How to find a research supervisor

UTS is home to world-leading experts

UTS is home to world-leading academic staff, working across a wide range of disciplines, who are committed to mentoring you.

A research supervisor will draw on their expertise and networks to guide you from the design to the delivery of your research. 

When looking for a supervisor, consider: 

• how well you ‘fit’ as a research team 
• whether your research aligns to their current interests, and
• whether they have the capacity to supervise you.
  
  

It might take a few interviews and conversations before you officially ask someone to be your supervisor. 

Different types of supervisors

Your supervisor panel can span academia, industry, other universities and different disciplines. The more variety you can get, the more robust your research can be.  

Academic supervisor: This is someone who actively researches.

Cross-disciplinary supervisor: This is an academic from a discipline.

Industry or external supervisor: This is someone who has forged a career, network and expertise in a private or public sector, or community organisation. They can guide you through industry-specific nuances and challenges.  

If you’re looking for joint supervision between two international institutions, consider the Collaborative Doctoral Research Degree Program. 

If you’re interested in tackling an industry problem, consider the Industry Doctorate Program or the Impact PhD.

How to find a research supervisor

Find a supervisor tool: search using keywords related to your research topic, and filter by ‘Masters Research or PhD Student supervision’ under ‘availability’. 

Explore our research: If you find a UTS research project that sparks your interest, look into the research team and their profiles. 

Find a project: Many supervisors have projects with funding underway and are looking for research students to be on their team. Supervisors will advertise available projects on their profiles.  

Talk to a faculty or centre: Some faculties like to connect you with potential supervisors. Once you identify which faculty or institute your research aligns with, check their pre-application process or contact them for advice. 

Ask your networks: Ask your existing networks for recommendations and introductions to experts in your field. This is a good way for you to find industry supervisors. 

How to approach a potential research supervisor

Once you've identified (or have been recommended) a potential supervisor, you’re welcome to reach out to them by email.  

This is an opportunity to: 

• discuss your potential project 
• understand their current interests, and 
• get a sense of whether you are a good ‘fit’ as a research team.  

In your email to them, you should include:  

• a few short sentences introducing yourself  
• how your research fits with their interests and expertise 
• a copy of your current CV (Use the UTS CV template (docx, 45KB)) 
• a draft of your research proposal or an explanation of why you're interested in a project that the supervisor has available, and 
• copies of your academic transcripts. 

Please allow a couple of weeks for potential supervisors to respond to your email. If they are not available to supervise you, they may refer you to another suitable academic. 

How many supervisors do you need?

You need at least two academic supervisors from UTS to study a PhD or Research Masters with us, including a: 

• Principal supervisor: The lead (first) supervisor who takes primary academic responsibility for you.
• Co-supervisor: A supervisor who contributes to the academic guidance and supervision of a graduate research student, may sometimes act as principal supervisor for administrative matters.

Any additional supervisors can be from UTS or other institutions. There's no limit to the number of supervisors you can have. 

All of your supervisors form your supervisor panel.

Information for supervisors