How to Email a Professor
Read the syllabus., Make sure email is really the best way to communicate your issue., Use your academic account., Include a meaningful subject line with your course and section details., Always use a greeting., Briefly and politely state the reason...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Read the syllabus.
Often, the question you would like to ask has already been answered in the material the professor has provided at the beginning of class.
Asking a professor to go over this again makes you look like you are not a serious student and only harms your cause. -
Step 2: Make sure email is really the best way to communicate your issue.
Email is often much more time-consuming than an in-person conversation.
It generally takes longer to compose word-processed text than to say it.
Even if the email is short and quick for you to deploy, the response for which you are asking can be time-consuming for the professor.
For example, emailing a professor to ask "what did I miss?" is not cool.
You're basically expecting the professor to take the time to write up an entire class just for you.
Don't email to ask about your grades.
At least in the US, FERPA laws mean many universities have instructed professors not to send grade information via email. (Plus, grades are better discussed in person.
Go to the professor's office hours or make an appointment where you can sit down together and review your work.
Then the professor can show you exactly where in the assignment you fell short.
Also, you are more likely to come across as interested in learning, rather than being a grade grubber just whining to get extra points.) Whenever possible, try to have a "live"
in-person conversation with your professor.
A general rule-of-thumb is: if it's going to take your professor longer to type out a reply to your email than to say it, don't use email.
Make use of the professor's office hours
- you can phone and/or show up
- and most likely get an immediate response.
Or, if the office hours don't work for you, make an appointment to visit either by phone or in person at another time.
Reserve email for short exchanges. , Professors are deluged with emails every day, and by using your school account, you'll have a better chance of avoiding the spam filter, or of having your professor skip over your email because it's from an unknown address. , While this is true of every email you send (that you wish to be read), it's especially important when you're attempting to communicate with somebody whose day is busy enough as it is.
If your professor does not already have a preferred method for email subjects, then a good rule is to start with your course department, number, and section (or day and time of course), and then the topic of your email.
For example, "PSYC100 Section XX:
Question about data collection for project" would be an excellent way to fill in the subject line.
With your academic account and your well-titled subject, the professor knows who you are and exactly what you want, even before clicking "Open." This information helps the professor organize and prioritize student emails.
Including the section info is especially important for professors who teach multiple sections of the same course.
Do not simply write the general subject area (such as "psychology"), because your professor is probably teaching multiple classes.
Never send a message with no subject line. , Do not begin with "Hey"
"Hi" or other informal greetings.
Generally speaking, you should use "Dear Professor Last-name." If the instructor does not have a PhD, refer to them as "Professor" unless instructed otherwise.
Taking a chance with "Mrs" "Mr." or "Ms." instead of "Dr." or "Professor" runs the risk of insult to the professor.
If your professor signs the reply with a first name, it is still best to address him or her as "Dr.
Last-name" or "Professor Last-name" in an email.
Do not use the professor's first name unless you have been explicitly invited to do so.
You should also be sure to spell your professor's name correctly. , Offer only as much information as is relevant to the situation and is likely to interest the professor. , Name the assignment or projects you are referring to instead of using pronouns or phrases, such as “this assignment”. , (See the tip below).
Be considerate, however, of how your solution might create additional work for the professor. , Use your first and last name, and even if you know that your professor knows you by name, include your course and section information below your name.
You will save her having to figure out what course and section you're talking about if she needs to look up something about the course in order to answer your question , If your email is regarding an assignment or article, attach the document.
This way your professor does not have to hunt around for it.
You can also attach screenshots of any problems that you are having with online computer software. , If you do not have spell-check on your email, then you can copy the message, paste it into a word-processing program, and run spell-check there.
Consider not only the mechanics, but also what you have said.
Strive for a polite tone, concise language, and clear purpose. , Ask the person if your reader would be offended by such an email, if it were directed at him or her.
Make any changes necessary, and send to your professor. , See tips below about how to address a professor's failure to reply.
If you are sending only a piece of information ("I have the flu and will not be in class on Tuesday, but Sue will turn in my paper for me"), then the professor may not consider a reply necessary.
In this case, you are done.
Leave enough time for a response.
Some professors do not work on campus every day and may not have Internet access at home, so you may need to wait a few days. , A simple "Thank you" may be enough.
If necessary, write a more extensive email using these same guidelines to achieve a professional effect.
If the case is not being adequately resolved by email, then ask for an appointment to meet in person. -
Step 3: Use your academic account.
-
Step 4: Include a meaningful subject line with your course and section details.
-
Step 5: Always use a greeting.
-
Step 6: Briefly and politely state the reason why you are emailing.
-
Step 7: Get to the point right away.
-
Step 8: If you are emailing with a problem
-
Step 9: suggest a solution.
-
Step 10: Sign it with your name and your student ID number (but never your Social Security number).
-
Step 11: Send attachments if necessary.
-
Step 12: Read it over.
-
Step 13: If the issue is touchy or the email is long
-
Step 14: ask someone else to proofread it
-
Step 15: Allow adequate time for a reply.
-
Step 16: Once a reply has been received
-
Step 17: acknowledge it.
Detailed Guide
Often, the question you would like to ask has already been answered in the material the professor has provided at the beginning of class.
Asking a professor to go over this again makes you look like you are not a serious student and only harms your cause.
Email is often much more time-consuming than an in-person conversation.
It generally takes longer to compose word-processed text than to say it.
Even if the email is short and quick for you to deploy, the response for which you are asking can be time-consuming for the professor.
For example, emailing a professor to ask "what did I miss?" is not cool.
You're basically expecting the professor to take the time to write up an entire class just for you.
Don't email to ask about your grades.
At least in the US, FERPA laws mean many universities have instructed professors not to send grade information via email. (Plus, grades are better discussed in person.
Go to the professor's office hours or make an appointment where you can sit down together and review your work.
Then the professor can show you exactly where in the assignment you fell short.
Also, you are more likely to come across as interested in learning, rather than being a grade grubber just whining to get extra points.) Whenever possible, try to have a "live"
in-person conversation with your professor.
A general rule-of-thumb is: if it's going to take your professor longer to type out a reply to your email than to say it, don't use email.
Make use of the professor's office hours
- you can phone and/or show up
- and most likely get an immediate response.
Or, if the office hours don't work for you, make an appointment to visit either by phone or in person at another time.
Reserve email for short exchanges. , Professors are deluged with emails every day, and by using your school account, you'll have a better chance of avoiding the spam filter, or of having your professor skip over your email because it's from an unknown address. , While this is true of every email you send (that you wish to be read), it's especially important when you're attempting to communicate with somebody whose day is busy enough as it is.
If your professor does not already have a preferred method for email subjects, then a good rule is to start with your course department, number, and section (or day and time of course), and then the topic of your email.
For example, "PSYC100 Section XX:
Question about data collection for project" would be an excellent way to fill in the subject line.
With your academic account and your well-titled subject, the professor knows who you are and exactly what you want, even before clicking "Open." This information helps the professor organize and prioritize student emails.
Including the section info is especially important for professors who teach multiple sections of the same course.
Do not simply write the general subject area (such as "psychology"), because your professor is probably teaching multiple classes.
Never send a message with no subject line. , Do not begin with "Hey"
"Hi" or other informal greetings.
Generally speaking, you should use "Dear Professor Last-name." If the instructor does not have a PhD, refer to them as "Professor" unless instructed otherwise.
Taking a chance with "Mrs" "Mr." or "Ms." instead of "Dr." or "Professor" runs the risk of insult to the professor.
If your professor signs the reply with a first name, it is still best to address him or her as "Dr.
Last-name" or "Professor Last-name" in an email.
Do not use the professor's first name unless you have been explicitly invited to do so.
You should also be sure to spell your professor's name correctly. , Offer only as much information as is relevant to the situation and is likely to interest the professor. , Name the assignment or projects you are referring to instead of using pronouns or phrases, such as “this assignment”. , (See the tip below).
Be considerate, however, of how your solution might create additional work for the professor. , Use your first and last name, and even if you know that your professor knows you by name, include your course and section information below your name.
You will save her having to figure out what course and section you're talking about if she needs to look up something about the course in order to answer your question , If your email is regarding an assignment or article, attach the document.
This way your professor does not have to hunt around for it.
You can also attach screenshots of any problems that you are having with online computer software. , If you do not have spell-check on your email, then you can copy the message, paste it into a word-processing program, and run spell-check there.
Consider not only the mechanics, but also what you have said.
Strive for a polite tone, concise language, and clear purpose. , Ask the person if your reader would be offended by such an email, if it were directed at him or her.
Make any changes necessary, and send to your professor. , See tips below about how to address a professor's failure to reply.
If you are sending only a piece of information ("I have the flu and will not be in class on Tuesday, but Sue will turn in my paper for me"), then the professor may not consider a reply necessary.
In this case, you are done.
Leave enough time for a response.
Some professors do not work on campus every day and may not have Internet access at home, so you may need to wait a few days. , A simple "Thank you" may be enough.
If necessary, write a more extensive email using these same guidelines to achieve a professional effect.
If the case is not being adequately resolved by email, then ask for an appointment to meet in person.
About the Author
Zachary Webb
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in creative arts and beyond.
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