Choosing a Master's Program Advisor

Successfully complete a master's program may seem a daunting task.  What starts with the thrill of winning acceptance into the program of their choice and their choice of graduate school first, soon becomes the pressure to choose a thesis topic, attend the presentation and possibly in  academic conferences, take and pass qualifying exams, finding faculty members to be part of his thesis committee and thesis writing . Students many perform all these tasks at the same time to teach as a teaching assistant. Moreover, many graduate students in the past year also face the added demands for admission to a doctoral program . Acquiring a master should not be taken lightly. It is useful to start with the right foot by choosing a suitable adviser. Your counselor can help you select classes each semester , choose to attend lectures and participate in identifying other faculty members for their thesis committee and many other tasks. Moreover , if your program adviser can not answer a specific question you may have , you can point more than likely that in the right direction .

Consider what academic area or field you are interested, if you do not already know.  For example , someone looking for a master's degree in English may wish to focus on the drama of Shakespeare.  On the contrary, another student in the same program that emphasizes modern American literature.  Someone looking for a master's degree in philosophy may choose to focus on aesthetics, while a student in an engineering program may choose to specialize in chemical engineering or industrial.


Review of the focus areas available for the program of his master's degree in particular.  these areas or fields may vary at each university. Also, the merger review of the available programs can start the brainstorming process.  More importantly , this step will ensure that only select a field of interest available at your school.

Select the concentration of most interest to you, based on what undergraduate courses most enjoyed, what concentrations are available in your school and what they would like to spend your next few years learning.

Browse the website of the faculty of his department to see faculty members from several areas of expertise and interest. This will allow you to identify potential faculty members who can advise you on your program .  find teachers who specialize in the area or field you want to declare as their own focus or specialty.


Narrow the list of teachers who share their interests to his two best options.  Several factors can affect your decision process.  can see a faculty member who has two areas of specialization, which interest him.  you can feel intuitively drawn to certain faculty members, depending on your CV ( curriculum vitae ), or other information.

Talk to other graduate students in his department as possible.  If you attend a new school , and classes have not started, however , may not have met any of his teammates.  if so, find out if your department has an academic or social club.  then , to know students that way.  If you get your master's degree in the same school where he received his bachelor's degree, you probably already know that several students. Ask other students about the teachers in your department. Recommendations request.  Replace any of their top two candidates if necessary .

Initiate contact with the two faculty members who have already chosen, based on his research and conversations with other graduate students.  E -mail and phone call is preferable. In your message and e -mail, explain that you are a new student in the department's graduate program , and you would like to speak to them about direct and advise you.  Tell them you would like to make an appointment to come to his office and discuss their graduate studies.

Wait a week for a response from both faculty members.  If you do not hear from them , contact them again .  if it is summer, you may have to wait longer. In the meantime, however, if you do not receive a prompt response, so you should call your department and make sure that one or both faculty members is scheduled to teach at the school during the same semester will begin his graduate studies.  If you receive a reply with an agreement to meet, set up a meeting .

Discuss your interests with one or two graduate faculty members, depending on who responded positively to a meeting .  Ideally, you must meet at least two faculty members. Ensure that both the teachers to continue teaching at the university for years to come. Be prepared to discuss what interests you have and answer questions impromptu. Use this time to see what personal style of the faculty member most resonates with you.  after their meetings, you know what a faculty member as an advisor to choose your master's program .