Tips for Finding the Right Supervisor

"Select the supervisor, not the institution."

After deciding to pursue a postgraduate degree particularly in full-time and full-on research mode, the next option to weigh or decision to make is finding the right supervisor. Before commencing with the degree, the choice of supervisor will really make a difference either in a positive or a negative way throughout your postgraduate journey. Thus, it is worth putting at least as much time into researching and finding an appropriate supervisor. Are you still clueless about who to choose as your supervisor? If yes, here are the simple reasons:

A supervisor is a person with whom a doctoral candidate or student will be dealing for the most part of his or her study. Thus, do avoid someone who knows little about your research area, but is only able to correct your grammar, spelling mistakes, or even your statistical analysis. The right supervisor should possess the following attributes:

A supervisor is the main contact of a postgraduate, which can be acting as the main supervisor or co-supervisor. He or she should be actively seeking new knowledge or expanding the existing knowledge. Your supervisor can show you all sorts of new or alternative directions to support your practice. He or she also has your back and is available with advice when things get tough. Below are the roles of a supervisor with expertise:

1. knowledge expert

2. problem-solver

3. technical advisor

4. innovator

5. influencer

The postgraduate journey can be short (three years) or long (eight years) depending on the individual's encounters and preparedness. It can be either an enjoyable or stressful journey. As you will be spending quite a lot of time with your supervisor, you need to avoid someone who will add on unnecessary stress on you. Therefore, you should find someone who can:

If there is an opportunity. find someone who is always readily available to give you a helping hand in times of need, whether it is through face-to-face, email, phone call, or even messenger. Having a supervisor who is mostly out of the office due to heavy work commitments can be so frustrating—when you will get stuck with something and you will need it to be explained to you in person that will make a lot more sense. However, if he or she has excellent communication skills and a strong research team who are there to assist students, then having a very busy supervisor is still manageable. Do consider these:

Generally, a research topic that has a relevant need with current or future demand should be your focus. Besides, you must be passionate, interested in, and intrigued by your research topic. If you have such a topic in mind that can be satisfied and inspired to make a success out of it, you should make it known to your potential supervisor and observe his or her feedback. In case you have noticed a supervisor as your favourite choice but your research topic is not of his or her interest or passion, then do not proceed regardless of how attractive his or her personality may be. You will find it very tough, miserable, stressful, and bored if you decide to do a research topic proposed by your supervisor that does not interest or excite you.

Are you a busy working adult? Are you a businessman or entrepreneur? Are you planning to get married? Are you planning to give birth? Are you a parent of many kids? If you have other side commitments or priorities, you need to make this clear to your supervisor and discuss how these things may (or not) affect your studies. Supervisors are all different with different prioritises and work styles. Some supervisors are considerate, but some are not as supportive as others. To prevent having any tension between the two of you, you have to find a supervisor who will be understanding and not prohibit you from other involvements.

1. Should I choose a supervisor almost like your current status?

No. Having someone with the same expertise or point of view like you is pointless. Instead, you must be challenged to learn, grow, and develop in new ways in order to advance to the next level of qualification, which you will not be able to achieve if you chose someone "exactly like you"!

2. Should I pick someone with a similar practice of research methods?

Yes. If your proposed research is designed based on qualitative or quantitative in nature, then having someone who understands that methodology and the relevant research procedures is crucial for you. Similarly, if you deal with complicated data processing problems, such as statistical analysis, having an expert in quantitative research in that discipline is a significant asset.

3. Should I decide on my potential supervisor directly during the first meeting?

You need not make an abrupt decision when you meet with him or her as your potential supervisor–if you get an impression that someone wishes you to be his or her supervisee without detailed discussion, then that could be the wrong person for you!

4. Should I only approach a professor instead of an associate professor as my main supervisor?

No. The selection criteria are based on the five expectations as emphasised in the earlier section.

5. Do I need a co-supervisor?

It is conditional. Having two supervisors is only necessary, not a luxury–if you are doing interdisciplinary research and there is no one accessible who is considered to be an expert in both subjects. However, be wary of being split between two supervisors who provide contradictory instructions. The second supervisor is frequently picked for his or her competence in technique; for example, he or she is the founder of a specific framework, model, or theory that you need to apply in your study.

6. Should I approach the institution or the supervisor first?

Both are also possible. It is often easier to write to a well-established institution by indicating your area of interest. The person or committee in charge of postgraduates' supervisor appointments in the university will probably get in touch with the relevant professor, associate professor, or lecturer and seek his or her consent.

7. Why do some professors or associate professors hardly reply to my emails and messages?

Locally and internationally famous academics' schedules are quite tight. They are probably short on time and have a large number of PhD students reporting to them.

8. Why my proposal is rejected?

Unless your study proposal is exceptional, the chances of prominent professors accepting students who write to them directly are small. There must be something unique about your proposal that sets it apart from the pack!

9. Should I accept my supervisor's proposal though I have a different point of view?

It is conditional. There are various situations in which you should not accept your supervisor's proposal:

10. Can I change my supervisor once being assigned or halfway through my course?

Yes. It is easier to do if the new supervisor is affiliated with the same university and agrees to be your new supervisor. If no one at the same institution is capable of doing so, you may need to recruit someone from another university.

UiTM Expert Profile is a research information system portal of UiTM academic staff where you can find the related information based on the available menus. Click on the expert's name to access the individual page. Watch the video above to get a better picture of how the UiTM Expert Profile works. In order to show you a better picture, I will take mine as an example. On UiTM Expert, you can search me as follows:

In Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), you can log in to UPTracks to nominate your supervisors by using the i-student portal ID and password. At least two supervisors must be appointed to guide the student in preparing a thesis coherent with the theme of specialisation. A doctoral degree or similar academic and/or professional credentials/expertise/experience in the subject or area of the student's study is required in order to be proposed as the main supervisor for a doctoral student.

The main supervisor must be appointed among UiTM academic staff. A co-supervisor may also be recruited from among other members of academic staff, both internal and external to the institution, who have been chosen due to specialised knowledge or scholarship in the defined area of study and have been approved by the faculty. When an off-shore research degree program/student is accepted, co-supervisors from the twinning institution can be assigned; these arrangements should be arranged as soon as practicable.

A supervisor must have a minimum qualification of the equivalent degree level enrolled in by the student and at least two-year experience in teaching and research or as a co-supervisor. A supervisor who has been appointed as Pensyarah Kehormat may continue to supervise the students. If the main supervisor is seconded to another institution/industry, he or she may continue to supervise the students as co-supervisor. For supervisors without the required qualification as mentioned, extensive experience in research and supervision are additional criteria and are subject to the approval of the university.

However, the designated main and co-supervisors must agree to carry out supervisory obligations. Both the main and co-supervisors must not be close friends or family of the student or any of the other supervisors in order to prevent ethical concerns and maintain impartiality and independent judgement. They should also not be enrolled as postgraduate students at the university or elsewhere.

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