Visiting Doctoral Student Policy

The Management Department hosts up to three visiting doctoral students at any given time. Due to the large volume of requests for these positions, we only consider requests made by the department faculty member who is interested in sponsoring the visitor. Serious consideration will only be given to requests where the sponsor has an active collaboration with the visiting student.

All fees must be paid by the visitor’s home institution, including tuition or part-time dissertation fees as well as health insurance if the visitor cannot provide proof of health insurance. Please note that payment of tuition entitles the visitor to register for classes, while payment of part-time dissertation fees does not. While some faculty may permit students to sit in on classes unofficially, visitors who choose to pay only the part-time dissertation fees should understand that faculty have no obligation to allow visitors in their classes; it is an individual decision on which our faculty approaches vary.

The department administrator directs the visitor for obtaining Penn Card and computing accounts. Together these provide access to libraries and computing resources. However, the department cannot guarantee space or computers to visiting students.

The faculty sponsor is responsible for arranging to greet the visitor and socialize the visitor. This is not the responsibility of the department administrator or the doctoral coordinator. The faculty sponsor is also responsible for directing the visitor’s research. Visitors should recognize that other faculty beyond the sponsor choose to provide support only at their own discretion.

Requests by faculty sponsors must be made four months in advance of the anticipated start date of the visit. They must include:

1. A cover letter from the candidate, including a description of the research, the requested visit dates, and the curriculum vitae.
2. A cover letter from the sponsor, indicating that he/she is available to supervise the visitor during the requested dates, and a description of the past and expected collaboration with the visitor.
3. Verification from the candidate certifying the source that will cover his/her fees as described above.
4. Proof of health insurance (or verification that a health insurance fee will also be covered by the candidate’s funding source).
5. Verification from the candidate’s home institution of the candidate’s standing as a Ph.D. student and the level the student has reached in the Ph.D. program.

For additional information, please go to the International Student and Scholar Services.