National and Kapodistrian University of Athens School of Medicine

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest state institution of higher learning in Greece, and among the largest universities in Europe. As all other Greek universities, it is a self-governed legal entity of public law and all major policy issues are determined by the Ministry of National Education and Religion. Retaining its academic autonomy, it fully respects the constitutionally secured right to everyone for a free education. This is possible because it is funded by the state. Moreover, It is progressively succeeding to benefit from its property and legacies, as well as from the funding of research projects with national and international partners. All funds are invested into the management and operation of educational, research and cultural programmes, into student and staff services and grants. With a student body of about 125000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, over 2000 members of academic staff and approximately 1300 administrative and secretarial staff and specialised personnel, the University of Athens aims at excellence in both teaching and research in a significantly varied range of disciplines. The Faculties and their respective Departments, functioning within the 8 larger academic units entitled Schools, as well as a number of independent Faculties offer a wide range of undergraduate courses, leading to a Diploma equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts or Sciences degree (Ptychio in Greek), after a minimum of four years of studies. Moreover, intra- and inter-Departmental programmes offer an expanding range of taught and research-based postgraduate degrees. Until the early part of the 20th century, the University of Athens was the only university in Greece that provided the Greek society with qualified professionals in medicine, in the physical and social sciences, in law and economics, in archeology and in education as well as in the clergy.