I want to become a Dissertation Supervisor

You have a lot of experience from both work and life in general. And you have been through what the students here on FindSupervisor are going through right now.

You do not necessarily work in the academic field but you do have an academic background yourself. You are also up to date with the requirements the students are met with.

Does that background of a dissertation Supervisor fit you?

If it does then read on. If it doesn’t then think about if you have something different of value to the students that you can offer. The question you must ask yourself is, “How can I create value for the students who decide to hire me?”

What do the students need from a dissertation supervisor?

The students’ requirements can vary a lot. Some students only need academic counselling. Others need personal counselling as well because they have a lot of things to take care of besides their studies. Many MBA, DBA and PhD business students have full-time jobs and families to take care of too. They are therefore under tremendous stress and will certainly need help on got to get their dissertation is done without losing their job and their family.

What shall I focus on in my supervisor listing on FindSupervisor?

Take some time and ask yourself, and ideally others, how you can add value to the students. What are your strengths as a coach and mentor? It is equally important that you are conscious of your own weaknesses too.

If you are really bad at time management but a great motivator you should of course not engage with students who need help with time management.

In your listing, you must be very specific about what you have to offer both in terms of academic topics as well as personal and professional coaching and mentoring. The students here on FindSupervisor are usually very conscious about their own weaknesses, so they know what they are looking for. So don’t make them guess what you can do for them.

As a dissertation supervisor, you have a unique opportunity for making a positive impact on another person’s life where he or she needs it the most. Students can look for many different things when looking for the right dissertation supervisor. It can be a person with specific knowledge in a particular field; it can be a person who has a lot of experience in the psychological process you go through when writing a dissertation; it can be a person who has a lot of experience with the process of submitting proposals, making reviews etc.
It is therefore very important that you as a dissertation supervisor is very specific when you describe what kind of services you offer to the students. That goes both for the texts, photos and illustrations you use but also in the choice of keywords and categories.

What kind of services can I offer as a dissertation supervisor?

You can offer all the services where you can demonstrate professional and academic superiority. If you are uncertain about your superiority, then don’t offer it. It is no shame telling a student that you can’t help him or her with all the topics they might need help with. We recommend that you make your list of services clear and concise. This is the best way to avoid confusion and disappointments and the best way to get good reviews afterwards. Building your reputation takes time, but it takes no time to destroy it.

What if a student wants me to write his or her dissertation?

In the unlikely situation that a student asks you to write his or her thesis or dissertation, we strongly encourage you to deny the request. Not only is it considered fraud, which can ruin the student’s future if it is discovered it is also highly unethical. If you get a request for writing a dissertation or thesis we recommend you make the student understand that it is wrong by all measures.

How much can I charge as a dissertation supervisor?

It is entirely up to you how much you will charge. Our advice is to make your offerings very transparent and clear in order to avoid misunderstandings and discussions between you and your students. FindSupervisor does not interfere in the commercial agreements at all. It is entirely between the parties involved.

How much should I charge?

That is entirely up to you if you want to do it for free or charge a professional fee. We don’t interfere in your negotiation. Neither are we involved in any financial transactions between the students and their supervisors.

The average fees vary a lot from geographical region to another and from one academic field to another