The University Paris-Est "Validation of Acquired Experience" - VAE procedure comprises four steps.

1. Advice and guidance

• UPE proposes a tailored service for the VAE procedure. The candidate must submit an electronic application to the Mature students and validation of acquired experience office (BREVA - Bureau de reprise d’études et de validation des acquis) comprising a completed contact form, detailed CV and, where appropriate, a selection of major publications or research work, to vae-doctorat@univ-paris-est.fr. The candidate is then invited to attend an advice and guidance meeting to draft their administrative and scientific eligibility application before it is presented.

2. Admissibility:

• The full eligibility application is transmitted by the BREVA to two experts appointed by the Department of Doctoral Studies, in conjunction with the management of the DS concerned. Once the experts' have transmitted their opinion, the eligibility application is reviewed by the Validation of Acquired Experience Commission. If the result is favourable, the candidate is informed by the BREVA and is issued with an authorization to complete UPE administrative registration for a VAE-based PhD.

3. Administrative procedure, support and thesis

• Once the candidate has been declared admissible, they are authorized to register by creating a personal account in the ADUM database. The BREVA validates the registration for the VAE-based PhD. The candidate must then pay the registration fees which are defined by a yearly Ministerial Order.

• In the event that the candidate is provided with support, the VAE application is drafted with the help of two specialists: a coach proposed by the VAE Commission and a supervisor, a teacher-researcher holding an accreditation to supervise research (HDR).

• The purpose of the VAE application is to provide proof that the candidate has the PhD skills described in the UPE frame of reference.

4. Soutenance du mémoire de VAE et validation partielle ou totale du doctorat

• In cooperation with their HDR supervisor, the candidate registers the composition of the validation jury on ADUM two months before the thesis defence takes place.

• The defence, which lasts for two to three hours, is split into two parts: a presentation by the candidate and time for exchanging with the jury members.

• At the end of the defence, the jury deliberates and gives its validation (full, partial or null).

  VAE-related fee terms were set by UPE Management Board on 23 May 2016:

Documents to download

• Download the full PhD registration, thesis drafting and defence procedure
• Download the "VAE PhD registration sheet" form
• Download the "Registration application" form