Doctoral degree in continuing education (VAE)

It is possible to obtain a doctorate by Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE).

Since a doctorate is first and foremost the recognition of internationally recognized research, the idea is to compile a dossier that attests to this research, demonstrating that the candidate has produced innovative research in recent years that has been recognized by high-level international publications. The evaluation criteria are described on the UniCA website.

Registration is a multi-step process:

  • Admissibility review.
    • A first application consists of the form cerfa 12818*02 and a detailed CV, which should be sent to vae@unice.fr
    • The candidate meets with the VAE doctoral project manager to establish the coherence of the VAE project.
    • Discussions with either the ED Director or a member of the ED Council who is an expert in the field are necessary to confirm the coherence of the VAE project and to inform the candidate of the expectations of a VAE doctorate.
  • The candidate can then submit a more complete file, including:
    • A report on research activities and scientific and technical production, detailing developments and results,
    • a list of all publications,
    • a letter of intent and
    • a letter from the potential supervisor (if known at this stage).
    The candidate must then find a supervisor within the ED STIC who holds an HDR and whose research interests match the candidate's area(s) of experience and research.
  • The application is then sent to the Doctoral School for approval by the Doctoral School Council.
    • If the opinion of the ED is negative, the candidate will be informed of the ineligibility by the VAE Office.
    • If the opinion is positive, the file is submitted by the Director of the ED STIC to the UniCA Doctoral College in restricted formation, chaired by the Vice-President for Doctoral Policy. If the College of Doctoral Studies confirms a positive opinion, the candidate obtains administrative admissibility together with a scientific and pedagogical opinion.

The candidate can then start the VAE process.

If the application is accepted by the university, the dissertation may include recent publications, accompanied by a general scientific argument highlighting both the coherence of the research and original aspects, with a manuscript presentation comparable to that of an HDR.

All the information you need about VAE is available on the dedicated page (only in French).