Aims : The Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées is an engineering school authorised by the

Ministry of National Education to grant the doctorate degree. The doctorate trains young

candidates through research or innovation projects by developing their creativity and

their scientific, technical and managerial backgrounds and by marshalling the student’s

knowledge to delve into subject and also to achieve multidisciplinary integration. The

openings for doctoral graduates are mainly in the consulting and research departments of

companies and in the sector of university-level teaching and research.

The ENPC recruits its students from among the best graduates of a master research.

The training and preparation for the thesis take place in the ENPC’s laboratories and those

of its scientific partners. Doctoral candidates may partake of the course offerings through the

intense involvement of the laboratories in the ENPC’s educational programmes. They

likewise benefit from the many links and partnerships developed by the laboratories with

industry, companies and public and private research institutes. The contractual activities

give doctoral candidates the habit of integrating the demands and the skills required by

socio-economic players.

Finally the ENPC is proud to point to its long experience in international cooperation

initiatives. Researchers from the laboratories frequently travel abroad and also host their

foreign counterparts, eager to take advantage of the excellence of the projects developed

at the ENPC.

The doctoral studies department, which guides and supports the progress of thesis work,

encourages doctorates organised under international joint guidance. It offers scientific and

pre-professional training to its doctoral candidates and is involved in their individual

tutoring until they find a professional position. Doctoral candidates registered for thesis

work at the ENPC are funded for 3 years.


The themes for research cover a broad spectrum including civil engineering, urban engineering, engineering applied to cities, territories and the environment. Thesis work may be done in the laboratories of the scientific and technical Network of the Ministry of Public Works (LCPC, INRETS, CSTB, IGN, Météo France…) and in the laboratories of the ENPC.

Last Modification : Friday 18 November 2005