Finding the Right Supervisor
This is the first step, and honestly, the most important one, to determine your level of success in your master's or PhD journey.
What Makes a Supervisor 'Right'?
Obviously, you want a supervisor who has a track record of guiding students to GOT.
GOT? What’s That?
GOT stands for "Graduate on Time." It means your supervisor has successfully helped students finish their degrees within the expected time frame—usually 2 years depending on the university's definition. In Malaysia, for instance, many universities state in the offer letter something like, "This course should be completed in 2 to 4 years." To be a GOT student, you should aim to complete it in the minimum time, like 2 years.
Is a 2-Year PhD Even Possible?
Absolutely! If it wasn’t, they wouldn’t mention it in the offer letter, right? So, if someone tells you things like:
- "A PhD usually takes 4 years or more."
- "To produce quality work, a PhD must take at least 4 years."
- "If you finish your PhD too quickly, it’s not worth as much."
They’re wrong. And honestly, teaching this mindset to others is misleading, almost like doing a disservice.
Take a moment and think—it’s 2024. How many students have achieved GOT? And how’s their progress compared to those who took 4 years? I’d say they’re doing just as well, if not better.
So, why stretch it to 4 years when you can finish in 2?
You save money, and if you’re funded by the government, think about how much you’re saving for other potential students. That money could be used to help others pursue their master’s or PhD.
Final Thoughts:
As I mentioned earlier, finding the right supervisor is crucial—it can make your master’s or PhD journey feel like heaven or hell. You want a supervisor who believes that being a GOT student isn’t just okay, it’s ideal.
So, how do you find such a supervisor?
First, every university has a website that lists all the experts they have. Just Google name of university and expert. For example UM Expert and it should lead you to the official site. From there, filter based on the department you’re interested in.
Once you’ve narrowed it down, pick a supervisor who catches your eye and study their CV. Their CV usually lists all the students they’ve supervised. If you see a lot of students graduating every year, chances are they’ve got many GOT students.
Here is the website to search expert according to university.
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
Universiti Teknologi Mara (Uitm)
To confirm, you can email the faculty directly. Not sure how to draft the email? No worries—just ask ChatGPT for a template, and AI’s got your back.
After carefully choosing your supervisor, you’ll minimize the risks in your master’s or PhD journey. Then, you’re ready for the next step, which I’ll discuss in the next blog.
But What If You’re Still Unsure About Your Course?
Maybe you haven’t picked a supervisor yet because you’re still undecided on the course. I’ve been there too—torn between Islamic banking and accounting.
If you’re facing the same dilemma, here’s what you can do: list out all the possible outcomes. For me, I had two options—Islamic banking or accounting. Then I asked myself, “If I choose Islamic banking, what will my thesis title be? And who would my supervisor be?” I did the same for accounting. Just list them out without worrying whether they’re completely accurate or not. The goal is to get your thoughts on paper and start organizing your ideas.
If you have more options, just list them all out. Write everything down. Trust me, it’ll all come together eventually.
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