Admission to a doctoral school
Depending on how your PhD is funded, the application requirements and the procedures for admission to a doctoral school at the University of Bordeaux may vary. This page sets out the admission or selection (concours) processes, key dates and the selection criteria for candidates.
Doctoral School of Law
Admission requirements
- Hold a Master 2 degree in law, legal history, political science or another degree conferring the grade of Master, with an average of 12/20 for the Master 2 and a mark of 14/20 for the Master 2 dissertation (extract from the internal regulations) (contact us for any other situation).
-
Be supervised by a thesis director who is a member of one of the doctoral school's research units, and whom you must contact directly to determine your thesis topic and agreement to supervise it. The thesis supervisor must be a professor or equivalent, or a senior lecturer holding a habilitation to supervise research (HDR) or authorization to supervise a thesis (ADT).
Make sure that the thesis subject has not already been dealt with (check on SUDOC or theses.fr). - Make sure that the thesis topic has not yet been covered (check on SUDOC or theses.fr)
View the list of supervisors authorised to supervise new candidates
APplying for admission
Before creating your ADUM account to apply, make sure that a thesis supervisor has agreed to supervise your PhD, as any account created without a thesis supervisor will be deleted automatically.
If a thesis supervisor has agreed to supervise your PhD, here are the steps to follow :
- Create your ADUM account.
- Download the admission file, charter and individual training agreement: once filled out, send them to your potential thesis supervisor and the research unit director to sign.
- Submit the entire admission file as a single PDF :
- Admission dossier downloaded from the platform, including project summary and signatures
- CV
- Copy of Master's degree or certificate of completion of Master's degree
- Transcript of grades from Master's degree
- Individual training agreement signed by the doctoral candidate, thesis supervisor, and research unit director (the director of the doctoral school will sign it after submission)
- Doctoral charter, last page of signatures only, signed by the doctoral candidate, thesis supervisor, and research unit director
- Copy of valid ID/passport (for French or EU students) or translated birth certificate for students outside the European Union
- Declaration of funding (+ employment contract) or self-funding declaration
- Authorization for the use of personal data (to be downloaded from ADUM)
Additional documents for candidates who obtained their Master's from a foreign institution:
- research paper or internship report
- copy of diploma and transcripts translated into French or English
- copy of the translation of their birth certificate
requesting funding: the doctoral school's selection process for phD positions (concours)
Each year, in July, the doctoral school organizes a competition for ministerial doctoral contracts. There are other sources of funding for PhDs: to find out more, visit the dedicated page.
- The 2025 campaign is open from mid-May to July 7, 2025.
Before applying
- Make sure you meet the admission requirements mentioned above.
The submission process is entirely paperless, which allows thesis supervisors and research unit directors to validate applications electronically.
Recruitment : key dates
- July 7, 2025 (midnight) : Deadline for submitting applications on ADUM.
- July 9, 2025 : Pre-selection of candidate applications (selected candidates will be notified by email or phone by the end of the afternoon).
- July 10, 2025 (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM) : Candidate auditions starting at 9:00 AM (five minutes presentation and ten minutes exchange with the council). Auditions can be conducted via videoconference upon request from candidates who are validly unable to be physically present.
- July 11, 2025 : Allocation of doctoral contracts by the doctoral school council and results announced to candidates via email.
Application documents
- CV with your academic achievements and whether you received a distinction (ex: Master's 14/20 with distinction),
- All transcripts from Bachelor's to Master's level, clearly indicating whether you received a distinction (6 terms for the Bachelor's degree and 4 terms for the Master's degree),
- Diploma or certificate of achievement for your second year of Master's,
- 2 to 5 page thesis proposal.
All documents must be attached as a single PDF.
Teaching activities
PhD students who sign a contract for a PhD position will be offered additional teaching activities by the College of Law, Political Science, Economics and Management (DSPEG).
ed-droit%40u-bordeaux.fr
ed-droit%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 56 84 40 55
Doctoral School of Mathematics & Computer Science
Funding for the full duration of the PhD is required for admission.
Admission requirements
- Hold a Master's degree or equivalent qualification
- Have a thesis supervisor who is a member of one of the doctoral school's research units. The future thesis supervisor must have an accreditation to supervise research (habilitation à diriger les recherches, HDR) or an authorisation to supervise a thesis (autorisation à diriger des thèses, ADT)
- Thesis proposal
- Funding
THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL'S selecTION PROCESS FOR PHD POSITIONS (CONCOURS)
Every spring, through the concours selection process for PhD positions, the doctoral school awards several ministerial PhD grants.
- The 2024 campaign is underway
Before applying
- You must meet the admission requirements (with the exception of obtaining funding beforehand as this is the reason for your application).
The submission process is entirely paperless, which allows thesis supervisors and research unit directors to validate applications electronically.
The doctoral school offers candidates two types of research topic:
- "targeted" topics allocated to topics determined by the research units within the context of their scientific policy
- "white" topics offered by supervisors of the research units
In both cases, the procedure for selecting candidates is the same.
LIST OF SUBJECTS : select "doctoral contract competition" in the funding section
Recruitment: key dates
- Until March 18, 2024: Thesis supervisors submit topics on ADUM via their accounts (a thesis supervisor may not submit more than one topic for the concours).
-
Until May 6, 2024: From the list of available topics, applications are done online via the ADUM interface.
-
Until May 17, 2024: Each application for a topic is assessed by the thesis supervisor who offered the topic, they then issue their opinion and draw up arguments for the mathematics and computer science selection committee.
-
Early June 2024: Eligible candidates selected by the committees are interviewed in June.
- June 17, 2024: PhD positions are awarded by the doctoral school committee and the results announced to the candidates.
Application documents
- CV
- Cover letter
-
Transcript of grades obtained during the last two years of study
- Description of the last diploma obtained, and of diploma in preparation (if so)
- Copy of master's degree (if applicable)
All documents must be attached as a single PDF.
Teaching activities
PhD students who sign a contract for a PhD position may apply for an additional teaching activity.
Funding acquired by thesis supervisors
The entire admission process is carried out via ADUM.
Application
- Thesis supervisors submit their thesis topics on ADUM via their accounts.
- The candidate views the list of topics online and applies on the dedicated page.
- The thesis supervisor issues an opinion for the doctoral school after the indicated closing date for applications and draws up arguments, and may give a ranking if there are multiple applications.
- The doctoral school assesses the application and issues an opinion.
In the event of a favourable opinion, the future PhD student will receive an e-mail with information on how to finalise their enrollment
if funding has not been acquired
Some requests for PhD funding require pre-admission to a doctoral school (CIFRE, requests for funding abroad, etc.).
Application documents
- CV with your academic achievements and whether you received a distinction (ex: Master's 14/20 with distinction);
- All transcripts from your Master's program, clearly indicating whether you received a distinction;
- Diploma or certificate of achievement for your second year of Master's;
- Description of the thesis topic and potential supervisor;
- Letter of support from the thesis supervisor.
All documents must be attached as a single PDF.
CIFRE theses
If their PhD is funded by the CIFRE (Industrial Convention of Training through Research), the candidate must also provide the following documents:
- letter of commitment from the company
- letter of commitment from the laboratory director
The letter of commitment from the company must contain the following: "The employer undertakes to ensure that the PhD student devotes their time to preparing their thesis and to support the PhD student in their goal of defending their thesis. The employer allows the PhD student to attend training courses set up by their doctoral school, and possibly by the ANRT, and gives them the time they need to write up activity reports and their thesis."
After assessing the admission file, if the doctoral school director issues a favourable opinion, the candidate will be given a certificate of "admission subject to obtaining funding", which is necessary for the ANRT to assess the CIFRE application.
Please contact us if you have any questions about the admission requirements or recruitment campaign.
edmi%40u-bordeaux.fr
edmi%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 40 00 87 07
Doctoral School of Economic Sciences, Management & Demographics
Admission requirements
- Hold a national Master's degree or equivalent qualification, following a training program or professional experience establishing your aptitude for research (article 11 of the Decree of 25 May 2016).
Applying for exemption: if you do not meet the diploma requirement, the head of the institution can, by way of exemption and on the recommendation of the doctoral school committee, enroll people in a PhD who have completed their studies to an equivalent level or benefit from the "Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience" (recognition of prior learning, known as VAE) provided for in article L. 613-5 of the French Education Code. Holders of a Master's degree obtained outside the European Union or an engineering degree must apply for an exemption.
BREXIT: Please note that holders of a British Master's degree from 2021 onwards must apply for an enrollment exemption.
Composition of the file :
- Application for authorisation to enrol motivated and signed by the prospective thesis director.
- CV
- Thesis project (10 to 20 pages) designed with the future thesis supervisor including bibliography, provisional calendar and the financing of the thesis (wage, family, scholarship,...)
- Summary of the thesis project (2 pages)
- Master 1 and 2 transcripts
- Copy of previous work (Master's research thesis, articles, etc.)
- ID card or birth certificate copy
- PhD access Diploma copy with details (translated into French and detailing courses, number of hours, ECTS)
When you can next request an enrollment exemption:
- April 2024: Application for exemption to be returned to the doctoral school by e-mail before 4 April 2024 (12 p.m.)
Please contact us directly if you have any questions.
- Have a thesis topic
- Contact and obtain the agreement of a thesis supervisor who is a member of one of the doctoral school's research units and is authorised to supervise a thesis
- Have the agreement of the research unit director and the doctoral school director
APPLYING FOR ADMISSION
Before creating your ADUM account to apply, make sure that a thesis supervisor has agreed to supervise your PhD, as any account created without a thesis supervisor will be deleted automatically.
If a thesis supervisor has agreed to supervise your PhD, follow the steps below:
- Create your ADUM account.
- Download the admission file, charter and individual training agreement: once filled out, send them to your potential thesis supervisor and the research unit director to sign.
- Submit the entire admission file as a single PDF:
- CV
- Copy of a valid identity card/passport (French or EU students) or a copy of your birth certificate for students from outside the European Union (translated into French if necessary)
- Thesis proposal developed with the future thesis director (10 to 20 pages) including: bibliography, provisional schedule and intended method of funding (personal, family, etc.). You must provide proof of funding with your application for admission
- Individual thesis committee declaration form, completed and signed by the thesis supervisor
- Marks obtained during the second year of Master's
- Copy of your Master's degree diploma (in French, translation of the diploma if necessary)
- Individual training agreement signed by the candidate, thesis supervisor and research unit director (downloadable from your ADUM account, "Enrollment/Re-enrollment" section on the right)
- Doctoral charter signed by the candidate, thesis supervisor and research unit director (also downloadable from your ADUM account).
PLEASE NOTE : The doctoral charter and the individual training agreement must be signed by the research unit director and thesis supervisor before being added to the file to be submitted via ADUM. These two documents will then be sent back to you signed by the doctoral school if your application has been accepted.
REQUESTING FUNDING: THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL'S selecTION PROCESS FOR PHD POSITIONS (CONCOURS)
Every spring, through the concours selection process for PhD positions, the doctoral school awards several ministerial PhD grants.
Applications for 2024 are now closed.
Before applying
- Read about the organisation of the concours recruitment process
- See the competition calendar
- Contact your potential future thesis supervisor as soon as possible, and speak with them in order to prepare your application
- Make sure that you will have obtained your Master's degree by 1 October of the year you intend to apply
Incomplete applications will not be assessed.
How to apply
The laboratories of the doctoral school publish a list of research topics likely to be funded by a PhD grant for which you can apply.
Applications for 2024 are now closed.
Applications must be submitted exclusively via the ADUM platform as a single PDF file. Applications submitted in any other way will not be processed for the selection process for PhD positions (concours).
Thesis proposals and marks obtained for the Master's dissertation are not required when submitting your application. They are however essential before the interview.
Important: As doctoral contracts for PhD positions at the University of Bordeaux begin no later than 1 October, successful candidates must have obtained their Master's degree by this date to be eligible.
Application documents
- CV
- Dissertation written during the second year of Master's or research documents that prove you are able to carry out research;
- Transcripts from both years of your Master's program;
- Declaration of application signed by the pontential thesis supervisor
Additional documents for candidates who obtained their Master's outside the European Union or in a different academic field and for holders of engineering degrees
- a copy of their birth certificate (for non-French nationals)
- copies of prior works (dissertations, articles)
- a copy of their diploma giving access to doctoral studies and its outline (information about the teaching units attended, number of hours and ECTS)
Please contact us if you have any questions about the admission requirements or recruitment campaign.
ed-ecoges%40u-bordeaux.fr
ed-ecoges%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(@)5 56 84 29 26
Doctoral School of Chemical Sciences
Funding for the full duration of the PhD is required for admission.
Admission requirements
- Hold a national Master's degree or equivalent qualification, following a training program or professional experience establishing your aptitude for research (article 11 of the Decree of 25 May 2016) with at least a distinction Assez Bien ("satisfactory", equivalent to an average higher than 12 and lower than 14 out of 20) for both years of the Master's program;
- Have a thesis topic. A summary can be requested from the phD advisor.
- Contact and obtain the agreement of a thesis supervisor who is a member of one of the doctoral school's research units and is authorised to supervise a thesis;
- Have the agreement of the research unit director and the doctoral school director;
- Have funding.
Application documents (whatever the type of funding)
- intended thesis topic and potential thesis supervisor;
- statement of purpose written by the candidate;
- letter(s) of recommendation from the potential thesis supervisor;
- detailed CV;
- transcripts from the most recent years of study (Master's: Marks from both terms of the first year, and from the first term of the second year. Engineering School: Marks from the 1st and 2nd year of Engineering School + marks from the autumn term of the second year of the research Master's) for students who studied in France. Marks for the Bachelor's and Master's degrees for students who studied in a foreign institution;
- application form, for MESR funding.
All documents must be attached as a single PDF and sent to secretariat-edsc@u-bordeaux.fr
PHD Offers of the doctoral school
Every spring, through the concours selection process for PhD positions, the doctoral school awards several ministerial PhD grants.
Before applying (whatever the funding)
- You must meet the admission requirements (with the exception of obtaining funding beforehand as this is the reason for your application).
The submission process is entirely paperless, which allows thesis supervisors and research unit directors to validate applications electronically. Applications must be sent by e-mail to the following address: secretariat-edsc@u-bordeaux.fr
The doctoral school offers candidates two types of research topic:
- "Junior HDR" topics allocated to topics supported by colleagues having recently obtained their accreditation to supervise research (habilitation à diriger les recherches, HDR)
- "Academic merit" topics offered by supervisors of the research units
In both cases, the procedure for selecting candidates is the same.
How to apply to the competition of the doctoral school
-
After viewing the list of available topics (funded topics and non-funded topics), the candidate must directly contact their future host laboratory or the thesis supervisor who offered the topic.
-
The candidate must specify:
- their intended thesis topic (to be chosen among the non-funded topics marked "Merit" or among the funded "junior HDR" topics);
- their thesis supervisor;
- their host laboratory.
- They can then submit their application to the doctoral school, by sending their completed file by e-mail (secretariat-edsc@u-bordeaux.fr) before the 20th of May 2024.
-
Candidates shortlisted for an interview will be informed at the end of May and will receive a summons.
-
Once the results have been announced, the successful candidates will be able to enroll in the PhD program.
FUNDING ACQUIRED BY THESIS SUPERVISORS
Application
-
The candidate views the list of topics offered with funding and contacts the potential thesis supervisor.
- The thesis supervisor issues an opinion for the doctoral school in the form of a letter of recommendation.
- The candidate can then submit their application to the doctoral school by sending their completed file by e-mail.
- The doctoral school assesses the application and issues an opinion.
IF FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN ACQUIRED
Some requests for PhD funding require pre-admission to a doctoral school (CIFRE, requests for funding abroad etc.).
- The candidate submits their application to the doctoral school by sending their completed file by e-mail.
- The doctoral school assesses the application and issues an opinion.
CIFRE theses
If their PhD is funded by the CIFRE (Industrial Convention of Training through Research), the candidate must also provide the following documents:
- letter of commitment from the company
- letter of commitment from the laboratory director
After assessing the admission file, if the doctoral school director issues a favourable opinion, the candidate will be given a certificate of "admission subject to obtaining funding", which is necessary for the ANRT to assess the CIFRE application.
Please contact us if you have any questions about the admission requirements or recruitment campaign.
secretariat-edsc%40u-bordeaux.fr
secretariat-edsc%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 40 00 89 40
Doctoral School of Sciences & Environments
Funding for the full duration of the PhD is required for admission.
Admission requirements
- Hold a national Master's degree or equivalent qualification, following a training program establishing your aptitude for research
- Have a thesis topic and a thesis supervisor who is a member of one of the doctoral school's research units
- Have funding of at least the current French minimum wage (SMIC)
- Have the agreement of the host laboratory director and the doctoral school director after the selection phase
-
Find out more about admission to PhD programs in the candidate's handbook
outside the selecTION PROCESS FOR PHD POSITIONS (CONCOURS)
PhD students can be recruited throughout the year, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the funding options available to their thesis supervisors.
Applications submitted on an individual basis, during the academic year, for a topic offered outside the selection process for PhD positions are dealt with by the thesis supervisor who offered the topic. Where appropriate, the doctoral school validates the eligibility of the candidates shortlisted and takes part in the admission interview. The supporting documents, eligibility and admission requirements taken into account by the doctoral school when validating recruitment are the same as those set out in the selection process for PhD positions (concours).
THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL'S selecTION PROCESS FOR PHD POSITIONS (CONCOURS)
The concours selection process for PhD positions is the main way to apply to the doctoral school for the preparation of a PhD.
Topics for the next academic year are published in April and the oral examination for admission are held each year at the end of June.
Interested candidates can:
- view the list of available topics;
- apply via the ADUM interface;
- view the application guidebook.
How to apply
The candidate must contact the future thesis supervisor who offered the research topic (their contact information will appear on the topic description page available on ADUM). With their agreement and advice, the candidate can then submit their application on ADUM.
The candidate can apply for up to 3 topics (to be ranked in order of preference) during the eligibility stage, but they may only apply for one topic for the admission stage.
Find more information in the application guidebook.
Eligibility
This stage of the selection process is carried out by the thesis supervisor who offered the topic in order to:
- make sure that the candidate's profile matches the profile they are looking for;
- check that the application meets the eligibility requirements.
This selection is then validated by the doctoral school.
To be eligible you must:
- hold a Master's degree or equivalent qualification, at the latest one month before enrollment in a PhD, which is 1 October for the concours process;
- have obtained a distinction of at least Assez Bien ("satisfactory", equivalent to an average higher than 12 and lower than 14 out of 20);
- provide your Master's program ranking or a ranking certificate signed by the Head of the Master's program;
- provide proof of practical experience in research, at Master's level, in a research team.
Find more information in the application guidebook.
Admission
Admission is determined after an interview.
For the concours selection process, interviews take place at the end of June in front of a panel made up of:
- 16 engineers, researchers or lecturer-researchers from the 8 academic fields covered by the doctoral school;
- one PhD student from the doctoral school;
- the doctoral school director.
Find more information in the application guidebook.
Results
The results will be announced on this page, no later than 24 hours after the end of the last day of interviews.
Main list: Successful candidates must confirm their commitment by e-mail to: edoc.se@u-bordeaux.fr within 2 days of the list being published.
After this deadline, or if a candidate withdraws, the PhD position left vacant will be offered to the next eligible candidate on the waiting list.
Waiting list: Candidates on the waiting list will be contacted individually by e-mail as soon as a candidate withdraws.
On receipt of the message, the candidate then has 2 days to confirm their commitment by e-mail to: edoc.se@u-bordeaux.fr.
After this deadline, or if a candidate withdraws, the PhD position left vacant will be offered to the next eligible candidate on the waiting list.
Contact
Please contact us if you have any questions about the admission requirements or recruitment campaign.
edoc.se%40u-bordeaux.fr
edoc.se%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 40 00 33 01
Doctoral School of Physics & Engineering
Funding for the full duration of the PhD is required for admission
Admission requirements
- Hold a Master's degree or equivalent qualification
- Have a thesis topic and a thesis supervisor who is a member of one of the doctoral school's research units
- Have funding of at least €1200 net per month for 36 months to prepare the PhD
THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL'S selecTION PROCESS FOR PHD POSITIONS (CONCOURS)
The doctoral school offers candidates two types of research topic:
- Topics offered by the research units within the framework of their scientific policy.
The laboratories provide a list of topics with an order of priority and arguments presented and discussed during the doctoral school committee (March session). The team in charge of supervising the thesis submits the thesis topic on ADUM and ensures that it reaches as many people as possible.
The host laboratory organises the selection process and determines the requirements. The selection process is based on the assessment of an application and at least one interview. The application must include at least the following documents:-
a CV;
- the academic achievements;
- a statement of purpose for the topic offered;
- two letters of recommendation if the application comes from outside the University of Bordeaux.
The thesis supervision team sends the shortlisted applications to the doctoral school, including detailed arguments (description of the selection process, number of candidates). These elements are discussed by the doctoral school board, which reserves the right to request further information from the thesis supervision team or the candidates if it is deemed necessary. The board provides the doctoral school committee with a ranking. The committee validates the allocation of a PhD position to the successful candidates.
-
- On "merit": Applications are based on a research project drawn up with a host team within which the candidate wishes to carry out their thesis. The doctoral school's scientific board ranks the applications and the ranking is presented to the doctoral school committee for its opinion and validation. A PhD grant is then offered, and an additional list is drawn up in the event a candidate withdraws their application.
For funding provided by public or private organisations other than the University of Bordeaux
Projects are assessed by the doctoral school director on the basis of an application specifying:
- the research topic suggested;
- the nature of the funding received or requested to fund the 3 years of doctoral studies;
- the candidate's CV;
- the candidate's academic achievements;
- a statement of purpose;
- one or two letters of recommendation if the candidate is not from the University of Bordeaux;
- in the case of a doctoral contract under private law: collaboration agreement between the employer, the employed PhD student, the institution in which they are enrolled and, where applicable, the institution hosting the employed PhD student's research unit. This agreement must be signed, at the latest, when the employment contract is concluded.
The doctoral school director assesses the application and approves admission, subject to compliance with the criteria set out in the doctoral school's internal regulations. The director may call upon the doctoral school committee in certain cases where the decision to enroll or not requires further discussion.
Thesis proposals with candidates who are also employed elsewhere
The application must include the following documents:
- the research topic suggested;
- the candidate's CV;
- the candidate's academic achievements and research-related continuing education;
- a statement of purpose;
- a letter from the employer specifying the working time arrangements drawn up in order to complete the PhD work;
- a twenty to thirty page report presenting the goals and challenges of the topic, the state of the art of the problem and a PhD work schedule. This schedule must show how the candidate will be able to carry out their paid work and PhD work at the same time. This exercise will help to assess the candidate's level of motivation and to give them the opportunity to reflect on their project before they start working on their PhD. This preparatory work also makes it possible, to a certain extent, to limit the time spent on the PhD, which will be carried out on a part-time basis.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
thesis opportunities
The list of topics offered by the Doctoral School of Physics and Engineering can be viewed via our application portal.
You can also find the thesis opportunities offered by the CEA.
edoc.spi%40u-bordeaux.fr
edoc.spi%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 40 00 65 26
Doctoral School of Society, Politics & Public Health
Admission requirements
- Hold a national Master's degree or equivalent qualification, following a training program establishing your aptitude for research. If this diploma requirement is not met, the head of the institution can, by way of exemption and on the recommendation of the doctoral school committee enroll students who completed their studies to an equivalent level abroad or students who benefit from the "validation des acquis de l’expérience" (recognition of prior learning).
- Have drawn up a research project in an academic field covered by the doctoral school. We suggest that you take a look at the doctoral school's research units' websites.
- Have a thesis supervisor with an HDR (accreditation to supervise research) or an ADT (authorisation to supervise a thesis). The PhD project may, if necessary, be co-supervised. A list of the doctoral school's lecturer-researchers can be found in the thesis supervisor directory. The research units can help candidates identify a member of the doctoral school who is qualified to supervise research and likely to supervise theses in their field of study and speciality.
Applying for admission
You must apply for a PhD online via the ADUM platform by submitting the PhD application form.
Deadline for submissions in ADUM: October 7th, 2024
The doctoral school verifies that the candidate meets the regulatory requirements for registration, in terms of degree, thesis direction and hosting in a research unit.
It is mandatory to obtain the agreement of a thesis director before starting the procedure in ADUM.
For further information, please contact us.
Support
PhD students from the Doctoral School of Society, Politics and Public Health work with new arrivals, particularly with French and international students who have not studied at the University of Bordeaux or in France, to help them adapt to and settle into university life. More specifically, they help with the PhD enrollment process: providing information about the missions of the various structures (laboratories, doctoral school, Graduate Research School), answering all general questions and particularly those about the individual thesis committees, etc.
If you would like individual support, please send an e-mail to edsp2@u-bordeaux.fr.
Please contact us directly if you have any questions.
REQUESTING FUNDING: THE DOCTORAL SCHOOL'S selecTION PROCESS FOR PHD POSITIONS (CONCOURS)
Each year, the doctoral school awards a PhD grant through the selection process for PhD positions (concours).
Fifteen PhD contracts are on offer in 2024.
Consult the 2024 competition calendar.
Eligibility criteria
- Hold a Master's degree or equivalent (no deadline for graduation).
- Not be enrolled in a thesis.
- Not benefiting from an employment contract.
- No age or nationality limit.
The candidate must have the agreement of the thesis supervisor (HDR holder) and the laboratory to apply for the EDSP2 competition.
The thesis supervisor may submit only one application to the competition.
How to apply
Download the competition dossier from the FileSender link.
The application must be submitted as a single PDF file on the Adum platform. Before submitting the file to Adum, there are a few steps to be completed on the platform:
- Create your application space;
- Carefully fill in the required information (civil status, contact details, diploma, course of study, language);
- Once your application has been submitted, finalize your application. You will receive a confirmation email (which does not prejudge the admissibility of your application).
Incomplete or late applications will be automatically rejected.
Please note: Candidates who are also applying for the doctoral competition of the Réseau Doctoral en Santé Publique (RDSP) must also send the RDSP competition file by e-mail to edsp2@u-bordeaux and no later than June 23, 2024.
This competition is subject to a pre-selection of applications according to the procedures defined by the doctoral school and the Réseau Doctoral en Santé Publique.
How it works
Pre-selection: based on the applications received, a pre-selection is carried out to identify candidates who will be authorised to orally present their thesis proposal.
For each speciality of the doctoral school, applications are:
- either pre-selected by the speciality coordinator according to a procedure that they will draw up with the lecturer-researchers of the speciality;
- or by the doctoral school's scientific board (on the basis of objective criteria such as the candidate's academic background, marks and distinctions obtained, etc.) if the coordinator is unable to carry out a pre-selection.
If requested, the coordinator's duties also include giving advice and helping candidates with their application as well as helping successful candidates prepare their interviews.
Pre-selection meeting: the scientific board (the doctoral school director and the representatives of the 3 main research areas) and the PhD speciality coordinators (see the list of the doctoral school committee's members) meet to discuss the pre-selections in order to select the candidates who will be interviewed (approximately 30 candidates).
Representatives of the 3 main research areas of the Doctoral School of Society, Politics and Public Health:
- Public Health-Pharmacology: David-Alexandre Tregouët
- Human sciences and humanities: Eric Dugas
- Social sciences: Antoine Roger
Interviews: Shortlisted candidates will receive an e-mail inviting them to attend an interview in front of a jury. The panel is made up of the lecturer-researchers of the Doctoral School of Society, Politics and Public Health's committee or their representative. A PhD student will also attend as an observer.
Candidates will be interviewed on the Victoire Campus in Bordeaux (room to be announced).
Candidates may present their thesis proposal with or without presentation materials (PPT). Candidates may do their presentation in English.
Useful documents
- Competition jury and doctoral student observer (not yet available)
- Download the document Evaluation of applications (competition)
- Download the document Status/Role of the PhD student acting as observer
- Report and results of the 2024 selection process (posted no later than July 12, 2024)
RéSEAU DOCTORAL EN SANTé PUBLIQUE competition
The SP2 doctoral school is a member of EHESP's Réseau Doctoral en Santé Publique (RDSP). Candidates with a thesis project related to public health (in any discipline) are encouraged to apply.
The 2024 campaign is now open.
The RDSP organizes its own competition, and the doctoral schools pre-select their own candidates, who must then take part in their own competition.
Candidates pre-selected by the ED undertake, where applicable, to prepare for and attend the RDSP audition. A good level of English is recommended. It is also advisable to find out more about EHESP (objectives, missions, etc.).
2024 calendar
No later than June 23, 2024: RDSP file submitted online sent by e-mail to edsp2@u-bordeaux.fr (reminder: and submission of ED competition file in Adum).
June 27, 2024 at the latest: pre-selection of candidates by the ED
July 1,2024 at the latest: list of shortlisted candidates sent to RDSP by ED
Depending on the number of applications forwarded to the RDSP by the doctoral schools, the RDSP may make a pre-selection.
Auditions on July 8 and 9 at EHESP's premises in La Plaine St Denis.
How to apply
Online form on the Doctoral Network website.
Candidates must submit their online application to the doctoral school no later than June 23, 2024 (edsp2@u-bordeaux.fr): a compressed file in zip format containing all the documents provided and labelled "NOM_PRENOM_EHESP.zip".
edsp2%40u-bordeaux.fr
edsp2%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 57 57 19 62
Doctoral School of Health & Life Sciences
The competition represents the main admission procedure to the doctoral school for thesis preparation. This competition takes place every year at the end of June and beginning of July. Students must apply online by completing an application file and selecting two thesis topics from those proposed by the doctoral school. Following the competition, depending on your ranking, you may be eligible for a ministerial scholarship or apply for topics that already have funding.
Call for Applications and Thesis Topics - 2024 Competition
Applications are open from Thursday, April 18, 2024 till Thursday, May 16, 2024, 11:59PM.
Please carefully read the registration procedure for the competition before registering.
Thesis Topics Proposed for the Academic Year
This list presents all approved thesis topics, following examination by the doctoral school. As the full funding details are not yet known at the time of posting this list, it will be updated as information becomes available. Additional topics may be posted after administrative regularization.
- List of topics
- Topics with funding, classified by research units
- Other topics, classified by research units
Modalities and Schedule of the 2024 Competition
The doctoral school competition will take place on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 (Carreire Campus).
Each application file is examined by the Doctoral School Council. Following this examination, in case of a favorable opinion, there are two possibilities:
- Either you are authorized to take the oral exams in July to apply for a ministerial doctoral contract.
- Or you are authorized to enroll directly in the PhD program, subject to the approval of a thesis supervisor whose topic is funded.
Please familiarize yourself with the general procedures, modalities, and schedule of the competition.
Fictitious Topics for 2024
The Principle
This only concerns candidates selected for the oral examination of the competition.
To provide equal opportunities to all candidates regardless of their university of origin, candidates will present a "fictitious" research project independent of the real thesis topics proposed by the doctoral school. Each project is accompanied by bibliographical references to provide a framework for the project.
You are not required to be a specialist in the proposed project, but, given your research training, to demonstrate your ability to think critically and work independently. You should develop an introduction to the project, the methods to be implemented, the expected results, and their significance. The project should be feasible within 3 years. It should neither be an article analysis nor a literature review. It should also not be a large laboratory project.
Each candidate may freely choose from the list of "fictitious" topics proposed the project they wish to present, regardless of the real thesis topic they are interested in.
List of Fictitious Topics
- Download the fictitious topics and articles below. All proposed fictitious research topics are classified by research domains.
- Choose a topic and remember to inform the doctoral school by email no later than Monday, June 24, 2024, 12:00 PM, indicating the topic reference: e.g., 1A for the topic with the bibliographical reference: "xxxx"
- Fictitious Topics (Published on Friday, June 21, 2024)
- Corresponding Articles for Fictitious Topics (Published on Friday, June 21, 2024)
Results of the 2024 Competition
You can consult the ranking of candidates by following this link.
It is highly recommended for students to contact thesis supervisors as soon as possible.
Ministerial Doctoral Contracts: 22 contracts are planned for the academic year 2024-2025
Candidates wishing to benefit from a MESR doctoral contract will, based on their ranking, choose a thesis topic in agreement with their thesis supervisor.
Thesis supervisors must inform the doctoral school, quickly by email, of their choice, copying the selected student.
The names of beneficiaries of a MESR doctoral contract must be communicated to the Graduate Research School. The thesis supervisor must email the doctoral school the names of the selected students no later than Monday, July 15, 2024, at 4:00 PM, specifying the thesis start date (September 1 or October 1, 2024), the title of the thesis (which must be identical to that entered on ADUM), and the chosen PhD specialty.
You can then enroll in the PhD program for the academic year 2024-2025, click here for all the information to finalize your admission.
ed-svs%40u-bordeaux.fr
ed-svs%40u-bordeaux.fr
+33(0)5 57 57 12 42