Publication of thesis offers
Researchers and teacher-researchers with thesis supervision projects are invited to publicize their thesis offers to the widest public possible by publishing them on dedicated portals, notably the website of an attached research body, the website of an eminent society or association, or the website of a company or firm (notably for a CIFRE project).
The doctoral school can be consulted – generally by project funders – regarding the opportunity, interest and scientific quality of a given thesis subject, without any particular PhD student being named to the project. Depending on the academic schedule, one of the doctoral school councils/committees or possibly the Doctoral School Bureau, after consulting with the Thesis Committee, furnishes its requested recommendation and, if necessary, establishes a ranking. In other cases, thesis subjects are selected by the research units or institutions.
Most thesis offers are published on the research units’ websites.
The dedicated “Theses in Bretagne Loire” platform also lists a certain number of thesis offers.
Thesis applicants
It is strongly recommended that interested applicants contact the thesis directors proposing thesis offers.
- The future PhD student applies for a thesis offer, either directly by contacting the Thesis Director or via the “Theses in Bretagne Loire” website.
- The future PhD student is chosen according to the established selection process (depending on the type of funding).
- Once selected, the student is assigned his/her laboratory and registered at the MathSTIC Doctoral School.
Selection process
Institutional doctoral contracts, with competitive recruitments organized by the doctoral school.
Selection committees are named by the Doctoral School Council or the Board of Directors. Applications are submitted by the thesis directors, according to the established public procedure. Applicants are ranked based upon their dossier or interview. At the end of the competitive selection process, the Doctoral School Council validates these rankings and proposes the corresponding PhD recruitments to the institutions.
The results are then published on the doctoral school website.
These general principles establish a framework that is adapted to the specificities of certain doctoral contracts.
Decisions on thesis subjects with associated PhD students
Certain sources of funding – for instance, funding by the ANRT, the Écoles Normales Supérieures or the DGA, or funding earmarked by institutions as part of their scientific policy – are awarded following the Doctoral School’s assessment of the complete project, associating the thesis subject with a designated PhD student. These dossiers are systematically examined by the competent Thesis Committee, that ensures the subject’s suitability to the applicant’s profile, the quality of the proposed supervision and, naturally, the applicant’s academic level. The doctoral school directorate only approves those dossiers recommended by the consulted committee.
Project examinations over the course of the year
Throughout the year, thesis projects can also emerge via other avenues than those described above. These application dossiers are examined by a Thesis Committee that assesses: the quality of the thesis subject, the proposed supervision of the thesis director(s) and the applicant’s academic level. The doctoral school duly respects the committee’s decision.
Applicant interviews
All thesis selection and registration procedures include an applicant interview (via videoconferencing, when appropriate) by the Thesis Committee or the Selection Committee, which can choose to delegate this interview to the supervisors. For interviews carried out by supervisors, they must furnish a brief summary of the meeting to the doctoral school.