How to Email a Professor for PhD and MS Supervision

Email plays an essential role when it comes to approaching a professor for scholarships, funding and
research supervision. Content of your email is the first impression which you will give to the professor that
will describe you are a serious and well qualified applicant. So, what is the best way to write an email that
can increase your chances of selection for the specific position in the professor lab or research group? Here
are the guidelines about the structure and content of the email.
Your email should illustrate that you are a qualified and suitable person for the open position in professor
lab. It should be short, clear and concise without repeating the whole details of your CV. Always make the
first impression good by reading about the professor’s research projects and mentioning them in your email.
Throughout your email keep in mind about grammar and punctuation. You can find a sample email
template for contacting the professor at the end of this article.
1. Subject line
Normally, professors are busy with their research work and supervision of their students. They can ignore
your email. To avoid this problem, always include a strong, attractive and information based subject line for
your email. The subject line will help the professor to guess about the contents of your email even before
opening it. We recommend you to always use a clear and catchy subject line. For example, “Request for
research supervision Fall 2019”, “Request for PhD supervision”, “Request for MS supervision” or
“Prospective PhD Student”.
2. Formal starting
Your email should be formal and start with Dear Dr._____, Dear Prof._____ . Always use professional
greetings and avoid use of titles like Mr.______, Mrs._____ or Ms._______.
3. First paragraph
The first paragraph should be about your short introduction stating about your name and where are you
from. It should also address briefly about your qualifications and experience the professor is looking for the
open position. You can include that I would appreciate the chance to discuss with you about your lab
projects and research in the area of (write professor’s area of research into which you are interested) and
about possible MS/PhD opportunities in your lab or research group. Avoid all kinds of abbreviations and
slang terms.
4. Second paragraph
In the second paragraph, you can write about your previous research, work experience or other skills which
are relevant to the professor’s research area. You can get information about current and previous research
projects of professor after visiting the official website of the lab. Avoid any kind of complexity, while
writing about your previous work experiences and research projects. You have to list your expertise and
achievements in an easy to understand the way that will help you standout from the competition.
5. Third paragraph
The third and last section is the concluding paragraph. Here you need to state your motivation and interests
in professor’s lab or research group. You can mention the specific research areas of professors which
fascinated your interests to apply in this lab. Then, you can particularly show your interest in a specific
domain. End this paragraph with polite request to consider you for the open option. For instance, “If
possible, I would love to start working on (project name) in your lab beginning this summer.”
6. End email with a formal acknowledgment
At the end of your email, you can mention that CV is attached with the email. i.e
If there is additional information that I have not included that you would like, I would be happy to provide it
to you.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Regards,
Your name
************* Sample email to contact a professor *************
Subject: Request for Research and MS supervision
Dear Prof.________,
My name is (write your name) and I have completed (your degree title) from (your university name, don’t
only use abbreviation) with (your CGPA/total CGPA, don’t mention CGPA if it’s low). As an option you
can write about your big achievements such as Gold Medal and Dean certificates, if you have any.
During my undergraduate/Master, I have worked on some projects to actualize and implement the
theoretical knowledge of (write your expertise, e.g. signal processing, automation and smart systems) into
practical work.In this paragraph, you can also relate your previous and current work experience, internships,
online courses and projects with the professor’s area of interest. If you have any research publication then
you can mention in this paragraph.
I visited (write professor Lab or Research Group name e.g. Networking lab) website and found that you
have research interests in (write research area of professor e.g. 5G, Internet of Things and automation). I am
very enthusiastic to conduct research and pursue MS under your supervision.
I have attached my CV with this email and looking forward to hearing from you soon.
I shall be thankful for your response.
Sincerely,
Your Name
#collected