How to Find a Graduate Studies Supervisor

While many graduate programs require a supervisor, some of our master’s programs do not.

To find out whether you need a supervisor to apply for a program, check the list of programs that require a supervisor.

If your desired graduate program does not require a supervisor, you may proceed with your application for graduate studies at Laurentian University.

Before you contact a supervisor, you should determine which research areas interest you and how your research interests overlap with those of your potential supervisors. 

Consider the following experiences from your previous studies:

• What courses did you take in the upper years of your program? Was there content that stood out to you?
• Did you complete any major research projects, capstones, or presentations during your studies?
• Did you complete an undergraduate thesis or a master’s thesis?
• Did you participate in any research conferences or professional development while completing your studies?

You should summarize any pertinent learning outcomes from your previous studies when approaching a potential research supervisor.

Once you’ve determined the topics you want to study, you can start researching faculty members to see who would be the best fit to supervise your thesis or major paper.

To find out which faculty members are potential supervisors, reach out to the Program Coordinator listed on the program page or the Graduate Studies Recruitment Coordinator. You can also view potential supervisors and their profiles in the Faculty Members section on the program webpage.

Learn about your potential supervisor’s areas of research expertise by reviewing their Laurentian University faculty profile, browsing their Google Scholar or ResearchGate pages, and/or visiting any personal research websites.

The Laurentian University Recruitment team can be reached at info@laurentian.ca or by submitting your question here. 

Once you’re ready to connect with potential supervisors, you can start by introducing yourself through email.

In your email, be sure to: 

• State the program you are applying to and why you are interested in graduate studies.
• Mention your career goals, previous research or projects, and experience. Your experience can demonstrate your academic ability, and does not have to be relevant to your research topic.
• Show the alignment between your research interests and their work.
• Read a few of their publications and reference any relevant works.
• Attach supporting documents, including your CV and/or unofficial transcripts.

Once you have found a faculty member who agrees to supervise your research, you can submit your OUAC application for graduate studies.

Once we receive your application, the Office of Admissions will email you instructions and login credentials for the MyLaurentian portal. If you don’t receive this within 48 hours of submitting your application, reach out to admissions@laurentian.ca. 

In the MyLaurentian portal, you will find a checklist of all the supporting documents required for your application. You are encouraged to thoroughly review all the documents in this application checklist. It is also important to double-check the admission requirements on the program page to ensure you don’t miss any steps in your application.

In the graduate application checklist, there will be a Faculty Thesis Supervisor Form for you and your supervisor to fill out; once completed, re-upload this form via the MyDocuments section of the portal.

Once the Office of Admissions receives all information and your application is deemed complete, it will be forwarded to the program’s department. An Admissions Committee will then meet to review the applications. In the meantime, you can track the status of your application in the MyLaurentian Portal. This is also where you’ll accept your offer!