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Mentorship in Academia : PhD students as supervisors of MSc students

Lopez Svensson, Gustav LU ; Dridi, Bassent LU ; Feijóo Rey, Iria LU ; Heldt, Lisa LU orcid and Söderman, Anna LU orcid (2025) In Pedagogiska inspirationskonferensen
Abstract (Swedish)
Despite the central role supervision plays in
shaping students’ academic and professional development,
Swedish regulations offer limited guidance on MSc thesis
supervision by PhD students. This study conducted a
qualitative research design and thematic analysis to explore the
experiences and challenges of PhD students supervising MSc
theses and master’s students supervised by PhD candidates at
the Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University. Data was
collected through semi-structured interviews with MSc
students, PhD supervisors, and an LTH actor involved in PhD
education, supplemented by institutional document analysis.
Three key themes were identified: expectations, time
management and... (More)
Despite the central role supervision plays in
shaping students’ academic and professional development,
Swedish regulations offer limited guidance on MSc thesis
supervision by PhD students. This study conducted a
qualitative research design and thematic analysis to explore the
experiences and challenges of PhD students supervising MSc
theses and master’s students supervised by PhD candidates at
the Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University. Data was
collected through semi-structured interviews with MSc
students, PhD supervisors, and an LTH actor involved in PhD
education, supplemented by institutional document analysis.
Three key themes were identified: expectations, time
management and meeting structure, and subject knowledge.
The findings reveal diverse supervision practices shaped by
individual, disciplinary, and institutional differences. While
PhD supervisors were often seen as approachable and
relatable, fostering positive student learning experiences, their
limited training and supervision experience occasionally led to
structural or communicative challenges. The study highlights
the importance of supervision preparation, expectation-setting,
and structured yet flexible time management. Key
recommendations included providing formal supervision
training, implementing clearer supervisor-student contracts,
and a shift toward viewing thesis work as a learning journey
rather than solely a final product. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
alternative title
Mentorskap i akademin : Doktorander som handledare åt Masterstudenter
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Proceedings LTH:s 13:e Pedagogiska inspirationskonferens
series title
Pedagogiska inspirationskonferensen
publisher
Lunds Universitet, Lunds Tekniska Högskola, Genombrottet
ISSN
2003-3761
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c7c8bda9-d966-4a3a-b5c5-a1a70302f7e2
date added to LUP
2026-03-11 15:06:51
date last changed
2026-03-18 15:18:15
@inproceedings{c7c8bda9-d966-4a3a-b5c5-a1a70302f7e2,
  abstract     = {{Despite the central role supervision plays in<br/>shaping students’ academic and professional development,<br/>Swedish regulations offer limited guidance on MSc thesis<br/>supervision by PhD students. This study conducted a<br/>qualitative research design and thematic analysis to explore the<br/>experiences and challenges of PhD students supervising MSc<br/>theses and master’s students supervised by PhD candidates at<br/>the Faculty of Engineering (LTH), Lund University. Data was<br/>collected through semi-structured interviews with MSc<br/>students, PhD supervisors, and an LTH actor involved in PhD<br/>education, supplemented by institutional document analysis.<br/>Three key themes were identified: expectations, time<br/>management and meeting structure, and subject knowledge.<br/>The findings reveal diverse supervision practices shaped by<br/>individual, disciplinary, and institutional differences. While<br/>PhD supervisors were often seen as approachable and<br/>relatable, fostering positive student learning experiences, their<br/>limited training and supervision experience occasionally led to<br/>structural or communicative challenges. The study highlights<br/>the importance of supervision preparation, expectation-setting,<br/>and structured yet flexible time management. Key<br/>recommendations included providing formal supervision<br/>training, implementing clearer supervisor-student contracts,<br/>and a shift toward viewing thesis work as a learning journey<br/>rather than solely a final product.}},
  author       = {{Lopez Svensson, Gustav and Dridi, Bassent and Feijóo Rey, Iria and Heldt, Lisa and Söderman, Anna}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings LTH:s 13:e Pedagogiska inspirationskonferens}},
  issn         = {{2003-3761}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  publisher    = {{Lunds Universitet, Lunds Tekniska Högskola, Genombrottet}},
  series       = {{Pedagogiska inspirationskonferensen}},
  title        = {{Mentorship in Academia : PhD students as supervisors of MSc students}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}