Procedures and deadline to defend the PhD thesis

 

The viva is a public presentation of the thesis before a jury, the research work done by the candidate under the control and the responsability of a PhD supervisor of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord. It can take place at any time of the year as long as the candidate is enroled at the university and at the central PhD office for the academic year of the viva.

Fully dematerialized Viva procedures – Covid 19

The decree of 21 April 2020 in its consolidated version of 22 May 2010 authorises the organisation of a defence entirely in dematerialised form. However, this presentation format is strictly limited to the current situation of health crisis related to Covid-19 and ends on October 1, 2020.

The procedure put in place by the college of USPN doctoral schools as well as the related documents can be downloaded below :
– Modalités soutenance visioconférence COVID19 USPN
– Délégation signature PV soutenance dématérialisée Covid 19 (format .pdf)
– Délégation signature PV soutenance dématérialisée Covid 19 (format .doc)
– Formulaire demande soutenance dématérialisée Covid 19 (format .pdf)
– Formulaire demande soutenance dématérialisée Covid 19 (format .doc)

 

Timeline

If the candidate wishes to defend her/his PhD before December 31st of the defense year, re-enroling is not mandatory.

Foreign contractual doctoral students registered in the 3rd year and who defend their thesis between the end of their doctoral contract (August-September) and 31 December of their 3rd year, may apply to the DRH department for a hosting agreement allowing them to renew their residence permit. The procedure is as follows:
– the PhD student requests a certificate from his thesis director attesting that the PhD student will defend his thesis before 31 December
– the PhD student sends his request for a hosting agreement to this address: attaching the thesis director’s certificate
– he will receive in return his agreement allowing him to apply for his residence permit.

Procedures

  • Permissions for the viva

    The candidate must get in touch with the “Bureau de la Recherche et des Études Doctorales-BRED () to retrieve the documents needed for the organisation of the viva.

    The files to be handed at the BRED consists of :

    1. The viva form completed and signed by the thesis supervisor and if necessary by the co-supervisor, and the director of the laboratory. The form indicates :
    – the date, the time and the place of the viva (if the viva can’t take place at Paris 13 University, a special request must be sent to the Vice-president of the scientific council).
    – The composition of the Jury (see step 2).

    2. A temporary copy of the PhD dissertation in a digital format (pdf)

    3. A copy of the thesis catalogue

    4. A form with the record of the defended thesis.

    5. A digital file – sent by email- (pdf format) containing the summary of the dissertation in French

    6. An attestation of the validation of doctoral trainings (mandatory)

    7. An electronic contract to publish the thesis online

    8. Declaration of the thesis submission

    9. An electronic file – sent by email (word format) listing the main publications linked to the doctoral research (it is not necessary to submit a copy of the publications).

    10. The analysis report of the manuscript by the COMPILATIO software (for PhD defended from November 1, 2019). See the COMPILATIO software user guide

    11. The certificate of analysis of the manuscript by COMPILATIO signed by the thesis supervisor (for PhD defended from November 1, 2019)

    At least 20 days prior to the viva the report papers must be submitted to BRED.

    The permission to defend the thesis is granted by the President of the University in prior agreement with the director of the Doctoral School, upon proposal by the Phd supervisor and on the basis of the written reports by the two rapporteurs HDR.

  • Composition of the jury (article from the May 25th 2016 decree)

    The thesis jury is named by the head of the institution in agreement with the director of the doctoral school and of the Phd supervisor. There can be four to eight members in the jury. Half of it are French or foreign personalities who are external members to the doctoral school and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord. These people are chosen according to their scientific or professional skills in the area of research, taking into account what has been defined in the title III of this decree relative to international cotutoring.

    The referees (rapporteurs) must be external to the doctoral school and the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord

    The jury must have a balanced representation of men and women. Half of the jury must consist of professors or assimilated professionals (rank A) in the sense of article 6 of the decree 92-70 relative to the National Council of universities and to article 5 of the decree number 87-31 for the health disciplines, or trainers of equivalent ranking who do not report to the ministry of higher education.

    The professors or directors of research who are professor emeritus can be members of a jury and be rapporteurs.

    As mentioned in the decree : “ The supervisor of the PhD takes part in the jury but does not take part in the final decision “. In other words, the PhD supervisor is a member of the jury, he/she sould be present at the time of the decision but he can not influence the decision of the other members of the jury. Contrary to the other members of the jury, he/she does not countersign the viva report.

    The members of the jury name a president and, a viva rapporteur. The president must be a professor or a trainer of equivalent ranking.

    A provision of October 7th 2008 states that each thesis jury must have at least two teacher-researchers of University Paris 13 or one teacher-researcher and an equivalent researcher of University Paris 13.

  • The Viva

    The viva is public except when the thesis deals with a confidential topic.

    Before the viva, the summary is shared in the institution or in institutions having a joint accreditation.

    The jury evaluates the quality of the work of the PhD candidate, its novelty, the ability to define them in their scientific context and the way it is being presented by the candidate. In accordance with article 24th of this decree, the jury can request for corrections to be made.

    In exceptional cases, the members of jury can take part in the viva through electronic means or through an electronic communication allowing them to be identified and to take part effectively in the collegial deliberation as long as it satisfies the requirements for the technical characteristics of the continuous and simultaneous transmission of the debates.

    After the deliberation of the jury, the viva report which notifies the admission or the rejection of the candidate is countersigned by all the members of the jury except for the thesis supervisor. After deliberation, the jury writes another viva report countersigned by all the members of the jury who were present at the viva. This viva report is communicated to the PhD candidate maximum a month after the viva.

    As it was decided by the Galilée Doctoral School council on November 4th 2016, the supervisor should take part in the decision making but does not intervene in the final decision (deliberation of the jury).

  • After the viva

    The two viva reports and the form regarding the rights of reproduction of the PhD is given to the BRED by the president of the jury. This allows to deliver a certificate of achievement which shall be given later, once the final copies of the PhD are given.

  • Bureau de la Recherche et des Etudes Doctorales Bâtiment de la présidence, Rez -de –chaussée

    99, avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément – 93430 Villetaneuse

    Secretary

    Nathalie Godin
    Phone : + 33 1 49 40 28 34
    Fax : +33 1 49 40 38 44

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