During Your Doctoral Studies

Gap Year (Césure)

Taking a gap year means temporarily pausing your studies for a semester or academic year to acquire personal or professional experience, either individually or under supervision, in France or other countries
It is not compulsory and cannot be enforced on your doctoral course. It also does not count as a leave of absence or sabbatical

  • Such requests can only be made once during the course of your doctoral studies
  • The request cannot be made retrospectively. It is therefore advisable to plan ahead when requesting a gap year
  • The duration of the break is not included in the thesis process
  • During a gap year, you are still entitled to all the university's services, such as your student card, access to the Shared Documentation Service (SCD), online resources, the University Information and Guidance Service (SUAIO), University Career Guidance Service (BAIP), and more
  • Upon return from your gap year, your institution is obliged to authorise you to renew your registration at your original course

The gap year can be a useful time to pursue different projects, provided they are distinct from your research project.

Each gap-year project is studied on a case-by-case basis:

  • You must be enrolled in one of the doctoral programmes at the ED SMRE to apply for a gap year
  • Throughout the gap year, you will remain enrolled at the school that will provide you with a student card
  • You are eligible for reduced tuition fees as per the appendix to the French order on tuition fees for public higher education institutions under the authority of the French Minister for Higher Education
  • Upon the completion of your gap year, your registration in your doctoral program will be automatically renewed
  • The gap year can only be taken out for one full semester or one full academic year: you may not request a gap year longer than two consecutive gap semesters
  • You are allowed to take a break from your research work for the duration of your agreed gap year

To apply for a gap year, you can download a dedicated form from ADUM or access it from this page
The applications are reviewed on an individual basis: the more thorough and structured the project is, the higher its chances of being accepted. To increase your chances of acceptance, it's important to clearly outline the objectives of your project
Please note that the application for a gap year should be submitted according to the following timetable :

  • Before 15 June for applications relating to the first semester or the full academic year;
  • Before 15 November for applications relating to the second semester only.
    Failure to comply with this timetable will result in automatic rejection of your request for a gap year

Before taking any action with your relevant department, you are strongly advised to first seek advice from your thesis supervisor, the programme coordinator or the doctoral school

[Translate to English:] Dessin - Illustration - Comment faire ?

Relevant Procedures and Forms