Contacting potential supervisors

Finding the right “fit” for someone to supervise your research in a graduate program will help you significantly. I’ve previously suggested directly emailing potential supervisors if you’re contemplating a research grad program, particularly if it's a "big book" thesis-only research degree. Here’s a thread on when, why, and how to do this from the Chronicle of Higher Education Forums, which I thought might be useful as the advisors are coming from a variety of disciplines.

https://www.chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,262107.0.html

 

This is especially true at UNISA and the other South African universities. They all require that you provide a written description of your prospective dissertation research as a part of your admissions application. They clearly specify that if they do not feel they can adequately support your research then you will not be admitted. It doesn't matter how good your GPA might be, etc. they won't take you if they do not have a faculty member who is sufficiently familiar with the general area of your research you will be turned down. Therefore it's imperative that you become familiar with the various faculty and their own areas of research interest and experience. You not only need to contact them, etc. you should use google scholar or some other means to read their research ahead of time. That way, when you approach them you can present yourself as someone who is at least a little bit informed as opposed to being a total noob. Remember, you are trying to sell yourself. Your supervisor is making a commitment to you and your project. You want them to feel good about it because they don't have to accept you as a supervisee.

 

Also, recognise your potential supervisor by citing some of his/her work. Making it a two-way street will definitely secure some intrinsic commitment from your supervisor.

 

At Michigan State, to the alarm of my department head, I did exactly what the three earlier posters point to. Sent a small packet about myself and my proposed research (on privacy) to 300 faculty and staff members, and got some wonderful replies from unexpected quarters: the campus police chief, a retired professor of Scandinavian languages, and the psychologist Erich Fromm, among others.