Introduction
Email is the most common and important method of communication in professional settings, including college and university. This guide will help you write emails to your professors, advisors and other professionals that are respectful and effective.
Note: This article is based on professional communication norms in the United States. If you're emailing someone in another country, their expectations might be different—so it's a good idea to research local customs or guidelines.
Email vs. Text Message:
Email is not the same as a text message. Sometimes emails are short, but they are usually longer than a text message.
Key differences:
- An email should include ALL the important information. If you have several questions, put them all in one email. It is annoying to go back-and-forth over email. This is why emails are usually longer.
- With text messages, you expect an immediate response. This is not true for email.
- Use a more formal writing style for email. No abbreviations, slang, etc.
Email Top 10
- Start with a greeting. “Dear…” is the standard and is perfectly fine, but “Good Morning/Evening…,” “Greetings…”, or even “Hello…” work too.
- Use the recipient’s title and name and get it right. This is the most important item on the list. If you spell the recipient’s name wrong or address them improperly, you are starting off on the wrong foot.
- If the individual has told you how they would like to be addressed DO THAT. If it’s your instructor, check the syllabus.
- The proper way to address a college professor is “Professor [Lastname]” unless they have told you otherwise.
- If you are emailing someone else besides a professor, the simplest option is to address the individual using their first and last name. For example: “Dear Mark Goodstory…” (Read more about Honorifics, below)
- Include a short, clear subject line. For instructors, it is helpful to include the course name in the subject line. The information in your subject line may be repeated in the body of the email.
- Provide Context. State your name and your connection to the individual. This should be about 1 sentence, 2 at the most.
- Get to the point. After your context statement, immediately state the purpose of your message. Example: “I am writing to request an extension on the deadline for the Chapter 3 reflection.” Avoid unnecessary small-talk like “I hope this email finds you well.”
- Use Professional Writing
- Do not use slang or abbreviations (for example: do not use “u” instead of “you”, or add “lol” to the end of sentences).
- Use complete sentences, beginning with a capital letter and ending with punctuation (period, question mark, etc.).
- Avoid all caps. IT’S LIKE YELLING!
- Be polite. Use “please” and “thank you.” If you're going to miss class (or already missed class), do not ask "Did I miss anything important?" Tone can easily be misinterpreted in email, but it has never been easier to check your tone. (Read more below about Using AI Tools to review your emails for tone and more.).
- Do not expect an immediate response, especially if you are emailing outside of normal working hours. For instructors, check their syllabus to see if they have a statement regarding email expectations (For example, they may say: “I will respond to emails within 48 hours”). If you haven't gotten a response in a while, it may be necessary to follow up. See "When to Follow Up," below.
- End with a closing signature. The classic closing is “Sincerely,” followed by your name. “Best,” “Warmly,” “Cheers,” “With Gratitude,” are other good options.
- Pause before you Send. How are you feeling? Angry, hurt, insulted, desperate? Probably not a good time to send that email. Also ask yourself Is This Email Necessary?, below.
Most professionals, including college professors, receive dozens of emails everyday. Your professors want you to communicate with them, but anything you can do to reduce unnecessary emails will be appreciated.
So before you hit send, ask yourself:
- Can I find this information myself?
- Read the assignment instructions. Then read them again.
- Check the syllabus. If your question is about a late submission, absences from class, or other class policies, the answer you seek is likely in the syllabus.
- Check other places in the Canvas course site, including past announcements.
- Ask a classmate.
- Google it! This is especially useful if you have a technical problem and encounter an error message. Just put the exact words of the error message into Google and you'll likely find advice.
- Can this question wait until I see the professor in person: in class, before/after class or office hours? In many cases, your instructor will prefer this.
- Will this email possibly make a bad situation worse? Remember that email is forever and words written in email cannot be taken back. When in doubt, don't send.
AI Chatbots like ChatGPT can help you write clearer, more professional emails. Paste the entire text of your email (including your greeting and salutation) and ask for help with wording, tone, or even proofreading before you hit send. Just make sure you are not inputting any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) into the chatbot, such as student ID numbers or phone numbers. And remember—you’re still responsible for what you send, so read it over and make sure it sounds like you. Phrases like "I hope this email finds you well" are clear signs that you used AI to compose the message.
There are also purpose-built AI tools specifically made to assist you in tasks like this, including The Judge, and email tone checker from Goblin.tools.
Addressing individuals as “Mr. [Lastname]” (male) or “Ms. [Lastname]” (female) is common in business communication, and is usually ok. Never use “Mrs.” or “Miss” unless the individual has asked to be addressed that way. However, you may not know the gender identity of the individual you are addressing, including non-binary individuals who would not use Mr. or Ms. If you are not sure of the individual’s preferred honorific, it is best practice to use both their first and last name (“Dear Mark Goodstory…”).
However, it is not respectful to address college or university instructors as Mr. or Ms. The appropriate title for an instructor is “Professor [Lastname],” regardless of the individual’s terminal degree. Use this format unless the instructor has indicated otherwise. Some professors ask to be addressed by their first name, or as “Dr. [Lastname]”, but if you are not sure, use “Professor."
There are other cases of individuals, with particular roles, who use other honorifics besides Mr. or Ms., including elected officials (President, Senator, Representative, etc.), law enforcement officers (officer, agent, etc.), clergy, and more. For more information check out Robert Hickey’s On-Line Guide to Forms of Address, from the man who literally wrote the book on “names, titles, & forms of address.” If possible, try to research the individual’s role and determine the appropriate honorific for them, but if someone’s role is not well-known, they will not expect everyone to know their preferred title.
If an individual hasn't responded to your email in a reasonable amount of time, it is acceptable to send a follow-up email asking whether they have received your first message. Be polite. The email may have gotten buried in their inbox, or they have simply been too busy to respond.
Example: "Dear Professor [Lastname], I am just writing to check in on my question about the assignment deadline. Have you had a chance to think about it? Let me know if you need any additional information from me. Thank you!"
However, it may be more useful to do this follow-up in person or by phone. There is a chance that your original email was caught in a spam filter or bounced, and that may happen again with your follow-up.
What's a reasonable amount of time? For instructors, check their syllabus to see if they have an official email reponse policy (48 hours is typically). But in general, if an individual has not responded by the end of the second business day, a follow-up is ok (so that means if you email on Saturday, do not follow-up until the end of the day on Tuesday).
References:
Beilfuss, M., Bettes, S., & Peterson, a. K. (2020). Technical and Professional Writing Genres. Stillwater: Oklahoma State University Libraries.
Gross, A., Hamlin, A., Merck, B., Rubio, C., Naas, J., Savage, M., & DeSilva, a. M. (2017). Technical Writing. Open Oregon Educational Resources.