Inter-departmental Postgraduate Programme “Semiotics, Culture and Communication”

Article 1

General Provisions

The Schools of French Language and Literature, German Language and Literature, and Italian Language and Literature of the Faculty of Philosophy, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications of the Faculty of Economic and Political Sciences, and the School of Architecture of the Faculty of Engineering of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki have run, since the academic year 2018-2019, an Inter-departmental Postgraduate Programme titled “Semiotics, Culture and Communication”, in accordance with this decision and Law 4485/2017 (A΄114).

Article 2

Subject – Purpose

The subject of the Programme “Semiotics, Culture and Communication” is the study of phenomena and developments in almost every area of contemporary culture, at both theoretical and applied level: from literature, advertising, the media, audiovisual culture, art and cultural heritage to language, ideology, translation, popular culture and cultural adaptation, highlighting the analytical and interpretive potential of semiotics in the study of culture in all its diversity, complexity and dynamism. These are specific thematic areas of the undergraduate subjects of the collaborating schools, on which postgraduate students are asked to focus, with the final aim of training them as specialised scientific staff who can meet existing and expected social and developmental needs of the job market in communication and culture.

The aims of the Programme are achieved through organised postgraduate courses and a Dissertation written to international academic standards, and are:

• The study of the life of signs of communication in a socio-cultural environment.
• Research into contemporary communication techniques and strategies and their use in understanding culture
• The search for meaning in different kinds of texts (literary, political, visual, advertising, etc.)
• Understanding the relationship between semiotics and the other Human Sciences
• Understanding the different models of semiotic analysis of cultural practices
• Raising awareness of (inter)cultural communication in educational practice
• An introduction to contemporary forms of multimodality, cultural adaptation and audiovisual communication
• The study of ideology and social identities
• Applying theory in practice

The learning outcomes and the profile of the Programme’s graduates include:

• excellent knowledge of the subject, allowing them to work as communication specialists
• critical analysis of communication, ideology, culture, identity and cultural practices
• analysis and understanding of different texts, objects and behaviours of the socio-cultural environment
• understanding of the basic concepts of culture, the cultural industry and heritage
• investigation of the ways verbal and non-verbal communication take shape in cultural life
• in-depth knowledge of new trends in audiovisual communication and of methods for promoting culture in the information and knowledge society
• knowledge of research methodology,
• the ability to analyse, synthesise and interpret information
• interdisciplinarity
• intercultural awareness

Article 3

Postgraduate Degrees

The Programme awards a Master’s degree titled “Semiotics, Culture and Communication”.

Article 4

Eligible applicants

The following categories of applicants may be admitted to the Inter-departmental Postgraduate Programme “Semiotics, Culture and Communication”:

1. Holders of first-cycle degrees from Greek universities and TEI
2. Holders of first-cycle degrees from equivalent institutions abroad. A Master’s degree is not awarded to a student whose foreign first-cycle degree has not been recognised by the Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Centre (DOATAP), in accordance with Law 3328/2005 (A’ 80).
3. Members of the EEP, EDIP and ETEP staff categories who meet the conditions of the first subparagraph of paragraph 1 of Article 34 may enrol as supernumerary students, only one per year per programme, in a programme run by schools of the institution where they work that is related to their degree and their work at the institution.

Article 5

Duration of studies

The duration of study in the Programme “Semiotics, Culture and Communication” is three (3) semesters.

Article 6

Curriculum

The total number of credits (ECTS) required for the Master’s degree in “Semiotics, Culture and Communication” is 90 ECTS.

Courses are compulsory or elective. In the 1^st semester, students take one (1) compulsory course and three (3) electives. In the 2^nd semester, students take one (1) compulsory course and three (3) electives. In the 3^rd semester they write their Master’s dissertation.

The detailed curriculum per semester is as follows:

1ST SEMESTER

COMPULSORY COURSES

ELECTIVE COURSES

2ND SEMESTER

COMPULSORY COURSES

ELECTIVE COURSES

3RD SEMESTER

Article 7

Number of students admitted

The number of students admitted to the programme is capped at 30 postgraduate students per year.

Article 8

Staff

The Programme is taught by faculty (DEP) and laboratory teaching staff (EDIP) of the collaborating schools of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, by faculty of other schools of the same university or of other Greek universities, and by other categories of teaching staff and visiting lecturers (distinguished scientists, artists or recognised scholars) from Greece and abroad, in accordance with Article 36 of Law 4485/2017 (A΄114).

Article 9

Facilities and equipment

The Programme uses the Semiotics Laboratory of the AUTh Faculty of Philosophy or other rooms made available by the collaborating schools.

Article 10

Period of operation

The Programme will run from the academic year 2018-2019 to the academic year 2022-2023.

Transitional provisions

Any matters not covered by this decision will be governed by the Postgraduate Studies Regulation and the competent bodies, in accordance with the legislation in force.

Programme website: https://dpms-semiotics.frl.auth.gr/ (opens in a new tab)

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Faculty of Philosophy
School of French Language and Literature

Secretariat, MSc Semiotics, Culture and Communication
Office 308, 2nd floor
Old Building of the Faculty of Philosophy

+30 2310-997514, 997518 (Mr E. Kourdis)

+30 2310-997538 (Mr K. Pangalos)