A healthy relationship with your supervisor is vital for the successful completion of a PhD. We all hope that our supervisor is as excited about our research as we are, but this isn’t always the case. They are often busy with other supervisees, teaching, admin, and their own research. Supervisory styles also vary.

This section guides you through supervisory expectations, scheduling and planning meetings, communicating with your supervisor, and dealing with any problems. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions page.

• Watch highlights from The Good Supervision Video by Angel Productions (Sussex login required)

Responsibilities of Supervisors and Researchers

The responsibilities of supervisors and supervisees are explained in the Handbook and Regulations for Doctoral Researchers and the Handbook for Research Supervisors and Directors of Doctoral Studies. Both are updated annually and made available as PDFs.