Finding a supervisor
Choosing the right supervisor is one of the most important steps toward a successful and rewarding PhD. Here’s our guide to getting it right.
Your supervisor
Your supervisor is there to support and advise you throughout your research degree.
We match you with a suitable supervisor when you are offered a place at Βι¶ΉΣ³». But if you are proposing your own research area, you can approach faculty members and ask them to supervise you, if:
- you are particularly interested in their research
- you feel they have the expertise to support you.
You can search for potential supervisors by using our Directory of expertise.
Supervisors can be academic staff - for example, your previous dissertation advisor, Masters supervisor or your teachers at undergraduate or postgraduate level. You may also choose, or be allocated a supervisor who matches your research interests.
How do I check if a potential supervisor is right for me?
Draw up a shortlist of two to three potential supervisors and take an in-depth look into their research history.
You can use our website to:
- search our Directory of expertise, which lists all of our faculty research and academic interests
- visit the School or Department websites to find out more about our faculty, research groups and labs
- look at publications written by your potential supervisor, for example books, editorials, and journal articles via
- find out about PhD research that your potential supervisor has overseen in the past.
You can also find out more about your potential supervisors by:
- looking in the reference sections of academic textbooks
- looking for articles in research databases
- looking at academic blogs.
Contacting a supervisor
If you think you have found a potential supervisor who matches your research area, you can contact them to check their availability for supervising you.
When you contact your potential supervisor it is important to:
- tell them something interesting about yourself
- explain your research interests and how you feel your research proposal matches their expertise
- proofread your email before sending it to a potential supervisor
- not make any extravagant claims, if you say you have read their publications, make sure you have
- prepare for face-to-face interviews, think of the questions they may ask you and prepare some answers.
When you have decided on a topic, and have a first draft of your research proposal, get in contact with your potential supervisor at Βι¶ΉΣ³» and share your idea.
They may be able to offer feedback and help refine your proposal further before you submit your application.