The School of Medicine of the Faculty of Health Sciences, in collaboration with the School of Italian Language and Literature of the Faculty of Philosophy of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), is organizing and offering the Joint Postgraduate Programme titled “NEUROSCIENCE, NEUROLINGUISTICS, AND APPLICATIONS” from the academic year 2024-2025 to 2028-2029.

Successful completion of the Programme leads to the award of a Master’s Degree (MSc) in “Neuroscience, Neurolinguistics, and Applications,” with the following specializations:

1. Cognitive Neuroscience of Language and Neurorehabilitation
2. Language Disorders and Clinical/Educational Applications

The object of the Postgraduate Programme “Neuroscience, Neurolinguistics, and Applications” is to promote interdisciplinary postgraduate education and research, the advancement of knowledge, and the provision of high-level theoretical and practical training. The programme focuses on both theoretical and practical training of young scientists, equipping them with comprehensive knowledge in neuroscience, specifically neurolinguistics, and the practical applications of rehabilitation and intervention in the field of language and its disorders. The curriculum addresses issues of cognitive neuroscience of language, neurorehabilitation, and language disorders, along with the corresponding clinical and educational applications.

The purpose of the Programme “Neuroscience, Neurolinguistics, and Applications” is to train scientists specializing in the study of language as a brain function from the perspective of neuroscience. It promotes the education of these scientists in modern neuroimaging methods for language study, provides them with current knowledge about neurological and genetic causes of language disorders, and trains them in clinical and educational methods for language disorder rehabilitation. As such, it seeks to improve the quality of speech therapy and rehabilitation services by training professionals in these services from a neuroscience perspective.

The main objectives of establishing the Programme are:

• To provide high-level postgraduate education, both theoretical and practical, given the nature of the educational subject, and to develop skills and experiences that contribute to high-quality research, professional, and scientific work.
• To promote scientific research through the preparation of high-level postgraduate theses.
• To prepare postgraduate students for doctoral dissertations by developing critical and research skills within the postgraduate curriculum.

The guiding principles of the Programme are to ensure that postgraduate students acquire solid scientific foundations, modern knowledge, and appropriate research methods and principles. These foundations will enable them to pursue continuous education and improve daily clinical practice, as well as to cultivate the practical skills required for responsible and well-rounded scientific and professional activity.

All contributors to the Programme are obligated to ensure the quality and continuous improvement of the programme, the educational and research processes, and to promote collaborations with related programmes and centers both in Greece and abroad.

The learning outcomes and qualifications of those who successfully complete the programme include the education of postgraduate students on modern scientific developments and the provision of high-level theoretical and practical knowledge in the fields of neuroscience, neurolinguistics, and the practical applications of rehabilitation and intervention in the area of language and its disorders.

The broader goals of the Programme include:

1. Establishing a stronger framework for collaboration with universities and research centers in Greece and abroad.
2. Promoting students’ research work at international and Greek conferences, where they will be invited to present their research.
3. Attracting applicants from other universities, both in Greece and abroad.

Postgraduate studies aim to advance knowledge, foster research and the arts, meet the educational, research, social, cultural, and developmental needs of the country, and train highly skilled scientists who can contribute to both theoretical and applied areas of specific fields of knowledge. This includes special topics or individual areas from the first cycle of study, as well as the production and dissemination of knowledge, technology, methodologies, tools, and research outcomes in the scientific domains of each School.