Organization of the PhD Program

In keeping with the original objective of the EPHE-PSL, the PhD Program is committed to the principle of broad-based research training: practical work (workshops), seminars, conferences, internships and methodological and introductory courses that complement each doctoral student's research. The aim is to acquire the scientific autonomy necessary for future developments in the knowledge professions.

The PhD Program thus facilitates the individual research of doctoral students by encouraging their active participation and integration into the world of research, providing them with financial support promoting and supporting the organization of academic events (study days, conferences), and encouraging the publication of their work. The doctoral students of the PhD Program are integrated into the research teams of the EPHE - PSL.

The functioning of the EPHE-PSL PhD Program is governed by the decree of 26 August 2022 amending the decree of 25 May 2016 setting the national framework for training and the procedures leading to the award of the national doctoral diploma. Professors authorized to supervise research are assisted by a council and appointed by the president of the EPHE - PSL after consultation with the PhD Program Council and the Scientific Council. The PhD Program 472 is directed by Christopher CARCAILLET, Director of Studies at the EPHE-PSL and is assisted by an administrative office.

PSL Doctoral College

The EPHE-PSL PhD Program is one of the founding programs of the PSL Doctoral College, which was established in September 2015. The Program implements PSL University's doctoral policy and offers, via the Doctoral Studies House, services to all PSL doctoral students. It contributes to the exchange of experiences, the dissemination of good practices and the promotion of doctoral students at PSL University. Doctoral students at ED 472 obtain a "PSL doctorate, prepared at the EPHE-PSL".

Promoting your doctoral research

Doctoral days

• Interdisciplinary Days

The interdisciplinary days organized each year by the PhD Program promote interdisciplinary openness and academic contributions to cross-disciplinary knowledge. Doctoral students and professors in the Humanities benefit greatly from knowledge of problems in the Life and Earth Sciences; similary the Humanities provide doctoral students and researchers in Life and Earth Sciences with a perspective that can enrich their scientific approaches.

There are concrete links that unite the disciplines taught at the EPHE-PSL. This is the case, for example, with the collaboration between archaeologists, archaeozoologists and palynologists, or the contribution of biologists to the study of manuscripts (parchment, pigments, etc.), or the cooperation between geography, environmental sciences, and history, or dialogue between philosophy, ethics, genetics, and medical research.

Recent themes include: Medicine and Health (in 2009); Memory (in 2010); History: cycles, rhythms, periods (in 2011); Origin(s) (in 2012); Legacies, transmissions, evolutions (in 2013); From the Imaginary to the Image: The Challenges of Representation (in 2014); Progress, between belief and science (in 2015);   La lumière (in 2016); Sustainability (surviving, persevering, evolving) (in 2017); Order and Chaos (in 2018); Movements: rhythms, circulations, trajectories (in 2019); (Se) Represent (in 2020) and Matter, Materials and (Im)Materiality in 2022.

• Other doctoral days

In addition to completing their thesis, doctoral students have the opportunity, during their years of study at EPHE-PSL, to train in research by participating in various doctoral days that are organized by the ED or by partner institutions (ENC, research teams). Doctoral students are encouraged to participate in specialized study days and to learn about the organization (administrative and academic) of these events.

Defending a thesis

The culmination of the doctoral thesis is the defense, which is an important moment that should be carefully planned with the thesis director, both from a scientific and administrative point of view.

• Procedure

When the thesis is completed, the doctoral student—coordinating with the thesis director—initiates the defense procedure on ADUM (no later than 12 weeks before the scheduled date of the defense). The doctoral student will upload the thesis to the website and will indicate at that time the names of the pre-rapporteurs and the members of the jury. The document produced on this basis is signed by the thesis director, the head of the specialization and by the president of the EPHE-PSL. Once the document has been validated, the pre-rapporteurs receive their request for a preliminary report. If the deadlines have been met, the rapporteurs have about four weeks to write their reports. The reports must be received no later than three weeks before the date of the defense. It is the responsibility of the doctoral student to send the thesis to the rapporteurs. Once the preliminary reports have been communicated, the authorization to defend is (or not) issued by the head of the specialization or the director of the PhD Program and the president of the EPHE-PSL.

After the thesis

Once the thesis has been completed, the new doctor may apply for qualification as a lecturer in one or more sections of the CNU. In general, in order to obtain a position at a university or in a public or private research organization, recent PhD graduated is expected to supplement doctoral training with one or more post-doctoral contracts.

• Qualification

To be able to apply for qualification as a lecturer in one or more sections of the CNU, the doctor must have defended the thesis before the beginning of December (the date varies each year and it is important to find out in advance about the deadlines). The request for qualifications generally requires the submission of a CV, a number of publications, the thesis and the thesis report. The documents required vary according to the CNU sections and it is important to find out more on the web page of each one. Once you have obtained the qualification of one of the CNU sections, it is possible to apply for lecturer positions (published on an ongoing basis or in the spring on Galaxie). It should be noted that applications to the EPHE-PSL, the EHESS, and the CNRS do not require the qualification.

• Post

Obtaining a position as a researcher or professor generally requires teaching and research experience complementary to that obtained in the context of the doctorate. This experience can be acquired through temporary teaching and research associate contracts (the list of which is published each year on Galaxie), and through post-doctoral contracts. Some of these contracts are offered in France, in particular within the framework of the LabEx or the ANR or ERC projects. Others are offered abroad, such as the European Union's Marie Curie Fellowships, Germany's Humboldt Stiftung , or the Fulbright Commission contracts in the United States.