Finding a Supervisor

Identifying your graduate study supervisor is critical for deciding on your course of study and structuring the Letter of Intent required for application. All students (domestic and international) MUST have a confirmation, in writing, of their RSI graduate supervisor, prior to finalizing the RSI admission documentation. A template for this letter is available HERE.

How to Find a Supervisor:

A potential supervisor must have an Associate Member SGS appointment to supervise MSc students and a Full Member appointment to supervise PhD students.

Choose a field of research that is of interest to you. Contact potential supervisors whose work interests you. Student and supervisor should discuss an appropriate research project, funding strategies, and review the general terms of supervision when considering an association. The input of the potential supervisor will shape the student’s application. The supervisor is required to provide a letter of supervisory support.

When Talking to a Potential Supervisor:

• Discuss your qualification to become a graduate student at UofT such as your grades, research experience, and additional scores (e.g., English proficiency score)
• Discuss a potential topic or topics of research and availability of funding
• Discuss and decide if an MSc or PhD is your program of choice, and if there is a collaborative program that you would be a good fit for you
• Ask the potential supervisor about their previous experiences in supervision, the number of students they supervised, an average time to program completion for the students in the past, and their supervisory philosophy
• Ask to meet other students mentored by the same supervisor and discuss their experiences