How does supervision work at Bristol?
Find out about the supervisory team and how it supports the postgraduate research journey.
What is a supervisory team?
At Bristol, each postgraduate research (PGR) student is supervised by a team. Team members have clearly defined roles, and they work together to provide guidance and support throughout the research degree. Responsibilities of the team should be agreed in advance.
The supervisory team includes:
- a main supervisor
- one or more co-supervisors
- at least one member with relevant subject expertise (usually the main supervisor).
In addition to academic staff, the team may also include non-academic staff, technical experts, individuals with honorary or visiting status, or even external specialists.
Find out more about who can be a supervisor.
Roles within the team
Main supervisor
The main supervisor is responsible for:
- guiding students to understand good research practice
- informing their students of the expected standards of work
- providing constructive and critical feedback on work.
A supervisor is not an expert on everything, but they will be able to signpost their PGR students to other information and support across the University.
Read more about supervisor responsibilities in the PGR Code.
Co-supervisors and external supervisors
The role of the co-supervisor can vary depending on the project.
It can range from someone who is very actively involved in giving advice and feedback, to someone who has more of a minor role.
All co-supervisors should make a meaningful contribution to the supervision team and are an additional person for the PGR student to talk too.
External supervisors are usually appointed as part of a formal partnership agreement between the University and another organisation.