Student-Supervisor relationship
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The student-supervisor relationship is arguably one of the most important factors in successfully completing a PhD. Like any relationship, this will develop and change over time, and this page is aimed at providing you with sources of information to help guide you through those changes and help you to understand the PhD process in more detail. The Researcher Development Programme includes a training course about 'Managing the Student-Supervisor Relationship for Research Students'.
The key areas that this course covers are:
- The importance of recognising that the relationship is personal and individual and will not be the same as that of other students and their supervisors.
- Recognising that both parties come into the relationship with expectations and that it is important to spend some time at the start identifying what those expectations are and where they may differ (i.e. what the student expects in terms of the supervisor’s availability to see them and what the supervisor is willing and able to commit to).
- How to manage joint supervisions and clarify the roles of the different supervisors.
- Recognising that the relationship shifts and changes over time – particularly in the dimensions of knowledge, independence and expertise – and that a good supervisor will be able to provide more guidance at the beginning and will be able to “let go" of a good student towards the end of the process.
- How to identify and sort out problems before they escalate and the course includes a helpful introduction to some tools to assist with dealing with personality clashes.
The Vitae website also contains useful information on the topic of Supervision and Key Relationships.
The Canadian Psychological Association website also refers to some articles which provide useful tips and strategies for dealing with any issues as they arise.