Academic Profile, Subject Area and Aims of the Programme

The Undergraduate Programme “Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning” is offered by the existing academic unit of the Department of Social and Educational Policy at the University of the Peloponnese. The Department has operated since 2003 and already offers the Undergraduate Programme in “Social and Educational Policy”. The existing undergraduate programme is interdisciplinary in character and follows a common curriculum for all students during the first two years of study.

In the third year, the existing programme is divided into two specialisation tracks, Social Policy and Educational Policy, which reflect the scientific and academic profile of the Department. The courses offered aim to deepen and specialise students’ scientific knowledge and to develop research and professional skills in specific areas.

The new Undergraduate Programme “Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning” constitutes the development of the existing Educational Policy track into a complete and autonomous undergraduate programme. It is designed as a coherent, contemporary and scientifically grounded programme that responds to developments in education and lifelong learning at national, European and international levels.

The programme is situated within internationally established fields of higher education, as defined by the UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED 2013), under the field of Education Science (0111). Its distinctive feature is the integration of two interrelated dimensions: Educational Policy and Educational Practices. It links the macro-level of international, European and national policies with the micro-level of educational organisations and applied interventions.

The academic profile of the programme is reflected in its structure, which comprises six cross-cutting thematic strands: theoretical foundations; educational policy and institutions; educational design; digital technologies; the relationship between education and the labour market; and the relationship between education and contemporary society.

The main aim of the programme is for students to develop a deeper understanding of the broader educational phenomenon, and of the institutions and policies that shape education in all its forms. The programme also aims to develop students’ capacities in educational design, evaluation, research and policy formation, in connection with contemporary social developments, digital transformation and the needs of the labour market.

Accordingly, the programme focuses on understanding the theoretical and institutional foundations of education, analysing educational policies and the social parameters that shape them, and developing skills in educational design, evidence-informed intervention and evaluation, with a clear orientation towards contemporary needs and professional pathways.

The programme approaches education as an integrated field extending from school and higher education to adult education, continuing training, the professional development of teachers, open and distance education, technology-supported learning, and the education and training of human resources in organisations and enterprises.

The Programme “Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning” is expected to provide graduates with comprehensive knowledge, greater specialisation and, consequently, enhanced visibility of the degree both in the labour market and in the Greek academic landscape.

It is also expected to lead graduates to deeper scientific knowledge and interdisciplinarity across the relevant fields, to the development of significant abilities directly applicable to the labour market, and to the selection of contemporary professional orientations.

The programme is organised over eight (8) semesters and corresponds to 240 ECTS. Its structure provides a clear progression from courses of general background to courses of special background, specialisation and skills development.

The curriculum architecture supports gradual deepening: in the early semesters, the conceptual and institutional framework is established; subsequently, educational design and research approaches, both quantitative and qualitative, are strengthened; and in the advanced semesters, applied fields, specialisation options and links with practice are developed.

The design incorporates thematic strands - Background; Educational Policy and Institutions; Educational Design; Digital Technologies and Innovations; Education and the Labour Market; and Education and Contemporary Society - in order to ensure internal coherence, interdisciplinarity and a clear programme identity.

Expected Learning Outcomes

The programme adopts a holistic and integrated approach to education, treating it as an institution that extends across all levels and forms, namely formal, informal and lifelong learning.

The aim of the programme is to provide graduates with knowledge and skills that enable them to understand comprehensively the theories, policies, institutions and practices of education and lifelong learning; to critically analyse their interconnection with society, the economy, the labour market and digital transformation; to design and evaluate educational interventions; to use research data in the formulation of evidence-informed proposals; and to develop twenty-first-century transversal skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, problem solving and autonomous learning.

Upon completion of the proposed programme and the award of the degree, graduates will be able to:

• Develop a comprehensive view and understanding of theories, data, institutional arrangements, supra-national and national policies, and educational practices across the full spectrum of Education and Lifelong Learning.
• Interpret the historical development and current state of educational policies, institutions and practices.
• Critically analyse the interconnection of education with other fields, such as educational policy, the labour market, the economy, social development, digital transformation, socio-cultural frames of reference and policy design.
• Design and evaluate integrated educational interventions for the needs of different groups of learners, in collaboration with subject-matter specialists.
• Collect and interpret data relating to fields of education in order to form judgements and reflections on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues connected with educational activity.
• Analyse research data in order to formulate proposals concerning the broader social and developmental role of lifelong learning.
• Communicate information, ideas, proposals, problems and solutions in the fields of Education and Lifelong Learning to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
• Conduct quantitative or qualitative studies in the field of educational research and use their results in policy-making and interventions (evidence-based policy).
• Develop a range of twenty-first-century transversal skills, such as critical thinking, communication of ideas, teamwork, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, flexibility, decision-making, innovative thinking, autonomy and ethics.
• Develop new knowledge autonomously in the fields of Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning.
• Develop the skills required to continue their studies in a wide range of specialisations within Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning.

Professional Qualifications and Employment Prospects of Graduates

The Undergraduate Programme “Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning” aims to prepare graduates with multifaceted and interdisciplinary knowledge of Education Sciences and Lifelong Learning, who are able to understand in depth educational policies, institutions and practices across the full spectrum of formal, non-formal and lifelong education.

At the same time, the programme seeks to cultivate solid professional readiness and a clear professional identity for its graduates through its connection with the contemporary labour market and through compulsory practical training.

The programme is being developed in a field with particularly significant employment prospects, as European policies on lifelong learning, digital transformation and changes in the labour market increase the demand for professionals with specialised knowledge in education, training, adult education and human resource development.

Graduates are expected to acquire qualifications that enable them to design, implement and evaluate educational interventions for different groups of learners; analyse educational and research data; conduct quantitative and qualitative studies; contribute, on the basis of evidence, to the formulation of policies and interventions; and work professionally in areas such as adult education, vocational education and training, human resource development, open and distance education, technology-supported learning, and in-company education and training.

In addition, the scientific and pedagogical competence of graduates is expected to provide the possibility of registration in the lists of Social Sciences teachers (PE78), as currently applies to graduates of the two existing tracks of the Department of Social and Educational Policy, in conjunction with the Programme of Pedagogical and Teaching Competence operating in the Department.

Structure and Organisation of the Programme

The proposed programme has a total duration of eight (8) semesters. It is organised over eight semesters and corresponds to 240 ECTS, with a clear progression from general background courses to courses of special background, specialisation and skills development.

The courses offered are grouped into six cross-cutting thematic strands that run horizontally across the programme: (a) Background, (b) Educational Policy and Institutions, (c) Educational Design and Pedagogical Foundations, (d) Digital Technologies in Education and Innovation, (e) Education and the Labour Market, and (f) Education and Contemporary Society.

The architecture of the programme supports students’ gradual deepening in the field: in the first semesters, the conceptual and institutional framework is established; educational design and quantitative and qualitative research approaches are then strengthened; and in the advanced semesters, fields of application, specialisation options and links with practice are developed.

The design integrates thematic strands - Background; Educational Policy and Institutions; Educational Design; Digital Technologies and Innovations; Education and the Labour Market; and Education and Contemporary Society - in order to ensure internal coherence, interdisciplinarity and a clear identity for the programme.

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Table 2. presents a concise list of the courses of the proposed programme by semester of study.

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Table 3. Course Coding

Course categories

GY: General Background

EY: Subject Background

E: Specialisation

D: Skills Development

Thematic strand codes

YP: Background

EP: Educational Policy and Institutions

ES: Educational Design

DTK: Digital Technologies, e-learning and Innovations

ΕΑΕ: Education and the Labour Market

ΕΚ: Education and Contemporary Society

Course status codes

Υ: Compulsory

Ε: Free Elective

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Requirements for Completing the Programme

• Successful completion of 35 courses (compulsory and elective).
• Compulsory Practical Training (18 ECTS). Alternatively, and subject to conditions (e.g. working students, health issues or other objective reasons), students may take three (3) elective courses of 6 ECTS each.
• Completion of an Undergraduate Thesis, corresponding to 12 ECTS, is optional. Alternatively, students are required to take two elective courses of 6 ECTS each.

The total student workload required to complete the programme is 240 ECTS, distributed as follows:

• 30 compulsory courses (180 ECTS).
• 5 elective courses from a list of 17 courses in this programme and 13 corresponding courses in the “Social Policy” programme (30 ECTS).
• Practical Training (18 ECTS) or, subject to conditions, 3 additional elective courses (18 ECTS).
• Undergraduate Thesis or two elective courses (12 ECTS).

A critical element of the programme is the balance between theoretical education and application. For this purpose, laboratory and/or tutorial components are provided wherever pedagogically necessary.

Practical Training enables students to apply and enrich their theoretical knowledge in real working conditions, become familiar with the professional environment into which they will enter after graduation, and strengthen their connection with the labour market.

At the same time, Practical Training functions as a channel linking the programme with social partners and labour-market stakeholders, contributes to the development of professional skills and strengthens graduates’ employment prospects.

Courses in Digital Skills and Artificial Intelligence Literacy

The new programme incorporates the development of digital skills and Artificial Intelligence literacy as a horizontal priority, recognising that digital competence and the critical, responsible use of digital technologies are now a core component of academic and professional development in the field of education and lifelong learning.

The approach is not limited to technical familiarisation; it also includes the functional use of digital tools, their pedagogical integration, critical assessment of outputs, and ethical and social dimensions.

At course level, the development of digital skills and AI literacy is supported through a sequence of courses beginning in the first semester with “Digital Literacy” (skills development category) and continuing with courses that deepen the pedagogical use of technologies: “Digital Technologies in Education” (4th semester), “Design and Development of Digital Educational Material” (5th semester) and “Learning Technologies and Human Resource Development” (6th semester).

In addition, in “Quantitative Research Methodology”, students become familiar with basic methods for collecting and analysing quantitative research data through the use of contemporary digital tools and software packages.

Within the above courses, Artificial Intelligence literacy is developed through indicative learning activities such as designing educational applications using AI tools, evaluating generated content and sources, analysing and managing quantitative data, protecting personal information, and making targeted, critical and evidence-informed use of generative AI tools in assignments and educational scenarios, under explicit rules of ethics and transparency.

In this way, the programme ensures that graduates acquire not only digital competence but also the critical capacity to understand and use AI in educational and organisational environments, with pedagogical purpose, scientific grounding and responsible conduct.

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Internal Regulation

Study Regulations

Course Outlines

Undergraduate Thesis

Internship

Academic Advisors

Maximum Duration of Studies