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How to address a professor in an email

When writing an email to a professor, it is important to consider the context and the proper way to address them. This can vary depending on the country, the university, and the rank of the professor. When you are unsure about the norms in your context, is always best to choose between the most formal options of “Dear Professor” and “Dear Dr.”. Learn more.

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Contents

The importance of context on how to address a professor in an email

Starting an email can be a challenge if you’re unsure about the proper way to address the recipient. This often occurs in university settings.

The degree of formality that is required when addressing a professor in an email can differ considerably across contexts. If you are unsure about your context-specific requirements, it is best to choose a formal approach.

In the US, for instance, it tends to be more common to address professors on a first-name basis compared to many Western European contexts. However, even within Europe, there are stark differences.

For example, it is more common to call a professor by the first name in Scandinavian countries or in the Netherlands. In countries such as France or Germany, with a stronger sense for hierarchies which is also embedded in the language, it is less common to address a professor by their first name.

There are several strategies you can use to determine the norms for addressing professors in your specific context:

  • Ask your study advisor or mentor how to address professors in your specific context.
  • Ask your peers how they address professors at your university.
  • Ask professors themselves how they would like to be addressed.

You may also like: Sample emails to your thesis supervisor

Formally addressing a professor in an email according to rank

Universities are hierarchical organizations, and your professors or lecturers hold specific ranks within them.

The way you formally address professors in an email is linked to their rank in the university hierarchy.

You can find out your professor’s specific rank by looking at their university profile page, or simply by conducting a quick Google search. For example, you can check their Google Scholar profile or their LinkedIn profile.

RankFormal way to start an email
Full professorDear Professor (+last name)
Associate professorDear Dr. (+last name), or Dear Professor (+last name)
Assistant professorDear Dr. (+last name), or Dear Professor (+last name)
Postdoctoral researcherDear Dr. (+last name)
PhD researcherDear Mr./Ms. (+last name)
Formal ways of addressing your professors in emails by their rank

Full professors should always be addressed as with “Dear Professor” or “Hello Professor”. A full professor is a professor with the highest grade in a university. You can find out if someone is a full professor by checking how they are referred to by others online, or how the person describes him- or herself.

In contexts with a strong sense of hierarchy, assistant and associate professors are not permitted to use the title of ‘Professor’ to describe themselves. This title is reserved for those who have attained the rank of ‘Full professor’. As a result, assistant and associate professors are typically addressed as Dr. in emails. However, as a student, it is acceptable to address them as ‘Professor’ in an email. It’s always better to err on the side of formality.

Postdoctoral researchers or PhD researchers also often teach at universities. Postdoctoral researchers have obtained their doctoral degrees, and therefore should be addressed as Dr. in emails (“Dear Dr.”). PhD researchers have yet to accomplish their doctoral degree and should be addressed formally as Mr. or Ms.

Formally addressing a professor in an email according to rank in the UK

To make matters even more complex, the UK academic system uses different titles for its ranks, but the ranks are very much comparable with the ones from the previous table.

RankFormal email
ProfessorDear Professor (+last name)
ReaderDear Dr. (+last name), or Dear Professor (+last name)
Senior lecturerDear Dr. (+last name), or Dear Professor (+last name)
LecturerDear Dr. (+last name), or Dear Professor (+last name)
Postdoctoral researcherDear Dr. (+last name)
PhD researcherDear Mr./Ms. (+last name)
Formal ways of addressing your professors in emails by their rank in the UK academic system

When it is okay to address professors by their first names in emails

There are three situations in which it is acceptable to address your professors by their first name in an email:

  1. If using first names is the norm at your university, and you have verified this with someone to ensure it is appropriate.
  2. If your professors have explicitly stated in class that it is acceptable to address them by their first names.
  3. If your professors have previously responded to one of your emails and indicated that it is okay to address them by their first name.

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