A thesis co-supervision is a way of developing scientific cooperation between two countries by encouraging the mobility and supervision of doctoral students. Under a joint supervision agreement, you carry out your research under the joint direction of two thesis supervisors, one at the University of Neuchâtel (UniNE) and the other at a foreign institution.

You will be registered at both universities and submitted to the administrative procedures of both institutions. The thesis is defended at one of the two universities and two doctoral diplomas are awarded, one by UniNE and the other by the partner institution (each specifying that the thesis was carried out under joint supervision with the other institution), or a joint doctoral diploma.

It is not possible to carry out a co-thesis involving two Swiss universities, as simultaneous enrolment in a doctoral programme at two Swiss universities is not permitted. When a thesis involves two thesis supervisors from two Swiss universities, a co-direction arrangement must be set up. In this case, only one of the two universities awards the doctoral diploma. Contact your faculty secretariat to formalise the co-supervision arrangement.

1. Find two thesis supervisors (one at UniNE and one at the partner institution) who agree to jointly supervise your research work.
2. Register at both institutions.
3. At UniNE, complete a registration application; admission to the doctorate is subject to the procedures of each faculty. The co-thesis agreement can only be drawn up and signed once you have been officially admitted to the doctoral programme at UniNE.
4. Please follow the procedure for registering your thesis (see regulations below). NB: your thesis subject must have been approved by your faculty before the process can continue.
5. Complete the co-supervision agreement specific to UniNE (see agreement models on the right) or to the partner institution.
6. Send the completed agreement to bureau.mobilite@unine.ch for review and approval.

• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Economics and Business
• Faculty of Law

The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, through Swissuniversities, provides financial support for thesis co-supervision projects that are the subject of a co-supervision agreement between a Swiss university and a partner university abroad (Europe + Israel).

The Swissuniversities website provides information on how to apply for subsidies. For your application, please use the UniNE co-thesis agreement models and not the one proposed by Swissuniversities.

The deadline for applications is the 31^st of March.

Please note: all applications must be sent in PDF and WORD format to the Study Exchange Office before the 15^th of March for review and transmission to Swissuniversities. Incomplete applications will not be sent to Swissuniversities.