This section provides information on the various procedures and steps to follow throughout your joint PhD. If you have any questions, please contact the Coordinator.

Registration

It is essential for joint PhD students to understand their obligations regarding registration at and payment of tuition fees to both institutions with which they are affiliated. The following information applies to Université de Montréal. Students must also find out about the registration and payment procedures at the partner institution.

Registration at UdeM — Joint PhD students must register full time, simultaneously, at both institutions, and remain enrolled without interruption for the entire duration of their program, i.e., until they obtain their degree. At Université de Montréal, students register at the beginning of every session — in September for the fall session, in January for the winter session, and in May for the summer session.  At most European universities, students register once for the entire academic year. Students may encounter all kinds of difficulties if they do not maintain this essential administrative link through uninterrupted enrollment or if they break up their periods of residency too much.

Note: International students who spend their first year of doctoral studies outside Quebec should ensure that they are registered at Université de Montréal as of the session indicated in their letter of admission. If students fail to maintain this essential administrative link with Université de Montréal by registering at the start of every session, they may be unable to obtain the necessary authorizations to enter Canada in order to pursue their studies at UdeM.

Registration and tuition fees — Compulsory registration for each session automatically generates an invoice. Students are required to pay this invoice unless they are attending the partner university during the session in question and request an exemption from tuition and related fees in accordance with the privileges granted under their joint PhD agreement. To be valid, the request must be made on the prescribed form and by the prescribed deadline. See details below under Joint PhD Costs.

Formalities for entry to Canada and residency abroad

UdeM students who wish to study abroad and international students who wish to study at UdeM will find all the information they need to prepare for their stay on the UdeM international website.

Note: Have you already spent time abroad during your previous studies? The procedures may not be the same this time, as you are now enrolled in a study program in two countries.

Training activities

Students must ensure that they complete the training activities specified and approved in their joint PhD agreement. When activities required for their program at Université de Montréal are completed at the partner institution, students must request and obtain equivalencies so that their file is in order. To do so, they must contact the person responsible for their file in their home unit.

In general, there are more compulsory training activities (e.g. courses, seminars, workshops) at Université de Montréal than at partner institutions. However, this may vary from one field of study to another. Students can obtain relevant information from their thesis supervisors and their academic unit.

Comprehensive exam — The comprehensive exam is a training and evaluation activity that is part of PhD programs at Université de Montréal. Students cannot proceed to the thesis writing stage until they have passed this exam. They must pass it no later than the sixth session after initial registration in their PhD program. However, some programs set a different schedule for their comprehensive exam, so it is important to be familiar with the timing of the exam in your program. Check with your supervisor and your academic unit when planning for the exam. For more details, see Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Academic Regulations.

Transition from "full-time" to "thesis writing" status at UdeM

These terms are used to designate the two main types of status assigned to PhD students during their program. In practice, students may in fact begin writing their thesis well before they are officially registered as "thesis writing" students, and they may devote themselves entirely to their thesis even when they are no longer registered as "full-time" students. The tuition fees associated with these two types of status differ substantially. For more details on the relevant fees, visit the Joint PhD Costs page. For more details on full-time status and thesis writing status, see Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Academic Regulations.

Submitting your thesis

This step is important because it informs both universities that you are completing your program. You submit your thesis for evaluation to the institution where your defence will take place, following the procedures established for this purpose. However, you must also notify the partner institution, which will then launch the administrative procedures required to form the thesis evaluation  committee and will send you all the documents you need to ensure that the final stage  of your program goes smoothly. Your academic work may be over at this point, but the administrative procedures must be completed at both institutions, since you are seeking a PhD that will be recognized by two universities.

At Université de Montréal, after submitting your thesis, you will be registered as being at the "thesis correction and evaluation" stage until you have defended your thesis. The fees for this type of sessional registration are very low. If you are abroad, you must continue to have your fees waived by submitting a Déclaration de séjour d’études hors Québec (Declaration of Stay Outside Quebec) form.

Evaluation committee selection and defence

Although the two institutions you have attended have agreed to recognize a single defence, each will have set its own criteria for selecting an evaluation committee and its own mechanisms for ensuring its legitimacy. Make sure you are in contact with both of your supervisors on this matter.  Is your committee officially approved by both institutions? By keeping a close track of the progress of your file at this crucial stage, you will avoid many problems.

Note: Regardless of the location chosen for your defence, the formalities involved in preparing for the defence and selecting members of the committee must be completed at both institutions. You can contact your student records management technician (TGDE) when it is time to schedule your defence and if you need more information.

Obtaining your degree

You will still have to take a few more administrative and financial steps at each institution before you obtain your degree: University A will not automatically award you a degree because University B has seen fit to do so. It is up to you, with the support of your usual partners and mainly your home unit, to complete the process.

At Université de Montréal, diploma issuance fees will be charged to your account. These administrative fees are low, but you must pay them whether you are at UdeM or abroad: there is no procedure to exempt you from paying them. If the invoice remains unpaid, UdeM will not issue your diploma.