Proof of Doctoral Degree

Eligibility for appointment as a postdoc requires a candidate to hold, or to have completed the requirements for, an advanced degree, e.g., PhD, MD, or equivalent. Candidates from non-U.S. universities must hold advanced degrees equivalent to those awarded in U.S. institutions in order to qualify for appointment as postdoctoral fellows. It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide transcripts and/or a diploma certifying that the postdoc has received their degree, and although this may be delegated, it is the mentor’s responsibility to review this documentation and ensure that it is satisfactory and included in the candidate’s file. If conferral of a postdoc degree occurs after their start date, the postdoc must furnish a notarized statement or letter from their home institution’s registrar or University official that their degree will be conferred on a certain date and stating that they have completed all degree requirements by that date. Again, it is the mentor and or delegated authority responsibility to review the postdoc’s transcripts and/or diploma, or notarized letter to ensure that it is satisfactory. This documentation should be included in the candidate’s file and a copy added to their Workday@Penn file. In no event shall a postdoc be reappointed without the degree having been awarded. 

A postdoc is an individual who has completed their doctoral degree and is engaged in a temporary period of mentored research or scholarly training to gain further expertise in their chosen field. At Penn postdocs are categorized as postdoctoral researchers, fellows, or NRSA fellows. They are collectively referred to in the policy for postdocs as postdoctoral trainees (postdoc).