Pedagogical Goals

The primary objective of the Graduate School is to support students interested in pursuing a research career leading to a PhD through various programs and initiatives. To achieve this, we leverage the expertise of Gustave-Eiffel University's laboratories in the field of sustainable urban research, enabling students to explore the academic world, engage in scientific research, and prepare for a PhD. Our research initiation programs span a range of scientific disciplines and training modules.

Further Research Training for Master's Students

The Graduate School's four Graduate Programs (GP) supplement the research training provided during the Master's degree, offering a range of opportunities, including grants, training modules, and research internships.

 

Research initiation

The Graduate School's mission is to introduce Master's students to research through research-based training and education. This is particularly valued by students who participate in one of our four Graduate Programs (GP), with the following objectives:

  • Introduce students to the academic world
  • Provide students with their first research experience
  • Prepare students for PhD studies

Interdisciplinarity

The competitive context of research careers requires an evolution of disciplinary boundaries to facilitate the development of transversal projects. The Graduate School aims to contribute to the breakdown of disciplinary silos, necessary to address the ambitious and complex challenges of tomorrow's research, particularly in urban transitions. This is why each Graduate Program (GP) provides its students with an introduction to other scientific disciplines from the Master's level onwards. This is also the reason why each GP's cohort is composed of students from diverse academic backgrounds.

Internationalization

The Graduate School aims to promote the internationalization of research, a major challenge in contemporary scientific development. The GS provides its students with access to its international research networks. Every incoming or outgoing mobility project receives personalized support, both financially and organizationally. Additionally, the Graduate Programs offer training modules in English, while other modules are widely open to French-speaking countries interested in the expertise of the Gustave-Eiffel University’s laboratories.

A pathway to a PhD

The Graduate School's programs are specifically designed to facilitate the transition of Master's students interested in research to a PhD program.

Assisting Master's students in preparing their thesis proposals

In close partnership with the doctoral schools, the Graduate School provides guidance on thesis funding options (doctoral scholarships, CIFRE  contracts, ADEME scholarships) and supports the development of thesis proposals, working closely with accredited research supervisors (HDR) associated with the training programs.

Enhancing the Master-PhD Synergy

The Graduate School is positioned at the interface between the Master's and PhD levels and aims to strengthen the link between Master's programs and doctoral schools. Several research-based training modules implemented by the Graduate Programs (GP) are integrated into both Master's programs and doctoral school catalogs. Additionally, students from each GP attend presentations by PhD students from associated laboratories on multiple occasions.

 

Encouraging exchanges between Master's and PhD Students

The Graduate School's programs also promote synergy between Master's and PhD students by facilitating regular interactions between them. The Graduate Programs (GP) organize several annual meetings that provide a valuable opportunity for all participants. PhD students can present their work and discuss it from a different perspective, in front of an audience highly interested in the practical challenges of research. Meanwhile, Master's students gain insight into the concrete conditions of research and the expectations of a PhD project.

Getting a Head Start on the First Year of Doctoral Studies

The training modules offered by each of the Graduate Programs (GP) provide their beneficiaries with the opportunity to anticipate their first encounter with the research environment by attending seminars, participating in collective research during laboratory internships, dedicating sufficient time to writing their thesis thanks to research grants, and discussing with researchers, PhD students, and teacher-researchers. This initial contact ensures a recognized time gain for students who subsequently begin their first year of doctoral studies with greater serenity.