Thesis Supervisor

Tupamaros

Just wondering how flexible supervisors generally are when it comes to choosing a thesis topic. I would like to do some reading up on a topic I'm thinking of doing my thesis on this year(a topic totally new to me), but it would be a bit pointless doing that if the supervisor disagrees with it.

djpbarry

What kind of thesis are we talking about? Masters?

Tupamaros

djpbarry wrote: »

What kind of thesis are we talking about? Masters?

MA in politics yeah.

CatFromHue

I'm doing a MSc in Engineering and I choose my thesis topic. I had a fair idea of what I wanted to get out of the thesis so I approached a lecturer with my idea which was around my FYP for my degree. He said to do up a proposal for it. I did two proposals for two topics I'd like to do. He looked at them and said one of 'em was more do able than the other and that if I wanted to proceed to do up a more detailed proposal so as to to show to the course head. I did it up, he looked at it and gave me the go ahead to go to the head and that he would supervise. The head came back and ok'd it.

The first proposal was about 2 pages long, the second was a lot more detailed, approx 9 pages, included a literature survey, and what I wanted to achieve.

I do remember from my final year project for my degree that I was fairly interested in my topic so was happy to get stuck in. Others had no interest in theirs and it was a chore for them. So if you have something in mind approach a lecturer and see what they say.

I chose my lecturer to approach as my topic included alot of something that he himself lectured in.

Tupamaros

CatFromHue wrote: »

I'm doing a MSc in Engineering and I choose my thesis topic. I had a fair idea of what I wanted to get out of the thesis so I approached a lecturer with my idea which was around my FYP for my degree. He said to do up a proposal for it. I did two proposals for two topics I'd like to do. He looked at them and said one of 'em was more do able than the other and that if I wanted to proceed to do up a more detailed proposal so as to to show to the course head. I did it up, he looked at it and gave me the go ahead to go to the head and that he would supervise. The head came back and ok'd it.

The first proposal was about 2 pages long, the second was a lot more detailed, approx 9 pages, included a literature survey, and what I wanted to achieve.

I do remember from my final year project for my degree that I was fairly interested in my topic so was happy to get stuck in. Others had no interest in theirs and it was a chore for them. So if you have something in mind approach a lecturer and see what they say.

I chose my lecturer to approach as my topic included alot of something that he himself lectured in.

You had a choice in your supervisor? So it's not just allocated?

Yeah I'd be interested in my preferred topic, which would make the whole process seem like a lot less work as I'll get enjoyment out of it.

CatFromHue

I approached a lecturer who I thought would be the most suitable. My project included a lot of FEA modelling. One of the subjects thought by this lecturer is FEA.

The university did produce a list of topics you could do and these had fixed supervisors. These projects were relavant to what the supervisor taught.