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Description

The American College of Greece is the oldest and largest independent, American-sponsored school in Europe, and currently enrolls nearly 5,000 students. Deree College, the undergraduate division of The American College of Greece, shares in a continuous history that spans over 130 years of noteworthy academic tradition and development.

Founded in 1875 by American Christian missionaries as a primary and secondary school for girls in Smyrna, Asia Minor, the College expanded into higher education in 1885. Events there forced it to close in 1922, and the College reopened in Athens in 1923 at the invitation of Eleftherios Venizelos, the internationally renowned statesman. In 1936 the School was named Orlinda Childs Pierce College in memory of the wife of a benevolent supporter.

During the decade of the 1960s, there were significant changes at the College. Pierce College was incorporated in the state of Colorado in 1961 and was authorized to grant bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees. In 1963 the secondary school division of Pierce College was recognized by the Greek government as the equivalent of a national public school. In 1965 the College permanently moved to a sixty-acre site in Aghia Paraskevi, a northeastern suburb of Athens. The first baccalaureate degrees were awarded in 1969. The undergraduate division was renamed Deree College in 1973 in honor of a generous benefactor from Chicago, William S. Deree (born Derehanis in the village of Ambelionas in the prefecture of Messenia in the Peloponnese).

Deree College is an American-sponsored, independent, coeducational, nonsectarian, and nonprofit educational institution accredited in the United States. Over one hundred and thirty years of dedicated service have forged a school larger and more diverse than its founders could have envisioned. Over 33,000 alumni reside in 40 countries and are prominent in public life, business, the arts, and the professions.

Highlights

Deree College has two campuses, the Aghia Paraskevi campus and the Downtown campus. The Aghia Paraskevi campus, situated on the western slopes of Mt. Hymettus, some ten kilometers from the center of Athens, offers a magnificent view of the sprawling city. Its original buildings were designed by the renowned Greek architect, Constantine Doxiades. The Downtown campus was established in 1971 to broaden the College's commitment to both business education and the professional community in Greece. With the help of a challenge grant from the United States Agency for International Development, funds were raised in both Greece and the United States from businesses, parents, alumni, trustees, and friends to build a five-story facility in Ambelokipi, near the city's business center, in 1993. Both the Aghia Paraskevi campus and the Downtown campus offer outstanding programs in the arts and sciences and in business administration.

Junior College was established in 1994 and is located at the Downtown campus. Its two-year program offers associate degrees in the arts and sciences and in business, which permit its graduates to continue toward the completion of a bachelor's degree at Deree College, to transfer to other four-year institutions, or to enter the workforce better qualified.

Although a majority of Deree College and Junior College students are Greek, others come from more than 40 countries. Admissions standards are rigorous and competitive, without regard to gender, race, creed, color, or economic background. English is the language of instruction on both campuses, and since it is a second language for most students, its consistent use is a significant part of the learning experience. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the linguistic environment of the College to improve their communication skills in English.

The educational system at Deree College and Junior College is based upon that of American institutions of higher learning. Its degrees do not correspond to those granted by Greek educational institutions and are not recognized by Greek authorities as the equivalent of Greek public university degrees. Nonetheless, Deree College degrees are internationally recognized as the equivalent of corresponding degrees granted by colleges and universities accredited in the United States.

Male students of Greek citizenship are not eligible for military deferment on the basis of their enrollment at Deree College.

It should be understood that since the status of private education in Greece is defined by Greek laws and regulations that may be modified at any time by the competent authorities, Deree College cannot guarantee that its educational status in Greece will remain unchanged. However, while faithfully observing all relevant Greek laws and regulations, the College can confidently assert that it will always strive to provide its students with a quality education of a standard equivalent to that of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the United States by virtue of the College's accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Subject Areas

Cost in US$:

Contact us for more information

Experience Required

no

This Program is open to

Worldwide Participants.

Typical Living Arrangements

• Other
• Apartment/Flat
• Dormitory

Participants Travel to Greece

Independently

The American College of Greece's Mission Statement

To serve the community by providing the resources of the College to individuals and organizations in order to meet their lifelong learning and professional needs and strive to improve the quality of life in the community, thus advancing the mission of the College.