Doctoral life

The doctoral programme

The LATTS doctoral programme is based on the principles of active participation by doctoral students in the scientific life of the laboratory. Closely involved in research and teaching activities, doctoral students have three years to complete their doctoral thesis, the primary goal of which is high scientific quality. These three years also provide an opportunity to prepare for their entry into the academic world through participation in scientific events and publications.

To complete their research projects, doctoral students have access to excellent working conditions (office, workstation, documentary resources).

Doctoral schools

LATTS doctoral students are enrolled at the University of Paris-Est and affiliated with either the Ville, Transports, Territoires (VTT) doctoral school or the Organisations, Marchés, Institutions (OMI) doctoral school, depending on their discipline.

As doctoral students at the University of Paris-Est, they have access to various educational institutions where many of them teach courses: École nationale des ponts et chaussées, Gustave Eiffel University, University of Paris-Est Créteil, École d’Urbanisme de Paris, etc. These courses may be taught as part of the teaching duties of the doctoral contract (formerly known as a teaching assistantship), as an assistant professor, or even as a temporary lecturer.

In addition to the administrative management of doctoral contracts, doctoral schools offer numerous training courses in writing and teaching, as well as professional training courses such as the Doctoral Course in Management at the ParisTech Doctoral Institute, financial assistance for mobility and, more generally, preparation for doctoral graduates entering the job market within or outside the academic world.

In the form of monthly fact sheets available for download, the Confederation of Young Researchers (CJC) and the National Association of Doctors (ANDÈS) have launched “Doctorat à la Loupe” (Doctorate under the microscope) to support the various stakeholders and disseminate best practices at each stage of the doctorate.

Doing a thesis at LATTS

The academic careers of doctoral students at LATTS are the subject of particular attention and collective commitment. The challenge is twofold:

• professionalisation (integration into a working group, learning by example from the profession of researcher)
• collective supervision of theses (beyond the relationship between the thesis supervisor and the doctoral student, which remains central)
• academic socialisation (promoting the integration of doctoral students into their scientific community of reference: conferences, publications, etc.).

The integration of doctoral students at LATTS and the “collective supervision” of theses

The preparation of a thesis is based on a freely agreed agreement between the doctoral student and the thesis supervisor. This agreement covers the choice of subject and the working conditions necessary for the progress of the research. The thesis supervisor and doctoral student therefore have respective rights and duties of a high standard.

Enrolment in a PhD programme at LATTS follows a codified procedure.

After reaching an agreement with their prospective thesis supervisor, doctoral candidates meet with the laboratory director and team leader. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss the candidate’s curriculum vitae, the place of their thesis in their professional career, their motivation, etc. It is accompanied by a review of the terms and conditions or prospects for funding the thesis (admission to a thesis programme at Latts requires specific funding for three years). This meeting is important because it embodies the laboratory’s collective commitment to supporting the student’s doctoral studies.

Once admitted, doctoral students are welcomed into one of the laboratory’s teams (usually the team to which their thesis supervisor belongs) and actively participate in the team’s collective life, particularly through research programmes, seminars and collective publications.

In parallel with their involvement in the scientific life of the laboratory, doctoral students themselves initiate specific events. Each year, a reading seminar brings doctoral students together around a particular theme. Around ten scientific works are analysed and discussed. Doctoral students can also organise study days bringing together the scientific community around emerging themes in their doctoral work.

Individual Monitoring Committee (IMC)

The Individual Monitoring Committee (CSI) is a monitoring and evaluation structure set up in all universities and research institutions to support doctoral students throughout their thesis. The CSI is generally composed of several members, such as the thesis supervisor, members of the laboratory or doctoral school, and sometimes an external representative. Its main role is to ensure the smooth running of the doctoral student’s research project and to discuss the conditions under which the thesis is being carried out.

The CSI generally meets once a year to assess the progress of the thesis, discuss any issues encountered by the doctoral student and make recommendations for the advancement of their work. These meetings enable the doctoral student to receive advice, guidance and constructive feedback from CSI members, thereby promoting their progress and development as a researcher.

The CSI is therefore not only an administrative requirement for re-enrolment in a PhD programme, but also a valuable tool for PhD students, providing a forum for discussing any difficulties they may encounter.

International aspects of doctoral training

The international dimension of Lattsian theses is reflected in the fact that, traditionally, a significant proportion of doctoral students accepted into the laboratory are of foreign origin. It is also reflected in the laboratory’s regular acceptance of foreign doctoral students and in the establishment of theses in joint supervision with a foreign laboratory.

Above all, much of the fieldwork carried out by doctoral students is conducted internationally (main fieldwork in a country other than France or comparative studies). More than half of the theses in progress in 2019 thus include surveys conducted abroad, often outside Europe.

Finally, LATTS doctoral students regularly participate in conferences, doctoral schools and summer schools, exchanges and stays abroad.

After the thesis

The post-doctoral period and professional integration represent a transition that must be anticipated. That is why LATTS doctoral schools and doctoral students offer spaces for discussion, networking, and awareness-raising about the various opportunities that exist. LATTS provides information on managing your post-doctoral career (dates of competitive examinations, job postings, post-doctoral opportunities, assistance with administrative procedures, etc.).

The thesis is also promoted through publication and thesis awards, such as:

• The ParisTech Thesis Prize
• The Paris-Est University Thesis Prize
• The Le Monde University Research Prize