We invite you to consider creating a Joint PhD/Cotutelle program at Simon Fraser University. This high-level international training opportunity lets you work with two senior supervisors at their respective academic research institutions in two countries and is customized to meet your PhD research objectives.

You and your supervisors will benefit from the experience. You will receive international exposure and experience and learn from leading academic minds in your field. Your senior supervisors will form a working relationship with an international colleague and continue to build strong connections with other academic institutions.

If SFU is your home institution, you will work with your senior supervisor to identify a partner research environment (nationally or internationally), and initiate dialogue with a potential senior supervisor based at that institution. If you are interested in a Joint PhD/Cotutelle, you should identify a partner supervisor/institution no later than four terms into your PhD program. We recommend that you complete your course work and comprehensive exams before entering into your Joint PhD/Cotutelle arrangement. 

If SFU is your target partner institution, you may wish to search the experimental database of faculty members' research interests or review the list of academic programs at the university to find an appropriate potential senior supervisor.

For all partners, a resource in setting up a joint degree program is the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies (gradstudies-assoc-dean@sfu.ca), who will advise and facilitate as necessary the establishment of your joint degree program. Please note: You must meet admission requirements at both institutions, including language competency levels.

At the completion of the program, you will have completed degree requirements for doctoral studies at two universities, satisfying each institution’s admission and degree requirements, and worked with a thesis/dissertation supervisor at each institution. You will receive a single degree which is recognized by both participating institutions, with a notation on the final transcript (and usually on the parchments) stating the degree was obtained under a Joint PhD/Cotutelle agreement.