Cypriot universities have come to dominate Greece’s market for recognized distance-learning master’s degrees, according to data submitted to Parliament by Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki.
Over the past five years, Greece’s recognition agency, DOATAP, recognized 18,317 distance-learning master’s titles, of which 17,721 came from Cypriot institutions, representing 96.7% of the total.
British universities received 284 recognitions, far behind Cyprus, while institutions in Sweden, Bulgaria, France, the US, Italy and Spain accounted for smaller numbers.
Officials and university representatives cited Greek-language instruction and program structures similar to Greek public universities as key attractions. A senior DOATAP official said many graduates are public-sector employees seeking promotions, salary increases or management posts, while educators pursue credentials that improve their standing in ASEP hiring rankings.
DOATAP requires document verification and certification procedures for recognition and places responsibility for examination integrity on awarding institutions and Cyprus’ quality-assurance bodies.
