Student Blog Collection

At the WMG, an individual project accounts for 50% (for most courses) of the total marks for each MSc programme. It is advised that a total of 900 hours, which is equivalent to approximately 6 months of full-time study, is devoted to each project. As each project must be approved on the Project Selection System, it is first necessary to find a supervisor during the first term of university, to avoid any disappointments. Using either the Project Selection System or the WMG Staff List, you can easily find and contact different supervisors. Before I started contacting supervisors, I made a personal checklist.

My personal checklist included:

1.Decide on a topic

2.Note any keywords

3.Search for and contact relevant supervisors

4.Request an interview with at least 3 supervisors

5.Discuss project idea and potential research areas

6.Decide which supervisor is right for you

7.Select supervisor on project selection system

8.Schedule next meeting and devise a plan

In my personal experience, I’d say the process was very quick, as I started sending emails and requesting interviews before the Project Selection System was open. I found this tactic to be extremely beneficial as I was able to discuss my ideas with 3 different supervisors, allowing me to assess which one was the right fit for me very early on. It is also important to discuss your working style and your communication preferences with your potential supervisor, as this can help ensure that you will receive the best guidance possible, through the constant support and encouragement needed to achieve the grade that you desire.

After you have mutually agreed with your chosen supervisor on your project topic, you must apply on the Project Selection System and wait for the acceptance of supervision. In the meantime, it is useful to read and understand the project requirements for your course (as they are course specific): https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/ftmsc/project/requirement/. It is also important to start conducting some general background reading around your chosen topic, making note of any relevant references you may need later on. There are various sources to find relevant literature, these include:

- University of Warwick Library (Main Campus)

- University of Warwick Library (e-resources) https://warwick.ac.uk/services/library/ https://warwick.ac.uk/services/library/find-resources/e-access

- Google Scholar

Overall, with a good plan and time management, finding the right supervisor for your project will be a piece of cake! Best of luck,

Leah Samuel – Service Management & Design