Changes to supervision

Supervisors are normally appointed as part of the admissions process for MPhil/PhD students. Supervisors are normally appointed as part of the upgrade process for MRes/PhD students. 

All research students are entitled to a team of at least two supervisors. One supervisor is always designated as the lead supervisor for administrative purposes. The School’s regulations require the supervisory team to be confirmed by the end of a student’s first term of enrolment as a research student. 

All research students are entitled to a supervisory team of at least two supervisors. Full-time students are entitled to at least three supervisory meetings per term. Part-time students are entitled to at least two supervisory meetings per term. Students are also entitled to supervision that supports academic progress, engagement with the relevant field of research, progression through departmental and School requirements, and preparation for milestones such as progress review, upgrade and examination.

The purpose of supervision is to provide the academic guidance, subject expertise, progression support and regulatory oversight needed for successful completion of the degree. Supervisors are not expected to be experts in every aspect of a project, to agree with every academic decision, or to supervise in exactly the way a student would prefer. Different supervisors will have different supervisory styles, approaches to feedback and expectations about how research should develop. 

A request for a change to supervision will not normally be considered solely because a student would prefer a different supervisory style. The key question is whether the supervisory team is able to provide the academic guidance, subject expertise, progression support and oversight required by School regulations and departmental expectations. 

The School’s regulations set out minimum requirements for supervision. Departments may also publish local expectations and guidance. The PhD Supervisor Hub provides further information about the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and doctoral researchers. 

Not all difficulties in supervision require a change to supervisory arrangements. In many cases, concerns can be addressed through discussion, clarification of expectations, changes to working arrangements or adjustments within the existing supervisory team. 

Concerns about supervision may arise where students believe they are not receiving appropriate academic support, access to supervisory meetings, feedback, progression guidance or other forms of support expected under School and departmental arrangements. In contrast, academic disagreement, critical feedback or differences in academic judgement do not necessarily indicate that supervisory arrangements are inappropriate. 

Departments will normally consider concerns in the context of the overall supervisory relationship, the support being provided, and the expectations set out in School and departmental guidance. 

The School’s Regulations for Research Degrees set specific eligibility requirements for lead supervisors. A colleague may be appointed as lead supervisor only if they hold one of the following titles:

•  Associate Professor;
• Professor;
• Associate Professor (Education);
• Professor (Education);
• Associate Professorial Research Fellow; or
• Professorial Research Fellow.

A lead supervisor must also have appropriate knowledge of the student’s subject area and theoretical approach, normally remain assigned throughout the programme, and be responsible in a lead capacity for no more than eight supervisees.

The School does not require supervisors to be based in the same department as the student. Many students benefit from supervisory teams that bring together expertise from different departments, disciplines or methodological traditions.

Supervision is, however, normally expected to be provided by LSE faculty. Regardless of supervisory arrangements, departments remain responsible for the academic oversight of their doctoral researchers and for ensuring that supervision, progression, upgrade and examination arrangements are consistent with departmental regulations, disciplinary conventions and academic standards.

The appointment of external supervisors can only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Before an external supervisor can be appointed, the department must normally satisfy the Chair of the Research Degrees Sub-Committee that suitable supervision cannot be secured from within LSE. This reflects the fact that doctoral supervision at LSE is intended to be embedded within the School’s research environment and academic community. Supervisors are expected not only to provide subject expertise. This is also because support for progression through School and departmental requirements, doctoral training opportunities, examination processes and wider academic development is best supported by School faculty.

Any proposed external supervisor must have an appropriate contractual relationship with the School and be able to participate effectively in the supervisory arrangements. The School must be satisfied that appropriate academic oversight, accountability and continuity of supervision can be maintained before such an arrangement is approved.

Departments remain responsible for ensuring that students continue to receive appropriate supervision while any review of supervisory arrangements is taking place. Where concerns have been raised about supervision, the department should ensure that there are clear arrangements for academic support, progression monitoring and decision-making while the matter is being considered.

You should normally contact your Doctoral Programme Director in the first instance. If your Doctoral Programme Director is one of your supervisors, you should contact your Head of Department.

You should explain that you would like your supervisory arrangements to be reviewed and provide a brief explanation of your concerns. It is helpful to include your name and student number, your programme, the names of your current supervisors, whether you are requesting changes to your lead supervisor, adviser, or both, a brief explanation of your concerns, details of any upcoming deadlines or milestones, and the name of any member of staff whom you believe may be suitable as a supervisor.

Not necessarily.

In some cases, concerns can be resolved through discussion between the student and supervisor. However, students are not required to raise concerns directly with a supervisor before requesting a review of supervision. This may be particularly important where the relationship has broken down or where the student does not feel comfortable discussing the matter directly.

Requests for changes to supervision are handled sensitively, but they cannot usually be treated as fully confidential.

The department will normally need to discuss the request with relevant members of staff in order to understand the issues involved, consider possible supervisory arrangements and determine whether changes are appropriate. This may include discussions with current supervisors, potential supervisors, the Doctoral Programme Director, the Head of Department and other relevant colleagues. Information will normally only be shared with those who need it in order to consider the request and make appropriate decisions. Students should not assume that information provided as part of a request can be kept entirely confidential.

If you have concerns about information being shared, you should raise these when making your request.

Students may express preferences regarding supervisory arrangements and may suggest potential supervisors. However, responsibility for appointing supervisors rests with the department.

When considering supervisory arrangements, departments must take account of academic expertise, staff availability, workload, continuity of supervision, regulatory requirements and the overall viability of the supervisory team. A request for a particular supervisor cannot be guaranteed.

A department may conclude that the existing supervisory arrangements remain appropriate.

This may occur where the department believes that the supervisory team continues to provide the academic support, expertise and oversight required by School regulations and departmental expectations, and that any concerns raised can be addressed without changing supervisors.

Where a request is not approved, the department should explain its decision and any alternative steps it proposes to support the supervisory relationship.

No.

Decisions about supervisory arrangements are academic management decisions. They are not academic assessments of your work and are therefore not subject to the School’s academic appeals procedures.

Students are entitled to raise concerns about the quality of their supervision and about the way requests for changes to supervision have been handled.

If you believe that your supervision is not meeting expected standards, or that your request has not been considered fairly, you may be able to raise the matter through the School’s complaints procedures.

The complaints process cannot require a department to appoint a particular supervisor or make particular supervisory arrangements. However, it can consider whether procedures have been followed appropriately, whether relevant factors have been considered and whether you have been treated fairly.

If a supervisor leaves LSE, the department will review the supervisory arrangements and determine what changes are required.

Depending on the circumstances, the departing member of staff may continue to have some involvement in supervision, a new supervisor may be appointed, responsibilities may be redistributed within the supervisory team, or alternative arrangements may be put in place.

Departments are responsible for ensuring continuity of appropriate supervision and for ensuring that any revised arrangements remain consistent with School regulations.

Research projects often develop and change during a PhD. You may refine your research questions, adopt different methodologies, develop new theoretical approaches or pursue findings that lead your research in an unexpected direction. This is a normal part of independent doctoral research.

However, substantial changes to the scope or direction of your project can have implications for your supervision and your ability to complete your degree within the permitted registration period. You should therefore discuss significant proposed changes with your supervisory team at an early stage, before committing substantial time and resources to the revised project. As such, while your department is responsible for ensuring that appropriate supervision is available throughout your registration, this does not mean that it can necessarily support every possible change to your research project.

Where you propose a substantial change of research direction, your department will normally consider whether appropriate academic supervision can be provided, whether the proposed research remains consistent with the academic requirements of your programme, and whether the revised project can reasonably be completed within your remaining registration period.

In some cases, the department may conclude that the proposed project cannot be appropriately supported. This may be the case even where the proposed research remains within the academic discipline or scope of the doctoral programme. A department cannot necessarily provide appropriate supervision across the full range of research undertaken within its discipline. It may therefore conclude that a revised project cannot reasonably be supported because the necessary supervisory expertise or capacity is unavailable, suitable alternative supervisory arrangements cannot reasonably be established, or the proposed work cannot realistically be completed within the remaining registration period.

Departments should reach such conclusions through a reasoned consideration of the circumstances, rather than solely on the basis of the research interests or personal preferences of individual members of staff. Where appropriate, they should consider whether adjustments to the proposed project or alternative supervisory arrangements could make the research viable.

If your department concludes that it cannot support your proposed research direction, it should explain the reasons for this and discuss the options available to you. These may include modifying the proposed project, continuing with your existing research direction, or considering whether alternative arrangements are possible.

You remain responsible for the academic direction and development of your research. However, you should not assume that your department will be able to provide appropriate supervision for a substantially different project, or that a change of research direction will justify an extension to your thesis submission deadline.

Where disagreement about the direction or viability of your research raises concerns about your academic progress, these concerns may be considered through the School's established progress review or upgrade procedures, as appropriate. A department's conclusion that it cannot reasonably support a proposed change of research direction does not, by itself, constitute a decision about your academic progression or continued registration.

Supervisors have a responsibility to consider whether they have the expertise, capacity and availability needed to supervise a project effectively.

There may be circumstances in which a supervisor concludes that they are no longer able to provide appropriate supervision. This may arise because a project has developed in an unexpected direction, because their responsibilities have changed, or because other circumstances affect their ability to supervise. Where this occurs, the supervisor and department will normally discuss alternative arrangements and seek to ensure that appropriate supervision remains available.

Decisions about supervisory arrangements are ultimately the responsibility of the department. Supervisors may have strong views about whether they should remain involved in a project. They may have invested significant time in supporting the research, contributed to the development of the project, secured funding that supports the research, or possess expertise that would be difficult to replace.

Departments will normally take these considerations into account when reviewing supervisory arrangements. However, no member of staff is entitled to supervise a particular student. Equally, students are not entitled to supervision from a particular member of staff. Where changes to supervision are being considered, the department’s responsibility is to determine what arrangements are most likely to provide appropriate supervision, maintain academic standards and support successful completion of the degree. The views of the student and supervisors will normally be considered, but the final decision rests with the department

In some cases, the relationship between a student and supervisor extends beyond supervision. Examples may include co-authorship, collaborative research projects, externally funded research, employment on a research grant, intellectual property arrangements, fieldwork partnerships or other professional relationships. 

These situations can make changes to supervision more complex. A change to supervisory arrangements may have implications for research projects, funding arrangements, publications or other commitments that extend beyond the PhD itself. 

However, the existence of other academic or professional relationships does not necessarily mean that supervisory arrangements cannot be changed. The School does not seek to trap students or supervisors in supervisory relationships that are no longer functioning effectively. 

Departments will normally consider the wider circumstances and seek solutions that protect the interests of the student, the research project and any associated funding or contractual commitments. In some cases, alternative supervisory arrangements can be put in place while other aspects of the academic or professional relationship continue. This may include situations where a student’s funding is linked to a grant held by their supervisor. 

Where supervisory relationships become difficult or break down, students should seek advice at an early stage rather than assuming that existing funding, research or publication arrangements make a review of supervision impossible.

Admission to a doctoral programme does not guarantee that a particular member of academic staff will remain available to supervise your research throughout your registration. Changes in staffing, research interests or other circumstances may mean that existing supervisory arrangements need to change.

Your department is responsible for considering whether appropriate alternative supervision can be provided. This may involve identifying another suitable supervisor within the department, exploring supervisory arrangements involving other departments, or considering other reasonable arrangements.

Where the need for alternative supervision arises from a substantial change of research direction proposed by the student, rather than a change in the supervisory arrangements available for the existing project, the department's responsibility to consider reasonable supervisory arrangements does not necessarily mean that it must accommodate the revised project. The department may instead consider whether the student can continue with their existing project or pursue a modified research direction for which appropriate supervision is available.

A department cannot necessarily provide appropriate supervision across the full potential range of research undertaken within its academic discipline. It may therefore conclude that suitable alternative supervision cannot reasonably be provided within the scope of its expertise or capacity, even where the proposed research remains within the overall academic discipline of the doctoral programme. These conclusions should be based on a reasoned assessment of the supervisory expertise and capacity available.

If suitable alternative supervision cannot be identified, your department should explain the circumstances and discuss the options available to you. Any resulting concerns about your academic progress or continued registration must be considered through the relevant progress review and upgrade processes.

When reviewing supervisory arrangements, departments will take account of upcoming milestones such as progress review, upgrade, examination entry and thesis submission. This helps ensure that any changes to supervision can be implemented in a way that supports continuity of academic guidance and progress through the degree programme.

Questions about supervisory arrangements should normally be directed to your Doctoral Programme Director or Head of Department.

The PhD Academy can provide procedural advice about the School’s regulations and processes, and about any implications for matters such as progress review, upgrade, examination entry, registration, funding or visa conditions.