How to Email a Professor About a PhD Position (With Examples)

Before writing: check the program’s rules

Some universities ask applicants to secure supervision before applying; others discourage contacting individual faculty. Read the official graduate admissions and departmental instructions first.

If a professor lists a laboratory opening, application portal, or specific email instructions, follow those directions rather than a generic template.

Use a specific subject line

A good subject line quickly describes why you are writing. For example: “Prospective PhD applicant — geospatial machine learning — Fall 2027” or “Research inquiry on river-ice remote sensing”.

Avoid clickbait, all-capital requests, or claims that you have already been accepted.

Open with a research connection

Introduce yourself in one sentence, then describe the part of the professor’s research you genuinely understand. Mentioning a specific recent paper or project is more convincing than saying you are impressed by their entire publication record.

Be accurate. Do not state that the professor is recruiting students unless a current, reliable source confirms it.

Make the next step easy

Summarize one or two relevant skills or results, and ask whether the faculty member expects to consider new graduate students in your area. Include a concise CV or portfolio link only if appropriate under the program’s instructions.

Keep the message readable on a phone. Many effective inquiries fit within about 150 to 220 words, although disciplinary conventions differ.

Example: a personalized research inquiry

Subject: Prospective PhD applicant — computer vision for transportation

Dear Professor [Surname],

I am preparing applications for graduate research in [term/year]. My background is in [degree or relevant work], with experience in [specific methods]. I read your recent work on [specific research topic], especially [one concrete result or method], and it closely connects with my interest in [research question].

I would be interested to know whether you expect to consider PhD applicants working on this area. I have attached a brief CV and would be happy to share a short research summary if helpful.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,

[Your name]

Follow up without spamming

If there is no response, check for a stated follow-up policy. One polite follow-up may be reasonable, but repeated messages are unlikely to help and may violate departmental guidance.

Track your outreach so you do not send duplicates. FindProfessor.ca includes an outreach CRM and an email-drafting tool; always review any generated message for accuracy and personal relevance before sending.