FAQ (PdM)

The official dates for master’s projects are listed in the Academic Calendar.

It lasts 17 weeks for the SGC section, 25 weeks for a master’s degree project in mobility.

Only Professors of Civil Engineering or MER are authorized to supervise the PdM of a Civil Engineering student.

In case of collaboration with a professor outside the GC, it is mandatory to inform the section and to obtain the written agreement of the Section Director ( => Form). In any case, your PdM will have to be co-supervised by a Professor of Civil Engineering.

Master project

  • Registration in IS-Academia
  • Correctly fill in the fields related to the location of the PDM and the type of PDM (-E or Mobility) and indicate the correct dates

If Master Thesis in a company (PDME):

  • Carefully complete the required documents (PDME agreement & appendix) and send to [email protected]

If Master Thesis with non-GC leader:

  • Request the Section’s authorisation by means of the form

If Master Theis in Mobility

Yes they can, by demanding the registrar’s office.

Nevertheless, your demand needs to be supported by the person in charge of your thesis and you need to inform the secretariat of the Section of Civil Engineering.

Deadline: official date confirmed by the SAC, at noon.

Procedure:

  • Upload your electronic document.s (pdf format) to the EPFL ENACShare platform
  • Email your report to your teacher, your expert and cc Secrétariat Section Génie Civil [email protected]. Your email must include the link of your ENACShare download.
  • Reminder : for PDME (Master Thesis in a company), the master project has to be emailed – 2 weeks before – the submission deadline mentioned above – to the enterprise in cc your supervisor.

This is usually a Civil Engineering Professor who will propose you to make your thesis abroad. Depending on his contact and on your thesis subject, he will direct you on an exchange university.

Conversely, it is also possible to suggest an exchange university and a contact name to one of your Civil Engineering Professor.

For a smooth organisation, we recommend the students who are interested to prepare their exchange Thesis during the MA2 semester.

Master Thesis in Mobility

At your request, your Civil Engineering Professor (or MER) will suggest that you carry out your Master Thesis in mobility.

Depending on her or his contacts and your project topic, she or he will refer you to an exchange school and/or a laboratory within that school.

For organizational reasons, particularly in the context of your pre-study, it is advisable to plan your exchange as early as the MA2 semester.


Steps to be taken in the semester preceding your pre-study:

  • Defining the area of interest
  • Discuss and organize the exchange with the Civil Engineering Professor or MER teacher
  • Contact the Student Services at the Academic Service (if European partner school, possibility of obtaining a scholarship)
  • Notify the secretariat of your section

EPFL Partner universities

Yes, it is possible to have such a collaboration, but the following conditions need to be met:

  • The person in charge of the Master Thesis is a Professor or MER of the Section of Civil Engineering (hence it is not the company itself)
  • The subject of the thesis is determined by the person in charge
  • The specificity of the collaboration are defined together by the person in charge of your Master Thesis and the company
  • During your Master Thesis, your status is not one of the company’s employees

    (which is the opposite of the time during your compulsory internship)

  • A student doing his Master Thesis in a company does not receive any salary from that company

Master Thesis in a company (PDME)

Here are the steps involved in organizing a PdM:
The Master Thesis director is a professor from the Civil Engineering section (not the company).
The subject is defined by the EPFL-GC Professor in charge of the PDME.
The terms of collaboration are defined jointly by the Master Thesis Professor and the company.
During this Master Thesis, your status is not that of an employee of the company (unlike during an internship).
Define confidentiality clauses (This is a sensitive point! Please contact the section secretariat for advice before signing)
Please read our internal guidelines