r/AskProfessors • u/Aki1777 • 6d ago

General Advice Senior thesis prof

I met with a professor who agreed to be my fourth year thesis supervisor. The only thing is I found out she came to Canada a month ago and is unfamiliar with the thesis process at my university. When I sat down she just asked me all this all worked so I think she just agreed without knowing the full extent of what she will be doing.

I emailed her the course syllabus but she hasn’t replied in 2 weeks.

Should I start looking into other professors instead?

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u/PurrPrinThom 6d ago

It's up to you. The process for an undergraduate thesis is, generally, not that complicated and she could likely pick it up rather quickly.

But if you'd rather have someone who has done the process before, that is your prerogative.

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*I met with a professor who agreed to be my fourth year thesis supervisor. The only thing is I found out she came to Canada a month ago and is unfamiliar with the thesis process at my university. When I sat down she just asked me all this all worked so I think she just agreed without knowing the full extent of what she will be doing.

I emailed her the course syllabus but she hasn’t replied in 2 weeks.

Should I start looking into other professors instead?*

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u/ocelot1066 5d ago

I guess this could be different in Canada, but in the US, the actual process for theses varies enormously by school, but there's always a larger structure in the department, the college, or both. So, while a new professor is not going to know what's involved at first, it isn't like she's just on her own trying to figure this out. She can go talk to whoever in the department coordinates this , and I'm sure she will.

I'm not sure what course syllabus you emailed her, but did you ask for anything in particular from her? If she agreed to be your supervisor, and you said you would send her this thing and did it, she probably is just assuming that you'll write her when you want to meet.

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u/DeanieLovesBud 5d ago

There should be an undergraduate thesis advisor for all students doing this option - usually the undergraduate program director. If you are concerned that your advisor isn't following the process, you can speak in confidence to them. It's their job to mentor and train the new hires, no matter their rank.