Doctoral Training and HDR

The Doctoral School of Law and Political Science is a dual-discipline program. Research activities are conducted in two main fields: law and political science. The Doctoral School is part of the Université Sud de France Montpellier–Perpignan Doctoral College and complements its academic programs.

Doctoral students enrolled at the School can pursue four different doctoral programs:

• Private law and criminal justice;
• Public law;
• History of law and institutions;
• Political science.

The Doctoral School of Law and Political Science organizes thesis defenses and, in collaboration with SCUIO-IP, tracks the career outcomes of its doctoral graduates.

Management Team

Director: Prof. Jérôme Roux

Administration: Sophie Segui / Iwona Brousse

Contact

Doctoral School of Law and Political Science
Department of Law and Political Science
39 rue de l’Université
34060 Montpellier Cedex 2

Tel.: 04 34 43 27 90 / 27 92
Email
Website

The Montpellier Doctoral School of Economics and Management (EDEG) is the only institution offering doctoral programs in economics and management in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

The priority research areas fall within the fields of economics and management. Management research focuses in particular on finance, marketing, accounting, information systems, human resources, and strategy (particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises), with some projects having a strong agri-food focus.

EDEG's research activities are organized around three main areas:

• Agri-food management,
• New technologies,
• Entrepreneurship and innovation.

Management Team

Director: Patrick Sentis
Assistant Director: Philippe Mahenc
Administration: Sabine de Bechevel

Contact

EDEG
Faculty of Economics
Espace Richter
Av. Raymond Dugrand
CS 79706-F
34960 Montpellier cedex 2
Tel.: 04 34 43 24 60

Email
Website

The I2S Doctoral School trains doctoral students in the broad field of hard sciences, encompassing mathematics, mechanics, physics, and information science and technology, with significant interaction with the life sciences. It brings together all doctoral students in the fundamental sciences related to information processing, the development of theoretical structures and concepts, or the study and design of systems in the Montpellier region. Seven doctoral specializations are offered within the I2S Doctoral School:

• Statistics and Data Science,
• Electronics,
• Computer Science,
• Mathematics and modeling,
• Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Architecture,
• Physics and Astrophysics,
• Automatic and Microelectronic Systems (SyAM).

Management Team

Director: Prof. Pascal Nouet
Administration: Caroline Drap-Mahou and Laetitia Bayle-Chabbert

Contact

I2S Doctoral School
Saint Priest Campus
Building 2, Ground Floor – Office 105
860 Rue de Saint Priest
34095 Montpellier

Tel.: +33 (0)4 67 14 97 12 / 96 24

Email
Website

ED 58 brings together 11 research teams comprising some 440 Professors researchers and 480 doctoral students. It offers 34 doctoral programs in the fields of Literature, Languages, Arts, and the Humanities and Social Sciences. In accordance with the decree of August 7, 2006, it ensures the best possible study conditions for doctoral students, from enrollment through the defense and digital submission of the thesis. The doctoral school’s council, supported by the SEED’s administrative structure, oversees thesis progress, offers mobility grants, organizes specialized academic events, and provides supplementary training (interdisciplinary perspectives, research methodology, and career integration). It is the first doctoral school in France to offer distance learning programs for doctoral students who are geographically isolated and/or employed.

Management Team

Director: Florence Therond

Administration: Théo Fiteni, Sylvie Fiorio, Annie Metref, Corinne Gilbert

Contact

Paul-Valéry University
Saint-Charles Campus
10 Rue du Professeur Henri Serre
34090 Montpellier
Phone: 04 11 75 70 07

Email
Website

The Balard Doctoral School of Chemical Sciences is part of the Balard Chemistry Cluster, which brings together the vast majority of chemists at the Montpellier campus and throughout the region. The doctoral school is single-disciplinary. However, it has strong ties to physics (materials), biology (biomolecules), and process engineering. There are approximately 275 doctoral students, supervised by 330 researchers and faculty members.

The SCB Doctoral School is dedicated to training top-level researchers in all fields of chemistry: biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, materials chemistry, modeling, membranes, environmental and marine chemistry, the nuclear fuel cycle, and more. The doctoral program prepares students for careers in all areas of chemistry, in both the private and public sectors.

Management Team

Director: Marc CRETIN
Assistant Director: Claire LONGUET
Administration: Ecaterina FLOCH

Contact

ENSCM
240 Avenue du Professeur Emile Jeanbrau
34090 Montpellier
Tel/Fax: 04 67 14 43 41

Email
Website

The CBS2 doctoral school trains PhD candidates in all fields of health-related biology and chemistry, ranging from drug chemistry to clinical applications, and from genetics to behavior. It brings together the region’s research potential in health-related biology and chemistry, drawing on clinical teams and major laboratories and institutes. Backed by the Rabelais Cluster, two LABEX programs, and two Competitiveness Clusters, it offers training by and for research and prepares students for careers in both academia and the private sector. With over 470 HDR-qualified faculty members and more than 380 doctoral students spread across nearly 40 laboratories, this doctoral school has been jointly accredited since its creation in 1992 by the two universities, UM1 and UM2.

The CBS2 Doctoral School is part of the Universities of Southern France Montpellier-Perpignan Doctoral College.

Management Team

Director: Sofia Kossida

Administration: Stéphanie Martinetti / Despoina Papadopoulou

Contact

Triolet Campus
Place Eugène Bataillon
Building 24 (4th floor), Office 65.1
P.O. Box 2402
34095 Montpellier Cedex 5
Tel. 04 67 14 40 12

Email
Website

Doctoral School 463 in Human Movement Sciences (SMH), jointly accredited by Aix-Marseille University (AMU), the University of Montpellier, and the Côte d’Azur University, brings together researchers, Professors doctoral students working on the unique theme of human movement and its neurological, physiological, mechanical, behavioral, cognitive, and societal determinants. These fields are united under a single discipline: “Human Movement Sciences.”

It brings together, on an interregional level, research teams with complementary disciplinary expertise. The thematic overlap and geographic reach ensure that the SMH Doctoral School holds a strong position on the national scene.

Management Team

Director: Gilles MONTAGNE (AMU)

Deputy Director: Stéphane PERREY (UM)

Administrative Coordinator: Nathalie ROUSTAN (AMU)

Contact

Marseille Campus
ED 463 Human Movement Sciences
Aix-Marseille University
Faculty of Sports Sciences
163 Avenue de Luminy – Box 910
13288 Marseille Cedex 09
Tel: 04 91 17 04 36

Email
Website

Montpellier Site

ED 463 Human Movement Sciences
UFR STAPS
University of Montpellier
700 Avenue du Pic St Loup
34090 Montpellier
Tel: 04 34 43 26 23

Email
Website

The GAIA Doctoral School (Biodiversity, Agriculture, Food, Environment, Earth, Water) was officially established in July 2015, resulting from the merger of the SIBAGHE Doctoral School (Integrated Systems in Biology, Agronomy, Geosciences, Hydrosciences, and Environment, ED 477) and the SPSA Doctoral School (Process and Food Sciences, ED 306).

ED GAIA is a doctoral school at the University of Montpellier specializing in Life and Environmental Sciences and Science and Technology. It is jointly accredited with Montpellier SupAgro and AgroParisTech for Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and with the École des Mines d’Alès (EMA) for Technological Sciences in the fields of widely used materials and the environment.

The GAIA Doctoral School has nearly 500 doctoral students and will operate through six doctoral programs (defined as the organizational structures of the Doctoral School):

• Agricultural Resources, Processes, Food, Products; APAB.
• Biology of Interactions; BDI.
• Integrative Biology, Plant Diversity, and Breeding; BIDAP.
• Ecology, Evolution, Genetic Resources, Paleobiology; EERGP.
• Functional Ecology and Agricultural Sciences; EFSA.
• Earth and Water Sciences; STE.

The GAIA Doctoral School will position doctoral students as active researchers at the heart of global questions and challenges in the fields of Environmental Sciences and Science and Technology, while remaining attuned to major societal issues and the broader socio-economic landscape. With this in mind, the GAIA Doctoral School will seek to develop doctoral students’ capacity for innovation in collaboration with researchers working at the interdisciplinary frontiers explored within the doctoral programs.

Management Team

Director: Valérie MICARD
Assistant Directors: Soazig GUYOMARC’H, Eric BLANCHART, Sophie GAUDRIAULT, Patrice DAVID, Bruno DHUIME, Stéphane PEYRON
Administration: Cendrine JAY-ALLEMAND, Aida LEFEVRE

Contact

GAIA – Issue 584

P.O. Box 053
Place Eugène Bataillon
Building 4 / Ground Floor
34095 Montpellier Cedex 5
Tel: +33 (0) 4 67 14 36 00

Email
Website

The "Territoires, Temps, Société et Développement" Doctoral School trains doctoral students in Archaeology, Egyptology, Ethnology, Geography, Psychology, Management Sciences, Information and Communication Sciences, Political Science, Sociology, and Sports Science.

His areas of expertise include the life sciences and the environment, as well as the humanities and social sciences.

It consists of 9 Research units, 4 Research are joint research units (UMR).

Management Team

Director: Nathalie BLANC

Administration: Théo Fiteni, Sylvie Fiorio, Annie Metref, Corinne Gilbert

Contact

Paul-Valéry University
Saint-Charles Campus
10 Rue du Professeur Henri Serre
34090 Montpellier
Tel: 04 11 75 70 07

Email
Website

• Guide to Ph.D. Enrollment (French version)
• Guide to Ph.D. Enrollment (English version)
• Information on how the Individual Doctoral Student Monitoring Committees (CSI) are organized is available on the [doctoral schools' website].

• Ph.D. Application Schedule
• Ph.D. Application Schedule – English version

The annual tuition fee for a national degree program is set by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

• For the 2025–2026 academic year, the doctoral program tuition is €397

Students enrolling in higher education for the first time are automatically enrolled in a mandatory health insurance plan.

However, students who are not affiliated with a university and are enrolling in higher education in France for the first time must complete certain procedures. These students are:

• residents of overseas territories (New Caledonia or Wallis and Futuna) or those born abroad;
• citizens of countries outside the European Union, Switzerland, or the European Economic Area.

After paying the CVEC fee and completing their administrative registration at the UM, they must register on the dedicated website: etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr

For more information, visit theHealth Insurance website and the etudiant.gouv.fr website

CPAM Documentation: Student Guide and Guide for International Students

What is CVEC?

The CVEC is the Student and Campus Life Contribution. The law stipulates that it is collected by the CROUS. Students may be subject to it or exempt from it, depending on their circumstances. The CVEC is a contribution “intended to promote the reception and social, health, cultural, and athletic support of students and to strengthen prevention and health education initiatives carried out for their benefit,” implemented on July 1, 2018.

Who is affected (subject to the CVEC)?

• Ph.D. student in the initial training program
• A joint-supervised doctoral student, provided that he or she pays tuition fees to the University of Montpellier (see joint-supervision agreement)

A mandatory procedure

There are two different cases:

• either the doctoral student must pay a lump-sum fee to the CVEC before enrolling at the University of Montpellier
• or the doctoral student is exempt.

In both cases, a certificate will be issued; this must be presented at the time of administrative registration.

Who is exempt?

• Refugee PhD Students
• Doctoral students eligible for subsidiary protection
• Doctoral students who are registered as asylum seekers and have the right to remain in the country
• Ph.D. students receiving French government scholarships (BGF)

When should you do this?

The doctoral student must pay this fee after receiving the enrollment authorization email sent by the Doctoral Studies Office.
No refunds will be issued for the CVEC fee.

Where can I do this?

• Step 1: Log in to the website cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr
• Step 2: Payment (unless exempt); for payment details, visit the CROUS website
• Step 3: Download the certificate; you will be asked to provide it during registration (even if you are exempt): this is mandatory.

Who is not subject to the CVEC?

• A joint supervision doctoral student, since they do not pay tuition fees to the University of Montpellier but to the partner institution (see joint supervision agreement)
• Incoming PhD student on an Erasmus exchange program
• Doctoral students in continuing education, meaning those whose tuition is covered by their employer or a funding agency. For more information, please contact the Continuing Education Office
• No action is required (no CVEC certificate needs to be provided).

• Application Guidelines for the MCE 2025–2026

A complaint is not the same as a request for information. For any requests for information, please contact your doctoral school or the Office of Graduate Studies.

If you would like to file a complaint, please fill out the form using the following link:

https://infoservices.umontpellier.fr/ldsd/reclamations/

You will receive a confirmation email at the address you provided on the form.

• Guide to Ph.D. Enrollment (French version)
• Guide to Ph.D. Enrollment (English version)
• Change in thesis topic
• Request to Withdraw from the Ph.D. Program (FR/ENG)
• Power of Attorney for Administrative Registration (FR/ENG)
• Joint Supervision Program (French/English)
• Supporting Documents – Enrollment in the First Year of the Doctoral Program
• Supporting Documents – Special Enrollment in the First Year of the Doctoral Program
• Supporting Documents – Re-enrollment in a Doctoral Program (DSP / ED 58 / ED 60)
• Supporting Documents – Re-enrollment in the Doctoral Program (CBS2 / EDEG / GAIA / I2S / SCB / SMH)
• Supporting Documents – Special Re-enrollment in a Doctoral Program

Office of Research Doctoral Studies
Doctoral Studies & HDR Office
Triolet Campus
Building 7 – P.O. Box 00404
Place Eugène Bataillon
34090 Montpellier Cedex 5

Phone: 04 67 14 94 35 or 04 67 14 40 23

Email

The dissertation defense application is submitted through the Adum portal. Once all required fields have been completed and the doctoral student has submitted the application, the defense forms will be available in their personal account.

Amended Order of May 25, 2016

The rapporteurs:

2 rapporteurs

• HDR (Habilitation to Supervise Research) or equivalent;
• from outside the supervisory team, the doctoral school, and the University of Montpellier;
• no co-authorship with the doctoral student.

The Jury:

4 to 8 members

• at least half of the faculty members or equivalent;
• at least half of the members must be from outside the doctoral school and the University of Montpellier;
• The chair of the jury must be a professor, or hold a comparable position, or an equivalent rank.

The thesis advisor sits on the committee but does not participate in the decision; he or she is considered an “internal member” for the purposes of determining the committee’s composition.

In the context of a joint thesis supervision arrangement, the selection of thesis advisors and the composition of the thesis committee must strictly comply with the agreement established between the partner universities.

After the defense

The verdict (of acquittal or postponement) is announced after the jury has deliberated.

The original thesis defense documents, duly completed and signed, must be submitted to the Doctoral Studies Office no later than 15 days after the defense:

• the minutes of the defense;
• the jury’s opinion on the digital reproduction of the thesis;
• the thesis defense report;
• proxies for jury members participating via videoconference (for the members concerned).

Links:

• Thesis Defense Process (French version)
• Thesis Defense Process (English version)
• Thesis Defense Guide (French version)
• Thesis Defense Guide (English version)
• Thesis cover from the University of Montpellier

Pickup at the Doctoral Studies Office: The doctoral candidate must present a valid form of identification.

By mail: The student must send the “ Diploma Collection Form ” to the Graduate Studies Office, along with a copy of a valid ID.

Diplomas sent abroad will be delivered to the French Embassy or the European Delegation.

By proxy: The doctoral candidate must complete the “Proxy Form for Diploma Collection.” The proxy must present the proxy form, a copy of the doctoral candidate’s ID, and their own ID to the Doctoral Studies Office.

• Thesis Defense Guide (French version)
• Thesis Defense Guide (English version)
• Thesis cover from the University of Montpellier
• Cover page for a thesis under joint supervision by the University of Montpellier
• Request for Authorization to Hold a Thesis Defense Off-Campus at the University of Montpellier
• Request for confidentiality / Request for permission to hold the defense in camera
• Proxy for a jury member via videoconference

Office of Research Doctoral Studies
Doctoral Studies & HDR Office
Triolet Campus
Building 7 – P.O. Box 00404
Place Eugène Bataillon
34090 Montpellier Cedex 5

Phone: 04 67 14 49 60 or 04 67 14 94 40

Email

Please note: Dual-affiliated staff and hospital practitioners affiliated with the Departments of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry may only apply during the spring application period.

• Applications for the HDR must be submitted electronically by email no later than noon on November 27, 2025. No changes may be made after this date. Please ensure that your application is complete by referring to the document “HDR Application – Detailed List of Required Documents.”
• The DRED will forward the application files to the doctoral schools for preliminary review of the applications and the nomination of reviewers on December 8, 2025.
• Feedback from doctoral schools on applications to the DRED is expected in early January 2026.
• Review of applications and nomination of rapporteurs to the President by the Research Committee, Research in a restricted session comprising HDR holders, in January 2026.
• The DRED will notify candidates of their admission in early February 2026. The DRED will send electronic copies of the thesis and the abstract to the examiners and will contact the candidates to complete their administrative registration. Candidates must submit a hard copy of their thesis to the examiners.
• Reports must be submitted by March 12, 2026.
• The “proposed examination committee” must be submitted to the Office of Research Doctoral Studies no later than three weeks before the defense (see the “Downloads” section below).
• The defense of the qualification to supervise research must take place no later than the end of July 2026.

Staff with dual affiliations and hospital practitioners affiliated with the Departments of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry are eligible to apply during this application period.

• Applications for the HDR must be submitted electronically by email no later than noon on April 16, 2026 . No changes may be made after this date. Please ensure that your application is complete by referring to the document “HDR Application – Detailed List of Required Documents.”
• The DRED will forward the application files of staff affiliated with a single doctoral school and staff affiliated with multiple departments to the UFR advisory bodies for a preliminary review of the applications and the nomination of reviewers in early May 2026.
• Feedback on applications to the DRED will be provided in early June 2026.
• Review of applications and nomination of rapporteurs to the President by the Research Committee, Research in a restricted session comprising HDR holders, in early July 2026.
• The DRED will notify candidates of their admission in mid-July 2026. The DRED will send electronic copies of the thesis and the summary sheet to the examiners and will contact the candidates to complete their administrative registration. Candidates will submit a hard copy of their thesis to the examiners.
• Reports are due by September 10, 2026, at the latest.
• The “proposed examination committee” must be submitted to the Office of Research Doctoral Studies no later than three weeks before the defense (see the “Downloads” section below).
• The defense of the qualification to supervise research must take place no later than the end of July 2027.

Staff members with dual affiliations are asked to contact their advisory body to prepare their application materials.

The application package must include the following documents (HDR Application Package – Detailed List of Required Documents ):

• Degrees that qualify for enrollment in the HDR program.
• Application for enrollment in the HDR program.
• Summary sheet (PDF version).
• Thesis in PDF format, including the section on scientific integrity included in the preliminary pages (see HDR application package – Detailed list of required documents)
• Cover letter.
• Proposal by the rapporteurs.
• Proposal from the rapporteurs: It is essential to confirm the availability of the proposed rapporteurs. The deadline for submitting reports is the same for all candidates. It is communicated by the Doctoral Studies Office and indicated above in the description of each call for applications.
  The composition of the jury will be requested at a later date.

To pick up your diploma from the Doctoral Studies Office: the diploma recipient must present a valid form of identification.

By mail: The degree recipient must send the “ Degree Collection Form ” to the Doctoral Studies Office, along with a copy of a valid ID.

By proxy: The degree recipient must complete the power of attorney form for degree pickup. The representative must present the power of attorney form, a copy of the degree recipient’s ID, and their own ID to the Doctoral Studies Office.

The annual tuition fee for a national degree program is set by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.

• For the 2025–2026 academic year, the HDR application fee is €397

• HDR Application Package – Detailed List of Required Documents
• Application for Admission to the HDR Program
• Proposal by the rapporteurs
• The jury's recommendation
• Proxy for a jury member via videoconference (HDR)
• Power of Attorney for Administrative Registration (HDR)
• Contact information for advisory bodies
• Appendix: Data Entry Guide

Office of Research Graduate Studies

Doctoral Studies & HDR Office
Triolet Campus
Building 7 – P.O. Box 00404
Place Eugène Bataillon
34090 Montpellier Cedex 5

Phone: 04 67 14 94 40 or 04 67 14 94 39

Email

Successful applicants will be offered a three-year (36-month) contract, subject to annual re-enrollment in the doctoral program.

In addition, the University of Montpellier is committed to funding a doctoral contract for students with disabilities using its own resources, in accordance with the provisions set forth in the institution’s Multi-Year Disability Action Plan.

The doctoral program must be conducted within a research unit under the supervision of the University of Montpellier. Students must enroll in a doctoral program at the University of Montpellier through one of its nine doctoral schools. An information sheet lists the research units and doctoral specializations offered at the University of Montpellier.

Every year, the calendar and documents are updated and made available in January or February.

Interested candidates should contact a thesis advisor as soon as possible to present their research proposal.

Interested applicants must contact the Handiversité office by March 6, 2026, at the latest; the office will assist them in putting together their application:

• Information and discussion session: March 12–20, 2026;
• Deadline for submitting applications to the Handiversité office: by April 1, 2026;
• Announcement of results by the Handiversité department:^first half of July 2026.

Contact:
Phone: 04 67 14 48 23 or 53
Email

Download the fact sheets and sample documents:

• Request for an Extension of a Doctoral Contract for Individuals with Disabilities
• 2026 Application Package

• The application form, completed and signed by the thesis advisor, the doctoral school, the research unit, and the institution.
• A resume that includes a mailing address, phone number, and email address.
• The thesis proposal (maximum 4 pages, excluding the bibliography), including a three-year timeline—relevance and feasibility—and a statement of purpose.
  The application must be written in French, but the thesis proposal may be written in English.
• A copy of your degree (master's or equivalent).
• A copy of your transcripts from your bachelor's to your master's degree.
• Proof of eligibility under the Employment Obligation: a copy of the notification of approval for RQTH status or proof that an application has been accepted and is currently under review by the Departmental Office for People with Disabilities (MDPH).