Texas Tech University

What to say when emailing a professor


Include a Salutation, i.e. Dear Dr. Ambulatory,

Introduce yourself, briefly. Name, year, major, future interests if you have any. If you are a First-year student or sophomore, this is not a bad thing. This gives you 2-3 years to work with a mentor; you are a good investment for them. Juniors and seniors can work with the relationships they have built with professors in past classes or organizations.

Include in your email that you are an Honors Student and would like to apply to be in the URS program, which will pay you to do research for a faculty mentor. You can include the link to this website if you think they may not have heard about the program.

If you are emailing the professor because you are interested in his or her research, say that. And be sure you have read a little bit about it so you can speak knowledgeably on the topic.

Conclude by asking for a meeting to discuss undergraduate research. Keep your email short and sweet. Most professors will get back to you. If they don't have a spot open for you they may even suggest someone else.

Send out several emails at a time. Hopefully you will get more than one reply.

Your URS coordinator is also available to help you in this process.