What should a good PhD supervisor be like?

A good PhD supervisor should be an expert in their field. As a PhD candidate, you will want your supervisor to have a high level of research expertise within the field that your own research topic sits in.

What is PhD supervision and what does it mean?

The responsibilities are often shared between one main supervisor and 1-3 (and eventually more) co-supervisors. Supervisors may also be called mentors or advisors (just so you know that this is the same thing unless your PhD regulations specify another meaning in your case). So here are our five pillars of good PhD supervision: 1. Guidance

Do you need a supervisor as a postgraduate student?

As a postgraduate who is about to dedicate three or four years to an institution, you have the right to select a supervisor with whom you feel comfortable. Yet increasingly, as the postgraduate bureaucracy in universities increases, administrators and managers “match” a prospective candidate with a supervisor. Do not let this happen.

How long does it take to finish a PhD?

A good supervisor should share the same mindset as you about finishing your PhD within a reasonable time frame; in the UK this would be within three to four years as a full-time university student.

What are the outputs of a PhD?

Important research outputs include books, editorials, reports, press articles, exhibitions, public engagement work (Google is probably going to be a useful tool). It’s also worth looking at any past or present PhD research overseen by your supervisors (university websites are a good place to look for this).

How can I find out more about other supervisees?

Other supervisees – Find out what kind of work the supervisor has previously been (or is currently) involved in. You can normally see a list of current research students on a department website, for example. Are they engaged in similar work to you?

What should I look for in a potential supervisor?

The quality of these publications is also important – prominent, peer-reviewed journals are ideal. If your prospective supervisor has lots of citations, that’s also a great sign. After you’ve made initial contact with a supervisor, it’s good to get an idea of where they see their own future.