To qualify for a doctorate, first of all you must have obtained a Master degree in France or hold an equivalent qualification following completion of a training course or a professional experience that proves your capacity for research. In some cases, the head of the institution may accept students who have completed studies at an equivalent level or who have received the "Validation of Learning from Experience" (VAE) provided for in Article L. 613-5 of the French Education Code.

In addition to this criteria, the doctoral school concerned will check the financial, material and scientific background of the doctoral student for the duration of the thesis.

> Please note that the selection criteria are set by the doctoral schools: students must contact the school related to the disciplinary field in question in order to enroll.

Thesis supervision is carried out by a doctoral supervisor with the qualification of HDR (Authorization to Supervise Research) or ADT (Authorization to Supervise a Thesis). The supervisor may be helped by a co-supervisor according to the same requirements as stipulated in the Order of May 25, 2016.

When enrolling in a doctorate program, a training agreement is signed by the doctoral student and his/her thesis supervisor. An individual monitoring committee for the doctoral student is also established to ensure the smooth running of the thesis.