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Academic English & Research vocabulary · Graduate Study and Supervision

Supervisor

Meaning in academic english & research, with examples

/ˈsuːpəvaɪzə(r)/nounCore term

In academic english & research, supervisor means: An academic who guides a student's thesis or research project, giving feedback on plans, drafts and progress.

In Turkish: danışman, tez danışmanı

How it is used

The usual British term; American universities more often say advisor (or adviser). Students meet, consult and send drafts to their supervisor, and a co-supervisor or second supervisor may share the role.

Example sentences

  1. I meet my supervisor every two weeks to discuss my progress.

  2. My supervisor suggested cutting the second chapter in half.

Common collocations

  • thesis supervisor
  • meet your supervisor
  • co-supervisor
  • feedback from the supervisor
  • thesisA long piece of original research written for a university degree; also the main idea or position that an essay or article argues for.
  • PhDDoctor of Philosophy: the highest university research degree, awarded after several years of original research and a thesis.
  • postgraduateRelating to study after a first university degree, such as a master's or PhD; as a noun, a student at this level.
  • research proposalA document that describes a planned study, including its aims, research questions, background, methods, timeline and expected contribution.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Graduate Study and Supervision

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