Email to professor for supervision in Ph.D.

Email to Professor for Supervision in PhD

Letters Kate

Ph.D. is a research program in which students who have completed their master’s get enrolled. They perform the research in a specific area of knowledge and interest and once they have made a significant contribution to their chosen field, they receive a doctorate. It is important to note that conducting research is a rigorous process that a student cannot complete without someone’s assistance. Therefore, they look for a professor who has knowledge in the same area and who has a deeper insight into performing the research. 

What is an email to a professor for supervision in Ph.D.?

It is a formal email that an aspiring student writes to the professor and requests him/her to provide his/her supervision. The professor can be anywhere in the world and via email; it is very easy to reach out to them. 

In this email, a student tries to convince the professor to be ready to supervise the students so that he or she can complete their doctorate in the relevant area. Thus, this email needs to be written with care. 

How to write an email to the professor for supervision in my Ph.D.?

Start with your introduction:

As you begin the email, remember to give your introduction. Your introduction should include only those details that are necessary for a professor to have. Some common elements of the introduction section are:

  1. Student’s name and nationality 
  2. Name of the university from where the student completed the master’s degree 
  3. Area of interest 
  4. Name of the completed program 
  5. Year of completion of master’s program 

Mention your area of interest:

A person who is being asked for supervision always wants to know the interest of the student. This lets the professor decide whether he can supervise that student or not because if the area of the research of a student is not in line with the research of the professor, it would be very difficult for both of them to work with each other. 

Give details of publications:

A student becomes a very strong candidate to be chosen to work as a student in a doctoral program in an institute when he has published some research papers. This shows that a student has a solid background in the research field.

A professor, after seeing publications, can also feel that the aspiring student has plenty of knowledge about performing research and therefore, he can be very easy to supervise. Make a list of research papers mentioning their titles, year of publication, name of the journal paper, and much more.  

Here, you should also discuss your master’s program in detail and the thesis you wrote to complete your research-based master’s since a Ph.D. becomes the extension of the master’s program. 

Specify your achievements:

Professors want to work with a person who is well-groomed and capable. How capable a person is depends on many factors. A professor usually judges the students from his achievements in academia and also in the field of research. A student should never forget to list down his achievements one by one. 

Mention your skill set:

Every student is required to be equipped with such skills that can help them ace the doctoral program. A supervisor would like to know what skills you have got and how they are going to help you in performing the research. For instance, if you want to do research in the field of machine learning, mentioning that you have learned Python programming language will be very helpful for you. 

Make a request:

Since you are writing this email to convince the professor to choose you to extend a study area and make some contributions to it, you should request at the end and ask the professor to supervise you. Let him know when you will be ready for taking admission to the doctoral program. Also, ask him to let you know about his time of availability so that you both can meet each other in person and discuss several things in detail. 

Show gratitude:

Say thanks to the professor for taking the time to read your email and also let the professor know that you are looking forward to hearing from him. 

Sample Letters

#1

I hope this email finds you in good health. My name is Jane Doe, MSc Biosciences. I am writing to express my interest in pursuing a Ph.D. under your esteemed guidance and supervision.

I have recently completed my master’s degree in Biosciences from ABC University. I wish to further pursue my interests and enroll in a Ph.D. program in the relevant field. Your extensive research experience and expertise in this area have greatly inspired me. I, therefore, seek your guidance in my academic and professional growth.

I would like to further discuss my research interests with you. If it is convenient for you, I would be honored to schedule a meeting with you or call you at your earliest convenience. I am aware that your time is valuable. However, I will be grateful to you if you can spare a few minutes for me.

Thank you for considering my request. I eagerly look forward to your reply.  

#2

I am XYZ, working as the Research Associate at ABC University in the Chemistry department. I wish to enhance my qualifications and enroll in a Ph.D. program under your supervision.

I would like to discuss this further. Kindly let me know when it is convenient for you to arrange a meeting.

I eagerly await your response and look forward to the possibility of working under your guidance.

Email to professor for supervision in Ph.D.