“Have I slipped your mind?” Hidden differences in graduate students’ satisfaction with supervision and progress toward degree completion

Purpose Graduate supervision plays a critical role in students’ progress and satisfaction in thesis-based graduate programs, yet students experience supervision in markedly different ways that can be obscured by institutional averages. This study aims to investigate how supervision approach relates to graduate students’ satisfaction with their progress toward degree completion. Design/methodology/approach Using data from the 2023 Graduate Student Experience Survey administered at a large research-intensive Canadian university, the authors analyzed responses from 478 thesis-based master’s and doctoral students across disciplines. The survey captured student perceptions of supervision and meetings, communication, academic milestones, well-being, professional learning and overall program experience. Hierarchical clustering of supervision-related survey items revealed two distinct student groups: a majority reporting consistently positive supervisory experiences and a smaller subgroup expressing dissatisfaction and lack of support in their research progress. The authors examined group differences using nonparametric tests, and a regularized logistic regression model identified five supervisory practices associated with students’ perceived progress and success. Findings Students reporting higher satisfaction and stronger progress were more likely to describe supervisors who demonstrated relational awareness and understanding of their individual needs, clearly explained research methodologies, supported proposal development, provided guidance for academic writing and publication and offered timely assistance in identifying funding opportunities. The findings highlight the experiences of a meaningful minority of graduate students whose unsatisfactory experiences with supervision diverge sharply from institutional averages. Research limitations/implications The study findings point to supervisory development that equips supervisors with adaptive and responsive mentoring approaches, and demonstrates the value of graduate student experience surveys for revealing patterns of support and vulnerability within doctoral and master’s education. Practical implications This study identifies five supervision practices to strengthen student progress and increase satisfaction. Originality/value This study contributes new insights on misaligned expectations regarding supervisor roles and responsibilities by highlighting the experiences of a dissatisfied minority, whereas using only aggregate positive measures of satisfaction can obscure important aspects of infrequently discussed and potentially silent student experiences. Adding to research by Cardilini et al. (2022) on student−supervisor mismatches, the graduate students in the dissatisfied subgroup indicated a pattern of infrequent meetings, hesitancy to seek guidance and limited encouragement for professional learning, which may point to relational and communicative gaps in supervision rather than to isolated procedural issues.