Doctoral Studies

Doctoral studies

Although research work constitutes most of the training in and through research, you are required to follow a set of additional courses. The choice of courses requires thorough consideration throughout the thesis, depends on individual needs and must be structured around a career plan.
To be allowed to defend your thesis, you must be able to show evidence of a training follow-up corresponding to 120 hours (HF) over the entire period of your doctoral studies, distributed equally across 3 fields (40HF/field, where possible):
- Awareness regarding professional integration
- Cross-training (research methodology and practice)
- Specialised courses (interdisciplinary lectures and seminars)
Attending these courses forms part of a participative approach, each PhD student being free to choose and attend courses that are relevant to their research. Only the Ethique de la recherché (Research Ethics) course is compulsory (lessons are scheduled by the UGA’s Doctoral College).

Course provision

The IPhiG has developed a charter for doctoral studies which aims to train students in the development and communication of their thesis, integrate them into the IPhiG community, exercise them in the organisation of scientific events and prepare them for the final defence of their work. It consists of four elements:

1. The doctoral seminar

This takes place at least four times per year and brings together PhD students and lecturers, as well as any Master 2 students from the Department of Philosophy who wish to attend, in order to introduce them to the world of research and to strengthen the relationships between teaching and research. It is chaired by the Director and/or Assistant Director of the IPhiG. It lasts for 2 to 3 hours.

It is mainly intended for PhD students, to enable them to practice communicating their work, and receive comments in the process. Thus, at each session a PhD student (of at least one year’s seniority) presents an overview of his/her thesis; this presentation gives rise to discussion; the presence of the supervisor of the individual presenting his/her thesis is highly recommended.
The seminar is also an opportunity for methodological updates (at the students’ request), and for providing various sorts of information: information relating to the additional courses provided by the Grenoble Doctoral College and to professional post-thesis opportunities, and more generally to the postdoctoral period (external speakers may be invited for this), calls for contributions which may be of interest to the students, etc.

2. The doctoral day

This takes place over a half-day, once a year during the spring; it brings together all the members of the research unit, as well as Master 2 students who wish to attend.
It is an opportunity for first-year PhD students to make an initial public presentation of their thesis subject and to become better acquainted with other members of the research unit. The Doctoral Day thus fulfils the function of integrating newcomers, but it is also convivial and strengthens the community formed by members of the IPhiG.

3. Pre-defence sessions

These are held on an irregular basis, according to IPhiG PhD students’ thesis completion schedules. Besides the PhD student who is to defend his/her thesis, they bring together the thesis supervisor concerned, any external members whose presence is relevant to the thesis being defended, as well as members of the IPhiG who wish to attend.
These sessions fulfil a preparatory function at the particular and intense stage of the thesis defence.

4. The PhD students’ symposium

This annual event is organised by IPhiG PhD students, with help from lecturers based in Grenoble if their presence is requested.
This symposium offers IPhiG PhD students training in the organisation of scientific events, since it is up to them to choose the symposium’s theme, write the scientific argument, organise and direct the discussions, and also to handle the logistics associated with such events. This symposium also offers them the opportunity to present and discuss their work. Invitations are extended to PhD students outside the IPhiG, particularly those working in other research centres in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region (Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon), with the aim of strengthening links and collaborations between PhD students from sites which are relatively close to each other.

The Doctoral College provides a wide variety of courses: Doctoral College courses are open to all Grenoble-Alpes University’s PhD students. They are offered by the Doctoral College and organised by its Cross-training and Professional Integration department (DFTIP).

They can be viewed throughout the year and you can enrol directly online by logging in to your  ADUM Personal Account.

The Quality Labels:

The Doctoral College’s priority project since its creation, Grenoble-Alpes University’s Quality Label PhD courses are open to PhD students from all disciplines. They were set up with the aim of facilitating the professional integration of doctors subsequent to their theses, assisting them in the pursuit of their careers within their chosen sector.

Quality Labels for 4 types of career:

To help PhD students build their professional careers by giving them a better command of the sectors that are open to them, the Doctoral College has created  4 Quality Labels that target 4 well-identified employment sectors:

- Public-sector authorities and international organisations
- Innovation, creating a business and setting up a company (offered in French and in English)
- Research and Higher Education
- Research, Enterprise and Innovation (offered in French and in English)

By taking one of these courses, PhD students benefit  — for a period of 3 years — from personal support, specific training,  field experiments and the validation of the skills they have acquired.
Quality label courses are not obligatory, and are not mentioned on PhD certificates.

Other activities:

It may be possible to validate (doctorate-level) training undertaken at other French or foreign universities (upon presentation of proof of attendance, including the number of hours and the title of the course).
It may be possible to validate external activities: paid work, presentations during symposia, publications, workshops in job search techniques, etc.

> Consult the list of activities that qualify for the validation of training course hours

The Doctoriales:

Each year, the Doctoriales brings together approximately 90 Grenoble-Alpes University PhD students for a residential seminar, during which they prepare for their professional integration. For these few days, they are expected to work effectively and in teams on an innovation project. They meet professionals and practice attending job interviews.

This seminar offers PhD students time to reflect on their skills and their career plans; it is also an opportunity for discussions with various stakeholders in the socio-economic sphere. It should allow future doctors to become aware of the advantages of training through research, by introducing them to the assets and insights that corporate life offers.

The Doctoriales is a venture led by Grenoble-Alpes University’s Doctoral College, in partnership with oZer, Pôle Entrepreneuriat Etudiants Grenoble (Grenoble Student Entrepreneurship Centre).