The Relationship between PhD supervisor and student

By Catherine Armstrong

The jobs.ac.uk career development forum http://discuss.jobs.ac.uk/ contains many comments from people who want to embark on a postgraduate career but are unsure how to go about it. One of the major stumbling blocks is the incredibly competitive funding system, but apart from the financial concerns one of the most important intellectual decisions you will make is selecting a supervisor. This decision can make or break a postgraduate candidate, sometimes leading to fruitful encounters for years to come, or a period of awkwardness and even bitterness. I am not going to recount nightmare supervisor stories here because, in most cases, the relationship is a very positive one. In this article I will explore how to get the most out of this exchange and achieve the goal of a successful postgraduate degree and perhaps an academic career afterwards.

Who?

If you have a specific idea of the topic you want to study at postgraduate level then it may be that the selection of a supervisor will be very straightforward. Undergraduate tutors can guide you towards the academics working in the particular field and perhaps they will contact them first to prepare the way ready for your approach. If you are not based at a UK university then the internet is the best tool for finding out which scholars are the most suitable supervisors. Each academic department has its own public web pages and often each member of staff within the department has his or her own site or sometimes there is a separate page for ‘research interests' within the department. Obviously the choice of university itself will also be a significant factor, as will funding opportunities offered both internally and externally. But by selecting a field-leader as your supervisor, this ensures that the academic community as a whole will value your work.

Occasionally it is appropriate to have two supervisors: for example when a proposed project is inter-disciplinary, or marries two different scholarly approaches within a single field. This can complicate matters because there will then be two people to please, to meet with and to discuss approaches with and they will not always share the same opinions. However, the positive side is that you get another intellectual viewpoint on your work and if one supervisor becomes very busy for a time, you have another to turn to. Joint supervision will only be recommended to you in unusual circumstances and should not be assumed as the norm.

How to persuade them?

Arrange a meeting with your potential supervisor personally if that is possible. If distance or time prevents you from doing this I would recommend a telephone conversation. You need to know that they think you will be a good candidate, while you need to feel that he or she is a mentor with whom you can work. It is important to research their interests and current projects and can show why they would be a good supervisor. Prepare a list of questions in advance, it is always good to talk about funding and practical arrangements too. If this academic agrees to supervise the project they can help out in all sorts of ways. You will then have to apply to the university for a place and for funding if applicable, so it helps to have a supervisor supporting you from the start.

What to expect from your supervisor?

In short, support, advice, guidance, sometimes direction; also reassurance during the difficult times and congratulations during the inspired moments! Respect is also there to be earned: you will probably notice that as a postgraduate, members of staff treat you more like a colleague than a student.

Supervisors should not be looking for assistance to write their pet project: they are there to ensure you produce your best thesis. They should not take over, but neither should they neglect their students. Make sure regular meetings are arranged with your supervisor, these could be once a week or once a term, depending on the topic and the travel distances involved. Now it is often possible to keep in close touch using email without actually meeting in person. Ensure that these meetings are well planned and have an agenda so that the best use can be made of the valuable time of both parties.

Be warned: supervisors' feedback on work can sometimes be critical, so learn to deal with that criticism, it is almost always meant in a constructive way.

What your supervisor will expect from you?

Hard-work and enthusiasm. If either of those two are lacking, your supervisor will start to feel that his or her time is being wasted. Remember supervisors are very busy people with their own work, undergraduate teaching and probably other postgraduate students to think about. Make your relationship with them as smooth and easy as possible.

Deadlines will be set for submission of chapters or parts of the project and the onus is on you to meet these. The supervisor should not have to chase the postgraduate student or keep extending deadlines. They should have been agreed together, so show your supervisor respect by sticking to agreed targets.

Supervisors are your main source of help during this time so do ask them questions, but show that you can be independent too. It is your project so show confidence that you can mostly manage it by yourself.

How this relationship changes?

Many people find that their PhD project could grow and become their life's work. It is vital to be strict with yourself and choose a point to stop looking for evidence or data and start writing up. This decision often determined by other factors in life such as family issues, or by funding concerns. In that period leading up to submission when you are writing up your findings and polishing up the presentation you will probably find your supervisor more useful than ever. As the project finally comes together, your supervisor will be important in helping you to identify what makes your work original.

A supervisor's contacts will form the basis of the list of potential thesis examiners. Be guided by your supervisor, he or she may have heard through their contacts that the big name scholar you wanted to be examiner is unsympathetic towards approaches like yours. The supervisor contacts potential examiners on your behalf and only with your agreement.

Supervisors offer guidance to get their students through the viva, so make sure that you use their knowledge of your field and the examiners chosen. There are stock questions that are included in many vivas (‘what makes your project unique?' or ‘how does it relate to current theoretical developments in your field?') and your supervisor will help frame answers to these questions.

After the viva?

A PhD supervisor will probably be one of the key referees for your subsequent job applications whether in academic work or the private sector. So it is important to keep him or her informed of career hopes and plans. It is polite to inform them whenever they have been named as a referee so that a reference request does not come out of the blue.

If you do decide to go into an academic career, your supervisor and examiners can help mould your PhD thesis into a monograph or series of journal articles, whichever is most appropriate.

Having worked closely together for at least three years, your supervisor will probably feel that he or she will have an interest in your progress, whatever you go on to do. It is appropriate to keep in contact and occasionally ask for advice or assistance. However, their formal connection with you has ended and while they can offer support by, for example, introducing you to their networks of contacts, it is now your job to go out and craft these connections with other scholars yourself.
Writer Profile

Dr Catherine Armstrong is a teaching fellow in History at the University of Warwick and Oxford Brookes University.

Catherine is also Director of Historical Studies in the Open Studies department at the University of Warwick.

Her book 'Writing North America in the Seventeenth Century' will be published by Ashgate in June 2007.

As a jobseeker for an academic role herself, Catherine is in a unique position to understand and offer her knowledge and experience to those developing an academic career.

Website: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/staff/c_armstrong/