Recognition of Postgraduate, Doctoral and Foreign Degrees

Postgraduate, Doctoral and Foreign Degrees (Chapters 2–4)

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of the Standard ASEP Provisions define how postgraduate (level 7) and doctoral (level 8) degrees, as well as foreign qualifications, are documented, and which cases do not require any formal recognition procedure.

1. Postgraduate degrees (Chapter 2)

1.1 What counts as a postgraduate degree

• A Master’s level qualification (Postgraduate Diploma) with at least 60 ECTS.
• Postgraduate degrees awarded abroad, provided they are recognised under Greek law.
• Integrated master degrees are treated as basic degrees, not as separate postgraduate qualifications.

1.2 What the candidate must submit

For Greek postgraduate degrees:

• A copy of the postgraduate degree.
• Reference to institution, programme and specialisation title.
• The date of award of the degree.

For foreign postgraduate degrees:

• A copy of the degree.
• Official translation into Greek.
• Apostille, where applicable.
• A DOATAP recognition act or an ATEEN professional equivalence decision.
• Alternatively, proof of application lodged with DOATAP/ATEEN, with the obligation to submit the final act before appointment.

1.3 Missing elements on the degree

If key elements such as date of award or specialisation are not clearly stated on the document, the candidate must provide an official certificate from the institution explicitly stating the missing information.

2. Doctoral degrees (Chapter 2)

2.1 What counts as a doctoral degree

A doctoral degree awarded by a Higher Education Institution, in Greece or abroad, classified at level 8 of the National Qualifications Framework and heavily weighted in ASEP competitions.

2.2 What the candidate must submit

For Greek doctoral degrees:

• A copy of the doctoral diploma.
• The title of the thesis, as stated on the diploma or in the award decision.
• The date of award.

For foreign doctoral degrees:

• The doctoral diploma with official translation.
• Apostille, where required.
• A DOATAP recognition act or an ATEEN decision on professional equivalence.
• Alternatively, proof of application until the final act is issued.

2.3 Special cases

In some calls, a provisional award decision may be accepted temporarily until the final diploma is issued. Greek doctoral degrees are listed in the National Archive of Doctoral Theses, which facilitates verification.

3. Foreign degrees (Chapter 3)

3.1 When the degree has already been recognised

The candidate submits:

• The degree with official translation.
• The DOATAP recognition act (academic equivalence/correspondence), or
• The ATEEN decision on professional equivalence, when recognition is based on professional qualifications.

3.2 When the degree has not yet been recognised

The candidate may still participate if they submit:

• A copy of the degree.
• Official translation and, where required, apostille.
• Proof of application submitted to DOATAP or ATEEN (receipt or protocol number).

Final recruitment or appointment requires submission of the final recognition act or professional equivalence decision.

3.3 What counts as sufficient proof of application

• A written receipt of file submission.
• An official application reference / protocol number.
• An email confirmation from the competent authority.

4. Cases where recognition is not required (Chapter 4)

4.1 Language certificates

Language certificates issued by recognised organisations and used exclusively to prove knowledge of a foreign language do not require DOATAP or ATEEN recognition.

4.2 IT certifications

IT certifications included in ASEP-recognised lists do not require any academic recognition procedure, provided they meet the specific requirements of the call.

4.3 Qualifications not used as basic recruitment criteria

Short courses, training programmes and other non-basic qualifications that serve only as additional merits do not fall under DOATAP/ATEEN recognition requirements.

4.4 Regulated professions and EU framework

In certain regulated professions, recognition is granted via professional qualifications under EU law (e.g. Directive 2005/36/EC, Presidential Decree 38/2010), without requiring a DOATAP academic act.