Candidate's Guide - Supervision

Choice of Supervisor
Change of Supervisor

Choice of Supervisor

You are strongly encouraged to consult with academic staff in your chosen discipline prior to submitting an application for admission, to explore options regarding research projects which can be supported.

The Head of School will recommend to the Assistant Dean Research Training appropriate academic staff who are suitably qualified to act as supervisors on your proposed research project.

This may involve cross-School supervision if your proposed project is interdisciplinary.

You should familiarise yourself with your responsibilities and those of your supervisor by referring to the Code of Practice for Research Candidature.

Your principal (or sole) supervisor must be a full-time member of the academic staff , normally in the School in which you are enrolled. Conjoint staff appointees are deemed to be full academic members of the University and may act as principal supervisors. The principal supervisor must possess at least an equivalent degree to that being undertaken by you, have a practising research record and previous supervisory experience.

Co-supervisors may be appointed from amongst other members of academic staff, clinical lecturers or other staff of the University as approved by the Assistant Dean Research Training. Where you are conducting research in a precinct outside the University, or under other circumstances approved by your Assistant Dean Research Training, a consultant supervisor who is not a member of staff of the University may also be appointed.

Panels of supervisors may also be appointed, particularly in cases where your proposed research is interdisciplinary. In this case, one member of the panel who is a member of the School in which you are enrolled will usually be designated 'principal supervisor'. Your principal supervisor is responsible for the coordination of supervision of your candidature, and should hold regular meetings with you and your, supervisors in fulfillment of this role.

In nominating a supervisor, the Head of School will take due note of the number and progress of other candidates under the same supervisor, of the experience of the supervisor and of the plans of the potential supervisor in respect of leave, teaching or administrative commitments.

Change of Supervisor

Either you or your supervisor may request of the Head of School a change of supervisor for the research program. Such requests must be on reasonable grounds, such as extended absence, change of direction of the research project, over-commitment or change in workload of the supervisor, personality clash, etc.

The Assistant Dean Research Training should attempt to resolve any problems associated with supervision in a manner consistent with your perceived interests and the interests of your supervisor, and consistent with the resources available to the School.

Requests for change of supervision must be approved by your Assistant Dean Research Training. An application form is available from the Office of Graduate Studies.

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