TOP QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL PHD SUPERVISOR
Written by Sarah Ayyash
Though most people believe that it is the supervisor ’ s position to ask the questions , my personal experience has taught me that you ( the PhD student ) have a lot to ask as well . A PhD project is the result of successful teamwork between at least two individuals , you and the supervisor , and both sides of this team need to clearly understand their duties and what is expected of them . I prepared this list of questions during my PhD position hunt . From my own personal experiences , other PhD students ’ personal experiences and interviews with retired professors , I share with you my list and I hope you find something useful in it .
I am going to skip the obvious questions that almost everyone asks , like details about the project and its description because actually this is – in my opinion at least- the problem . Most of the interviews that take place between students and potential supervisors involve a lot of questions about the project itself resulting in no other ( but equally important ) types of questions being asked . This is unfortunate and almost hard to believe it is unnoticed by many students aiming to pursue a PhD as I came to learn from most students who changed their labs whether during their Masters or PhD and even post-docs , the main reason is almost always a misunderstanding of what is expected from each side during the project and rarely the project itself , which is the element that takes 90 % of the interview ’ s time between the potential PhD student and the supervisor .
1 ) How many years does a PhD normally last in your lab ? Of course this will always depend on the progress of the project but you can at least tell the average number of years you are expected to work on this project . Is this a supervisor who finds it acceptable to keep you working on this project for six years or is it someone who is determined that you leave in three . Make sure that this is clear for you . Also , asking how long most of the PhD students in this particular lab spend on their PhD gives you a reasonable glimpse into how long you will need .
2 ) What type of guidance will I receive at the beginning and throughout the project ? Is this a lab where you are expected to know how to work on your own right from the start , or is this a lab where you will get close supervision especially at the beginning with new methods that are unfamiliar to you ? Make sure this point is clear for you because it determines the expectations from both sides . Ask how many times you will meet . Is this a supervisor who is always on the go or someone you can reach easily ? A promising sign for
8 | NEUROMAG | July 2016