1) Degrees Validated By University Of Wales Institute, Cardiff-And Recognized Worldwide

All degrees and specializations (pathways) Perrotis College offers are validated by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), a branch of the University of Wales, which is one of the oldest and most respected institutions for higher learning in the UK.

This means that when students receive the BSc (Hons) from Perrotis College, they receive a degree recognized worldwide, and they have the same educational qualifications and professional rights as other students graduating from an accredited university in the UK.

2) A Close-Knit International Community

Since the majority of Perrotis College students live on campus-half of them international students-they soon develop a close-knit community spirit. New arrivals quickly learn the importance of cultural diversity and tolerance, and just as quickly form friendships and mutually supportive relationships with co-residents who come from a completely different tradition and language background. However much students may learn from the College’s organized classroom curriculum, a considerable part of their education while at Perrotis College also comes out of simply living in the rich, culturally diverse environment residence life provides.

3) Extensive Financial Aid Program

Perrotis College, as a division of the American Farm School, is a non-profit educational institution whose mission, in part, is to provide higher education opportunities to those who would otherwise not be able to gain a college education.

Through a generous provision by benefactress Mrs. Aliki Perroti, a significant portion of the educational costs for all students is covered by the College. In addition, Perrotis College has an extensive financial aid program, consisting of scholarships and a work-study program, for students who demonstrate financial need.

Applicants to the College who submit a financial aid application will be considered for some form of aid or scholarship. Financial aid is provided on the basis of each candidate’s demonstrated need and potential for academic success.

4) Innovative And Essential Career Specializations

Agrotourism, Precision Agriculture, Xeriscape Technology-these are just three areas of study that a student can specialize in while pursuing a BSc (Hons) degree at Perrotis College. Few other institutions in the world offer intensive, undergraduate programs in these new, rapidly growing fields.

We also offer specializations in fields that will always be essential to the economy and to the everyday lives of consumers, including Marketing Management for the Food Industry and International Agribusiness Management and Livestock Management.

For further information, contact the Admissions Office.

5) Career And Graduate School Placement Services

Through the Career Counseling Coordinator, students may obtain information and guidance concerning potential careers in areas relevant to their studies, as well as information on post-graduate study opportunities. The coordinator explores with interested students their professional and educational interests and goals, and works with students to find appropriate information, contact potential employers and/or academic institutions, prepare applications and CVs, apply and prepare for relevant exams, obtain certifications, etc.

Since the College maintains collaborative relationships with universities, business firms and corporations, both locally and abroad, the Career Counseling Coordinator can often help bring students into direct contact with potential employers or graduate school program representatives.

For further information, contact the Career Counseling Coordinator.

6) Dedicated, Highly Qualified, Caring Faculty

The Perrotis College academic program is taught by a core of dedicated, highly qualified and caring full-time instructors, along with a part-time staff made up of professionals from the tourism and food industries, agribusiness, farming, landscaping, horticulture, livestock management and other fields. Full-time faculty also provide academic advising to all students and assist them through various other administrative and student services, including coordinating each of the academic programs, providing career and post-graduate study guidance and referral services for personal and learning disability counseling, and organizing student excursions and field trips. And because of the community atmosphere of the College, faculty spend ample time with students outside the classroom, though organizing informal meetings and tutorial sessions, participating with them in cultural and extra-curricular activities, and just simply being there when a student needs guidance or assistance.

For further information on specific faculty members, visit the faculty web pages.

7) Hands-On Work Experience

All students at Perrotis College gain valuable, hands-on professional experience through the Industrial Work Experience Modules.

Industrial Work Experience Program:

An essential feature of Perrotis College’s commitment to providing hands-on professional training to all students, the Industrial Work Experience Program (IWE) arranges for internship positions in industry and professional settings connected to each student’s preferred educational and professional pursuits.

This program enables students who have completed the first and second years of the regular College program to work in a supervised, industry-related setting, through which the individual pursues clearly identified experiential learning goals and reflects actively on what knowledge and skills he or she is acquiring throughout the working experience. These learning goals can include practically applied theoretical concepts, as well as goals connected to an individual’s career and personal development.

Students can perform their IWE in one of the following areas:

	In the AFS farm departments;
	In Greece through the AFS and Perrotis College industry network;
	In selected positions, arranged by University of Wales Institute (Perrotis College’s validating institution), in Wales and elsewhere in the UK;
	In the EU or US through exchange programs with Perrotis College’s collaborative educational institutions and farm operations; and
	In their home country, with College approved companies, agencies, farms and institutions.

For further information, please contact Dr. Tryfon Adamidis.

Work-Study Program

The College offers a limited number of on-campus employment opportunities through its Work-Study Program. The Program’s objectives are to enable students to apply theoretical knowledge to actual work responsibilities, to gain work experience and thus a competitive employment advantage when they complete their studies, and to earn income while studying for their degree.

Some work-study positions are granted to students as part of their financial aid arrangement, while other positions are assigned on a competitive basis to those who apply, based on each applicant’s qualifications, academic progress, behavior and self-motivation.
All Work-Study positions are part-time, never exceeding 20 working hours per week.  The College arranges positions on a semester basis in various AFS departments, including the College, the Library, the Poultry Unit, the Dairy Unit and the Landscape Department..

For further information, contact the Admissions Office.

8) English The Language Of Instruction

Few skills are more valuable in today’s world than a mastery of English-the international language of business and science.  Students who complete a BSc (Hons) at Perrotis College will have gained not only the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career of their choice or continue on for post-graduate study, but also the ability to do so at a sophisticated level of English.

Those who graduate from Perrotis College will have developed superior, advanced level English skills in writing, listening and speaking, and will be able to present written and oral reports according to internationally recognized professional standards.  Since English is the common language among the international student body, the daily use of English becomes a natural part of how students communicate with each other.

For those whose English is not yet up to college level, Perrotis College offers intensive instruction in English as a Second Language through its Foundation Program.  Once they complete the one or two semesters of the language program, these students are accepted into the regular College program.

For further information, visit the Foundation Program.

9) Vibrant Student Life

As part of our mission of educating the whole individual, Perrotis College offers a wide array of student life activities.  Each semester Student Life staff and College faculty organize events and activities such as the following:

Athletic Facilities and Activities

Students at Perrotis College have the opportunity to participate in athletic activities through using the following facilities:

	A gymnasium, which includes an indoor basketball and volleyball court, a weightlifting and gymnastics room and a ping-pong room;
	An outdoor soccer field with natural grass;
	An outdoor tennis court;
	Two outdoor basketball courts;
	A running track; and
	A beautiful, spread-out campus which is ideal for cross-country runs.

Student Clubs

Based on these facilities and depending on student body interest, the Department of Student Life organizes and supports a variety of athletic activities, including the following:

	Football, basketball and volleyball games with other local schools and colleges;
	Aerobics Exercise Classes; and
	A Latin Dance Club.

In addition, free student tickets for professional sports games that take place in Thessaloniki are often made available.

On-Campus Cultural Events

Given the opportunity to study in such a multinational school, students, through the support of the Student Life Department and the faculty, often share their personal experiences and talents in art and other expressions of culture and tradition, through such annual events as the following:

	Talent Show: Through singing, acting, playing instruments, mime and other forms of expression, students showcase their skills and the customs and traditions of their native cultures to the College and Farm School community;
	International Film Festival: Students present the most representative movies from their home-countries and travel together to each other’s land of origin through the magic of the seventh art;
	International Food Festival: Students themselves prepare characteristic traditional dishes from their countries and thus partake in a multicultural food festival.

Off-Campus Cultural Events

Faculty and Student Life staff organize off-campus cultural events, which include visits to archaeological and historical museums in the Thessaloniki area, trips to art galleries and culturally oriented festivals, and dinners at Greek tavernas, Chinese, Mexican and other restaurants offering ethnic cuisine.

International Fairs and Exhibitions

As a way to expose students to various aspects of the industries and commerce connected to the various professional fields they are preparing to pursue careers in, faculty and staff organize visits to the many international fairs and trade exhibitions that occur year round in Thessaloniki.  These include visits to the annual "Wine Plus" exhibition, at which students learn about wine production and tasting; "Philoxenia," the annual international tourism exhibition; and "Detrop," the biennial international food exhibition.

Environmental Awareness Events

Events of ecological interest are often organized by faculty and staff for the students of the College, the main purpose of which are to sensitize students regarding environmental issues and also to encourage them to become active guardians of the environment in their everyday private and professional lives.  These events include seminars, lectures and visits with ecological groups, and participation in on campus Environmental Days in which student volunteers do environment clean-up, tree planting, etc.
Recreational Trips

Faculty and staff also regularly organize outdoor recreational trips to the more popular and important historical and recreational sites of Greece, such as trips to:

	Mount Olympus Hiking Trip;
	Ski Trip;
	Horseback Riding Trip;
	Trips to the Beach; and
	Day-, Weekend- and Three-Day Trips to various locations of cultural and historical interest.

Community Service Activities

Students have the chance to help people in need through the College Community Service Team.  This group organizes events for disabled children, prepares and gives presents and food to the homeless and generally shows love and care to the less fortunate.

For further information, visit Student Life.

10) Part Of The Perrotis/American Farm School Experience-Past, Present and Future

For over a decade, Perrotis College has been preparing young men and women for further study and careers in the agribusiness and land-based industries. And for over a century the American Farm School has been educating high school age youths.  With the initiation of the College’s new BSc (Hons) degree program, those seeking to complete a bachelor degree can partake of our longstanding tradition of cultivating excellence while developing the hearts, hands and minds of generation after generation of young people.

But the “Perrotis Experience” is not only about the past.  It is also about the present. The College takes pride in providing educational opportunities-now-to those who otherwise would not be able to gain a post-secondary education.  In presenting degree programs that combine solid education fundamentals with innovative theory and practice.  And in cultivating-moment to moment, day to day-a lively, close-knit sense of community among students through residence on-campus and a rich array of cultural and extracurricular activities. 

Most of all, though, the “Perrotis Experience” leads to the future.  Through the rich international community that characterizes Perrotis College; through the knowledge, skills and competitive advantages its students gain; and through the exciting career choices that a degree from Perrotis College makes possible, Perrotis graduates will be ready to enter a future few others will have access to.