3.0 Finding Your Supervisor or Advisor - Overview
Core Concepts of this Module
Our point of departure is the concept of matching markets,* i.e. the understanding that the best results from the collaboration between a student and an academic advisor or supervisor will be achieved if both sides want to work with each other, if they are both enthusiastic about the research or writing project.
You will be introduced to a "Ten Step Action Plan" for finding your supervisor or academic advisor. Along the way, you will also learn
- what you can or should be able to expect from your supervisor by way of support and
- what you cannot expect and will have to do yourself.
This is very important since you have to have realistic expectations and you may have to formulate a written agreement - in a letter or e-mail or even in a formal contract - about the mutual responsibilities of supervisor and student.
*on the concept of matching markets see Alvin Roth: Who Gets What and Why? - The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design. This will be further elaborated in the next unit.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Identify the goals of involving a supervisor or academic adviser in the writing project
- Distinguish between the work you have to do yourself and the help you can expect from the supervisor
- Take specific steps to finding a supervisor
- Have a written agreement with the supervisor about the mutual responsibilities - formal if possible, informal in an e-mail otherwise