Your PhD supervisor will have a great deal of influence on your academic career.
“A PhD is hard. But a good supervisor makes it much easier,” says Emma Kathryn White, a PhD student in infrastructure engineering at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
In a recent study, Anna Sverdlik, an educational psychologist at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, says that even though most comments concerning supervisors are positive and acknowledge their efficiency, support, feedback, and demeanor, “it was the discrepancy between supervisors’ and students’ expectations that generated confusion, stress, and anxiety in students.”
When applying to graduate programs, you should ask yourself, “How do I choose an academic supervisor that suits me best?”.
PhD supervisors have a significant role to play in a candidate’s success. Around half of all PhD candidates in North America fail to complete their doctoral degrees because of the lack of support they receive.
Many PhD programs in social sciences, arts, and humanities require applicants to indicate a potential supervisor when applying. Getting in touch with this person is recommended before applying.
In STEM fields, however, it is more common to apply for a predetermined PhD research project with a supervisor. Researching or contacting the supervisor assigned to the project is still beneficial to applicants in this scenario.
Prior to applying to an academic program, supervisors often encourage students to reach out directly to them via email. Understanding what you are going to write and asking your prospective supervisor the right questions may help you decide whether they are a good fit for your research.
In order to choose the right supervisor for your graduate application, you must know how to act in every situation you encounter with your prospective supervisor.
We will guide you through the entire graduate application process of selecting an academic supervisor in this blog post.
Phase 01: Do your research
The Basics
In order to evaluate potential supervisors, you must have a clear idea of your research interests. You likely have already determined some of your research interests since you intend to do a PhD.
Before choosing an academic supervisor, you must be certain about your own research interests.
Despite how simple that statement sounds, most students skip this step of determining what they want to focus on for the next four to five years.
Therefore, make sure to decide on a couple of research areas you are interested in first.
Imagine you are interested in completing a PhD in the humanities, arts, or social sciences. Ideally, you should have a supervisor who is knowledgeable in one of these fields. In this case, developing a project proposal or specific research questions before contacting potential supervisors would be a good idea.
Typically, you will have an interview (formal or informal) with your prospective supervisor. During this meeting, you will get a sense of your supervisor’s compatibility with you.
You might have to do some research first to make the most of this opportunity.
Read more on this topic: 5 Things You Should Know Before Writing to a Potential Supervisor
Identify shared research interests
It is important to ensure that your prospective supervisor has at least an interest in the field you wish to study. Start by exploring their personal and research group websites and publications.
You may want to go to their ResearchGate profile and Google Scholar profile if they do not have any of these things (or if their website link is broken, which often happens).
The publication process can take a while, so recent publications may not necessarily reflect current research in the group. In life sciences, the supervisor’s name would typically appear last in publications where they are the senior author. By doing this, you will be able to construct a mental map of where the group interests are going and where they have been.
It is important to be proactive in pursuing your research interests but also flexible: Your dream research topic may not currently be conducted by a particular group, but your supervisor might be open to exploring new ideas and research avenues.
Therefore, asking your supervisor about their current research interest is very important when you email them. There will be more information on this later in the blog post.
If the group or institution of interest does not have the appropriate facilities or resources, you may need to establish collaborations to access those resources elsewhere.
Check whether the department has the equipment you may need. Students often forget to check this. Most departments have a “facilities” page for you to check out on their main website.
Suppose, for example, that you are applying to a materials science department that does not have a scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction equipment. In that case, being skeptical and asking the graduate secretary for more information is okay. This is because you will need to use those devices at some point in your research.
You will be able to choose an academic supervisor more easily if you have done this preliminary research.
Find trusted sources
You can learn about the reputation of potential supervisors, the dynamics of their research groups, and exciting projects in your field of interest by talking with experienced and trustworthy people.
You might find that this process is much easier if you are interested in a supervisor from the same country since your current supervisor may have met them at a conference.
Your current supervisor may know position openings that fit your interests and time frame and is probably familiar with talented supervisors with good reputations.
You may also be able to get additional insight about working with your prospective supervisor from professors you admire, reliable student advisors, and colleagues.
In social media, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, you can find mutual friends who know the supervisor you are interested in.
They can provide valuable insider information you might not otherwise have access to.
Such information might be crucial when choosing an academic supervisor.
Get to know students from the lab
Get to know current students
Meeting current students is an important step before joining a lab. You can get a sense of what it’s actually like to work with a supervisor from current students.
“You want to do a mini background check, as it’s difficult to tell how honest a researcher is during an interview“, says Gerard Dericks from Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom.
Gerard also emphasizes that “speaking with former co-authors can also give candidates a better idea of how collaborative a supervisor is and how well their skills and research interests match.”
You can reach them by email. But, it would be best if you did not force them to give you information about the supervisor.
Students are unlikely to tell you directly if they are unhappy with their current supervisor.
Make sure you ask specific questions:
- Do you meet regularly with your supervisor?
- How long does it typically take to turn around a paper draft?
- What do you think of the lab culture?
- How does your supervisor handle mistakes or unexpected results?
- What is your supervisor’s response to interruptions in your research due to personal matters?
Doing so lets you know what an insider knows about the lab environment. By asking this question, you’re indirectly asking how the supervisor operates.
Additionally, they can provide insight into the departmental culture and non-academic life. You could also meet with other students to better understand the department.
Try to connect with former students
While not always possible, meeting with past students is a great way to find the right academic supervisor for you. The career outcomes of past students can provide insight into what the lab was like when they were there.
Former students may be listed on supervisors’ websites, and you can contact them via LinkedIn or Twitter. Don’t ask about the group’s current situation, as they cannot provide such details.
They offer a unique perspective since they’ve been through the entire process from beginning to end, and in some cases, they no longer feel compelled to praise their former supervisor. You can also gain insight from previous students by reading their acknowledgements in their theses.
It’s unlikely that a supervisor will help a candidate build their resume if the supervisor prefers to work alone or does not include students as co-authors on their papers.
Having these perspectives will make it easier for you to choose an academic supervisor.
Align your expectations
Many PhD students don’t feel that their program meets their original expectations.
Before joining a PhD program or research group, aligning your expectations with your supervisor is important.
It is about finding someone who is a good fit for you – one person’s dream supervisor might be another’s worst nightmare. A “good fit” requires a serious self-evaluation of your goals, working style, and your expectations of a mentor.
Working in a research lab to gain the experience of a PhD student is one way to conduct this self-appraisal. The best way to gain such experience is to work as an undergraduate researcher in a lab. Alternatively, you can apply for a lab as an independent researcher for a limited period of time. After gaining such knowledge, you will be better positioned to choose an academic supervisor.
In academia, money plays a more important role than you might think.
Although some people are conditioned to avoid discussing finances at all costs, it is essential to set financial expectations early in your career to ensure your well-being in and out of the lab.
Funding will help you obtain the necessary chemicals and equipment for conducting exciting lab research. Additionally, you need to know if there is sufficient funding to complete your potential projects.
Find out the following information:
- Are you entitled to a reasonable, livable stipend?
- How much is the minimum required take-home stipend at the institution you’re interested in?
- Does the institution have a hard cutoff for funding once your time runs out, or does it support students who take longer than expected?
- Does the supervisor cut students off when funding runs low or is there a contingency plan?
Sometimes, your funding won’t cover your tuition and living costs, such as food and apartment rent. If you are in this situation, you may have to work an additional job (off campus). Choosing a department like this should not be your first choice if you are unwilling to do a second job.
When you contact a potential supervisor, remember to ask these questions.
Publications
The requirements for finishing a PhD thesis vary from program to program, and some PhD programs leave this up to the student and supervisor.
Some programs require you to publish several papers before defending your PhD or MSc. Individual groups sometimes require different numbers of papers (check with your supervisor). Knowledge of such specific information will assist you in selecting a supervisor.
Additionally, you might need papers published in high-impact journals if you plan to become a professor or postgraduate fellow after obtaining your PhD. You might not be able to achieve those goals if you choose an academic supervisor with no active publishing activity.
Ask yourself these questions before choosing an academic supervisor:
- What number of publications are you planning on publishing as part of your PhD, and when will you publish them?
- Is your prospective supervisor committed to publishing high-impact papers?
Professional development opportunities
In graduate school, professional development is a key aspect. To gain more diverse experience, some research groups require PhD students to mentor undergraduate students or work in the industry for a semester.
Other research groups connect with government entities, facilitating policy or government-based research. Your career and next steps depend on these opportunities.
Consider asking these questions:
- What career development opportunities are available to a potential supervisor?
- Will a potential supervisor allow students to attend workshops to learn new skills?
- Does the organization support public outreach activities?
- Are there opportunities for professional development at the institution?
It is better to focus firsthand on your professional development (in or outside of academia) since that will ultimately be your goal. Having such knowledge will greatly assist you in choosing an academic supervisor.
Phase 02: Interview or direct communication with your supervisor
Regardless of whether or not you have a chance to interview your prospective supervisor, you will still have the opportunity to communicate with them.
You can always contact them via email, for example.
You should ask the right questions in any of those situations to determine if they are the right fit for you.
Having done some research, you now understand what you want from your prospective supervisor.
It is important to interview your supervisor just as much as they are interviewing you.
Be sure to prepare questions and pay close attention to their responses. For example, ask them about their “lab culture,” research interests (especially in the future/long term), and what kind of graduate student they are looking for.
Are you feeling the need to “put on an act” to impress the supervisor?
You should represent yourself, not the person you think they are looking for. Some interviews will inevitably go badly for us all. You will have fewer consequences if you discover a poor fit during the interview than if you discover it after you have committed to a position.
Therefore, choosing your academic supervisor through an upfront interview is beneficial.
Ask yourself these questions before you meet with your prospective supervisor:
- What do you look for in a mentor?
- To what extent do you expect career guidance?
- Does the potential supervisor consider your long-term goals, especially if you do not intend to pursue a career in academia?
- What kind of students are unlikely to succeed in this research group?
Read more on this topic: How to write a follow-up email to a potential supervisor(With examples)
Phase 03: Look beyond the PhD
As a PhD candidate, you should look for a supervisor who can assist you in acquiring the skills you need to advance your career.
It’s important to build skills to pivot into what you’d like to do next, not just focus on the PhD topic or project. It is not the output of a PhD that matters, but who you are as a scientist.
Research integrity seminars, writing workshops, and advanced statistics training should always be discussed with potential supervisors.
A supervisor who is too focused on publishing papers might lack integrity and isn’t interested in helping their students develop their skills.
Consider the supervisor’s working style
Candidates should pay attention to the workplace culture and how things run daily before choosing a supervisor based on prestige and research interests.
You might want to discuss expectations with potential supervisors before agreeing to work with them, for example, their hours of operation, meeting frequency, and how they track their candidates’ progress.
Some students prefer to be micromanaged, while others prefer to work independently. The first thing you need to do is figure out what kind of person you are.
Having shared interests with a supervisor does not necessarily mean you’ll get along well, and just because you enjoyed a course taught by that professor does not mean you should apply to their research group.
Before choosing an academic supervisor, make sure you know the following:
- Are you more comfortable with structure or the freedom to go at your own pace?
- Are they expecting you to be in the lab from 6:00 AM to midnight every day (not a good sign)?
- Is it okay with them if you work from home when you can?
- Is it possible to work alternative hours if you have other responsibilities (such as childcare, other employment, extracurricular activities)?
- What is the organizational structure of the group?
- Does the lab have a manager or are logistics shared between the members?
Supervisor’s career stage
A researcher’s career stage is one of the most important attributes of a research group.
Supervisors’ personalities also play a part in this.
You may not be able to publish many high-impact journal papers when you choose an academic supervisor at the end of their career. Since they are nearing the end of their careers, they may not be as interested in publishing new papers. Therefore, it may not be the best choice for someone planning to enter academia after completing the PhD. Research connections and protocols may be more established for a supervisor later in their career.
Working under an academic supervisor at the beginning of their career may result in more pressure than working under an experienced supervisor. Early career stage supervisors have more chances to shape the direction of the lab’s research but less political power and less certainty of their supervision style.
Additionally, they will likely encourage students to publish more often without a clear motivation. It can be extremely stressful for students to deal with this situation.
As it applies to many situations, your best bet is to find a supervisor somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.
Group dynamics
As well, consider different lab sizes and their pros and cons. Although big labs offer more opportunities for collaboration and learning from others, supervisors spend less time with students.
The supervisor is more accessible in smaller labs but can also be more isolating. As there are fewer moving parts in a small lab, you might be able to “think” more freely.
Furthermore, small groups tend to conduct more disruptive research, while larger groups develop extant research topics further.
Follow your instincts
Having quantifiable data and some statistics is essential to making logical decisions as an academic.
Every interaction with a potential supervisor, from the first email to the last, should be considered a piece of data to be evaluated.
It is sometimes possible to choose your academic supervisor after your first interaction with them, particularly if you engage in a live discussion. The first impression you make of someone is usually right most of the time.
Trusting your gut instincts has considerable value. When selecting a PhD supervisor, it is important to listen to your internal dialogue. You might want to proceed with caution if your internal dialogue includes phrases such as “I’ll just work hard,” “maybe their students were exaggerating,” etc.
You might have found a winner if you are saying, “They are so kind and intelligent!” or “I cannot wait to start!“.
Re-iterate the whole process
I would advise you to repeat this long process all over again. It is crucial to compare your options before selecting a PhD supervisor.
By screening multiple groups, you learn a great deal about red flags, compatible work styles, expectations, and group atmospheres.
Take some time to consider your interviews with different supervisors and the outcomes you might get from each supervisor if you accept a research position. You may be able to choose an academic supervisor more accurately by following this thinking process.
You can repeat this process with another supervisor, university, or country. In order to choose a PhD supervisor wisely, you deserve to take your time and inform yourself about the options.
Despite a “failed” supervisor search, the time and energy invested would still be less than what a bad PhD experience consumes.
Final words
PhD studies can be a rewarding and life-changing experience. It is crucial that you make the right choice when choosing your PhD supervisor during your graduate application process, as your relationship with your supervisor can make or break your entire experience.
Go ahead and pursue a PhD after you’ve thoroughly evaluated your options!
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