You are here : Version française > International > Cotutelle

Joint Doctorate

Undertaking an international joint doctorate

The international joint doctorate allows a PhD student to complete his/her doctorate in France and abroad. He/she is registered in two institutions and works in two research teams, under the joint supervision of two thesis directors. The thesis work leads to a single viva and the award of a joint diploma or two separate diplomas by both institutions.

An agreement sets out the timetable, the PhD student's mutual training, the payment of tuition fees, social protection, and the rights and duties of each party.

A joint doctorate is prepared from the Master's degree. Discuss this with your future thesis supervisor. He/she is the one who has to submit the idea to the doctoral school which will give its approval or not.

► joint doctorates at the Université de Lyon 1

► joint doctorates at ENS Lyon

Budget and funding

Doing a joint doctorate entails additional mobility expenses. Some institutions also require the payment of tuition and/or joint doctorate fees.It is therefore important to budget, seek funding and apply for scholarship programs as early as possible.

There are specific funding programmes for cotutelles with certain countries proposed by the Franco-German University, the Franco-Italian University, the Franco-Dutch Network.


Foreign candidate for a joint doctorate with France

If you are a foreign candidate for a joint doctorate with France, you may be able to obtain funding from your government and, sometimes, from the French Embassy (in Canada for example)

Contact these institutions directly for more information.
► Download the Order of 6th January 2005 relating to joint doctorates