How to find a research supervisor for a PhD at UTS

Find a supervisor who shares your research interests

UTS is home to world-leading experts

Our academic staff work across a wide range of disciplines and 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.

Before you start

You need a minimum of two academic supervisors to do a PhD or Master’s by Research.
You can have supervisors from other faculties, institutions and countries.
Some faculties and institutes will recommend supervisors as part of their pre-application process.

What makes a good supervisor?

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.

Question	Why it matters
Does their expertise align with your topic?	They'll guide your research direction.
Are they actively researching in this area?	You'll benefit from current knowledge and networks.
Do they have industry or community connections?	These can create collaboration opportunities.
Have they supervised research students before?	Experience can help you navigate your candidature.
Are your working styles compatible?	A strong supervisor relationship is critical for success.

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 Social Impact PhD.

How to find a research supervisor

Find a supervisor tool: Search using keywords related to your research topic, and filter by ‘Master's by 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.

Find a supervisor

What to prepare before contacting a supervisor

Taking time to prepare before reaching out can help you make a strong first impression and start a productive conversation with a potential supervisor.

Prepare	Why it matters
Research topic or idea	Helps start the discussion and demonstrates genuine interest.
CV	Highlights your qualifications, experience and skills.
Academic transcripts	Helps assess eligibility and academic background.
Relevant publications, portfolios or projects	Demonstrates research capability and subject knowledge.
Research proposal (if available)	Helps assess alignment and project feasibility.

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, 55KB))
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 to study a PhD or Master’s by Research, and your primary supervisor must be from UTS.

Primary supervisor: The lead (first) supervisor who takes primary academic responsibility for you.
Secondary 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