PhD studies are organised within doctoral colleges.
Students who have completed a Master's Degree in a research field qualify for PhD's, which are awarded after oral examinations of theses.
Students may then work as researchers (CNRS - National Centre for Scientific Research), research lecturers (universities) or in the private sector, depending on their scientific skills.
The Doctoral Colleges created in 2002 offer students the following:
1 - scientific supervision by approved research units or teams
2 - useful training for their research project and the elaboration of their professional project
3 - access to an network
4 - a follow-up of their integration into a work environment