Thesis Defense

Once the CED management has approved the appointment of rapporteurs and the composition of the jury, the doctoral student must send a copy of his or her thesis manuscript to the designated rapporteurs.

Upon validation by the jury, the doctoral student will be sent the addresses of the university printers where the thesis can be printed and bound.

It is advisable to give the referees at least 1 month to evaluate the thesis manuscript.

The official letter is sent to the referees by the “soutenances” team, together with an evaluation form for completion.

Reports must be returned at least 1 month before the defense.

• Thesis submission

After validation by the jury, the doctoral student submits the electronic version of his or her thesis to the DEMAT application as soon as possible.

Before submission, the manuscript must be submitted to the Compilatio source comparison software. The certificate of submission of the thesis to Compilatio, signed by the thesis director, must be sent to the defense team.

The thesis will be processed by the Library for archiving, posting and distribution after the defense.

You’ll find all the tools, links and information you need to write, submit and distribute your thesis on the Library portal.

• Return of preliminary reports and authorization to defend

The rapporteurs send their report, together with the evaluation form, to the doctoral school and to the Pôle CED “Soutenances” team.

The doctoral school managers submit the defense authorization and the rapporteurs’ preliminary reports to the doctoral school management for approval. The thesis director receives a copy of the preliminary reports.

After receiving the opinion of the doctoral school management, the defense authorization is forwarded to the director of the Collège des écoles doctorales for decision and signature.

The defense is authorized, and the doctoral student may publicize the upcoming defense.

The administrative documents required for the defense, known as “documents de soutenance”, are sent by the soutenances team to the thesis director.

It is the responsibility of the thesis director to forward the documents to the designated chairperson on the day of the defense.

The defense documents are as follows:

1. Minutes of the defense;
2. Jury’s opinion on the publication of the defended thesis;
3. Sheet reserved for the final defense report;
4. Proxy form for videoconference members;
5. Note from CED to jury members.

Public nature of the defense

The defense is public, unless an exception is granted by the President of Université Paris Cité if the thesis is of a clearly confidential nature.

This request must be made 3 months before the defense.

Designation of the jury president

On the day of the defense, jury members designate a president from among their number (except for the thesis director, invited members or Professor Emeritus).

Video-conference jury members must send a power of attorney to the thesis director so that the jury president can sign the documents on their behalf.

Examination procedure

The doctoral student presents his or her research work, followed by a question-and-answer session with members of the jury.

Deliberations and results

At the end of the defense, the jury meets to deliberate and complete the defense documents.

The president signs the minutes and the defense report, which are countersigned by the jury members authorized to complete these documents.

The jury president completes and signs the jury’s opinion, indicating if the thesis requires major corrections.

The jury returns to the room to publicly announce the results of the defense.

Admission or adjournment is pronounced by the jury president.

After admission, the doctor takes the doctor’s oath of scientific integrity, which is recorded on the minutes of the defense.

The doctor’s oath of scientific integrity is as follows:

“In the presence of my peers.

“Having completed my doctorate in [xxx], and having thus practised, in my quest for knowledge, the exercise of demanding scientific research, cultivating intellectual rigour, ethical reflexivity and respect for the principles of scientific integrity, I undertake, for what will depend on me, in the continuation of my professional career whatever the sector or field of activity, to maintain integrity in my relationship to knowledge, my methods and my results.”

In accordance with the regulations in force, the diploma will be issued without indication of mention.

At the doctor’s request, and only after the final submission of the thesis with major corrections, a certificate of completion can be issued by the “Soutenances” team. Please note that the doctoral school does not issue attestations of successful completion, nor does it issue diplomas.

Doctoral and HDR diplomas can be collected by appointment:

editiondiplome.doctorat.hdr@u-paris.fr  

It is possible to give a proxy or ask for the diplomas to be sent by post.