Your supervisors can be your greatest allies but also a big source of stress if things are not working according to plan…

What do the regulations say about supervisors?

1. Well, to begin with, supervisors are part of the doctoral student’s resources. It sounds a bit harsh, but the regulations are pretty clear that a supervisor is there to guide you. A supervisor should never act as your boss!

2. The Higher Education Act (HEA) and Higher Education Ordinance (HEO) basically says that your doctoral education should be of high quality, effective and efficient. It’s a tough decision, but if you feel your supervisor is not giving you enough or adequate support, you have the right to change your supervisor, no questions asked.

3. Problems with your supervisor can also be something that turns into a work environment issue if for example you’re stressed by not having adequate supervision or if you feel the atmosphere between you and your supervisor does not feel right. Once again, you have the right to change your supervisor.

Curious to know more? Check out Malmö University’s section on Doctoral Education. Still confused? Send us an email.

This section has been written with information from Aleksandra Popovic, the doctoral student ombudsman at Lund University. Errors are the sole responsibility of the Doctoral Student Union though.