As a postgraduate degree whose excellence is recognized worldwide, a PhD degree opens doors to highly skilled jobs in both the private and public sectors. Our doctoral programs are designed to develop outstanding researchers who have a deep understanding of the scientific and practical issues they study. In addition to the academic world, a PhD paves the way for major long-term careers that rely on the specific skills acquired during the doctoral training, which are widely recognized in the socio-economic world for highly qualified employment.
Doctoral research at IP Paris draws on 45 laboratories and is supported by its two doctoral schools:
which offers multidisciplinary doctoral training ranging from fundamental to applied research.
Discover ED IP Paris
which brings together all doctoral training in fundamental and applied mathematics across Institut Polytechnique de Paris and Université Paris-Saclay.
Discover EDMH
IP Paris offers two doctoral pathways:
The tabs below help you quickly find what you need at every stage of your PhD journey, from application to life after your doctorate. You’ll also find useful documents and key contacts to support you along the way.
Through its two doctoral schools, Institut Polytechnique de Paris offers multidisciplinary doctoral training in ten research areas:
Pursuing a PhD at IP Paris means joining a world-class scientific ecosystem at the heart of one of the most dynamic academic and technology hubs in the world.
Doctoral studies at IP Paris take place in an environment of excellence, working directly alongside world-class researchers. Our scientific and disciplinary diversity encourages interdisciplinary approaches and drives innovation. Research is firmly rooted in today’s major scientific and technological challenges, for the common good.
PhD students work in laboratories equipped with high-end infrastructure and equipment. Technology platforms and digital resources support ambitious, internationally competitive projects. Everything is in place to ensure optimal research conditions.
IP Paris PhD students thrive in an international academic and scientific ecosystem where mobility and collaboration are encouraged. From admission to graduation, they receive personalized support from the Institute’s teams, helping them secure the best career opportunities aligned with their goals.
This support has three objectives:
- Continuously improve the quality of training;
- Strengthen PhD students’ employability;
- Expand opportunities in entrepreneurship.
Close ties with companies and innovation players increase the impact of their research and open up diverse career paths in academia, industry and the public sector, in France and abroad.
Every PhD student benefits from rigorous, attentive scientific supervision throughout their journey, with individualized support. This guidance comes from committed, demanding research teams on the academic side, and from the IP Paris Graduate School on the administrative side.
Institut Polytechnique de Paris awards the “European Doctorate” or “Doctor Europaeus” label. It applies to the French national doctoral degree, already recognized internationally under the Bachelor-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system, and recognizes the European dimension of the doctoral project. Learn more
There are two pathways to PhD admission at Institut Polytechnique de Paris:
Applicants must contact an accredited researcher (HDR) from one of IP Paris’s laboratories and work with them to develop a thesis project and a funding application. This usually takes place midway through the second year of the Master’s (M2), when students choose their research internships. Once the required documents are gathered (detailed thesis project, CV, M2 transcripts, and a letter of support from the supervisor), approval from the host laboratory and doctoral school can be obtained, and the application submitted on ADUM.
Applicants can browse the PhD topics offered by IP Paris schools online and apply directly:
When selecting PhD students, the Doctoral Schools (EDs) consider:
The procedures for choosing and selecting PhD students are defined by the executive board and approved by the ED council.
Applications must include:
IP Paris offers two doctoral pathways:
IP Paris offers 3-year PhD programs across a wide range of fields. These programs are supported by 45 leading laboratories, often in partnership with CNRS and Inria. PhD students may also carry out their thesis in collaboration with a company.
IP Paris offers Bachelor's degree holders the PhD Track, a selective, personalized pathway that allows Master's students to gradually shape their thesis topic while immersed in cutting-edge research laboratories.
Learn more about PhD Tracks
Institut Polytechnique de Paris applies a PhD admissions policy designed to uphold the following principles in all cases:
IP Paris supports several types of funding:
Institut Polytechnique de Paris runs two calls:
Interviews may be conducted in French or English.
The interview must include the following:
After the interviews, members of the disciplinary jury may update their evaluations based on applicants' performance.
The final review committee will include:
(one person may represent several entities)
IP Paris welcomes young researchers from France and around the world to its laboratories for their doctoral work. Whatever the discipline, IP Paris benefits from partnerships with leading national and international research institutes (CNRS, Inria, CEA, Weizmann Institute of Science, and more).
IP Paris also partners with high-tech companies and major multinational groups. Highly collaborative theses rely on the CIFRE (industrial PhD agreements) program, the many research chairs established within IP Paris schools, as well as doctoral training networks and European partnerships.
According to Law No. 2002-73, known as the Social Modernization Act of January 17, 2002, any person, re-gardless of age, nationality, status, or level of education, who can prove at least one year of experience di-rectly related to the certification sought may apply for Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE). This certifi-cation, which may be a diploma, a title, or a professional qualification certificate, must be registered in the National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP).
PhD students are admitted to one of the doctoral schools (EDs) and registered at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, which provides the institutional setting for doctoral training and awards the degree.
The academic year runs from September 1 to August 31.
First-year registration must be completed between September 1 and October 31 (late registration may be accepted depending on the start date of the doctoral contract).
Fees for any academic year that has begun are due in full (no prorating), regardless of the thesis start date.
Fourth-year PhD students who defend before December 31 do not need to re-register, pay the CVEC (Student and Campus Life Contribution), or pay tuition fees.
If you have any questions about registration or re-registration, feel free to contact us.
As part of the monitoring of PhD students registered at IP Paris, a presentation must be held within the host team, in the presence of the two members of the individual monitoring committee, before each re-registration throughout the thesis.
Find the full PhD thesis defense procedure here.
Strongly committed to promoting doctoral mobility, IP Paris offers its PhD students the opportunity to carry out research stays of varying lengths in partner laboratories around the world. Under the Erasmus+ program, these stays cover a range of countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
(Two calls for applications: spring and fall)
Mobility allows PhD students to:
Erasmus+ doctoral mobility is intended to fund mobility related to education and training. Doctoral activities focused solely on research are funded by the Horizon Europe program.
Types of Erasmus+ Doctoral Mobility
For contract PhD students
To ensure academic recognition of activities carried out during doctoral mobility abroad, a learning agreement will be drawn up describing the activities completed on site.
Eligibility Criteria
For all PhD students, with or without a doctoral contract
Purpose of traineeship mobility: receive training in transferable skills, gain professional or non-academic experience, and develop research skills for the thesis.
Eligible Organizations
Any public or private organization in a program country or partner country active in the labor market or in the fields of education, training, youth, research and innovation.
Please note: mobility cannot take place in an ineligible organization, such as EU institutions or any organization funded by EU funds.
For contract PhD students only
Additional Information
A student may take part in mobility periods totaling up to 12 months of physical mobility per study cycle, regardless of the number and type of mobility activities: during the first cycle (Bachelor's or equivalent); the second cycle (Master's or equivalent, EQF level 7); and the third cycle as a PhD student (doctoral level, EQF level 8).
Within 3 months of your defense (or 1 month for minor corrections), upload the final version of your manuscript to ADUM. Then have your library representative validate your “second submission certificate.” Once it is signed, send the certificate and your “degree issuance request” to your institution’s defense administrator.
The teaching and research departments of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris annually award department thesis Prizes, which recognize doctoral work of exceptional scientific quality and particularly innovative character. Among the department-level laureates, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris then awards the Grand thesis Prize to the most outstanding thesis in terms of scientific contribution.
CALENDAR 2026
STEPS | DATES |
| First call for applications | 19 December 2025 |
| Second call for applications | 9 January 2026 |
| Opening of application platform | 9 January 2026 |
| Application deadline | 15 February 2026 |
| Candidate list sent to departments | 17 February 2026 |
| Files sent to departments | 17 February 2026 |
| Department deliberations | Early April 2026 |
| Arbitration Committee meeting | Mid-April 2026 |
| Publication of results | After the jury |
| Award Ceremony | May/June 2026 (graduation ceremony) |
Applicants must have been enrolled as PhD students at Institut Polytechnique de Paris in one of the two doctoral schools of IP Paris (ED IP Paris or EDMH). The research work must have been carried out in a laboratory of IP Paris. The thesis defense must have taken place between January 1, 2025 and December, 31 2025 and must have led to a PhD degree. All research fields are eligible.
Consult the procedure
You must log in to your ADUM personal account to apply
The Grand thesis Prize
Department thesis Prizes
The Grand thesis Prize
Department thesis Prizes
Bo Zhuang (department Biology)
The PhD supervision guide sets out a range of best practices for PhD students and thesis directors. These guidelines emphasize the shared responsibilities and expectations between the thesis director and the PhD student.
Other useful documents
Each school has designated disability support contacts.
If you have any questions or need information, feel free to reach out to your school's contact.
If you're not sure who to contact, please email suivi.handicap@ip-paris.fr.
Institut Polytechnique de Paris - Graduate School
LE NEXT Building - 5th floor
7 Boulevard Thomas Gobert, 91120 Palaiseau, France
Through its two doctoral schools, Institut Polytechnique de Paris offers multidisciplinary doctoral training in ten research areas:
Pursuing a PhD at IP Paris means joining a world-class scientific ecosystem at the heart of one of the most dynamic academic and technology hubs in the world.
Doctoral studies at IP Paris take place in an environment of excellence, working directly alongside world-class researchers. Our scientific and disciplinary diversity encourages interdisciplinary approaches and drives innovation. Research is firmly rooted in today’s major scientific and technological challenges, for the common good.
PhD students work in laboratories equipped with high-end infrastructure and equipment. Technology platforms and digital resources support ambitious, internationally competitive projects. Everything is in place to ensure optimal research conditions.
IP Paris PhD students thrive in an international academic and scientific ecosystem where mobility and collaboration are encouraged. From admission to graduation, they receive personalized support from the Institute’s teams, helping them secure the best career opportunities aligned with their goals.
This support has three objectives:
- Continuously improve the quality of training;
- Strengthen PhD students’ employability;
- Expand opportunities in entrepreneurship.
Close ties with companies and innovation players increase the impact of their research and open up diverse career paths in academia, industry and the public sector, in France and abroad.
Every PhD student benefits from rigorous, attentive scientific supervision throughout their journey, with individualized support. This guidance comes from committed, demanding research teams on the academic side, and from the IP Paris Graduate School on the administrative side.
Institut Polytechnique de Paris awards the “European Doctorate” or “Doctor Europaeus” label. It applies to the French national doctoral degree, already recognized internationally under the Bachelor-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system, and recognizes the European dimension of the doctoral project. Learn more
There are two pathways to PhD admission at Institut Polytechnique de Paris:
Applicants must contact an accredited researcher (HDR) from one of IP Paris’s laboratories and work with them to develop a thesis project and a funding application. This usually takes place midway through the second year of the Master’s (M2), when students choose their research internships. Once the required documents are gathered (detailed thesis project, CV, M2 transcripts, and a letter of support from the supervisor), approval from the host laboratory and doctoral school can be obtained, and the application submitted on ADUM.
Applicants can browse the PhD topics offered by IP Paris schools online and apply directly:
When selecting PhD students, the Doctoral Schools (EDs) consider:
The procedures for choosing and selecting PhD students are defined by the executive board and approved by the ED council.
Applications must include:
IP Paris offers two doctoral pathways:
IP Paris offers 3-year PhD programs across a wide range of fields. These programs are supported by 45 leading laboratories, often in partnership with CNRS and Inria. PhD students may also carry out their thesis in collaboration with a company.
IP Paris offers Bachelor's degree holders the PhD Track, a selective, personalized pathway that allows Master's students to gradually shape their thesis topic while immersed in cutting-edge research laboratories.
Learn more about PhD Tracks
Institut Polytechnique de Paris applies a PhD admissions policy designed to uphold the following principles in all cases:
IP Paris supports several types of funding:
Institut Polytechnique de Paris runs two calls:
Interviews may be conducted in French or English.
The interview must include the following:
After the interviews, members of the disciplinary jury may update their evaluations based on applicants' performance.
The final review committee will include:
(one person may represent several entities)
IP Paris welcomes young researchers from France and around the world to its laboratories for their doctoral work. Whatever the discipline, IP Paris benefits from partnerships with leading national and international research institutes (CNRS, Inria, CEA, Weizmann Institute of Science, and more).
IP Paris also partners with high-tech companies and major multinational groups. Highly collaborative theses rely on the CIFRE (industrial PhD agreements) program, the many research chairs established within IP Paris schools, as well as doctoral training networks and European partnerships.
According to Law No. 2002-73, known as the Social Modernization Act of January 17, 2002, any person, re-gardless of age, nationality, status, or level of education, who can prove at least one year of experience di-rectly related to the certification sought may apply for Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE). This certifi-cation, which may be a diploma, a title, or a professional qualification certificate, must be registered in the National Directory of Professional Certifications (RNCP).
PhD students are admitted to one of the doctoral schools (EDs) and registered at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, which provides the institutional setting for doctoral training and awards the degree.
The academic year runs from September 1 to August 31.
First-year registration must be completed between September 1 and October 31 (late registration may be accepted depending on the start date of the doctoral contract).
Fees for any academic year that has begun are due in full (no prorating), regardless of the thesis start date.
Fourth-year PhD students who defend before December 31 do not need to re-register, pay the CVEC (Student and Campus Life Contribution), or pay tuition fees.
If you have any questions about registration or re-registration, feel free to contact us.
As part of the monitoring of PhD students registered at IP Paris, a presentation must be held within the host team, in the presence of the two members of the individual monitoring committee, before each re-registration throughout the thesis.
Find the full PhD thesis defense procedure here.
Strongly committed to promoting doctoral mobility, IP Paris offers its PhD students the opportunity to carry out research stays of varying lengths in partner laboratories around the world. Under the Erasmus+ program, these stays cover a range of countries, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
(Two calls for applications: spring and fall)
Mobility allows PhD students to:
Erasmus+ doctoral mobility is intended to fund mobility related to education and training. Doctoral activities focused solely on research are funded by the Horizon Europe program.
Types of Erasmus+ Doctoral Mobility
For contract PhD students
To ensure academic recognition of activities carried out during doctoral mobility abroad, a learning agreement will be drawn up describing the activities completed on site.
Eligibility Criteria
For all PhD students, with or without a doctoral contract
Purpose of traineeship mobility: receive training in transferable skills, gain professional or non-academic experience, and develop research skills for the thesis.
Eligible Organizations
Any public or private organization in a program country or partner country active in the labor market or in the fields of education, training, youth, research and innovation.
Please note: mobility cannot take place in an ineligible organization, such as EU institutions or any organization funded by EU funds.
For contract PhD students only
Additional Information
A student may take part in mobility periods totaling up to 12 months of physical mobility per study cycle, regardless of the number and type of mobility activities: during the first cycle (Bachelor's or equivalent); the second cycle (Master's or equivalent, EQF level 7); and the third cycle as a PhD student (doctoral level, EQF level 8).
Within 3 months of your defense (or 1 month for minor corrections), upload the final version of your manuscript to ADUM. Then have your library representative validate your “second submission certificate.” Once it is signed, send the certificate and your “degree issuance request” to your institution’s defense administrator.
The teaching and research departments of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris annually award department thesis Prizes, which recognize doctoral work of exceptional scientific quality and particularly innovative character. Among the department-level laureates, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris then awards the Grand thesis Prize to the most outstanding thesis in terms of scientific contribution.
CALENDAR 2026
STEPS | DATES |
| First call for applications | 19 December 2025 |
| Second call for applications | 9 January 2026 |
| Opening of application platform | 9 January 2026 |
| Application deadline | 15 February 2026 |
| Candidate list sent to departments | 17 February 2026 |
| Files sent to departments | 17 February 2026 |
| Department deliberations | Early April 2026 |
| Arbitration Committee meeting | Mid-April 2026 |
| Publication of results | After the jury |
| Award Ceremony | May/June 2026 (graduation ceremony) |
Applicants must have been enrolled as PhD students at Institut Polytechnique de Paris in one of the two doctoral schools of IP Paris (ED IP Paris or EDMH). The research work must have been carried out in a laboratory of IP Paris. The thesis defense must have taken place between January 1, 2025 and December, 31 2025 and must have led to a PhD degree. All research fields are eligible.
Consult the procedure
You must log in to your ADUM personal account to apply
The Grand thesis Prize
Department thesis Prizes
The Grand thesis Prize
Department thesis Prizes
Bo Zhuang (department Biology)
The PhD supervision guide sets out a range of best practices for PhD students and thesis directors. These guidelines emphasize the shared responsibilities and expectations between the thesis director and the PhD student.
Other useful documents
Each school has designated disability support contacts.
If you have any questions or need information, feel free to reach out to your school's contact.
If you're not sure who to contact, please email suivi.handicap@ip-paris.fr.
Institut Polytechnique de Paris - Graduate School
LE NEXT Building - 5th floor
7 Boulevard Thomas Gobert, 91120 Palaiseau, France
