When looking for a PhD advisor, will it matter if I send them an updated version of my masters thesis? I am about to finish my masters degree, and I want to apply for a PhD in the near future. I know that when contacting a potential advisor, they will ask you to send your CV and your previous research. The issue is that, according to my current advisor, my masters thesis will have no issues on being approved and my grades are good. Due to the pandemic, though, I was not able to be in the country my university is located in; communication and feedback with my advisor was very complicated. In my opinion, my thesis could be improved in some ways, but now I am lacking the time to do so.
My question is:
When a potential advisor asks me for my masters thesis or my previous research, it is compulsory to send the document I submitted for graduation? Can I send an updated version of it (I know I will be able to improve it, because I will work on it at my job)? Is this wrong?
There are no strict rules about this, so you should do what is in your own best interest: send them the best version you have available.
However, you should consider that your potential PhD supervisor may talk to your the supervisor of your master's thesis. It is possible they will discuss the thesis, and it could cause lots of confusion if they unknowingly are talking about different versions. Therefore I would recommend to let your prospective PhD supervisor know that you have sent them a version you updated after your graduation.