PhD Programs

The PhD program at EPHE-PSL is offered in three specializations: "History, Texts, Documents" (HTD), "Religions and Systems of Thought" (RSP), and "Integrated Systems, Environment, and Biodiversity" (SIEB).

"Integrated Systems, Environment, and Biodiversity" Specialization

The "Integrated Systems, Environment, and Biodiversity" specialization aims to train its doctoral students in high-level expertise in specific biological fields, but also to provide broad training beyond the disciplinary scope of the doctoral internship. The priorities are, on the one hand, the fields of integrative neuroscience and the evolution of complex molecular systems and, on the other hand, the dynamics of populations and ecosystems. The biological themes covered include cognitive processes and memory, neurological aging processes, oncogenesis, immunology, genetics, virology and associated pathologies, the human impact of aquatic and marine environments, and mechanisms influencing biodiversity. SIEB doctoral students are integrated into EPHE-PSL research laboratories or into national or European research institutions accredited by the École Doctorale 472. Specific doctoral courses or those shared with other specializations complement the practical training.
Specialization Director: Catherine PAUL

"History, Texts, Documents" Specialization

The "History, Texts, Documents" (HTD) specialization covers disciplinary fields in history, art history, archaeology, philology, and linguistics, and encompasses a very broad chronological (from Antiquity to the contemporary period), geographical, and cultural spectrum (Europe, the Mediterranean world, the Near East, India, Central Asia, and the Far East). Its originality lies in this great variety, which, while respecting the philological-historical method, fosters disciplinary exchanges and the development of cross-disciplinary studies, and allows students to gain the most comprehensive training possible in rare fields that are not taught in French universities or other higher education institutions. Its other originality lies in the central place occupied by the document: students acquire the techniques and methods essential to the exploitation of primary sources through direct contact with the often-unpublished documents (tablets, inscriptions, papyri, manuscripts, etc.). 
Specialization Director: Nuria DE CASTILLA

"Religions and Systems of Thought" Specialization

The "Religions and Systems of Thought" (RSP) specialization aims to cover all religious phenomena in the world, from all periods, by drawing on the various human sciences (history, sociology, ethnology, anthropology, philosophy), by bringing them into dialogue methodologically, and by striving to promote a comparative approach that highlights invariants and specificities. By linking "religions" and "systems of thought," the researchers who lead this specialization intend not to restrict their research to established religious systems alone, but to interrogate the category of religion and highlight its interaction with philosophical systems, wisdom, and cosmologies.
Specialization Director: Ziad BOU AKL

Recruitment Calendar 2025/26

• Session 1: Application deadlines:

  RSP: September 30, 2025.
  SIEB: September 30, 2025.
  HTD: September 30, 2025.

• Session 2: Application deadline:

  HTD et RSP: End of October 2025..

Candidates holding a research master's degree or equivalent level are admitted to pursue a doctorate, subject to a favorable review by the relevant committee. Student supervision relies on the network of research teams at the EPHE-PSL Doctoral School (ED 472).

Doctoral students benefit from additional supervision in the form of "Individual Monitoring Committees" (CSI), regardless of their major. This process is annual and mandatory.

As part of the Bologna Process, doctoral students are offered the opportunity to undertake a voluntary doctoral program, which will provide them with ECTS credits for their doctoral work.

First Registration

You must apply according to the following procedure:

Step 1: Contact a professor at EPHE-PSL
At any time during the year, you can contact by email a professor whose specialty is closely related to the theme of your research project.
You will briefly present your background, your motivations, and your research project. The professor will inform you whether the degree you have chosen matches your profile.

Step 2: Apply
IMPORTANT : The application and submission of the following documents must be completed online:

• Resume
• Research project (approximately 5 pages, including a bibliography)
• Detailed opinion of the thesis supervisor on your project
• Photocopy of your Master's degree (or equivalent)
• Transcript of your Master's degree (or equivalent)
• For PhD students (SIEB), proof of funding

If you do not hold a Master's degree from a French university or one within the European Higher Education Area, please complete and attach the Validation of Prior Learning (VA) form to your application.

Step 3: Register administratively
If the selection committee accepts your application, you will be invited to complete your administrative registration.

Re-register

Administrative registration is mandatory and annual.
You must download your CVEC payment (or exemption) certificate from the Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC) website.. When you re-register online, you will be asked for the CVEC certificate number you were issued.
A procedure sheet is available opposite to guide you through your re-registration on the ADUM application.

From the second to sixth year, re-registration will be subject to the submission of the Individual Thesis Monitoring Committee (CSI) form, which must be submitted to the doctoral supervisor by October 1st. A negative opinion issued by the committee regarding a doctoral student's re-registration will be carefully reviewed by the program supervisor and the director of the Doctoral School.

Doctoral students are invited to log in to the ADUM application from mid-July to update their personal and academic information. Upon receipt of your CSI by email and a favorable opinion from your thesis supervisor on ADUM, your supervisor will be able to validate your application and give you access to the online payment module. When applying for a gap year, doctoral students must provide a CSI (Compensation and Qualifications Certificate) and attach it to the gap year application form. This process comes at a cost. The doctoral student must pay the CVEC (Cultural and Economic Assessment) and the reduced registration fee (€253 for a doctoral gap year). The doctoral student must re-register using the ADUM application.

The decree of May 25, 2016, relating to doctoral training, states that a doctorate can now be completed in a maximum of six years.

See the page Engaging in doctoral research.

Holders of a doctoral degree benefit from a wide array of career opportunities, spanning academic research, public policy, private enterprise, and international organizations.

At the EPHE-PSL, the internationalization of our courses means that every student has the opportunity to undertake a study or internship mobility program.

The International Relations Department assists students in defining and implementing their projects, identifying the most appropriate financial instruments and schemes.

Holder of the “Welcome to France” label and the Erasmus+ 2021-2027 charter, the EPHE-PSL has also been welcoming a large and growing number of international students for many years.

Go to International relations

Download: Directory of financial mechanisms and instruments for international projects 

Who should you contact?   International Relations Department

For any questions regarding the application, registration, and thesis defense, contact your program manager:

• "Integrated Systems, Environment, and Biodiversity" Program
• "History, Texts, Documents" Program
• "Religions and Systems of Thought" Program

For any questions regarding the doctoral program, contact the doctoral school administration office.