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Overseas students

How to apply ?

You can apply to enter the PhD programme as can a French citizen. However, if you do not hold a Master's degree, you must demonstrate that you hold a degree or educational level that makes you a suitable candidate for a research programme.

In addition, overseas applicants are also eligible for all financial aid programmes detailed in the section : Funding. If an overseas PhD student does not benefit from financial aid provided by his/her government, the student may benefit from a ‘doctoral contract’ or other work contract governing his/her PhD studies (e.g. a CIFRE contract), just like any French citizen.

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Help for overseas PhD students

Assistance with admission and registration procedures

Candidates from abroad, applying to enter a PhD program from abroad can obtain help with the administrative procedures required for admission by contacting :
ED NSCo
Jeoffrey Maillard
Doctoral school secretary
Mail : secretariat-NSCo@univ-lyon1.fr
Lyon1
Fabienne Macro
Administrative assistant and admissions secretary
Tél: 04 72 43 27 46
Lyon 2
Anne-Sophie Gimié
Liaison officer Lyon 2 for ED NSCo
Tél: 04 78 69 74 51

Services for overseas PhD students

ULYS
The Ulys Service of the Université de Lyon provides you with valuable assistance when coming to France and moving to Lyon.

The Boréal Center at Lyon 1
Aimed at overseas students enrolled at Lyon 1, the Boréal centre can offer advice and provide help with your administrative problems in English, German and Spanish.

International Relations Service at Lyon 2
Aimed at overseas students enrolled at Lyon 2, the International Relations Service is there to answer your questions and give advice when needed.

Accomodation guide for overseas PhD students
A practical guide to help you find somewhere to live while in France.

French Language

French language classes

French language classes are offered, free of charge, to PhD students by some higher educational establishments and by the Université de Lyon. Attendance at these classes can be validated within the framework of the doctoral school's required training program.
We advise doctoral students whose mother tongue is not French to take these courses from the first year. Indeed, they will allow you to better integrate into your laboratory and your daily life. In addition, they will allow you to follow other courses in French later on.

Learn more (Lyon 1)

Learn more (Lyon 2)

Writing the thesis

If you are not fluent in French, you may carry out your research and write your thesis in English. In this event, a page summary in French is required and, when defending your thesis, you will be required to provide an oral résumé of your work in French. .

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