Supervising Undergraduates

New guidance on genAI now available:

Undergraduate supervision and genAI
Outlines general principles contextualised to the Cambridge context before delving deeper into topics such as cognitive offloading and giving feedback
Online supervision
Created in 2020 for the remote teaching pivot, this guide has not been updated but provides some useful advice specific to the online environment

An Introduction to Undergraduate Supervision

This three-part programme prepares you to supervise undergraduate students at the University of Cambridge. 

A supervisor with two students working together at a table

It aims to help you understand the purpose of supervisions at Cambridge, be familiar with effective feedback practices, know how to deal with common supervision scenarios and feel confident with the practicalities of starting to supervise.

Everyone new to supervising undergraduates at Cambridge must complete both the online module and the in-person workshop (or equivalent face-to-face training provided by your Department or Faculty).

This practical programme is only for those who are scheduled to begin supervising in the next few months. It is not for those who have a general interest in learning about supervisions but have not - at this point - arranged to start supervising.

For information on supervision payment rates and the initial payment for new supervisors, which provides compensation for time spent preparing for the role, please see the University 'Supporting Supervisions' SharePoint. CCTL do not handle supervisor payments.

The programme comprises three parts:

(1) Required: online module

Taking 1.5-2 hours to complete, this self-paced component includes pre-reading for the workshop as well as resources and further guidance which you may find helpful following the workshop.

Enrol onto the online module

(2) Required: workshop

In this face-to-face workshop you will benefit from activities and discussion with peers informed by the preparatory work undertaken in the online module. The workshops are organised around the type of supervision work students do; i.e. essay-based work or problem sheets. If you have any questions about which workshop to attend, please contact the Course Director Dr Mary Beth Benbenek.

Please note: we may publish extra dates throughout the year in response to demand.

(3) Optional follow-up session

We offer an optional follow-up session for those who wish to explore further after gaining some supervision experience. Details of this optional session are circulated directly to those who have completed the introductory workshop.