Your supervisor's responsibilities

Your supervisors are responsible for academic support throughout your candidature to enable you to achieve a high standard of research. Supervisors are either academic staff or people considered to have achieved distinction in a field of research.

You will also have a Principal supervisor and a Co-supervisor, and may have associate or external supervisors who have the same responsibility as other supervisors.

  • Your supervisor will discuss the nature of your research, your choice of topic, your research program and its Milestones, and the availability of library resources in your field.
  • You will need to maintain close and regular contact with your supervisor.
  • Your supervisor will help you to access the resources you need for your research, and assist you with information about University requirements and procedures.
  • Your supervisor will ask you for written work (and other work as appropriate for your research), often on a pre-arranged and agreed schedule.
  • Your supervisor will provide you with feedback and will help you to develop solutions to problems as you identify them.
  • You and your supervisor will discuss reports for your Research Progress Panel and your supervisor will provide feedback as part of your RPP meetings.
  • Your supervisor will give you feedback on the content and drafts of your thesis and, at the time of submission, certify that your thesis is worthy of examination.
  • Your supervisor may also provide career advice and other assistance as appropriate.

For more information, read the Supervision of Research Students Procedure [PDF 49.1KB].

Sign up for seminars on working with your supervisor