letter request for thesis adviser

6 Email Templates to Ask Someone to be on Your Thesis Committee

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Professional Etiquette

Writing a thesis is one of the most challenging parts of being an undergraduate or graduate student. You need to know how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee, especially if you are looking for a mentor to guide you through the writing process.

If you are currently starting the dissertation process, these unique email templates will help show you how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee.

How to ask someone to be on your thesis committee: When asking senior students

  These email templates will help you figure out how to ask a senior student to be on your thesis committee.   Senior students are perfect for helping you through the writing process. You can ask a student with whom you get along and share similar ideas.  

When asking professors to be on your thesis committee

  Your professor would be an invaluable addition to your thesis committee, especially since they could provide you with unique insight and constructive criticism.   Here is how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee if the person is your professor.  

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How to ask someone to be on your thesis committee: When asking professionals in your field

  Professionals can offer diverse and useful expertise if they choose to join your thesis committee. Here is how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee if you’re asking professionals in your field.  

  These are unique email templates that you can use when trying to figure out how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee.   Whether it is your professor, a senior student in your faculty, or a professional in your field, these templates will help you get that positive response that you are seeking.   If you are currently working on your thesis and wondering how to ask someone to be on your thesis committee, these templates will surely help you get some ideas.  

Sample emails to your thesis supervisor

A good thesis requires good communication between you and your thesis supervisor. This includes emails! Yet, even a simple email can lead to stress and overthinking. If you struggle to communicate with your thesis supervisor via email, have a look at six sample emails for inspiration.

General tips for emailing your thesis supervisor

Every relationship between student and thesis supervisor is unique. And everyone has a unique (email) writing style.

Sample email to thesis supervisor inquiring about potential supervision

The first email to a potential thesis supervisor tends to be very formal. If you have never met the potential thesis supervisor in person before, make sure to check out tips on how to cold-email professors. In the following sample email, however, we assume that the student and the potential thesis supervisor met before.

Sample email to thesis supervisor setting up a meeting

Successful (postgraduate) students are proactive and take matters into their own hands. Reaching out to their thesis supervisors to set up a meeting is one part of it. The following sample email contains a simple request from a student to meet with her thesis supervisor.

Sample email to thesis supervisor sharing post-meeting action points

To get the most out of thesis supervision meetings , it is highly recommended that the student takes notes during the meeting. Based on these notes, the student then summarises the key takeaways from the meeting, or action points, so to speak. These action points will guide the student’s work until the next meeting, and provide a written record of agreements.

Sample email to thesis supervisor asking for feedback

Sample email to thesis supervisor asking for support

Sample email to thesis supervisor when not meeting a deadline.

And lastly, there are the unfortunate occasions where you made agreements with your thesis supervisor, which you cannot meet. Pulling an all-nighter is generally a bad idea, as sleep is crucial for efficient thesis writing . It might be smarter, to be honest, and open about it and to inform your thesis advisor in advance. In the following sample email, the student informs the supervisor that he cannot meet the agreed deadline.

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Dissertation Advisor 101

How to get the most from the student-supervisor relationship

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | January 2024

Many students feel a little intimidated by the idea of having to work with a research advisor (or supervisor) to complete their dissertation or thesis. Similarly, many students struggle to “connect” with their advisor and feel that the relationship is somewhat strained or awkward. But this doesn’t need to be the case!

In this post, we’ll share five tried and tested tips to help you get the most from this relationship and pave the way for a smoother dissertation writing process.

Overview: Working With Your Advisor

• Clarify everyone’s roles on day one
• Establish (and stick to) a regular communication cycle
• Develop a clear project plan upfront
• Be proactive in engaging with problems
• Navigate conflict like a diplomat

1. Clarify roles on day one

Each university will have slightly different expectations, rules and norms in terms of the research advisor’s role. Similarly, each advisor will have their own unique way of doing things. So, it’s always a good idea to begin the engagement process by clearly defining the roles and expectations in your relationship.

In practical terms, we suggest that you initiate a conversation at the very start of the engagement to discuss your goals, their expectations, and how they would like to work with you. Of course, you might not like what you hear in this conversation. However, this sort of candid conversation will help you get on the same page as early as possible and set the stage for a successful partnership.

To help you get started, here are some questions that you might consider asking in your initial conversation:

• How often would you like to meet and for how long?
• What should I do to prepare for each meeting?
• What aspects of my work will you comment on (and what won’t you cover)?
• Which key decisions should I seek your approval for beforehand?
• What common mistakes should I try to avoid from the outset?
• How can I help make this partnership as effective as possible?
• My academic goals are… Do you have any suggestions at this stage to help me achieve this?

As you can see, these types of questions help you get a clear idea of how you’ll work together and how to get the most from the relatively limited face time you’ll have.

Need a helping hand?

2. Establish a regular communication cycle

Just like in any relationship, effective communication is crucial to making the student-supervisor relationship work. So, you should aim to establish a regular meeting schedule and stick to it. Don’t cancel or reschedule appointments with your advisor at short notice, or do anything that suggests you don’t value their time. Fragile egos are not uncommon in the academic world, so it’s important to clearly demonstrate that you value and respect your supervisor’s time and effort .

Practically speaking, be sure to prepare for each meeting with a clear agenda , including your progress, challenges, and any questions you have. Be open and honest in your communication, but most importantly, be receptive to your supervisor’s feedback . Ultimately, part of their role is to tell you when you’re missing the mark. So, don’t become upset or defensive when they criticise a specific aspect of your work.

Always remember that your research advisor is criticising your work, not you personally . It’s never easy to take negative feedback, but this is all part of the learning journey that takes place alongside the research journey.

3. Have a clear project plan

Few things will impress your supervisor more than a well-articulated, realistic plan of action (aka, a project plan). Investing the time to develop this shows that you take your project (and by extension, the relationship) seriously. It also helps your supervisor understand your intended timeline, which allows the two of you to better align your schedules .

In practical terms, you need to develop a project plan with achievable goals . A detailed Gantt chart can be a great way to do this. Importantly, you’ll need to break down your thesis or dissertation into a collection of practical, manageable steps , and set clear timelines and milestones for each. Once you’ve done that, you should regularly review and adjust this plan with your supervisor to ensure that you remain on track.

Of course, it’s unlikely that you’ll stick to your plan 100% of the time (there are always unexpected twists and turns in a research project. However, this plan will lay a foundation for effective collaboration between yourself and your supervisor. An imperfect plan beats no plan at all.

4. Engage with problems proactively

One surefire way to quickly annoy your advisor is to pester them every time you run into a problem in your dissertation or thesis. Unexpected challenges are par for the course when it comes to research – how you deal with them is what makes the difference.

When you encounter a problem, resist the urge to immediately send a panicked email to your supervisor – no matter how massive the issue may seem (at the time). Instead, take a step back and assess the situation as holistically as possible. Force yourself to sit with the issue for at least a few hours to ensure that you have a clear, accurate assessment of the issue at hand. In most cases, a little time, distance and deep breathing will reveal that the problem is not the existential threat it initially seemed to be.

When contacting your supervisor, you should ideally present both the problem and one or two potential solutions . The latter is the most important part here. In other words, you need to show that you’ve engaged with the issue and applied your mind to finding potential solutions. Granted, your solutions may miss the mark. However, providing some sort of solution beats impulsively throwing the problem at your supervisor and hoping that they’ll save the day.

Simply put, mishaps and mini-crises in your research journey present an opportunity to demonstrate your initiative and problem-solving skills – not a reason to lose your cool and outsource the problem to your supervisor.

5. Navigate conflict like a diplomat 

As with any partnership, there’s always the possibility of some level of disagreement or conflict arising within the student-supervisor relationship. Of course, you can drastically reduce the likelihood of this happening by implementing some of the points we mentioned earlier. Neverthless, if a serious disagreement does arise between you and your supervisor, it’s absolutely essential that you approach it with professionalism and respect . Never let it escalate into a shouting contest.

In practical terms, it’s important to communicate your concerns as they arise (don’t let things simmer for too long). Simultaneously, it’s essential that you remain open to understanding your supervisor’s perspective – don’t become entrenched in your position. After all, you are the less experienced researcher within this duo.

Keep in mind that a lot of context is lost in text-based communication , so it can often be a good idea to schedule a short call to discuss your concerns or points of contention, rather than sending a 3000-word email essay. When going this route, be sure to take the time to prepare a clear, cohesive argument beforehand – don’t just “thought vomit” on your supervisor.

In the event that you do have a significant disagreement with your advisor, remember that the goal is to find a solution that serves your project (not your ego). This often requires compromise and flexibility. A “win at all costs” mindset is definitely not suitable here. Ultimately, you need to solve the problem, while still maintaining the relationship .

If you feel that you have already exhausted all possible avenues and still can’t find an acceptable middle ground, you can of course reach out to your university to ask for their assistance. However, this should be the very last resort . Running to your university every time there’s a small disagreement will not serve you well.

Recap: Key Takeaways

To sum up, a fruitful student-supervisor relationship hinges on clear role definition , effective and regular communication , strategic planning , proactive engagement , and professional conflict resolution .

Remember, your dissertation supervisor is there to help you, but you still need to put in the work . In many cases, they’ll also be the first marker of your work, so it really pays to put in the effort and build a strong, functional relationship with them.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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Sample emails to your dissertation supervisor

Published on October 13, 2015 by Sarah Vinz . Revised on March 24, 2017.

Table of contents

Making an appointment, asking questions, confirming agreements.

Dear Dr. Janssen,

The college has informed me that you will be my supervisor. I would therefore like to make an initial appointment to discuss my dissertation idea with you.

I look forward to hearing from you as to when you would be available to meet with me.

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Dear Prof. Smith,

I have encountered several difficulties while working on my dissertation. Could you please answer the following questions?

• I have found only limited literature on the concept of “social enforcement.” Are you familiar with any authors who have written on this topic?
• Measuring “social enforcement” in the literature has proven virtually impossible. At this point I would like to use “social control” as a starting point for the concept. What are your thoughts on this?

I would like to make an appointment to discuss these questions with you. When would be convenient for you?

I am writing in follow-up to our meeting on Monday. Could you please check the notes I have prepared concerning what we agreed and confirm that they are accurate?

Thanks in advance for your response.

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Vinz, S. (2017, March 24). Sample emails to your dissertation supervisor. Scribbr. Retrieved August 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/tips/sample-emails-to-your-dissertation-supervisor/

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Sarah's academic background includes a Master of Arts in English, a Master of International Affairs degree, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She loves the challenge of finding the perfect formulation or wording and derives much satisfaction from helping students take their academic writing up a notch.

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How to Ask a Professor to Be a Reference

Choosing an Academic Reference

What to include in the message, email examples requesting a reference, more options for references.

• Remember to Say Thank You

Reference Letter Examples

Do you need to ask a professor to be a reference? When you're completing undergraduate or graduate studies—or have earned your degree recently—you'll likely want to ask a professor or academic advisor for a reference as you begin to apply for jobs. References could also be helpful for fellowships, internships, or academic opportunities.

Find out who to ask, what information to include in your email request, and review sample reference requests to professors and academic advisors.

People familiar with your academic work and performance are excellent choices to ask for recommendations as you begin your career. You may not have a lot of related work experience in your chosen field, and your professors can speak about the knowledge and skills you have demonstrated that will help you succeed in the industry you are targeting.

If possible, request a reference letter from a professor or advisor who knows you well and respects your work and character. That is, don't request a reference from a professor if you were frequently late or absent from the class or did not receive a good grade. Ideally, choose someone who you've spoken to outside of the classroom—during office hours, for instance, or at departmental activities. 

Respect people's schedules—if possible, request a reference letter several weeks in advance of when the semester ends or when you'll need it. 

When sending the email message, include your name in the subject line. For example:

Subject Line Example

Joe Smith: Reference Request

If you don't know the professor or advisor well, make your connection clear in the email. For instance, you can say, "I enjoyed your class on XYZ, which I attended in Spring 2024." It can also be helpful to include a summary of related coursework and school activities, along with your resume and cover letter. 

The more detailed information you provide, the easier it will be for the reference writer to endorse you. Review these tips for what to include .

The following are examples of email messages to use when you are requesting a reference for employment from an academic advisor or a college professor.

Email Reference Request Letter for an Advisor

Subject:  Jessica Angel Reference Request

Dear Ms. Jones,

I am writing to you to request that you provide a reference for me as I begin my job search. As you know, I will be completing my graduate studies this spring, and have found several exciting opportunities that I am exploring.

As my undergraduate thesis advisor and mentor, I believe that a reference from you would provide a potential employer with information to recommend me as a school counselor.

If you need any additional information, please contact me via email or phone.

Thank you for your consideration and support.

Jessica Angel 555-123-4567 jessicaa@aaa.com

Here's a sample email message asking a professor to provide a recommendation for employment.

Email Request for a Recommendation From a Professor

Subject:  Recommendation Request - FirstName LastName

Dear Professor LastName,

I have greatly enjoyed and benefited from the four classes that I took with you over the past three years. I was hoping you might know me well enough and have a high enough regard for my abilities to write a general recommendation for my credentials file. 

As you can see from the attached cover letter, I am targeting positions in the publishing industry that will draw upon my writing and editing skills, as well as my organizational ability. 

I have included a summary sheet to refresh your memory about some of my key papers, including my senior thesis. I have also attached my resume, which will bring you up to date about some of my accomplishments outside the classroom. 

Please let me know if you are comfortable endorsing my candidacy for jobs in the publishing industry. I would be happy to answer any questions and provide further information to help you write your recommendation. Can we meet during your office hours to discuss this further?

Thanks so much for all you have done for me and for taking the time to review this request.

Firstname Lastname Your Address Your City, State, Zip Code Your Phone Number Your Email

Looking for your first job? Consider using a character reference (personal reference) in addition to or as an alternative to academic and employment reference letters.

Remember to Say Thank You 

Once your professor writes the reference, make sure to send a thank-you note to your reference, acknowledging the favor. You can either send a handwritten note or an email. 

Still looking for tips and guidance? Review more sample reference letters and recommendation letters , samples for character references , and letters asking for a reference .

Request Thesis Adviser Letter

June 25, 2005

Engr. Nilo De Guzman Professor, College of Engineering Pilar State University

Dear Engr. De Guzman

We, the fourth year student of Pilar State University pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering are currently enrolled in Statistical Method.

We are humbly request your service and expertise to be our thesis adviser. We greatly believe that your knowledge will enrich our research work. Your dedication to your career is very valuable to us.

Thank your for your kind consideration and we hope that our request will be fulfilled.

Sincerely yours,

Ernesto D. Lazo

Ronald E. Santiago

Cecilia R. Matawaran

Helen S. Navarro

Merlita Lintag Instructor

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Changing thesis supervisor to avoid bad letter of recommendation from current supervisor?

I entered current school as a Master-Ph.D. integrated course in high energy physics, however, decided to graduate as a master in this year and will apply abroad in the next year since my research interest is different from that of current supervisor. The defense is upcoming, indeed is on this Friday.

I'm considering changing MS thesis advisor because I'm uncertain but I guess my current supervisor may write a bad letter of recommendation. I had several troubles with him mainly because his research field and style is different from mine. He implicitly mentioned that I took other student's chance of being his student because my interest was different from the beginning. I asked him explicitly if he can write a letter for me, and although he said he will write the paper, many of what he said after this implied bad contents. For example, I asked him if I regularly report what I'm doing in next year, whether he can re-evaluate me or not. He politely rejected this saying once I graduate from his lab, I and his life should be independent and he shall not care about mine. He also mentioned that evaluation should arise naturally, not in such an artificial way.

My defense is on December first, so it's within this week. But I have been seriously considering to changing supervisor and to postpone graduation to the next semester. I already got approval from a faculty to whom I want to transfer. He also explained the project I will take on if I change the supervisor to him.

However, I am very worried that it would be very rude and inappropriate behavior to change supervisor due to the worries about a bad letter and within such a short interval before the defense. I'm also worried that doing this will make current advisor as an enemy. But I am confused because he had suggested me to change the supervisor at the end of March this year.

If I graduate this semester and get a bad recommendation letter next year, even though I got strong ones from other faculties and researchers, will it be a significant weakness in the Ph.D. application?

Can any advice or opinion? Thanks.

P.S. In a comment I left, I mentioned that my advisor rejected advising me. To be specific, he told me that he is very busy so he will not advise me in person but instead he will ask two PDs in the lab for my thesis. He seemed very busy, but I was first student of his the only two students, and I know that he is regularly advising and being in discussion with an undergraduate student for his graduation thesis. Also, he explicitly mentioned that since he doesn't trust my ability, he can't allow extending my work beyond the elementary scope when I asked him for adding contents beyond the Standard Model on my thesis.

P.S.2. I am quite certain that I can get a good reference from the faculty to whom I want to transfer. Even though I graduate this semester, I'm planning to work with him next year. In this case, if I have a bad reference from the past supervisor while also have a strong one from another faculty with whom I will work next year, will it seriously affect my application?

• graduate-admissions
• recommendation-letter

• 3 " For example, I asked him if I regularly report what I'm doing in next year, whether he can re-evaluate me or not. He politely rejected this saying once I graduate from his lab, I and his life should be independent and he shall not care about mine. " To me his reply seems perfectly natural, especially if you're not really interested in the same things? –  starless Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:18
• @starless I agree with you, however, my advisor repeatedly told me that ‘I haven’t shown him any outcomes.’ That’s why I need re-evaluation after working with others in next year. –  Liberty Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:23
• @Liberty but you are about to defend your thesis and your supervisor is presumably about to sign off on that? It seems like an outcome to me... –  user24098 Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:31
• @dan1111 "It seems like an outcome to me..." during the project with him and another PD, he showed me for many times how he was disappointed that I didn't make any outcome. He also refused to advise me on my thesis work while he is doing so to an undergraduate student for his graduation thesis. From this, I guess he doesn't have a good impression and expect on my research ability and potential. May these be hint of bad reference? –  Liberty Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:53
• @Liberty, these comments raise more questions then answers. How is your advisor refusing to advise you? What do you mean? Perhaps more information on your situation should be added to the question. –  user24098 Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:56

2 Answers 2

Delaying your graduation by a semester would be a huge cost to bear due to the mere suspicion of getting a bad recommendation letter. Right now it's only a suspicion.

Yes, it's clear that your reputation with your supervisor isn't the greatest. But still, writing a bad recommendation letter is an exceptional step--especially after being asked and agreeing to write a letter. Most professors in this situation will write a positive (though perhaps not particularly strong) letter.

Being asked to write a recommendation letter, agreeing without stating any concerns about the content, and then going on to write a bad letter is pretty unprofessional. If you don't feel you can write a positive letter, the normal response is to not agree to write one, or to agree with a warning that you don't think you can give a good recommendation. That isn't to say it never happens, but it is pretty unusual.

The examples that show your concern, to me don't indicate that he is planning to write a bad letter.

• The negative general comments are unfortunate but hardly prove he will write a bad letter.
• Your idea to report back regularly after you leave his supervision and hope that improves the recommendation was quite odd, and was rightly rejected by him. The recommendation is supposed to be based on the period he worked with you.

Unless there is something more concrete that makes you think you won't get a good letter, I would not do something drastic like delaying your graduation.

• 1 "Delaying your graduation by a semester would be a huge cost to bear due to the mere suspicion of getting a bad recommendation letter. " Can I ask you which cost that I may bear if I postpone the graduation for one semester? Yes, I am worried about it hurts my advisor since he also agreed to write a reference. But for a new thesis topic, in fact, it overlaps largely with my previous work from which I was ruled out after I declared graduation. –  Liberty Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:45
• @Liberty the cost is taking an extra semester of time and effort to complete the same task. –  user24098 Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 11:54
• 1 I do agree with other points in this answer but the first paragraph seems odd. An extra semester for a PhD might not mean much for your academic career, a bad recommendation letter from your advisor will likely ruin it. –  JiK Commented Nov 28, 2017 at 12:57
• @Liberty (1) In their answer, user24098 rightly says: "If you don't feel you can write a positive letter, the normal response is to not agree to write one, or to agree with a warning that you don't think you can give a good recommendation." I am however aware of situations where people did this, and the outcome of it was highly destructive. Therefore, my recommendation will be totally opposite: extend your stay for a semester, provided you are certain that the new advisor writes a good letter for you. –  Michael_1812 Commented May 16 at 1:41
• 1 @Liberty (2) In academia, people seldom write outright negative letters. They instead write lucewarm letters - which are interpreted as their readers as negative. I know such cases. So be vigilant. Your present advisor may write for you an insufficiently positive letter -- which will be enough to kill or badly reduce your chances for admission for PhD –  Michael_1812 Commented May 16 at 1:44

It sounds as though your advisor is an advisor only on paper as he declined to work closely with you after you decided not to work on a topic that was relevant to his research interests (" his research field and style is different from mine. He implicitly mentioned that I took other student's chance of being his student because my interest was different from the beginning ").

It is normal for Masters students (and in many fields, PhD students, too) to work on topics proposed by their advisors, and while an assertive student with strong ideas of their own might persuade an advisor to support them working on an unrelated topic, it is understandable that your advisor might have been disappointed if this meant that he missed out on getting a student to help further his own research. So -- that's in the past and there is nothing you can do about it now, but I am guessing that is what has happened.

I would recommend that you not use a recommendation from this advisor, but I don't think that means you necessarily need to spend another semeseter working with another advisor. Although in the ideal case, you would have a strong letter from your Masters advisor, you can also use strong letters from other academics that you have worked with, and not ask your Masters advisor for a reference letter at all.

If you have no money concerns, no deadline for graduating, and no need to get on with the next steps in your life, it certainly might help in a PhD application to have stayed an extra semester and achieved stronger research outcomes with a more sympatico advisor... But an extra semester is still an extra semester of your life. Depending on where you plan to apply, it might mean delaying your PhD application by a full year.

Things to ask yourself:

• How strong would your PhD application be without that extra semester? If your grades are outstanding and your research project was good enough, you probably don't need it.
• How strong would your PhD application be with the extra semester? If your grades are merely "good" and your new research project is anything less than outstanding, it might not help.
• How essential is a PhD to your plans for the future? If the PhD is an absolutely essential next step, the risk-reward ratio might be different.

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• Why do tip vortices seem to 'bend' inwards at the tip of a plane wing?
• In what way are we one in Christ Jesus?
• Plotting circle by center of circle and the radius in QGIS
• What is the “history“ of mindfulness
• Do strawberry seeds have different DNA within the same fruit?
• Is it correct to say: "To solve an addiction"?
• Automata reaching the same state when reading the same word long enough
• Possibly manipulated recommendation letter - inform alleged author?
• Why is "today" separated into "To day
• What is this tree with these red berries?
• Inverse problem for geodesic
• When I use SSH tunneling, can I assume that the server does not need to be trusted?
• Stageplay adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo
• Lexicographically earliest permutation of the initial segment of nonnegative integers subject to divisibility constraints
• Was homology influenced by Euler's polyhedron formula?
• Glowing eyes facilitate control over other beings
• Is a hotter heat source always necessary for an object to be heated?
• Tahara for drowning in Mikveh
• parallelStream with collect method()
• Is expired sushi rice still good
• ORCA 6 slower than ORCA 5?
• Trimming direction on climb out and descent to maintain an airspeed