Admission to a Ph.D. program

To apply for a Ph.D. program, you must either be a successful candidate in the ED’s competitive selection process for Ph.D. contracts (see the dedicated tab) or provide proof of a thesis topic, three years of funding (see the dedicated tab), and a commitment from a thesis advisor to supervise you throughout your program. This supervisor must be affiliated with a laboratory that is itself affiliated with the ED STEP.

Researchers may offer project-based funding and issue calls for applications (see the dedicated page on the laboratories’ websites). You may also contact them directly, outside of any call for applications, if you have developed a dissertation proposal that aligns with their area of expertise (however, keep in mind that securing funding can take several months).

Once all conditions (supervision, host institution, and funding) are met, admission to the doctoral program is granted by the head of the institution, upon the recommendation of the director of the doctoral school, after consultation with the thesis advisor and the director of the research unit and, starting in the second year, the doctoral student’s individual monitoring committee [legifrance].

A doctoral charter outlines the commitments that all participants in a doctoral project must uphold (available for download in your Adum account).

The admission criteria established by the doctoral school are as follows.

  • Hold a Master’s or Engineering degree (foreign degrees must be deemed equivalent by the Exemption Committee—CD3, which meets once a month)
  • Be able to demonstrate sufficient financial resources for the duration of the dissertation (must demonstrate a minimum monthly income equal to or greater than the minimum wage for a single person)

The application process is entirely online via the ADUM platform. It consists of two phases:
 

Admission Phase

  • Submit your application online via the ADUM platform.
  • Print your application, sign it, and have it signed by your thesis advisor and lab director (please do not send your application to the ED director for signature—the application must first be reviewed by the administrator, who will then have it signed by the ED director directly). Send it by email, including all supporting documents in a single PDF file, to the Doctoral School before the deadlines specified in the calendar below (ed-step@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr).
  • You must schedule an appointment with the Director of the Doctoral School (who will have already received your application), in the presence of your thesis advisor(s) (attendance is mandatory), for an interview, which generally lasts about 30 minutes. The purpose of this interview is for the Doctoral School to ensure that everyone is in agreement regarding the thesis project and to address any issues that may not have been discussed beforehand (e.g., ethical considerations). During this interview, which may take place via video conference or in person, you will spend 10 minutes (please prepare a PDF or PowerPoint presentation) outlining your academic background and how you view the thesis for which you have applied, followed by a discussion.
  • If you hold a foreign degree, this interview will also help build the case that will be presented to CD3 for the equivalency of your degree.
  • Once your application has been approved by the Director of the ED, you will be contacted by the Doctoral College’s registrar’s office regarding the registration process (payment of fees and issuance of your student ID card).

Published on  January 8, 2021
Updated on October 28, 2026