Finding a supervisor

Before applying for one of our Institute-led MScR or PhD programmes, you will need to find a potential supervisor. Your supervisor(s) will be very important people during your Postgraduate Research studies and it is really important to make sure you find someone who will be a good fit for you.

Applications submitted without a named supervisor are rarely successful.

As a first step we recommend reading everything about our research topics, institutes and supervisors at the links below. 

 

Research Degrees and suggested topics by Institute 

List of potential supervisors and their research interests

 

Then ask yourself:

 

  • Which supervisor's research most closely matches my interests?
  • Would I be happy to study with that person for several years
  • Does it say on their website whether they are accepting new students at the moment? 

 

Once you have identified a potential supervisor, you will need to contact them by email. Our academic colleagues receive a lot of email enquiries from prospective students so we have gathered a few tips here to help maximise your chances of getting a positive answer. 

 

Be targeted and specific 

 

Look closely at the person's webpage and read some of their published work before you introduce yourself. Say why you are emailing and explain why their research interests you so much. 

 

Be brief 

 

In the main text of your message (not just in attachments), briefly describe your background: what you have studied so far, your degree result or grade average, any relevant experience, and your funding situation.  

 

It is okay to attach a CV, but the supervisor may not open it unless you have already explained why they should be interested in you as a potential student.

 

Be patient 

 

Academics tend to be very busy, and it may take time for them to answer your email. If you do not receive a reply after a week or two, send a polite follow-up email. If that doesn't work, start looking for an alternative supervisor. 

Still not sure?

If you have read through everything and you are still unsure who to contact, you could try using the Edinburgh Research Explorer (linked below), and entering the research area that interests you in the search box to find related research activities in the University and find out who is involved.

 

Edinburgh Research Explorer

 

If this does not help, you can send an enquiry to the Institute you are most interested in, or to our Graduate School. Note, it is possible to change topic and/or supervisor once you arrive if your interests develop and change over your first months of study.

 

We strongly recommend against applying without identifying a supervisor, as in most cases this will result in your application being rejected and will also delay our ability to let you know the outcome of your application.

 

Informatics Research Institutes 

Contact the Informatics Graduate School 

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