E-Government
Starting Date: October 2023
Duration: 3 semesters (part time: up to 6 semesters)
ECTS: 90
E-Government
Information and communications technology (ICT) offers a vast potential for the improvement of how public services work, reduction of their cost, better quality of service offered to the public and society in general, design and implementation of better and more effective public policies, and closer, transparent contact and collaboration between the government and the public. It is evident, however, from our experience in Greece and abroad, that exploiting this potential is a highly complex task, requiring close cooperation among specialists in different fields (technical and administrative), both from inside and outside the public sector (IT companies, consulting services, etc.). The development of e-government services has become an important priority both in Greece and the EU. Such development not only has great demands, but also opens up a great number of new markets for related businesses.
The MSc offers students thorough grounding in the burgeoning field of e-government and in the vast range of ICT systems that can be designed for the public sector (e.g. internal support information systems, electronic information for the public, electronic transactions, electronic democracy, public engagement and participation, social media utilization, open government data, interoperability, etc.). Such knowledge and skills will enable students to be creatively and effectively involved in developing different types of information systems for the public sector.
More specifically, the graduates of the MSc in e-Government will:
- have acquired specialist knowledge and methodologies in the field of e-government.
- have developed their academic skills and competencies in the field of e-government.
- have applied the above knowledge, skills and competencies in class activities, workshop exercises, assignments and research projects, etc.
- have strengthened their communication, cooperation and teamwork skills though group activities, group presentations and other forms of academic assignments.
- be able to pursue PhD studies in the field of e-government.
- be able to advance the science and research in the area of e-government.
This postgraduate programme is in accordance to the clauses of Law 4485/17, in combination with Law 4009/11, and is subject to the Regulations of Studies for the postgraduate programmes of studies, effective after their validation from the University’s Special Configuration Senate. Greek Government Gazette issue for the establishment of the postgraduate programme: 2885/B/19.07.2018
Entry Requirements – Candidates Evaluation
- Degree or diploma holders in informatics and communications, engineering, sciences, economy or administration, or equivalent fields of study, from Greek universities or Technical Educational Institutions, or international institutions that are officially recognized by the Greek state
- Graduates from the Greek National School of Public Administration
- Graduates from Greek military higher education institutions (Article 88 of Law 3883/2010, Greek Government Gazette issue 167/24-9-2010, Α)
- Graduates from the Officers School of the Hellenic Police Academy (Article 38 of Law 4249/2014, Greek Government Gazette issue 73 Α)
Syllabus
| Compulsory Courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course ID: 6001 | Digital Business Management | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Management functions Outer and inner environment for enterprises and organisations Fundamental financials for enterprises: balance sheet, profit & loss statement, financial performance indices. Enterprise organisation. Business strategy and business planning. SWOT analysis, 4P mix, break-even analysis, budgeting. Digital/virtual companies and Internet business models Student project: making a business/master plan for a company/organisation. | ||
| Course ID: 6002 | Information Systems in Public Administration | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Introduction to information systems (IS), organisational strategy and IS, data and knowledge management, telecommunications and networking, decision making and business intelligence applications, social computing, e-business and e-commerce applications, wireless, mobile and pervasive computing, IS within organisations, customer relationship management systems, supply chain management systems, acquiring IS, business process management and reengineering, cloud computing, intelligent systems, IT project management, ethics and privacy in IS. | ||
| Course ID: 6003 | e-Government Ι (Services and Infrastructures) | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Introduction to e-government – key issues and topics. The public sector – structure and operations. Service definition. G2C, G2B, G2G services. Business process management in the public sector and local administration. Enterprise architecture for government systems. Key infrastructures and government services. Local government. Models for e-government development and assessment. World, European and national status (e-government indexes). National and local government cases. Team project: Analysis of national e-government infrastructures/proposals for innovative services and solutions. | ||
| Course ID: 6004 | Information Systems Security | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Conceptual foundations of information systems security. Identification and authentication. Access control. Malware. Risk analysis and assessment. Security policies. International security standards. Elements of applied cryptography. Digital signatures and certificates. Public key infrastructure. Network security. Internet security. Foundations of information privacy. Privacy enhancing technologies. | ||
| Compulsory Courses | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course ID: 6005 | e-Government ΙΙ (Open and Collaborative Government) | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Issues and principles of open and collaborative governance. Systems and methods for electronic participation and electronic participation/democracy. Policy modelling for impact assessment, societal simulation and evidence-based decision making in the public sector. Open governmental data: administrative processes and relative ICT tools. Social media in the public sector for provision of services towards citizens and businesses. Smart cities: infrastructures and advanced mobile government applications. ICT support for tackling large societal challenges (financial crisis, immigration, climate change repercussions, underdevelopment, etc.). Case studies: open applications of collaborative governance. | ||
| Course ID: 6006 | Project Management and Information Systems Development | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Information systems life cycle. Modelling techniques: UML, E-R diagrams. Information systems development methodologies: structured methodologies, RUP/OpenUP, Agile. Project design, planning and testing, project scheduling (CPM, PERT), resource and cost management and allocation, risk management in information systems development projects and methods of project management. | ||
| Course ID: 6007 | Information Law | ECTS: 7.5 |
| ICTs and society – ICT as a new paradigm and the relationship of society, law and technology. Privacy, confidentiality/secrecy and the relation to information and systems security. Specific issues of data security and data protection: employees’ monitoring, surveillance in public place, privacy protection on the Web (search engines, social networking, etc.). Data protection and privacy enhancing technologies / privacy by design. Freedom of speech, rights and powers in the information society – blogs/forums, filtering and censorship. Intellectual property in the information society: software and database protection, open source, licenses, issues relating to peer-to-peer. Cybercrime and computer crime: ethical, social, legal and economic aspects. Penal law and information and communication technologies. Computer/Internet forensics. E-democracy, e-governance and e-voting. | ||
| Course ID: 6008 | European and Greek Interoperability Framework | ECTS: 7.5 |
| Definitions and main impact of interoperability. Interoperability in information systems in Greece, the European Union and internationally (metrics, indices, current status). Organisational, semantic, technical and legal interoperability. Interoperability infrastructures and standards for electronic government and electronic business. Interoperability policy initiatives at national and EU level. Interoperability assessment. The Greek National Interoperability Framework. Research topics and certification of skills in interoperability. Interoperability impact assessment. Case studies: electronic services for businesses and citizens in Greece and the European Union. | ||
| Course ID: 6000 | MSc Thesis | Compulsory | ECTS: 27.5 |
| Course ID: 6009 | Internship | Optional | ECTS: 2.5 |
| Course ID: 6010 | e-Government Summer School | Optional | ECTS: 2.5 |
Part-time students
1st Semester
- Information Systems in Public Administration
- e-Government I
2nd Semester
- e-Government IΙ
- Project Management and Information Systems Development
3rd Semester
- Digital Business Management
- Information Systems Security
4th Semester
- Information Law
- European and Greek Interoperability Framework
Academic Personnel
| Course | Semester | Course Instructor | Webpage |
| Digital Business Management | 1 | Dr. Dimitrios Sarantis | |
| Information Systems in Public Administration | 1 | Assistant Professor Peggy Papadopoulou | URL |
| e-Government Ι (Services and Infrastructures) | 1 | Professor Euripidis Loukis | URL |
| Information Systems Security | 1 | Professor Spyros Kokolakis | URL |
| e-Government ΙΙ (Open and Collaborative Government) | 2 | Professor Ioannis Charalampidis | URL |
| Project Management and Information Systems Development | 2 | Dr. Dimitrios Sarantis | |
| Information Law | 2 | Professor Lilian Mitrou | URL |
| European and Greek Interoperability Framework | 2 | Dr. Charis Alexopoulos |
Fees and Funding
Successful applicants for the postgraduate studies programme are required to pay tuition fees, in accordance with Article 35 of Law 4485/2017. The tuition fees amount to €3,000 and can be paid in three installments. The tuition fees cover operational expenses of the postgraduate programme of studies, including needs in specialist teaching staff from universities in Greece or abroad. Tuition fees payment can be made as follows: €500 within 15 days of the announcment of the results, €1,000 within 15 days after the student’s admission to the 1st semester of studies (early October) and €1,500 at the beginning of the second semester (February). Credit card payments are accepted. No refunds can be given for fees or part of fees that have already been paid.
The postgraduate studies programme may offer a number of grants, conditional on academic performance, to full-time students. The amount of funding, requirements, method of funding, as well as the rights and responsibilities of grant-holders are decided by the Department’s Assembly (par. 4, Article 35 of Law 4485/2017).
Full-time/part-time study
The full-time study programme is completed in three semesters and combines blended and model types of learning, including: [a] a five-day intensive lecture cycle held at the Department’s premises at the beginning or the end of every academic semester (October, January, June), [b] an online learning environment that supports the learning process during the first two semesters. The third semester is reserved for the completion of the MSc thesis. Class attendance and participation in any educational activity, such as projects, assignments, etc., is compulsory.
The full-time study programme is completed in three academic semesters, including the writing of the thesis. The maximum permissible time for the completion of the full-time programme is six semesters.
Working students may choose to study part-time. Working students have to prove that they work at least 25 hours per week and provide a work contract or certificate. Part-time study is also suitable for non-working students who cannot meet the demands of studying full-time, due to health or family issues, military service or other personal reasons. Those students should send a written request to the Department’s Assembly before the start of the MSc programme. The duration of the part-time study programme must be no longer than six academic semesters.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to fill in a candidacy application form, attaching the following documents:
- A copy of their ID or passport
- A CV
- A copy of their degree/diploma or a certificate of studies completion
- Peer-reviewed publications, if there are any
- Certificates of professional or research activities, if there are any
- Two references
- A copy of the candidate’s undergraduate dissertation or its title and abstract if it has not been completed; in case the candidate was not required to write a dissertation during their undergraduate studies, they should mention so in writing
- Proof of English language competency equivalent to or higher than B2 level (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
- Any other document that the candidate believes it might support their application
The application and all digital copies of documents must be submitted online on the “Nautilus” platform (https://nautilus.aegean.gr/). Hard copies can be submitted in person during admission.
Regulations of Studies
Below you will find all the relevant documents regarding the Regulations of Studies for the postgraduate programme of studies (in Greek):
- ΦΕΚ 3741 Β – 31.08.2018 (Regulation of Studies)
- ΦΕΚ 2816 Β – 13.07.2020 (Amendment)
- ΦΕΚ 3237 Β – 22.07.2021 (Amendment)
- ΦΕΚ 2035 Β – 21.04.2022 (Amendment)
Interviews
Download articles for the postgraduate programme’s interviews:
Theses
Please follow the link for the suggested master’s thesis subjects.
You can find information about the authoring of the master’s thesis here, as well as a template here.
Academic Calendar
Tuesday 22/6, 15:00 – 21:00: e-Government IΙ
Thursday 24/6, 18:00 – 21:00: European and Greek Interoperability Framework
Saturday 26/6, 10:00 – 13:00: Project Management and Information Systems Development
Remote lectures: 18:00 – 20:00
Monday: Project Management and Information Systems Development (D. Sarantis)
Wednesday: European and Greek Interoperability Framework (Ch. Alexopoulos)
Thursday: Information Law (L. Mitrou)
Friday: e-Government ΙΙ (I. Charalampidis)
| 1 | 15-19/2/2021 | No classes |
| 2 | 22-26/2/2021 | 1st Lecture: Remote |
| 3 | 1-5/3/2021 | 2nd Lecture: Remote |
| 4 | 8-12/3/2021 | 3rd Lecture: Remote |
| 5 | 15-19/3/2021 | No classes |
| 6 | 22-26/3/2021 | 4th Lecture: Remote |
| 7 | 29/3 – 2/4/2021 | 5th Lecture: Remote |
| 8 | 5-9/4/2021 | 6th Lecture: Remote |
| 9 | 12-16/4/2021 | 7th Lecture: Remote |
| 10 | 19-23/4/2021 | 8th Lecture: Remote |
| 11 | 26-30/4/2021 | No classes |
| 12 | 3-7/5/2021 | No classes |
| 13 | 10-14/5/2021 | 9th Lecture: Remote |
| 14 | 17-21/5/2021 | 10th Lecture: Remote |
| 15 | 24-28/5/2021 | 11th Lecture: Remote |
| 16 | 31/5 – 4/6/2021 | No classes (Week of substitutions) |
| 17 | 7-11/6/2021 | No classes |
| Spring Semester Exams |
| Public holiday | 15/3/2021 |
| Public holiday | 25/3/2021 |
| Easter Holidays | 26/4 – 7/5/2021 |
| Public holiday | 1/5/2021 |
The programme of studies was multifaceted and well-rounded, combining a broad range of subjects, such as marketing, accounting, business administration and e-business.
During my postgraduate studies I had the chance to work in international and national research projects in the field of e-government (e.g. ENGAGE, PADGETS, NOMAD, PLUG-IN) and collaborate with leading researchers throughout the world.
