Postgraduate Supervisors and Coordinators

Programme Coordinator

The Programme Coordinator is responsible for academic advising and overseeing the programme of their advisees. The Programme Coordinator is contacted in the first instance with academic questions or issues. If a Programme Coordinator cannot provide immediate advice, the student should be referred on to the appropriate support service.

Programme Coordinators meet their advisees during advising and induction. Programme Coordinators should give their students information on how to contact them and inform them of any set office hours. Students may also be referred to the Programme Coordinator through the School Office.

Responsibilities of a Programme Coordinator include:

• Providing information on lecture and tutorial arrangements, course work requirements and assessment methods, information on avoiding plagiarism
• Ensuring that the programme and the relevant courses are delivered appropriately and effectively
• Assisting students in their learning progression and addressing any academic issues that arise

Dissertation Supervisor

In addition to the Programme Coordinator, the Dissertation or Project Supervisor also provides specific academic support to students. They provide guidance and advice during the dissertation, project or work placement. The Programme Coordinator usually allocates students to supervisors shortly before the project is due to start.

More information on your Programme Coordinator and Supervisor can be found in the Postgraduate Taught Code of Practice.

Supervisory Team

Students are appointed a supervisory team to provide guidance on their research during your programme. A supervisory team consists of at least two supervisors working in co-supervision, with one supervisor acting as the lead. At least one supervisor must be a professor, reader or lecturer of the University.

It is the responsibility of supervisors to maintain regular contact through supervisory meetings (what is expected is defined more closely by Schools and Colleges in light of the demands of the subject), and maintain reasonable accessibility so that advice may be offered at other times.

Research students and their supervisors should, as soon as possible, establish mutually agreed means of communication and contact with one another. While the amount of contact between a student and supervisor will vary depending on the subject area and also on the stage of the student, it is expected that there should be, as a minimum, one formal minuted supervisory meeting at least once a month with informal meetings held more frequently, as and when required.

Supervisors are advised to consult the Postgraduate Research Code of Practice for guidance on procedures relating research student study. The Code sets out the general policy matters such as the level of contact between supervisors and students, issues to be discussed during the first meeting, and the responsibilities of supervisors and assistant supervisors.