Established in 1973, the University of Crete is a young public educational institution sited in a region rich in ancient and modern Mediterranean cultures. Currently around 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students study here through the Schools of Philosophy, Education, Social Sciences, Sciences & Technology, and Medicine, taught by an outward looking academic staff committed to quality in teaching, research, and community partnerships.
The University’s 16 Departments offer Bachelor and Master degree programmes with a wide range of core and elective courses leading to specializations within each discipline, as well as doctoral research and research training (PhD). The degree programmes run alongside a kaleidoscope of conferences, workshops, short courses, summer schools, public lectures, lifelong learning programmes and other events organized throughout the year.
Research and research training in Crete benefits from an academic and technological environment of international standards, built up over the last 40 years through the cluster of research-oriented institutions in the region. These provide a critical mass of expertize in AHSS as well as STEM disciplines and access to excellent complementary facilities for research and research training in highly competitive fields.
International orientation characterizes the University’s faculty as well as educational activities and research at all levels. It is reflected in an international academic culture on campus, joint degree programmes, Erasmus mobility, research networks, and other research and educational collaborations with academic institutions in Greece, Europe, and worldwide.
Cultural, social, and sporting activities together with wide ranging extra-curricular academic events combine to make campus life stimulating. Campus life together with the lively social environments of the two campuses host cities – Rethymnon and Heraklion – are further enriched by community access to University sport, museum, and library facilities, schools liaison, public lectures and events, volunteer activities, and multiple regional and community partnerships.