I am currently in my first year of PhD.My supervisor has been nice to me initially however recently i felt some change in his behaviour and then i got to know that he is leaving his job. Since then he is putting up so much pressure on me. He is blaming me for the slow progress of work and my qualifying exam is due in 6 months. He is making me downgrade myself to masters.
Although i have refused to downgrade myself to masters he is now saying that the department will terminate you as your progress is very slow. I know he is doing all this because he is leaving and no one is willing to take me over.
I am so upset and down. Hope you guys have some solution to it.
thanks

Hi Amy,

I'm sorry to hear about your dilemma.

Your institution is, I'm sure, obliged to provide you with an alternative supervisor if your supervisor is leaving. He cannot expect you to finish your PhD after only one year, and it sounds like he's being quite unreasonable. I would suggest talking to your head of research or head of faculty about this to ensure they get you a new supervisor.

Good luck

That's appalling! Any chance you can change your supervisor? If you're funded by one of the research councils in the UK I've heard that you could even change your uni if needed be? I don't now for sure though and it sounds like you need to talk to someone who can give you some real advice, if you haven't yet. At my uni there's a postgrad advice centre where postgrads can go and talk about their problems, bypassing their own supervisors (not that i've used the service myself but i know it's there). Do you now if there are similar facilities in place at your uni or department?

Good luck!