Email to a Potential Supervisor: Sample and Template

When to use this

For research degrees, contacting a potential supervisor before applying is often essential. In Germany, Japan (MEXT research students), China (CSC), Korea, Australia and many UK and European PhD programmes, a supervisor's interest or acceptance letter can make or break your application. Professors receive many such emails, often dozens a week, so yours needs to be short, specific and easy to answer.

What professors look for:

• That you have read their work and are not mass-emailing
• A clear idea of what you want to research and how it fits their group
• Evidence that you are qualified (degree, grades, research experience) in a few lines
• Practical details: when you want to start and how you plan to be funded
• A short email with a CV attached, not a long essay

The sample

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Urban heat islands in South Asian cities (DAAD / CSC applicant)

Dear Professor [Surname],

My name is Saad Hussain, and I am a lecturer in Environmental Engineering at [University name], Karachi. I hold an MS in Environmental Engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi (CGPA [3.7/4.0]), where my thesis used Landsat imagery to map the growth of Karachi's urban heat island between 2000 and 2020.

I recently read your paper "[Paper title]" in [Journal, year], and I was particularly interested in your approach of combining satellite land-surface temperature with ground sensor networks to assess cooling interventions. I would like to apply a similar approach to evaluate how green spaces and reflective roofs could reduce heat stress in low-income neighbourhoods of Karachi, where heatwaves have caused many deaths in recent years.

I am planning to apply for a PhD starting in [month, year] and intend to apply for [the DAAD Research Grants for Doctoral Programmes / a CSC scholarship / your university's funded position]. I would be very grateful to know whether you are accepting new PhD students and whether this topic might fit within your group's work.

I have attached my CV and a one-page summary of my proposed research. Thank you very much for your time.

Kind regards,

Saad Hussain Lecturer, Department of Environmental Engineering, [University name], Karachi [email] | [Google Scholar or LinkedIn link]

Attachments: Saad_Hussain_CV.pdf, Research_Summary_Saad_Hussain.pdf

Template you can fill in

Subject: Prospective [MS/PhD] student: [Short topic] ([Scholarship name] applicant)

Dear Professor [Surname],

My name is [Your name], and I am [current position, e.g. a final-year BS student / research assistant] at [Institution, City]. I [completed / am completing] my [degree] in [field] at [University] with a CGPA of [x.xx/4.00], where my [thesis/project] focused on [one-line description].

I have read your [recent paper / project] on [topic], and I am especially interested in [specific aspect]. I would like to research [your idea in one or two sentences], which connects to your work on [their area].

I plan to apply for [degree] starting in [intake] through [scholarship / funding route]. Would you be open to supervising a student on this topic, or could you advise whether your group has openings?

I have attached my CV [and a short research summary]. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kind regards, [Name] [Contact details and profile link]

How to adapt this

• Personalise every email. Mention a specific paper or project and one detail from it.
• Keep it under 250 words. The professor can read your CV for more.
• Write a clear subject line that names the degree, topic and funding route.
• Use a professional email address (ideally your university email) and a clean file name for attachments.
• Attach PDFs only: CV and, if appropriate, a one-page research summary. Do not attach every certificate.
• Follow up once, politely, after about two weeks if you have not heard back. If there is still no reply, move on.
• Send emails to one professor at a time per department. Professors in the same department talk to each other.

Common mistakes

• "Dear Sir/Madam" or the wrong name. Always use "Dear Professor [Surname]" or "Dear Dr [Surname]."
• Mass emails with many professors visible in the "To" field.
• Long emails describing your whole life story or family situation.
• Asking "Do you have any scholarships for me?" without showing interest in their research.
• Praising the professor excessively ("You are the greatest scientist in the world").
• Sending messages over WhatsApp or LinkedIn instead of email, unless the professor invites it.
• Attaching large files or zip folders, which may be blocked by university email filters.