How to choose a thesis advisor

Choosing an advisor is not an easy task. I have met several colleagues and friends in the academics community who have regretted having taken one advisor or the other. One of the usual complaints are:

  • My thesis advisor never is there for me
  • He or she doesn't provide me with technical support
  • Etc...

IMHO you must consider 5 easy points to choose a good advisor and a good thesis topic:

  1. Talk to their past students
  2. Ignore the comments from other professors or other persons, usually they have certain personal preferences that not necessarily meet your professional interests
  3. Verify that their past students have published papers, NOT ONLY THE ADVISOR, their students.
  4. Think about your future. Is there a real demand out there for the subject I'm choosing? Think that you are going to dedicate 2 years of your life (even 4 for PhD's) in a subject that maybe people in the real world (I mean in the labor market) wont be interested in.
  5. Choose a thesis topic that you love it

Here an interesting video of small tips for choosing a thesis advisor from Professor Chris Tisdell