PhD international exchanges

The goal of an international exchange is to provide a broad scientific culture to doctoral students and to develop cooperation between French and international research teams.

Joint doctorate

A joint doctorate is a procedure governed by a decree (May 25, 2016), implemented on the initiative and under the responsibility of the President of the University, which allows a student to prepare a thesis under the direction of two teachers authorized to conduct research belonging to two universities, one French and one international.

A co-supervised thesis gives rise to a single defence and allows the doctoral student to obtain the degree of doctor from both universities.

The student is enrolled in both universities but he / she pays the tuition fees in only one of them. The student agrees to follow alternately courses and seminars in each of the two universities as defined by both parties in the agreement.

Thesis defence

At the end of the degree, a single defence, the conditions of which must be specified in the agreement, is organized in one or other university, with a mixed jury of at least four members.

After a successful defence the student will receive two diplomas corresponding, in each of the countries, to the end of the doctoral studies: a doctorate degree for the French university, the equivalent for the international university.

Note : A joint doctorate must be agreed during the first or second year of the PhD

The procedure must be initiated by the research directors who propose the joint doctorate. They must agree on the subject, the follow-up procedures, the conditions for the thesis defence, the publication of the degree certificate and its title.

The French and Foreign agreement must be signed by :

  • The PhD student
  • Both thesis directors
  • The director of the Doctoral School and the President of La Rochelle Université
  • The director of the Doctoral School or equivalent and the head of the partner university.