Name 

P.A. College

Address

Corner of Faneromenis Ave. and Kalvou Str.

P.O. Box 40763

6307 Larnaca, Cyprus

www.pacollege.ac.cy

Academic Calendar 

The academic year is divided into two main semesters  (Fall and Spring), each of them with duration of 15 weeks  (September/October through May/June) and one Summer term that has a  duration of 7 weeks (June through July).

Academic Authorities 

The organisational chart of the College as well as the reporting structure can be accessed in the prospectus of the College.

Director

Dr Andreas Z. Patsalides

Tel. + 357 24 021555

Email: director@pacollege.ac.cy

Course Coordinator

Assist. Professor Demetris Toumbas

Tel. + 357 24 021555/ 24 021505

Email: d.toumbas@pacollege.ac.cy

Head of Business and Administration Department

Professor Filippos Loizou

Tel. + 357 24 021555/ 24 021525

Email: f.loizou@faculty.pacollege.ac.cy

Head of Business Computing Department

Dr Markos Markou

Tel. + 357 24 021555/ 24 021523

Email: m.markou@faculty.pacollege.ac.cy

Acting Head of Research Department

Dr Markos Markou

Tel. + 357 24 021555/ 24 021523

Email: m.markou@faculty.pacollege.ac.cy

General Description Of The Institution 

P.A. College is a private institution of Higher  Education in Larnaca, Cyprus. The College, which commenced operation in 1983 at its 6 Makarios III Avenue, Larnaca site, was set up to provide a  high standard of tertiary level (higher) education and since then has achieved an outstanding reputation in Management, Accounting, Banking,  Business and Computing Studies.

P.A. College has relocated in a modern building with  state of the art facilities. The new building is only a few minutes walk from the Faneromeni Church and is conveniently located away from the  traffic of the centre but very close to all the main highways connecting  Larnaca with the rest of the country.

The premises of the College in the Faneromeni  area are fully operational since January 2007. The modern building has dramatically improved the facilities available to faculty and students and has marked the beginning of a new era for the College.

The programmes offered by P.A. College have a common characteristic of relevance to modern life and the community through their close relationship with industrial, professional and business operations.

Among the various achievements of the College is the securing of professional exemptions from esteemed international bodies for its graduates.  In most cases, the College was the first in Cyprus to be provided with these exemptions which have been the maximum allowable by the regulations of these bodies. The accreditation of its main programmes by the national authorities, the international recognitions as well as its active participation in research and community activities and projects, enhance the proactive quality assurance approach shared by the College.

The College has also been active in various incoming and outgoing mobility activities (student, teaching and staff) and has received approval for the Erasmus University Charter.  The College has  applied both for the DS Label as well as for the European Credit  Transfer System (ECTS) approval.

Through the activities of its Student Union, the  College has undertaken initiatives for the collection and distribution  of food and other basic needs supplies to families in the Larnaca area  that are suffering as a result of the economic crisis in Cyprus.

More details about the College can be found through its website at www.pacollege.ac.cy

The vision of P.A. College

The vision of P.A. College is to remain a leading institution of academic and research excellence.

The mission statement of P.A. College may be succinctly stated as:

“Create an excellent learning environment through the  pro-active encouragement of the highest standards in teaching,  research, leading-edge technologies, highly-qualified research-active  staff and student support services, enabling every student to fulfil  their full potential in terms of personal development, intellectual  capabilities, life-skills, professional standing and long-term career  aspirations.”  

List of Programmes Offered 

PROGRAMMES OFFERED BY P.A. COLLEGE

The following P.A. College programmes are registered with the Ministry of Education and Culture:

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION  

(4 YEARS FULL-TIME OR 5 YEARS PART-TIME, BACHELOR OF ARTS (HONS))

BUSINESS COMPUTING  

(4 YEARS FULL-TIME OR 5 YEARS PART-TIME, BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONS)) 

General Admission Requirements 

Entry Requirements

Students admitted to the degree level registered  programmes of study must show evidence of adequate ability in the use of English, should normally be at least 17 years of age and must possess one of the following:

i.  A sixth form Secondary  School Leaving Certificate with an average of at least 80% and a  working knowledge of English as may be demonstrated through an  appropriate oral test, or

ii. An average of at least  75% to less than 80% in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate plus a minimum of 4 GCSE/GCE passes including English Language and a numerate subject (Mathematics, Statistics or Accounting) of which one must be at  "A" level.  Only grades A, B and C are acceptable, or

1. A minimum of five GCSE/GCE passes including English Language and a  numerate subject (Mathematics, Statistics, Accounting) of which at least  two must be at "A" level. Only GCSE/GCE grades A, B and C are  acceptable, or
2. Students possessing the P.A. College Diploma in Business  Administration or Diploma in Business Computing (currently Computing and  Information Systems) or Certificate in Business and Information  Technology are entitled to enrol onto the College's Honours Degree level  programmes, provided they achieve satisfactory average performance  during their Diploma or Certificate studies.

The appropriate College authorities will assess the  student's record and performance before a final decision is made  regarding the programme offered to the student and the amount of credit  units awarded to the particular student.

1. Candidates possessing a sixth form Secondary School Leaving  Certificate with an average of at least 60% will be required to attend a  short course of English Language, Mathematics and Statistics, and  Accounting for a period of four weeks before the official commencement  of the academic period.  The results of the formal examination attended  by the student at the end of the course will determine whether the  student is admitted or not onto the programme.
2. Any qualification officially deemed to be equivalent to the above.

General Arrangements for the Recognition of Prior Learning

Non-International Students

Students who have interrupted their studies in other  recognised by the Ministry of Education and Culture institutions may be  accepted at the College as transfer students provided that:

• They have passed the exams in the other institution;
• They have achieved an overall average mark of 60% or higher;
• The programme attended at the other institution and the programme at P.A. College are compatible;
• The corresponding credit units recognised are decided after thorough examination of his/her transcripts;
• References from the previous institution may be requested before the final decision is made;
• In all cases, students admitted onto any of the P.A. College  programmes cannot transfer more than 50% of the credit units required  towards completing a particular programme.

International Students

Students who are in Cyprus on a student visa and wish  to transfer from one institution to another or from one academic  programme to another are required to secure the prior approval of the  Ministry of Education and the Migration Authorities. All the details and  procedures are determined by these authorities and may be subject to  review and change.

Mature Students 

Mature individuals who have had a number of years in  the industry associated with relevant professional experience and  qualifications and who may decide to undertake further formal studies  may be admitted at the College after the College authorities consider  their original and subsequent qualifications and their experience. These  will affect the year onto which such students will be admitted and  which will not exceed the 50% of the requirements of the programme they  have applied for.

General Registration Procedures 

Enrolment/Registration

Registration implies the payment of the registration  fees and at least 50% of tuition.  Students who fail to register by the  days specified above may be asked to pay a late registration fee of €90,00 over and above any other fees they have to pay.

Please note that in April/May, students are required  to provide an indication of their intentions in the form of  pre-registration (consultation also takes places in October/November for  Spring Semester). This is necessary in order for the college to make  its plans in due time, to secure the necessary equipment and most  importantly to hire additional staff members if necessary.

In addition, before the end of each semester, the  list of books to be used in each module for the following semester is  posted.  The students are invited to provide an indication of their  intentions concerning the purchase of textbooks.  Definite orders of  books are considered those which are accompanied with the pre-specified  payment.  These will be processed and forwarded to the publishers, so  that books arrive in time for the new academic period.  Students who  fail to order by the specified date will be required to secure copies of  the various textbooks on their own.

Registration Time-frames 

(a) Registration of New Students

The official registration period for new students  commencing their studies in Fall begins in July.  Registration of new  students for an academic period may continue until the end of the second  week of classes for the Fall and Spring semesters, and up to the end of  the first week of classes for the Summer term.  Registration of new  students for an upcoming academic period can take place any time before  the commencement of the particular period within the timeframe given  above, provided that the student can successfully complete the  registration procedure as specified in the regulations.

(b) Registration of Returning Students

Returning students will be notified in advance for  the registration days applicable to each upcoming academic period.   Dates and details will be published in the Prospectus issued by the  College annually, and/or posted on the College announcement boards,  and/or distributed to the students.  Registration for returning students  will normally take place during the first week of September for the  Fall semester, and the last week of January for the Spring semester,  unless otherwise specified by the Registrar and officially announced to  students well in advance. A change of modules a student registers for in  a given semester, may take place up to the end of the second week of  classes for the particular semester.

Registration of returning students for an academic  period may also continue until the end of the second week of classes for  the Fall and Spring semesters, and up to the end of the first week of  classes for the Summer term.  In this case, students who fail to  register by the specified dates will be asked to pay a late registration  fee.

Students may be asked to pre-register for the  following semester/term so that the College can secure the necessary  resources and tools in order to respond satisfactorily to student demand  deviations from the original plans of the College. 

Enrolment/Registration Procedure 

(a) All applicants must satisfy entrance and other specified requirements for the programmes to which they wish to be admitted.

(b) A student is a person enrolled by the College to follow a programme on a full-time or a part-time basis.

(c) A student once enrolled remains a student until:

            -  the completion of his/her studies or

            -  possible withdrawal;

            provided the enrolment of the student has  not been cancelled by the College as the result of the student being  expelled.

(d)  All students are required to register each  academic period prior to the commencement of their programme for that  period (semester/term).  All students have to register for FALL and SPRING semesters.  The times and procedures for registration are determined by the College and announced to students in advance.

Registration is not complete until:

• The student has properly completed an admission/enrolment application.
• The conditions of entry to the programme, including the verification of qualifications have been satisfied.
•  A College form has been satisfactorily completed and signed by the  student agreeing to abide by all of the College's rules and regulations.
•  Full payment has been made of all fees.
•  Any other administrative procedures which may be determined from time to time by the College, have been satisfied.

(e) Students who, for personal reasons, wish to  interrupt their studies, must seek the approval of the Director.  Such  intention should be confirmed in writing.

(f)  Students who have outstanding financial  commitments to the College will face any or all of the following  consequences; these students will not

• normally be allowed to re-register for the next semester;
• be entitled to any payment arrangements/financial benefits granted by the College;
• be allowed to take any final examinations during the particular period;
• be provided with the results of their examinations for the given period;
• receive their progress report or title of study/transcript until they settle their account in full.

(g) Students must notify, in writing, the Academic  Registrar of any change of name or address or other facts given on their  application/enrolment form.

(h) In the event of a student's registration being cancelled, the student shall be informed in writing.

International Students

The application for a student visa needs to be  accompanied by the following documents (documents must be translated  from the original language into Greek or English):

• Readable and confirmed/stamped copy of a valid passport or other  valid travel document. The passport/document should be valid at least  for the expected duration of the study programme or for at least two  years.
• In case the applicant student is a minor, parental consent is required.
• Non-criminal record certification by the student’s national authorities.
• Confirmed health certificate along with medical tests for  tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, HIV/AIDS. The validity of the  certificate should not exceed the period of four months.
• Confirmation of admission to a tertiary education institution to  study for a programme of studies including a description of the  programme and its duration.
• Confirmed recent certification (not longer than six months) by a  banking institution in the student’s country, confirming that the  student is able to pay the required fees and living expenses. In case  the student was awarded a scholarship, the necessary documents should be  submitted including reference to the institution providing the  scholarship and if this is based in the country of the student. The bank  certification must be accompanied by a statement of bank account  showing a balance of at least €7000 for the month before the submission  of the application.
• Academic qualifications records confirmed by the issuing  institution. In addition to the formal certificate, an analytical  transcript – indicating individual marks – should be provided.
• Payment of the relevant fee of €85,43.

Confirmation of the documents from countries that  have signed the 1961 Hague Convention implies the bearing of the  Apostille seal which does not have to be translated.

In other cases, the documents must be confirmed by  the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the student’s country of origin and  then validated by the Diplomatic mission of the particular county in  Cyprus, or the Diplomatic mission of Cyprus in the specific country.

Documents must be translated in Greek or English  either by the Public Information Office (PIO) in Cyprus or an approved  translator. The translated documents must be confirmed as described  above.

Documents from Russia and Serbia are not subject to  confirmation as long as they are duly signed and stamped by the issuing  state authority. Documents submitted by candidates from China need to be  validated by the Chinese Ministry of Justice in which case the  diplomatic/consular confirmation is not required.

Upon arrival the above documents must be submitted  along with the presentation of a valid passport, the visa document, and  the amount of $2400 or €2000 in cash. The application for a Resident’s  Permit requires the submission of a copy of a valid passport, a health  and accident coverage insurance, a health certificate and X-rays stamped  and signed by a State Hospital Doctor, a local bank certificate that  the amount of at least €5000 has been transferred/wired in the student’s  personal account to cover his/her fees and living expenses (in addition  to the €2000 in cash presented at the airport upon arrival).  Furthermore, a bank guarantee by the academic institution undertaking to  cover the repatriation expenses of the student, two passport size  photos as well as the payment of the amount of €68,34.

Prospective students from the countries listed  below should attend personal interviews held at the Embassies of Cyprus  in their countries:

• Bangladesh
• China
• India
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka

Further information: 0

Office of Admissions.
Tel.: + 357 24 021555, Fax: + 357 24 628860

E-Mail: info@pacollege.ac.cy

ECTS Credit Allocation Based on the Student Workload Needed in Order to Achieve Expected Learning Outcomes

The restructuring of the module syllabi at P.A.  College started about five years ago with a number of meetings taking  place between the College faculty and Bologna Experts who provided  guidance regarding the use and the conversion to ECTS.

One of the major tools used was the Tuning  methodology and feedback from the students, employers, professional  associations, external academics and the faculty of the College was  incorporated into the considerations. Reference was also made to similar  degree programmes and courses of other universities, in order to ensure  that the conversion attempted was in line with the standard practice in  Europe, reflecting the emphasis on Learning Outcomes and making student  workload as measured by both faculty and students, as the focal point  of the programmes.

According to the guidelines and specifications  provided, the ECTS allocation for the various modules sums up to 240  ECTS (30 ECTS per semester, 60 ECTS per year) for the Bachelor Degree  programmes (1st Cycle) whereas, programmes of shorter duration carry the  corresponding required ECTS load requirement (60 ECTS for Certificate  level programmes or 120 ECTS for Diploma level programmes).

The most important features of the procedure employed  include the performing of the analysis of each module by the individual  faculty member responsible for the module (using the forms and  guidelines of the Tuning Project), the incorporation in the “equation”  of the feedback provided by the students who completed the forms with  the relevant information, the submission of the forms to the Head of  each department and then the cooperation of the Department Heads for the  finalisation of the ECTS allocation for each module.  A determining  factor was the restriction to 30 ECTS per semester along with the fact  that the learning outcomes for each module as well as consideration of  all the parameters involved in the delivery of each module (class  lectures, work in the labs, individual student study, library study,  etc.) plus the time needed for the assessment element of each module  (time required for the completion of assignments and projects, midterm  examinations, oral exams/presentations, final exams, etc.).

Diploma Supplement

Each title of study issued by the College is  accompanied by the Diploma Supplement which is issued to graduating  students free of charge.  The language used for the Diploma Supplement  is English, which is also the official language of teaching and  assessment at the College.  This document represents an integral  companion to a higher education diploma and provides a standardized  description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the  studies that were pursued and successfully completed by the graduate.

The Diploma Supplement was adopted in order to  provide on a Europe-wide basis a common reference in a standardised form  that students, academic institutions and employers could use.  It also  enables and facilitates academic and professional recognition of  qualifications (diplomas, degrees, certificates).

More information is provided in the relevant section  of our website homepage where examples of the Diploma Supplement and  information about the educational system of Cyprus are also provided.

Arrangements for Academic Guidance

The Tutorial System 

Another important feature of College life is the  tutorial system, in which small groups of students discuss specific  issues with a member of the faculty. Students are also given an  opportunity for reading and private study, which is the essence of  College education. In these small groups a student can develop as an  individual, not merely as one of a class. The technique of learning for  oneself is perhaps the most important thing to learn and experience at a  College/ University.

The Personal Tutor System 

Students are allocated personal tutors who are  members of the academic staff. The tutors act in a personal advisory  capacity for the duration of a programme or an academic year and provide  counselling on option choices and career development.

Personal tutors may also provide guidance and  assistance to students in need of support over personal problems. The  allocation of students to tutors is announced at the beginning of the  Fall semester. A revised allocation is announced at the beginning of the  Spring semester to account for the allocation of the new students  joining the College as well as the fact that some students may graduate  in Fall and have to be removed from the lists.

Other arrangements

The students receive a handbook which contains  essential information including details about the academic and  administrative procedures, as well as a wide variety of other  information about life at the College, support services, College and  Student Union activities, facilities, etc.

New students attend orientation sessions during which  they are provided with all the necessary information and are introduced  to the College regulations, rules, facilities and library. They also  have the opportunity during the tour provided to meet key staff and  faculty.

Students meet with the academic/personal advisors  every semester. The advisors provide students with information relating  to their individual academic programmes, module and career options but  also they act as personal advisors, guiding students on problems of more  personal nature.

Each lecturer announces at the beginning of each  semester the office hours he/she will be available for individual  meetings with students.

The Erasmus office introduces students to the exchange programmes which are provided for the current academic year.

Students are represented in the various committees operating at the College and attend relevant meetings.

There is an appointed member of the faculty who acts  as the Student Union Advisor and provides the students with guidance,  support and other information.

Students have access to the Internet as well as the  internal platform where they can find and access module information such  as the module syllabus, module class notes, and module related  announcements and other information.

Last, but not least, the College has an appointed  Student Counsellor whose responsibility is to deal with issues of  student concern such as learning difficulties, stress, personal and  family problems, etc.

ECTS Institutional Co-ordinator

Dr. Eleftheria Atta-Ioannidou
Tel. + 357 24 021555/ 24 021529
Fax: +357 24 628860
E Mail: e.atta@faculty.pacollege.ac.cy