If you are working in the public sector, including government offices, hospitals, etc., you must have your Ph.D recognized by Misrad HaChinuch.
In the public sector, recognition of your Ph.D will affect both your rank and salary. If you are working for a private organization or a post-doc, you will not need to have your degree recognized at all.
The process for BA and MA recognition is significantly shorter. Therefore, if you are working in a public office and have NOT had your Ph.D recognized, you can submit a request to Misrad HaChinuch to have your BA and MA recognized and be paid accordingly, while waiting for your Ph.D approval.
Each degree requires a separate process of recognition. If your PhD has been recognized, you will still need to obtain recognition for your BA and MA degrees.
The Division for Evaluation of Foreign Academic Degrees is Israel’s certified body for evaluating academic degrees furnished by graduates of institutions of higher education from other countries, for the purposes of salary and grading in the public sector.
The Division evaluates academic degrees granted both by foreign institutions of higher education and by extensions of foreign institutions of higher education that operate in Israel and that are licensed by the Council for Higher Education in Israel after having met all the requirements of the law. Degrees are evaluated on the basis of established rules and criteria, including the Rachlevsky Rules and the rules for evaluation of degrees for open distance-learning and Ph.D degrees.
The certificate granted by the Division is used for those joining the work force and in ranking the academic salary as practiced in Israel, primarily in state and public bodies, and in responding to tenders with the aforementioned ranking.
A more detailed explanation and access to the online system are here.
How it works:
The process of Ph.D recognition involves meeting with a panel of experts, consisting of two veteran Israeli academics who are experienced in reviewing doctoral dissertations in Israel and are experts in the applicant’s field of study. An invitation to meet with the panel will be sent to you after all the documents have been submitted. After the meeting, the panel will send its recommendation to the Foreign Degree Evaluation Branch.
First, you should submit the following documents on the online system:
- Israeli ID Card / valid passport with Israeli work permit valid for a period of at least six months (for anyone who is not an Israeli citizen)
- Teudat Oleh/ Toshav Hozer
- Official document of change of first and last name (if applicable)
- An official certificate from the Ministry of Interior, with all the entry and exit dates to and from Israel during the period of their studies (applies to Israeli citizens, temporary residents, returning Israelis, tourists with a work permit to work in Israel, and new immigrants who studied abroad after their Aliyah to Israel)
- Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees certificates. (If the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees are from abroad please see and attach entire above list of documents for evaluation). For those who have Israeli Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, submit the certificates only.
- Ph.D Degree certificate
- Final official grade transcript of courses and examinations taken during the Ph.D studies (if applicable)
- Documents attesting to entrance examinations taken before Ph.D studies (if applicable)
- Ph.D defense protocol
- Official document stating the names of the members of the Ph.D defense committee and their positions (including external evaluators)
- Document stating number of years of study and exact dates of studies
- Questionnaire and Ph.D statement about the studies conducted towards the degree, signed by a licensed Israeli lawyer
- Ph.D thesis (saved on digital media)
- Translated copy of the Ph.D thesis’ detailed abstract, either into Hebrew or English, if the thesis is written in any language other than the above. The abstract will be forwarded to experts in the specific field of the Ph.D. The experts reserve the right to request translation of certain sections of the thesis if they decide that the abstract is insufficient (translation of the Introduction, Methodology, and Findings and Conclusions chapters). An English or Hebrew translation of the bibliography must be attached along with the abstract.
If the thesis is not written in Hebrew, English or Arabic a detailed abstract in one of these languages must be submitted. This will be sent to the panel of experts who will decide if it is enough or if more sections must be translated and submitted. A bibliography in one of these languages must be submitted. Any translations must be accompanied by a signed affidavit that the translation is accurate and does not reflect anything added to the original.
Any additional documentation that may support recognition of the doctorate may be submitted, such as articles and publications.
A notarized translation into Hebrew or English is needed for any documents that are not in Hebrew, English or Russian.
Review Committee
After you submit all of the requested documentation, your Ph.D dissertation will be reviewed by a review committee of two or three experts in your doctoral field. (This may be an independent committee that is outsourced by Misrad HaChinuch.) The committee will invite you for a personal interview to determine the extent and quality of the work. Be prepared! The committee will ask you questions about your dissertation.
