France is a beautiful and culturally blessed country. Its customs are traditions are what makes it unique from among the other countries.
It is a ‘hot spot’ for tourists and could be frequently seen overcrowded with tourists, who are busy admiring its beauty and charm all year round.

In terms of education as well, many international exchange and local students prefer to pursue their education in France. The doctorate, that is, the Ph.D. degree in France comprises a total duration of about 3 years, after which a candidate is expected to pursue yet another Master’s Degree which finalizes and completes the whole course.

After a student finally gets his Ph.D., he is free to either opt for an academic job or a research-based one. France is never out of opportunities for the interested and dedicated ones. It is usually observed that the majority of the students opt for a research-based career path.
On an average, a Ph.D. scholar who only conducts research earns €1700 per month, while those with teaching jobs can earn up to €2100 per month.

Being an enriched country, France does have an attractive potential for students who want to study and obtain their degrees from there.
Reviewed below are some important ‘Pros’ and ‘Cons’ that you might want to keep in mind before opting for pursuing a degree in France.

Pros of Pursuing a Ph.D. In France  

• Affordable Fee:
  Unlike other countries, France has several affordable degree programs available. Students can fully benefit by enrolling themselves in one of such degree programs that fit their finances and budget. This way, students can focus more on their studies instead of getting busy in finding jobs in the hopes of making ends meet.
  
  
• Student-Centric Country:
  France has been labeled as one of those countries that understand the needs of students and therefore, work to cater to those needs as perfectly as they could.
  Therefore, when Ph.D. students get such an environment that suits their needs and doesn’t let them stay behind on their academics and research work, then they obviously want to go for that place in any condition!
  This is a favorable point because Ph.D. students are frequently disturbed by not getting enough time to focus on their research work.
  
  
• Value of Talent:
  France is one of those countries which not only appreciate their young talent but also want such talent to come forward and get things done their way. In entrepreneurship and in general in the corporate sector too, young talent is encouraged to come and showcase their skills to everyone. This breeds a healthy environment and for Ph.D. scholars, this is encouraging for they can get to show off their research work to the world this way.  
  
  
• Appealing Location:
  As mentioned earlier, location-wise, France is indeed a dreamy, beautiful country. The prospect of settling here and securing a good job that makes you live a decent life is enough to encourage students to make their way to France and study here.

 

Cons of Pursuing a Ph.D. In France

• Expensive Private Education:
  It is good and it is affordable for as long as you are opting for a public university for your Ph.D. But if you opt for private education, then it might be a game-changer for you. Private education is quite expensive and not every student can afford it. Since Ph.D. itself is quite a demanding field, therefore, it might become difficult for you for managing studies and accommodation together.
  
  
• Communication Gap:
  Even though France provides students with the opportunity to be taught in English, the local students are not well-versed in English and prefer speaking French only. This could give rise to communication and understanding gaps and create bridges between the local and foreign students.
  
  
• Difficulty in Settlement:
  Several policies and the bureaucracy in France might turn your mood sour. Like you have to wait for up to 3 weeks to open your bank account or get a phone sim card. These constraints just add to your burdened-up pile and make you feel tired and frustrated at the amount of struggle that you have to do.
  
  
• Tiresome Study Plans:
  A Ph.D. in France might appear to be quite different to you from the other places owing to its different education plans. And if you are someone who is used to their home country’s learning, then this might be quite difficult for you to adapt to.
  
  

Whereas on one hand, we see France is a brilliant chance for making your life a better one, on the other hand, we also see quite a lot of difficult choices that one has to make and compromise. At the end of the day, it is the student who gets to decide what to do.