (ECTS) of the Curriculum is 300, and each of the ten (10) semesters corresponds to thirty (30) ECTS.

The practical training (internship) is optional, has a duration of two (2) months and in order for a student to be eligible, it is required that he/she has successfully attended the courses of the first three years of the study program.