Pre-Doctoral Programmes in France

In France, research starts in the first year of the Doctorate. The first year of the Doctorate is not a year of classes, even though, a doctoral student can participate in technical seminars and also take a few bridging courses. You must therefore be ready to work independently, and quickly adopt the codes of the world of research: publications, ethics, intellectual property, etc.

For a few years now, specific courses that last a few months have been available to help doctoral candidates. If you did not do Master's in France, one good solution consists of doing your Master's level research internship in France, before doing your Doctorate

Here are several initiatives that provide preparation for the Doctorate.

The Institute of Technology and Innovation (ITI) at the University of Paris Sciences and Letters (PSL) offers a pre-Doctorate programme to people embarking on a Science Doctorate who would like to become entrepreneurs. The programme includes a five-month internship in a laboratory or company, multi-discipline courses and participation in a company start-up simulation.

This pre-Doctorate programme is open to French and foreign students with a Master's from an engineering school, the École Normale Supérieure and/or a Master's of Science (MSc).

Applications can be made here.

The Foundation Sciences Mathématiques de Paris (FSMP) has eleven mathematical science laboratories (https://www.sciencesmaths-paris.fr/en/the-foundations-research-chair-244.htm) under its umbrella along with more than 1,200 researchers, including five winners of the Fields medal. It accepts doctoral students, but also finances scientific pre-Doctorate residencies outside laboratories.

Applications can be made here.