The Joint Thesis Supervision Agreement
The joint thesis supervision procedure allows a French or foreign doctoral student to obtain both a French doctoral degree and the equivalent foreign degree simultaneously, following a single defense.
Joint thesis supervision takes place under an international joint thesis supervision agreement entered into between the two institutions involved.
Establishment of an Agreement for Joint Supervision of a Dissertation
Decree of May 25, 2016, establishing the national framework for training and the procedures leading to the award of the national doctoral degree—Title III—Articles 20, 21, 22, and 23
A joint thesis supervision arrangement takes place within the framework of an “international joint thesis supervision agreement” concluded between Aix-Marseille University and a foreign partner university.
A candidate who wishes to prepare their thesis under an international joint thesis supervision arrangement must submit a request to their co-advisor at AMU during their first year. The co-advisor, after obtaining approval from the director of the host laboratory and the director of the Doctoral School and following negotiations with the partner institution, completes the international co-supervision research form, which highlights the benefits of the collaboration between the two laboratories and the thesis co-supervision arrangement.
In exceptional cases, a request duly justified by the thesis advisor at AMU and submitted during the second year may be considered.
Students who wish to pursue a thesis under joint supervision and who do not hold a master’s degree from a university that is a signatory to the Bologna Process must submit a request for a master’s degree waiver to the Doctoral School; this request will be forwarded to the Research Commission of Aix-Marseille University at the same time (if possible) as the application for joint supervision. Please contact the Doctoral School for any information regarding this exemption.
Negotiating the terms of the agreement with the partner institution
The thesis advisor must reach an agreement with the foreign partner on the principles and procedures for conducting the joint supervision thesis, based on the model agreement provided by the DRI. The partner institution may require copies in its own language or in English, or may have its own form; in such cases, negotiations may take place.
- During the three years of their doctoral studies, the student must be enrolled at both universities but will pay tuition only at one of them, alternating between the two. It is therefore essential to specify in the agreement, for each year, the institution at which the student will pay tuition and the one at which they will be exempt from it. Since each university will award the student a degree, the student must pay tuition at least once at each university
- The periods spent at each of the two institutions must be specified. The recommended minimum duration at each institution is 30% of the total duration of the dissertation. However, this requirement is left to the discretion of the dissertation advisors.
- The thesis defense committee: The committee consists of between four and eight members
- The thesis is the subject of a single defense, which allows the doctoral candidate (whether French or foreign) to simultaneously obtain the French doctoral degree and the equivalent foreign degree. The location of the defense must also be specified, as well as the language in which the thesis was written and the defense will be conducted. A substantial written and oral summary must be presented in French if French is not the language in which the thesis was written.
PROCEDURE FOR ESTABLISHING JOINT SUPERVISION OR AN AMENDMENT:
- thesis advisor at AMU and at the second university, in consultation with the doctoral student, complete the application for joint supervision or the amendment (document available at the bottom of the page).
- The thesis advisor signs the application and submits it to the director of the host laboratory for signature.
- After completing the document titled “Application for an International Joint Thesis Supervision Agreement” or the addendum, in agreement with the partner institution, the thesis advisor at AMU forwards it to the Administrator of ED 658 for review.
- After the ED receives the complete application and the ED Director signs it, the ED forwards it to the DFD for verification.
- The DFD submits the joint supervision application or addendum to the Research Committee for review, and then to the Vice President for Research (by delegation from the President) for signature if the review is favorable.
- The agreement can then be drafted by the DFD in collaboration with the partner institution.
- The originals of the agreement or amendment are then sent for signature to all parties involved in the joint supervision (the thesis advisors, the doctoral student, the ED, and the foreign university).