PSL PhD Tracks
Highly selective and entirely taught in English, PSL PhD tracks are 5-year fully funded programsintended for high-potential students hoping to become top level researchers,in France or abroad.Through its PhD Track Grants, PSLwill support outstanding students for the entire duration of their graduate studies,from their Master’s to the completion of their PhD.
The PSL PhD tracks are structured along the lines of modelsin the world’s top universities, with a strong international focus and funding provided from Master’s to Doctorate. Students are immersed in the environment of excellence of the PSL graduate programs (top level facilities and academic teams, international partners, elective courses, etc.)
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Key figures
Why sign up for PSL PhD track?
Research track from Master’s year 1
Close supervision and customized curriculum
International scientific environment
Funding for 5 years
PSL is renewing its call for applications for its PhD track programs of excellence.
These are 5-year programs, fully funded and intended for high-potential students hoping to become top level researchers in the public or private sector, in France or abroad.
The PSL PhD Track grant is €10,000 / year for one or two years at Master’s level then the equivalent of a doctoral contract based on French legislation (see details in the Funding tab).
- After the first 2 years of the program a Master’s degree is awarded. Students are supervised by an academic tutor; they build their own scientific project and acquire the tools needed to carry out an ambitious research project.
- The next 3 years are spent entirely on the research project and culminate in the PhD degree awarded by ̳.
PSL PhD tracks for September 2024 intake:
(Click on each PhD track for more details)
Find out more about PSL other PhD programs:
Who we look for?
The admission criteria common to all PSL PhD Tracks are as follows: academic excellence, quality of the research project, command of English (level C1 recommended).Previous experience in a research laboratory is highly recommended.
Admissions calendar
• Application submissions: 17 october - 11 december 2023(11:59 pm CET time)
• Interviews with eligible candidates: January - February 2024 (depending on the PhD track concerned)
• Admission results: February - March 2024(depending on the PhD track concerned)
Note: the admissions procedure for the PhD track (5-year course) and the admissions procedure for the Master’s degree (2 years) are 2 distinct processes. Applicants may apply in parallel for both programs (PhD track and Master’s) according to the admissions calendars. As the PhD tracks are highly selective, applicants are strongly advised to apply for both programs (PhD tracks and Master’s).
Application procedure
Based on an application package (to be submitted online from 17 October 2023) and interview.
Eligible candidates will be invited for an admissions interview (remote). These interviews will be held in English.
Application package
All documents must be submitted in English. Only complete applications submitted within the deadlines will be considered by the committee. Applicants should submit the following documents:
- Academic CV
- Transcripts and diplomas from each higher education institution / university attended (Bachelor and Master if applicable).
One unique pdf for all your documents. You can use pdf-merge website for example. - Statement of purpose(In English, strict 1 page limit)
The purpose of this document is to explain who you are and what you expect from your postgraduate studies. Give details about your interest in the field and your career goals. You can use this document to clarify anything unusual in your CV or your transcripts. One page maximum. - Research statement (In English, 1 to 2 pages)
This project should clearly define your interests within your area of research and specialization. You should present a structured research project showing your commitment and describing what you plan for the future of your research if you join a PSL PhD track. - Proof of English proficiency, level C1 (compulsory proof required if English is not your mother tongue)
The language prerequisites specific to each PhD track are detailed on the applications portal. In general:
- If your first language is English or if you have earned a higher education diploma (BA, MA) in an English-speaking university, you should include a statement to this effect.
- If not, you should include the official results from a recent test of English, e.g. TOEFL or IELTS. If you have no recent official results, you can submit some older test results provisionally. This will not detract from the assessment of your application, but we reserve the right to ask for more recent official results later in the selection process. - References: contact details (name, position title, email) of at least two academic referees.
Eligibility requirements
In order to apply to a PSL PhD track, applicants must meet the entry requirements specific to the Master’s degree concerned, as described on the program website. In particular, irrespective of the PhD track concerned, applicants should hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or any other diploma equivalent to 180 ECTS credits (High school diploma + 3 years equivalent) (or be in the final year of preparing such a course in the year they apply).
For students already enrolled at PSL and who satisfy the criteria listed below: in addition to the general admission requirements, only students enrolled in Year 3 of a Bachelor’s degree or in a Master’s degree that is not part of the targeted Graduate Program are eligible. In other words, note the following 3 cases:
o Student in Bachelor’s Year 3 at PSL, whatever the degree course -> eligible to apply
o Student in PSL Master’s degree outside the Graduate Program concerned -> eligible to apply
o Student in PSL Master’s degree included in the Graduate Program concerned -> not eligible to apply
A PhD Track grant provides funding of €10,000 per year of enrollment in the Master’s degree, then the amount currently in force according to the decree of 29 August 2016 setting the amount of remuneration for a contractual PhD student on a 3-year doctoral contract. Funding for the Master’s degree is a gratuity granted directly to the student; the doctoral contract is an employment contract within the meaning of the regulations in force. Thus the PhD student receives a salary that entitles him or her to benefits and is subject to social contributions. The PhD student is considered as an employee for the duration of the contract.
In addition to the grant, students in 2024/25 will also have the following support services to help them settle into PSL and Paris:
- 3 months of online FLE courses (French as a foreign language) provided free of charge to non-French-speaking students
- Assistance in their search for accommodation in Paris by the PSL Housing Service
- For international students, administrative support and assistance are available from the PSL Welcome Desk (residence permits, health insurance, opening a bank account, Buddy Program, language exchange, etc.)
- Access to PSL’s free healthcare services, including the remote consultation service
Tuition fees, as well as the cost of housing, transport, and living expenses in general are paid by the student.
Admissions & prerequisites
- The Master’s degree is a two-year program
- The PhD Track is a five-year, funded and research-oriented program, including a Master’s degree* and research internships, then a Doctorate. You will obtain a Master’s degree then a PhD degree. These 2 diplomas will be awarded by ̳.
* When you apply to the PhD Track, you will be asked to choose the Master’s course that you want to follow for the first 2 years of the course (see list of eligible Master’s degrees).
Absolutely. Given the very high selectivity of the PhD Tracks, it is strongly recommended that you apply for the Master’s degree in parallel if you are interested in both programs. Look at the page of the Master’s degree that you are interested in for the application calendar and how to apply.
The PhD Track is a 5-year course associated with a PSL graduate program.
The graduate programs follow the model of the “graduate school” in international universities, and consist of an entity (School) that contains research laboratories, academic teams, training programs, etc. The PhD tracks are specific training courses within a graduate program.
The PSL PhD Tracks are intended for high-potential students hoping to become top-level researchers in the public or private sector.
If you are passionate about research and you want an international career, you are ideal for the PhD track program.
The admission criteria common to all the PSL PhD Tracks are as follows: academic excellence, research project, command of English (C1 level).
No personal proof is required for this purpose. The admission criteria are exclusively academic.
No.
Certainly, if you speak English fluently. All courses are taught in English.
Level C1 is strongly recommended. Supporting documents are not compulsory for all PhD tracks (see what documents are required in the application portal). Note that interviews with eligible candidates take place in English and allow the jury to assess your oral level.
Certainly. However, note that many applicants already have a Master’s degree.
Yes, if you are preparing the last year of an undergraduate diploma in the year you apply for PhD Tracks. You should upload the most recent transcripts you have available to the applications portal. If you have graduated, you will then be asked to produce your diploma when you enroll.
Admission procedure 2024
• Application submissions: 17 october - 11 december 2023 (11:59 pm CET time)
• Interviews with eligible candidates: January / February 2024 (depending on the PhD track concerned).These interviews will be held in English.
• Admission results: February / Early March 2024
- Academic CV
- Transcripts and diplomas from each higher education institution / university attended
One unique pdf for all documents. You can merge them with pdf-merge for example. - Statement of purpose(In English, strict 1 page limit)
The purpose of this document is to explain who you are and what you expect from your postgraduate studies. Give details about your interest in the field and your career goals. You can use this document to clarify anything unusual in your CV or your transcripts. One page maximum. - Research statement (In English, 1 to 2 pages)
This project should clearly define your interests within your area of research and specialization. You should present a structured research project showing your commitment and describing what you plan for the future of your research if you join a PSL PhD track. - Proof of English proficiency, level C1 (proof not compulsory but recommended)
The language prerequisites specific to each PhD track are detailed on the applications portal. In general:
- If your first language is English or if you have earned a higher education diploma (BA/BS.c, MA) in an English-speaking university, you should include a statement to this effect.
- If not, you should include the official results from a recent test of English, e.g. TOEFL or IELTS. If you have no recent official results, you can submit some older test results provisionally. This will not detract from the assessment of your application, but we reserve the right to ask for more recent official results later in the selection process. - References: contact details (name, position title, email) of at least two academic referees.
The research statement must be written in English and not exceed 2 pages.
A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete.
Your research statement should situate your work within the larger context of your field and show how your works contribute,complicate, or counterother work being done. It should be written for an audience of other professionals in your field.
Make sure that your statement is clearly tied together. Show a progression.
What is the primary question that you have tried to address over the course of your academic career? Why is this question important to the field? How has each stage of your work related to that question?
The statement of purposemust be written in English and not exceed 1page.
A statement of purpose (SOP), sometimes referred to as a personal statement, is a critical piece of a graduate program application. It tells admissions committees who you are, what your academic and professional interests are, and how you’ll add value to the GP you’re applying to.
The statement of purposereflects not only who you are as a candidate but your writing abilities and qualifications as well.
A good personal statement should contain: your personal motivations for applying to the program, your accomplishments and success-stories, the challenges you’ve faced and overcome.
Funding
The PSL PhD Track grant is €10,000 / year for one or two years at Master’s level then the equivalent of a doctoral contract based on French legislation.
Tuition fees, as well as the cost of housing, transport, and living expenses in general are paid by the student.
The combining of funding with other grants will be examined on a case by case basis by the jury of the Graduate Program concerned, which will determine whether the 2 funding methods are compatible.
Note in particular that students who have also been awarded an Eiffel scholarship may not combine the 2 grants during the 2 years of the Master’s degree. However, the Eiffel scholarship can replace the Master’s grant provided in the PSL PhD track for the first two years of the program (until the start of the doctoral studies).
The PhD tracks are 5-year courses. As a rough guide, below are the provisional annual amounts for enrollment fees, based on the rates in force in 2024/2025. Note that the grant awarded to students on the PSL PhD tracks does not include these annual enrollment fees.
|
PSL PhD tracks |
Master's degree (2 yrs) |
Doctorate (3 yrs) |
|---|---|---|
- PhD track in Life sciences
|
€250 / year(all nationalities) |
€391/ year(all nationalities) |
In addition to these fees is the “Contribution to student and campus life” (CVEC) of around €103 / year. There are several exemptions available.I
International students
Certainly.
The PSL Welcome Desk & Euraxess Center assists international students and researchers across all PSL schools. Their team is available to help you prepare your arrival and manage non-academic administrative processes throughout your time with ̳. Please visit their web page for detailed information about entry requirements, residence permit, social security, health insurance, housing, and other daily life matters. The PSL Welcome Desk also offers social and cultural outings, including a .
Please feel free to or email them with your questions!
The PSL Welcome Desk will help you at every stage, to advise you, guide you and ensure that your arrival in Paris and at PSL goes smoothly:
- Before you arrive - Forthe main administrative formalities (visa, CVEC, transport, etc.) and put you in touch with other PSL students via the Buddy Program “Partner@PSL”.
- When you arrive, come and see the Welcome Desk team during office hours to check out the next formalities that need to be completed: validation of your visa, registration with the French Social Security system, request for housing allowance from CAF, taking out home insurance, opening a bank account, etc.
- During the university year: don’t hesitate to contact the PSL Welcome Desk for help with medical reimbursements or with finding a bilingual doctor. The international tutors can also give you a hand with finding a student job and following up on the renewal of your residence permit with the Prefecture.
Non-French speaking students can indeed follow FLE courses as part of their training at PSL. You will get all the information you need at the start of the academic year, at your host school.
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