The main graduate degree is the thèse or the PhD. It is a three year degree (srictly speaking, it is the funding that is limited to three years) and requires as a prerequisite, the DEA (diplôme d'études approfondies, a one year ``masters'' with the specific objective of preparing the student for a thèse). Students are typically admitted to the DEA after four years of university, called ``BAC-plus-4'' (BAC or baccalaureate, being the national high school diploma). Sometimes one can obtain a waiver of the DEA, especially if the student has a ``diplôme d'ingénieur'' or an engineering degree, which is a ``BAC-plus-5'' degree awarded by special schools called ``écoles d'ingénieur''.
Ultimately, a thèse, like a PhD, is a research degree. It is awarded only if the student makes original contributions to advancing the state of knowledge in a particular domain. However, it is a time bound degree, of which the last six months are typically spent in writing up and scheduling the referee reports and organizing the defence. Hence, unlike the US student who often spends two years or more to explore various problems around the central theme and formulate the specific problem to resolve (i.e., come up with a thesis proposal), the French student has to be very focused from day one. The student is given a short description of the thesis topic, called the ``sujet de thèse'' right in the beginning. Of course, this is just the starting point and the actual thesis evolves considerably from this.
The US system allows considerable liberty to develop a breadth of knowledge which is useful later, but the thesis itself is usually the result of the last three years' work. The French system tends to reduce ``burn out'' (sudents who quit mid way through) and focuses on the important part, namely the three years of intense research. It also puts pressure on the student and also (indirectly) the advisor to produce results fairly soon. On the other hand, it is more equitable, since the student begins a ``productive'' research carreer sooner, and it and also tends to reduce ``graduate slave labor'' (it is also equitable financially: PhD students receive standard benefits such as complete health insurance and the salary is typically over half a starting faculty member's salary, compared to the 5-to-1 ratio in the US). Both systems have their pros and cons, and ultimately, it is the quality of the individual, and to some extent the advisor, that determines the quality of the thesis.
Funding & Constraints The funding is awarded as a three-year fellowship (initially for two years and subject to renewal for the third year). Funding can come from many sources:
There are (and have been) a fair number of international students at Irisa. To date, the language has never been an insurmountable problem. The normal language of interaction is French, and after spending three years in France, it is reasonable to suppose that you will acquire enough competence. Moreover, Irisa often arrranges for language classes for foreign members who spend significant time here.