phd in france in english

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Doctoral Studies

With its 21 doctoral schools, Université Paris Cité offers many doctoral students the opportunity to train through research in all major disciplinary fields. At the national level, once fully operational, Université Paris Cité will offfer 5% of all PhD degrees in France.

Université Paris Cité is committed to a doctoral policy aimed at research training and training by research. It trains future researchers and teacher-researchers as well as future high-level executives.

Astronomy and Astrophysics Ile-de-France – ED 127 Director : Mr. Thierry FOUCHET Contact : Mrs. Jacqueline PLANCY

Environmental Sciences Ile-de-France – ED 129 Director : Mrs Pascale BOURUET-AUBERTOT Contact : Mrs Laurence AMSILI-TOUCHON

Doctoral School of Computer Science, Telecommunications, Electronics of Paris (EDITE) – ED 130 Director : Mr. Carlos AGON Contact : Mrs Rose NAHAN

Language, Litterature and Imagery : civilisations and humanities – ED 131 Director : Mr. Mathieu DUPLAY Co-director : Mrs Emmanuelle ANDRE Contact : Mrs Robin CHEVALIER

Cognition, Brain, Behaviour (ED3C) – ED 158 Director : Mr Alain TREMBLEAU Deputy director UPCité   :Mrs Thérèse COLLINS Contact : Mrs Hélène JOUANNE

Cognition, Behaviour, Human behaviour (3CH) – ED 261 Director : Mrs Karine DORE-MAZARS Contact : Mrs Lucie ALEX

Legal, political sciences, economics and management – ED 262 Director  : Mrs Anémone CARTIER-BRESSON Contact : Mrs Josie YEYE

Mathematical science Paris Centre – ED 386 Director : M. Elisha FALBEL Co-director  : M. Pierre-Henri CHAUDOUARD Contact : Mrs Amina HARITI

Physical Chemistry and Analytical chemistry – ED 388 Director : Mrs Alexa COURTY Contact : Mrs Konnavadee SOOBRAYEN

Pierre Louis Doctoral School of Public Health in Paris : Epidemiology and Biomedical Information Sciences – ED 393 Director  : Mr. Pierre-Yves BOËLLE Contact : Mrs Koltoum BEN SAID

Research in Psychoanalysis – ED 450 Director : Mrs Mi-Kyung YI Co-director : Mr Thamy AYOUCH Contact : Mr Ali BRADOR

Frontiers of Innovation in Research and Education (FIRE) – ED 474 Director : Mrs Muriel MAMBRINI-DOUDET  Co-directeur David TARESTE Contact : Mrs Elodie KASLIKOWSKI

Earth and Environmental Sciences and Physics of the Universe – ED 560 Director : Mr. Fabien CASSE Contacts : Mrs Alissa MARTEAU

Hematology, Oncogenesis, and Biotherapies – ED 561 Director  : Mr. Raphaël ITZYKSON Contacts : Mr Maxime DA CUNHA / Mrs Aurélie BULTELLE

Bio Sorbonne Paris Cité – ED 562 Director : Mrs Caroline LE VAN KIM – Co-Director : Mrs Chantal DESDOUETS Contacts : Mr Louis DUVAL-KISTER

Drug Toxicology, Chemistry and Imaging (MTCI) – ED 563 Director  : Mrs Marie-Christine LALLEMAND Contact : Mrs Elisabeth HOMBRADOS

Physics in Ile de France – ED 564 Director  : Mr Frédéric CHEVY Co-director : Mr Philippe LAFARGE Contact : Mrs Monia MESTAR

Sports, Motricity and Humain mobility sciences (SSMMH) – ED 566 Director  : Mrs Isabelle SIEGLER Co-director : Mr. Bernard ANDRIEU Contact : Mrs Marie-Pierre RICHOUX

Language Sciences – ED 622 Director : Mrs Caterina DONATI Contact : Mrs Chafia AIT-HELAL

Knowledge, Science, Education – ED 623 Co-Director : Mr. Fabrice VANDEBROUCK Co-Director : Mrs Anne BARRERE Contact : Mrs Agathe TRAN

Social Sciences – ED 624

Department 1 Director : Mrs Véronique PETIT Contact : Mr. Jérôme BROCHERIOU

Department 2

Director : Mr Antoine REBERIOUX Contact : Mrs Sarah RAHMANI

More information :

Doctoral School website for more information The following content is in French French higher education system chart

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So you’re thinking of getting your PhD in France in your chosen field of study but you’re not sure of where to begin. Do not worry, this article will have all the information you need plus a few bonus fun facts about getting your PhD in France. 

How Do I Get My PhD? 

First and foremost, you need to know that before you can enroll in a Doctorate in France, you need to find a thesis topic and a thesis supervisor. After that, your chosen doctoral school must accept you.

The reason why you need to have a thesis subject and supervisor before you enrol in a Doctorate is because in France, there are no “doctoral programs” that allow you to have the first year to decide on a thesis topic and give you time to find a thesis supervisor. 

To enter a Doctorate you must have a Master’s degree, or the equivalent of that. So it’s advised that if you’re interested in getting a Doctorate in France, you should start looking in your second year of your Master’s program. 

How Much Will It Cost to Get My PhD?

Funding for your Doctorate tuition is not a problem since it’s €391 per year but rather your living expenses like salary, grants, generally speaking you’d need more than €1000 a month. It depends what you’re studying on how much funding you need or if you need any at all. 

For example, in the natural and technological sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering), you do need funding. But in some cases in the social sciences and humanities (law, history, sociology, management, etc.), you don’t need funding to enroll.

How to Enroll for a Doctorate in Your Chosen Subject?

As mentioned before, there are a few differences between studying natural sciences and social sciences. One of them was funding, the other is the application process. The subject you pick will fall in the scope of these two divisions: natural and technological sciences & social sciences and humanities. 

• Natural and Technological Sciences

The first thing you need to do is apply for a thesis subject that is published by French researchers. There are two types of subjects you can pick from.

• Subjects already funded by the host establishment (Contract);
• Subjects that you need to have your own funding for (Grant); 

As soon as you find the subject you like, all that’s left to do is contact the researcher or the doctoral school that published the subject. You can find these subjects here .

• Social Sciences and Humanities 

If you’d like to, you can prepare your own research project that you can present to a researcher. But you should keep in mind to be very specific, make sure that the researcher specializes in exactly what you want your topic to be about. You can also pick your own subject on social sciences and humanities here to see if you find something suitable for you.

How long will it take to get my PhD?

Getting a PhD in France takes 3-6 years to complete.The duration may vary depending on the field you’re studying but there is no legal time limit. For example in natural and technological sciences (mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, etc.) it takes approximately 3 to 4 years to complete your Doctorate. Whereas in social sciences and humanities (law, history, sociology, management, etc.) it will approximately take 4 to 5 years.

Can I Get My PhD in English?

Fortunately, you can get your PhD in France in English, but it also varies depending on the field you’re studying. For example in the natural and technological sciences it’s very possible to conduct research and write your thesis entirely in English, but in the arts and humanities it’s not as common. Be sure to search the university of your choice and see if they allow you to get your PhD in English. Here are some Universities we found where you can get your PhD in English.

• ISM – International School of Management  

Their PhD program allows you to gain the skills and experience you need to succeed in the world of business. It produces experienced and highly motivated business professionals by conducting original research in academia. You can also get the degree online and it takes 4 to 7 years to do so. 

• EIT Manufacturing

EIT Manufacturing’s doctoral program offers research possibilities in areas such as: People and Robots for Sustainable Work, Additive Manufacture for Full Flexibility, Zero-Defect Manufacture for a Circular Economy, and Platforms for digitalized value networks. It takes 2 years to complete the Doctorate and you can of course do it in English. 

• Toulouse School of Management 

Toulouse School of Management offers five fields of study with a curriculum that allows students to thrive in an intelligent and creative atmosphere. This doctoral program is very competitive as it only admits 10 to 20 PhD students every year. The duration of the degree is 5 years and you can get it in English. 

• Institut Polytechnique de Paris

All the doctoral programs in mathematics are consolidated within the Hadamard Doctoral School of Mathematics (EDMH) and co-accredited with Paris-Saclay University and PSL University. This PhD program includes all kinds of mathematics and other subjects such as: economics, IT, mechanical engineering, physics, engineering, and life sciences. The duration of the degree is 3 years and you can get it in English. 

This university also offers a PhD program in sciences and engineering with around 900 doctoral students, supervised by more than 800 researchers. It offers research in areas such as: Biology and Chemistry, Computing, Data and Artificial Intelligence, Economics, Management, and Social Sciences, Information, Communications, Electronics, Mechanical and Energetic Engineering, and Physics. The duration of this English PhD program is 3 years. 

A lot of Universities such as Institut Polytechnique de Paris and Horizons University offer multiple PhD programs in English in various subjects, you can go check out your chosen University or research facility’s website and see if and how many PhD programs do they offer in English. 

Can I Get a Scholarship for a PhD?

Luckily, there are plenty of scholarships for PhD students to apply for. Even though the tuition fee for a Doctorate is approximately only €391 per year, there are a lot of other things that will cost you to get your PhD. As mentioned before, there are such cases where you will need funding to conduct research and get a thesis supervisor. Here are some PhD scholarships that you might find useful. 

• Eiffel Scholarship Program of Excellence
• Chateaubriand Fellowship Program
• The Émile Boutmy Scholarship 
• IESEG School of Management Scholarship
• Aix-Marseille University Scholarship
• INSA Toulouse Scholarship
• Université de Montpellier Scholarships

Of course these are not the only ones, the University of your choice might possibly offer a PhD scholarship that you can find out on their website. 

Can I Get My PhD Online?

One of the many perks of getting your PhD in France is the ability to complete it virtually. Maybe you can’t get your Doctorate physically for some reason, or you just want to get it from the comfort of your own home but still want the benefits the French education has to offer. Whatever the reason may be, you can do just that. Here are some of the best online PhD programs in France.

• Horizons University: International Entrepreneurship
• Horizons University: International Leadership
• ISM – International School of Management
• Grenoble Ecole de Management: DBA (Doctorate in Business Administration)
• Horizons University: DBA in Innovation and Creativity 
• Horizons University: DBA in International Business
• Horizons University: DBA in International Business Communication

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Doctoral Programs

Doctoral programs are scientific programs whose aim is to match doctoral candidates with selected doctoral research projects at scientific, sectorial and geographical interfaces. The doctoral candidates recruited in these programs are attached to and monitored by the doctoral school to which their thesis director is affiliated and the program allows them to integrate into an interdisciplinary community.

Published on 4/12/2019 - Updated on 5/05/2022

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Before you can enroll in a PhD in France, you must find a thesis supervisor and subject. What are the steps?

If you wish to do a Doctorate in natural and technological sciences:

1) Apply for thesis subjects that have been published by French researchers.

You will find these subjects on the   Campus France platform .

There are two types of subjects: subjects already funded by the host establishment (choose "Type: Contract"), and subjects for which you must have your own funding (choose "Type: Grant").

2) Contact the researcher or Doctoral School that published the subject.

If you wish to do a Doctorate in the social sciences and humanities: 

1) Check the  Campus France subject platform .

If you can't find anything suitable, you will have to prepare a research project that you can then send to a researcher.

How to find a researcher to be a thesis supervisor?

First of all, remember that you must not propose a research project to every researcher in the field that interests you. For example, if your research project is in economics, don't send your proposal to every economist! They already receive an enormous number of requests like that and can't go through them all.

Your proposal should  target specific people within your domain of study, that means the theme of your research project must correspond to the specialty of the researcher.

After you've sent the proposal to the right person, you'll have to engage with the researcher in order to refine your thesis topic. To maximize your chances, you need to be flexible and ready to move away from your initial proposal. If you are able to obtain funding, say so at the start of your message.  

Read Campus France's   Guide: La Récherche en France  for more detailed information about applying to doctoral programs in France. 

Congratulations, you've found a thesis supervisor who accepts you.

Now the Doctoral School has to approve it so you can enrol in a Doctorate. If funding is required by the Doctoral School, it must be approved before you can enrol.

The annual registration fee for a Doctoral program is €380. Even if you have a doctoral fellowship, you will have to pay the registration fee. Doctoral students are not subject to the fee differentiation for international students, as are students in other levels. You can learn more about tuition fees here . 

Remember you still need to go through the Campus France USA application . Once you'll receive the confirmation e-mail from Campus France USA, you can then proceed to the next step for your student visa application ( France-Visas ). 

Enjoy your PhD!

On the same topic.

• FAQ - PhD in France https://www.campusfrance.org/en/FAQ-Doctorate-France-questions

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Undertaking a PhD in France

Are you considering doing your PhD in France? Below, discover everything you need to know. Learn more about the application criteria, project development process, and types of PhDs.

Advanced degree

In France, a PhD is the highest academic degree you can earn. Doctoral studies are a form of research-based training with the same value as professional experience. PhD students carry out research on a defined topic under the supervision of their thesis advisor(s). 

PhD students are enrolled in doctoral programmes run by institutions of higher education (i.e., universities or grandes écoles ), but they are trained within research laboratories. Students carry out original scientific research either on their own or as part of collaborative projects; the results form the basis for their dissertations. Students must also go through a thesis defence in which they present their findings to a committee that judges the quality of their work. Those who succeed are awarded doctoral degrees. 

Generally, earning a PhD requires 3 years of full-time research. One-year extensions may be granted under certain circumstances. In exceptional cases and for compelling reasons, a student may request a leave of absence of up to 1 year. Such requests are only granted once, upon approval by the establishment’s director. Any leave of absence is excluded when calculating thesis duration, given that the student suspends their training and research during that period.

To be eligible for doctoral studies, you must have a master’s degree. This requirement can be waived by an establishment’s director if approval is granted by the doctoral programme’s administrators. You need to show that you have an equivalent level of education or professional experience.

PhD programmes frequently have an international component. For example, doctoral students often take part in joint degree programmes or dual degree programmes, a situation that is facilitated under French law. 

Status of doctoral students

In France, the status of doctoral students depends on their funding source. Anyone doing a PhD is officially recognised as a student because they must be enrolled in a doctoral programme at an institution of higher education. In addition, many are also salaried workers because they are contractual employees.

International doctoral students with foreign grants have the status of students in France.

There are different types of doctorates in France. Here are some common examples: 

Traditional PhD 

• 3 years of work in a single research laboratory
• Leads to a French degree
• Enrolment and thesis defence occur at a single institution
• Single thesis advisor (or co-advisors, if necessary)

Jointly supervised PhD

• Thesis jointly supervised by a set of co-advisors—one from the student’s main research laboratory (affiliated with the enrolment institution) and one from a separate institution, either in France or another country
• Enrolment and thesis defence occur at the institution affiliated with the main research laboratory
• Single degree granted by the above institution 
• Thesis research might arise from a national and/or international collaboration

Dual degree PhD

• Thesis jointly supervised by a set of co-advisors, with research taking place in two laboratories
• Individual dual degree agreement ( convention individuelle de co-tutelle ) establishes a research framework
• Enrolment occurs at two institutions—one in France and one abroad
• Tuition is paid to a single institution
• Single thesis defence but two degrees (one from each institution)

Professional PhD

• Research carried out at a private company partnered with a publicly funded laboratory and its affiliated institution of higher education
• Thesis jointly supervised by a set of co-advisors—one from the company and one from the laboratory
• Work is split between the company and laboratory
• Student contractually employed by the company
• Degree is granted by the institution of enrolment
• Excellent opportunity to gain professional experience 

Doctoral training

The first step in your doctoral studies is to enrol at an institution (university or grande école ) with an official PhD programme that is under the aegis of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Such doctoral programmes are structured to provide a high level of personalised training and supervision during your thesis work:

• You are under the supervision of one or more thesis advisors
• You carry out your work within an affiliated research unit and take part in laboratory activities
• You can participate in courses and seminars designed to establish a solid scientific foundation and guide the development of your research

Your thesis committee will ensure your studies are advancing smoothly, notably by evaluating your training conditions and research progress. To enhance your employability, your doctoral programme and thesis advisor will

• Encourage you to attend national, European, and international conferences and publish in national, European, and international journals
• Design a training programme compatible with your PhD project
• Help you exploit your skills and training

In France, you can write and defend your thesis exclusively in English. However, your thesis summary must be translated into French.

Your PhD project

To begin your PhD, you must find a host research laboratory, a thesis topic, a thesis advisor, and funding. We recommend that you begin this process at least 1 year before your target start date. You can begin by looking at the list of thesis topics posted by doctoral programmes and institutions of higher education. You can also directly contact laboratories working in your area of interest. As a general rule, your future thesis advisor will help you with funding.

International students may be able to find other sources of funding, such as fellowships from embassies, the governments of their home countries, and/or partnership agreements between institutions.

Enrolling in a doctoral programme

Once you have resolved all of the above, you must submit your project to your doctoral programme for approval. Your thesis advisor and the laboratory director will evaluate the quality and feasibility of your proposal.

If their assessment is favourable, the director of the doctoral programme will allow you to enrol. You will be informed of the decision by the head of the doctoral programme (the university or grande école president). The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research establishes the amount of tuition paid by bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students. Tuition levels are the same everywhere in France.

In 2023, annual tuition for doctoral students was €380. There is also a campus activities fee (CVEC) of €92. In certain cases, both may be waived.

Useful link

• Getting a PhD in France—directory of doctoral schools

Related articles

• Doctoral studies at INRAE
• Joining INRAE
• Working conditions & benefits 
• Publishing results & managing data

Last update: 20 March 2024