Before your admission can be finalized, you must find a professor who has agreed to act as your thesis supervisor. He or she guides you throughout your research and the writing of your thesis.
We strongly recommend that you find a thesis supervisor before submitting your application.
If you’re applying for the MSc in epidemiology or for the Master in public health or the graduate diploma, you do not have to find a supervisor to be accepted
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Before you contact a potential supervisor
Make sure you are well-informed before you approach any potential supervisors.
Here is some advice to follow before you make the first contact:
- When possible, talk to professors in the academic unit about your field of interest, and find out who would be best able to supervise you.
- Read the scholarly publications of potential thesis supervisors to see if their field of research and methods are tailored to the topic or project you have in mind.
- Read research papers or theses written by students who have been supervised by the potential supervisor.
- Talk to other students.
- Find out about the research infrastructure available (laboratory and other facilities of your potential supervisor).
- Make a list of questions to ask during the interview with the potential supervisor and points to be addressed.
- When meeting with a potential supervisor, you should make sure to come prepared with as much information as possible about your topic of interest.
List of research interest and professors per academic unit:
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Making first contact
Send an e-mail to a potential supervisor to introduce yourself
- State clearly, what your interests are and how they match those of the professors you are contacting
- Include information on your academic background and research experience
Do not send generic letters or emails!
Read an article written by a professor in the Science Magazine on what to write in your e-mail to potential thesis supervisors
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First Meeting
Come and Meet with potential thesis supervisors of the Faculty of Medicine!
Request a visit and ask to meet with potential supervisors.
- Come prepared
When you meet with a potential supervisor come prepared with as much information about your thesis topic as possible. Make a list for yourself of questions you would like to ask and issues you would like to discuss when you meet, and bring this list to the meeting.
- Visit the lab
Find out what research infrastructure (laboratory or other facilities) professors have.
- Meet the students and other lab members being supervised by the potential supervisor.
This is a critical aspect of finding the right lab for you. The lab members will be your day-to-day colleagues and major source of scientific interactions/support will come from them throughout your graduate work. Be sure to ask about their work, hear about their projects, lab interactions, etc.
If you cannot make an onsite visit
- Ask for a telephone or Internet interview.
- Find out what research infrastructure (laboratory or other facilities) professors have.
- Consider personality and interaction dynamics.
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After the meeting
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself after your meeting:
- Does your topic interest this professor?
- After the meeting, do you think that this professor's approach (philosophical and theoretical) is compatible enough for an eventual collaboration?
- Can you communicate with this person freely?
- Does the available laboratory space suit you?
- What financial support could you receive through the grants or contracts administered by this professor? (Some programs have minimum funding requirements.)
- Will you have the opportunity to participate in conferences and publications and to prepare grant applications?
- Do you agree on how your collaboration will unfold? Do your expectations in terms of roles and responsibilities appear to coincide?
- How frequently can you meet with your supervisor?
- How much time will this professor need to give you feedback on your ideas and draft chapters? It is particularly important to address this question very early on. Frequent contact with the supervisor, who gives feedback on the project, on how experiments are to be performed, on changes to be made after obtaining the first findings, etc. is essential to your progress.
- Will this professor be available during the preparation and writing of your thesis?
Remember that the relationship you are about to establish is a reciprocal one. Professors are not obliged to agree to supervise a student if they feel the collaboration will not be productive due to a lack of compatibility, laboratory space, time or money.
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Types of supervisors
Thesis Supervisor
- The thesis supervisor is an active mentor in the scientific development of the student. They meet regularly with the student and are accessible in responding to the student’s queries.
- They supervise and support the development of the thesis proposal and assess the final version.
- They ensure that the subject of the thesis proposal is suitable for a thesis and feasible within the allowed time period.
- They provide timely review of all written material submitted to them by the student.
- They review, comment on, and approve the thesis prior to the submission. They identify thesis examiners and obtain their approval to examine the thesis prior to the submission.
- They verify that the student has received the safety training that is required by law for the project, and that the student is made aware of the optional safety training that is available.
- Finally, the thesis supervisor must be a primary appointed, cross-appointed, or adjunct member of the program.
Thesis Co-Supervisor
(The nomination of a co-supervisor is not mandatory)
The thesis co-supervisor can complement the supervisor’s advice by contributing specific skills or knowledge. They provide timely review of all written material submitted by the student. They review, comment, and approve the thesis prior to submission.
A maximum of two professors may be designated to supervise the same thesis.For more information on thesis supervision.