diploma thesis supervisor

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.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using the links below at  no additional cost to you.  I only recommend products or services that I truly believe can benefit my audience. As always, my opinions are my own.

General tips for emailing your thesis supervisor

Sample email to thesis supervisor inquiring about potential supervision, sample email to thesis supervisor setting up a meeting, sample email to thesis supervisor sharing post-meeting action points, 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.

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

Nonetheless, there are a few general tips for emailing your thesis supervisor:

• Properly address your supervisor. In some contexts, it is acceptable that students address their supervisors on a first-name basis. In others, it would be completely unthinkable! So make sure to follow context-specific standards, and learn how to address your supervisor depending on their position and rank in the university hierarchy . When in doubt, always go for the more formal option (Dr. x, Professor x, Prof. Dr. x, Mr. x, Ms. x).
• Keep your emails short. No one wants to read an email of the length of a novel. Too much text can bury your main request. Always state clearly what you want. Don’t expect your thesis supervisor to read between the lines.
• Create accompanying calendar invites to your emails. Once you and your thesis supervisor/s agree on a meeting date via email, make sure that you send everyone involved a calendar invite via email. It will be greatly appreciated.
• Don’t overthink your emails too much. You may obsess about formulating a certain sentence or making sure no word is missing and no grammatical mistake is made. While emails to your supervisor should not read like a jotted-down text message, overthinking your emails is also a waste of time. Your supervisor will not judge you if your email includes one whacky sentence or a single spelling mistake.

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.

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.

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.

Sometimes, it does not make sense to wait for feedback until the next supervision meeting. Of course, students should not bombard their supervisors with constant questions via email. However, a kind request once in a while is usually accepted and appreciated. The following sample email showcases a student asking for feedback.

As a student, it can also happen that you get stuck. Often, it is better to reach out and ask your thesis supervisor for support, both in terms of content or any other challenges you experience. Don’t suffer in silence. The following sample email shows an example of a student asking for support.

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.

Master Academia

Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe and receive Master Academia's quarterly newsletter.

Asking for a recommendation letter from a PhD supervisor

How many conferences postgrads should attend, related articles.

How to write a unique thesis acknowledgement (+ FAQs)

The importance of sleep for efficient thesis writing

The top 10 thesis defense questions (+ how to prepare strong answers)

Dealing with conflicting feedback from different supervisors

How to Make Your Thesis Supervision Work for You

For most doctoral students, it takes a lot of determination and hard work to defend their thesis successfully. During a thesis defense, researchers are expected to present their research to a panel of experts. These individuals are well-versed in the subject being discussed and may ask probing questions that require in-depth knowledge and expertise to answer. This is where an experienced supervisor becomes invaluable. It is widely acknowledged that having a capable supervisor is half the battle won in a student’s doctoral journey.  

Doctoral students must never underestimate the importance of a good supervisor. It is also essential to keep in mind that while it is good to work under a supervisor who supports you and instills a great deal of confidence at critical junctures in your doctoral journey, it is equally essential for the students to drive the process. For thesis supervision to have a positive impact, students must keep an open mind and maintain a reciprocal approach by building on the inputs and ideas suggested by their supervisor.  

In this article, we will talk about how to make your thesis supervision work for you and how the partnership with your supervisor should inspire you to rise above any challenges that you may face while pursuing your PhD.  

How to make the best of thesis supervision

As a research student, you should be aware of what to expect from your supervisors and how best you can make use of their feedback to get the best results for your work. The following guidelines will be helpful in this regard. 

You are the driver, and the thesis is your responsibility

It is essential to internalize the fact that your thesis is ultimately your responsibility. The supervisor is not going to do the work for you, and you should not be waiting for them to give you orders on what to do. The supervisor’s responsibility is to provide you with the necessary guidance and advice on various aspects of your thesis work and at all stages of your thesis progression. To this end, you need to ensure that you submit your work periodically so that supervisors can respond to your work in a timely manner. Submission of written work is, therefore, critical. Make sure that you highlight any specific aspects or areas in your work for which you may need your supervisor’s guidance.  

Plan regular meetings with your supervisor

Having regular thesis supervision sessions is critical, and a mutually convenient time should be fixed for these sessions. Such dedicated time should be utilized as an excellent opportunity for the students to understand and discuss their supervisor’s feedback, identify the strengths and limitations of the submitted work, and decide on the following steps to be taken. Having such regular sessions should be counted as a learning process. It also enables the supervisor to understand the progression of your work. In cases where the students need to consult their supervisor in between sessions, they should be able to plan it out with the supervisor during specified office hours. 

Taking a positive and proactive approach

Students must understand that at various stages of thesis supervision, they can receive both praise and constructive criticism as feedback. A positive and proactive approach needs to be developed in handling both situations, keeping in mind that these are ultimately for improving your work. At the PhD level, you are expected to learn to be more independent in the course of your work. There may also be situations where you receive contradictory feedback from two supervisors. This is normal since supervisors have different research interests and experiences, and research arguments can be put forward in various ways. Here, the best option is to have an open discussion with the supervisory team and agree on the steps ahead. 

Being professional in discharging your duties

Being respectful to each other is critical in a supervisor-supervisee relationship. As mentioned earlier, feedback from supervisors should be approached constructively. Aim to view your supervisors as experts from whom you can further your knowledge. However, in genuine cases where there is hardly any functional relationship between the supervisor and the supervisee, students should contact their department focal points. Examples of dysfunctional relations include:

• Failure to provide any feedback.
• Having meetings with the doctoral student.
• Being disrespectful to students.
• Offering irrelevant, poor-quality feedback.

Each institution will have its own procedures to deal with such cases, and it is essential to contact the concerned persons to address the same. 

Paperpal is an AI writing assistant that help academics write better, faster with real-time suggestions for in-depth language and grammar correction. Trained on millions of research manuscripts enhanced by professional academic editors, Paperpal delivers human precision at machine speed.   

Try it for free or upgrade to  Paperpal Prime , which unlocks unlimited access to premium features like academic translation, paraphrasing, contextual synonyms, consistency checks, submission readiness and more. It’s like always having a professional academic editor by your side! Go beyond limitations and experience the future of academic writing.  Get Paperpal Prime now at just US$19 a month !    

Related Reads:

8 most effective ways to increase motivation for thesis writing .

• 6 Tips for Post-Doc Researchers to Take Their Career to the Next Level
• Scientific Writing Style Guides Explained
• How to Write a Research Paper Introduction (with Examples)

How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively

You may also like, research process steps: research procedure and examples, how to write a case study in research..., online ai writing tools: cost-efficient help for dissertation..., what are research skills definition, importance, and examples , what is phd dissertation defense and how to..., machine translation vs human translation: which is reliable..., what is academic integrity, and why is it..., how to make a graphical abstract, how to cite in apa format (7th edition):..., academic integrity vs academic dishonesty: types & examples.

A Short Guide for writing your Thesis at the Research Unit of Law

Are you interested in writing a diploma thesis at the Research Unit of Law?

Step 1: Contact your Prospective Supervisor

Do you have a thought-through proposal for a thesis topic?

Get in touch with the lecturer at the Research Unit of Law whose main research interests coincide with the intended topic of your thesis.

When you first contact your prospective supervisor, you should attach a tentative abstract and a provisional table of contents of your thesis proposal. It should include:

• The aim of the work;
• A research question;
• Your chosen methodology;
• An abstract (max. 1 page);
• A provisional table of contents / rough structure; and
• An indicative bibliography (literature, legal sources, etc.).

As soon as you have agreed on a topic with your supervisor, please fill in the corresponding form in TISS , opens an external URL in a new window .

Step 2: Determine a Research Question and Structure

Your prospective supervisor and you will have to agree on a research question and structure. You will then be expected to submit an abstract ( exposé ) to your supervisor for final approval.

Step 3: Writing your Thesis

A) general specifications.

In quantitative terms your thesis should roughly comply with the following:

Please use:

• A legible font (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri etc.);
• Font size 12 pts for the body text (for the footnotes: 10 pts);
• Line spacing: 1.5.

Please precede the body text with a table of contents and a list of abbreviations.

The sources used (literature, legal sources, internet sources, etc.) must be listed at the end of your thesis.

Depending on what has been agreed with your supervisor, individual sections of the thesis can be submitted for inspection in advance and, if necessary, discussed before the entire thesis is submitted.

In the case of electronic submission, attention must also be paid to the naming of the file. Avoid spaces in the file name and please adhere to the following naming rule: <Diploma-title>_<Name>_<Description>_<Date  yymmdd>.<Extension> E.g.:

• BA_Mueller_Abstract_200301.docx
• MA_Berger_Final_220726.pdf

b) Citation Style

Lawyers usually work with footnotes. In Austria, quotations are made according to the specifications of Legcit , opens an external URL in a new window or AZR , opens an external URL in a new window . Both of these compilations of legal citation rules are available in the library of the FoB Law and can be viewed there.

You can also choose another common and familiar citation style. Above all, it is important that you quote completely and consistently! ATTENTION: Special citation rules apply to legal sources!

A distinction must be made in particular between those for legal provisions , opens an external URL in a new window and court decisions , opens an external URL in a new window . These are to be followed regardless of the selected citation style.

c) Plagiarism Check

In this context, please note the guidelines , opens an external URL in a new window (in German) for dealing with plagiarism in student theses at the TU Wien.

Back to the start

Publications

• Top menu level E280-01-Research Unit Law Research Unit
• Back: list subpages of parent page "Diploma theses" Back to: Diploma theses
• A Short Guide for writing your Thesis

About Cookies and other techniques

Our website uses cookies and integrates content from third-party providers to ensure you get the best experience on our website, for analytical purposes, to provide social media features, and for targeted advertising. This it is necessary in order to pass information on to respective service providers. If you would like additional information about cookies and content from third-party providers on this website, please see our Data protection declaration .

These cookies are required to help our website run smoothly.

These cookies help us to continuously improve our services and adapt our website to your needs. We statistically evaluate the pseudonymized data collected from our website.

With the help of these cookies and third-party content we strive to improve our offer for our users. By means of anonymized data of website users we can optimize the user flow. This enables us to improve ads and website content.

• CEC Nisa/Neisse The Concept
• Study Programme INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Application

• Practical information
• Organisation of study
• Calendar of academic year
• Study regulations
• Student portals

Diploma thesis

• Joint project
• Intercultural materials

Introductory Remarks

The procedure for writing a Master's thesis at the IHI is as follows: You agree on the specific topic of your Master thesis through individual consultations with your corresponding reviewer/supervisor. Your reviewer/supervisor will also support you in case of problems and questions during the time of your work. Also formal aspects of your thesis will be obtained from your supervisor.

Note that there are no a priori specified dates for the official start of the writing of your thesis. You should agree on the starting date with your individual supervisor. Once you and your supervisor/reviewer have agreed on the starting date you have to fill out the application form (see below) and hand in this form to the examination office.

The application form is available from the examination office [ Tato e-mailová adresa je chráněna před spamboty. Pro její zobrazení musíte mít povolen Javascript. ]   or on the homepage of the  student administration.

The application form must contain following information:

• Title of Master-Thesis
• Signature from corresponding supervisor (IHI Zittau)
• Signature from second reviewer (possible also from TU Liberec)
• Signature from student

The signatures (digital or manual) required for succesful application (supervisor, reviewer) must be individually obtained by the student . 

The application form is also available via this link: [ https://tu-dresden.de/ihi-zittau/studium/pruefungsamt/zulassung-zur-masterarbeit ]

Processing Time

The processing time is four months (120 days) starting with official registration via examination office.

If the requested topic has been approved, the candidate receives a notification from the examination office stating the binding deadline for the submission of the work.

• Only this official deadline given by the examination office is binding.
• If the candidate is unable to meet the deadline for unforeseen reasons for which he/she is not responsible (e.g. problems in getting data, problems in receiving relevant literature, sickness), he/she may request an extension of up to two months in writing. If extension is necessary, this request should be explained and submitted at least two weeks before the offici al deadline to the examination office after consultation with your supervisor.

The Master's thesis must be submitted in two bound copies and on a electronic data carrier (CD or USB-Stick) to the examination office in due time.

If the Master's thesis is submitted too late, it will be graded as "insufficient"; a single repetition is permitted within one year.

Final Module

Admission to the module is granted when at least 60 ECTS (from compulsory and elective modules) have been achieved.

The final module consists of the written thesis [22 ECTS] and a defense [3 ECTS.] in the aftermath of submission.

Module Research design and research straegies

As a supplementary option for TUL students writing their Master-thesis at IHI it is possible to enroll for the module „Research design and Research strategies“ [M_IM 4.1.]

If you are planning to write your Master's thesis at IHI, we strongly recommend to also take this module [5 ECTS]. In this module you have the opportunity to present an intermediate status of your work during the official time of writing your thesis. The presentation is about 20 minutes is followed by an extensive discussion and recommendations for your further procedure. You will get a grade on the basis of your presentation and discussion. Usually, the date for this module is fixed on the application form of the master's thesis.

More information can be found here: [ https://tu-dresden.de/ihi-zittau/ressourcen/dateien/pruefungs-und-studienordnungen/po-so-ab-2019/im/SO_Master_IM_16-03-2019.pdf?lang=de ]

Final Thesis Assignment - during the 1st year of study

Students of the first year of Master study (during April, a year before finishing the study) register for   the framework topic of the diploma master thesis   at one of the departments in a given term. The master thesis is to be worked out within the framework of the  Diploma Thesis I and II course. The student has to meet a deadline and submit the thesis to the head of the appropriate department.

The topics of final Master Thesis   for assignment will be available in the IS STAG during March 2022. Please login into IS STAG, then go to MY STUDY – THESIS TOPICS. Select the academic year 2022/2023 and you can search for topics in English according to your interest or intended specialization.

• KSY –    Department of Economic Statistics
• KEK –    Department of Economics
• KFU –    Department of Finance and Accounting
• KIN –     Department of Informatics
• KMG –   Department of Marketing and Trade
• KPE –    Department of Business Administration and Management

Students should follow the requirements given by the supervisor of selected topic, and of course, they can consult the selected thesis proposals with possible supervisors.

A student can propose an individual framework topic by the end of February at the latest by individual agreement with the future supervisor of the final thesis. In case of approving the final thesis topic by the thesis supervisor and the guarantor of the study field, this topic shall be is stipulated in the study record system STAG with the note that it is intended for a particular student.

The registration of the topics of the diploma thesis starts in IS STAG  on April 1, 2022 . Each student can register up to three topics.

During   April 2022 , supervisors will select students (they can choose more students per topic). Students will confirm their interest and opt out of other registrations. In case the selected subject is not confirmed, the student selects free topics. If there is no vacant topic anymore, please contact vice-dean of the faculty for foreign affairs  Ing. Lenka Strýčková, Ph.D .

After registering with the supervisor, the student will complete   the background for the specific topic assignment   of the FT into the IS STAG (tab of FT topics):

• title in English language,
• the principles for elaboration (in the form of a numbered list) must be in accordance with the name of the assignment of the topic of FT and must correspond to what the student is supposed to solve in the assignment of the topic of FT,
• a list of recommended current literature (in the form of a bulleted list, not older than 10 years (at least 1-2 foreign sources). The student will leave the item of the list (PROQUEST) unchanged, enter the name of the consultant under the bibliography for two rebounded lines,
• the student chooses – “Student completes the supplementary background of the FT” and saves it.

The thesis supervisor checks the data entered by the student into IS STAG and, if necessary, agrees with the student on the adjustments. After the final adjustments, the teacher chooses "the teacher's approval of the supplementary background of the FT and saves it.

Subsequently, the dean approves the assignment through mass approval in IS STAG.

In the event of disapproval by the Dean or the Head of the Department, the assignment shall be returned to the student.

After approval by the Dean, no later than 31.10. in AY the secretariat of the relevant department generates an assignment from the IS STAG, which will be a part of the printed FT.

You have the right to change the topic of your master thesis once, if needed.

There will be a diploma seminar   in May 2022 ; the exact date and time will be specified later. Participation in the seminar is obligatory! The credit (DS1PE) is awarded by the supervisor of the diploma thesis   the next academic year   on the basis of participation in the seminar.

PowerPoint Presentation – Diploma Seminar

During September 2022 (until   1 October 2022 ) you should prepare and submit Assigment of Diploma Thesis with the help of your supervisor.

Processing of Final Thesis - during the 4th semester of study

The Final Thesis is elaborated by the student in written form. Depending on the nature of the topic assignment, it is supplemented by appendices. The range of the FT corresponds to the given topic and is given in the FT specifications. The usual scope of the bachelor thesis is of 30 standard pages, the usual scope of the Master Thesis is of 65 standard pages, including figures and tables (1 standard page represents 1 800 characters including spaces). The title pages, assignments, appendices, and the references do not count towards the scope.

For processing of FT please see the   Directive of the Dean No. 1/2019 .

Deadlines for submitting the diploma thesis in academic year 2021/22:

• May 6, 2022 for state exam and defence  in June
• June 15, 2022, for state exam and defence in September

INTERNATIONALES HOCHSCHULINSTITUT ZITTAU  | FACULTY OF ECONOMIC OF THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF LIBEREC