A supervisor is a faculty member who mentors a graduate student in their research. Many research-based graduate programs expect students to identify a prospective supervisor prior to applying for admission. It is best to check with the graduate program you will be applying to in order to find out whether this is expected. If so, you will need to identify a potential supervisor in your desired field of research.
As a comprehensive university with more than 12,000 faculty and staff members, including over 2,000 potential supervisors, there is a high probability that UBC will have a supervisor for your research interests.
When investigating prospective supervisors, follow these guidelines:
- View their profiles online and read their publications to familiarize yourself with their research.
- Write a brief email to them indicating your knowledge of their research and how it fits with your interests (be specific, refer to their publications).
- Inform them of your intention to apply to their graduate program, and interest in working with them. Inquire whether or not they are currently accepting new students into their lab.
- Give them a brief summary of your academic and research background.
- Offer your availability for a face-to-face or telephone meeting so that you may further discuss the possibility of joining their lab.
- Ask if you may refer to them as a prospective supervisor in your application.
More information from the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies on research supervision.
Tips for finding a prospective supervisor:
- Check the program websites. Most programs provide lists of faculty members/potential supervisors and their research interests on their website. Follow program instructions on how best to approach potential supervisors.
- Search faculty profiles on Department, School, Centre and Institute sites: