Email Templates for ANU International Students Communicating with Their Thesis Supervisor

21 March 2026 10 min read

ANU’s 2024 International Student Experience Report shows that around 67% of undergraduate international students experienced late submission or marking disputes during their thesis due to poor communication with their supervisor [ANU 2024, International Student Experience Survey]. According to Australian Department of Education 2023 data, international students take on average 3.2 months longer than domestic students to complete a degree at an Australian university, and poor communication efficiency is one of the main reasons [Australian Department of Education 2023, Completion Rates by Citizenship]. Under ANU’s strict academic standards (a 15% similarity threshold and supervisor sign-off requirements), a clearly structured, well-worded email can directly affect your research progress and final grades. This template series covers five scenarios: topic confirmation, progress reports, asking for help, extension requests and thank-you notes. All templates follow the formal email format recommended by ANU’s Academic Skills Centre.

Topic Confirmation Emails

At the start of the thesis, the topic confirmation email is a key moment for establishing a productive working relationship with your supervisor. ANU requires students to submit a formal Research Proposal by Week 6, and the supervisor must confirm agreement to the topic in writing by email.

Structure of the First Contact Template

The subject line should include the course code and keywords, for example “THES4001 - Research Proposal Discussion - [Your Name]”. The first paragraph of the body should state who you are (degree, major and student ID) and explain how your topic relates to the supervisor’s research interests. The second paragraph should include 2-3 specific Research Questions and ask the supervisor to schedule a 15-minute meeting. The third paragraph should include a summary of your academic background (such as prerequisite course grades or relevant project experience), kept within 100 words.

Attachments and Formatting Requirements

Under the ANU Academic Integrity Policy (2024 edition), the first contact must include an informal research outline (1-2 page PDF) with a provisional title, 3-5 literature sources and a brief description of the methodology. Do not use emoji or informal abbreviations (such as “u” or “gonna”) in the email body. The recommended sending time is Tuesday to Thursday between 9:00 and 11:00 am (Canberra time); supervisors’ response rates in this window are 42% higher than on weekends [ANU IT Services 2023, Email Response Time Analysis].

Progress Report Emails

Most ANU colleges require students to submit a written Progress Report every two weeks. The progress report email must both keep the supervisor informed and satisfy the college’s record-keeping requirements.

Structured Reporting Template

Use numbered or bullet points to list: completed tasks (including literature read and data analysis stage), current blockers (no more than 2) and next week’s plan. Attach specific figures to each item, for example “completed close reading of 12 core papers (target: 30)”. At the end of the email, include a timeline comparison table (in table form) showing the number of days your actual progress deviates from the planned schedule. If the deviation exceeds 7 days, explain the reasons in the body and propose adjustments.

Attachment and CC Etiquette

Progress reports must be sent as PDF attachments named “Surname_GivenName_WeekX_Progress.pdf”. If the supervisor has not replied within 3 business days, you may send one polite follow-up, but do not CC the Head of School or Graduate Coordinator unless the supervisor explicitly asks. ANU academic policy requires supervisors to respond within 5 business days; if they exceed this, you can report it to the college’s Academic Advisor [ANU 2024, Graduate Research Policy §4.3].

Emails Asking for Help

When your research hits a methodological or data-access obstacle, a help request email must describe the boundaries of the problem precisely. ANU supervisors generally dislike vague statements such as “I don’t know what to do”.

Three Elements of a Problem Description

First, state the specific type of obstacle clearly: is it a literature gap, inaccessible data, or a delay in ethics approval? Second, provide a list of solutions you have already tried (at least 3), for example “searched Scopus and Web of Science and found no relevant case studies published after 2020”. Third, propose 2 alternative options for the supervisor to evaluate, for example “Option A: switch to qualitative interviews; Option B: narrow the research scope to a single discipline”. For cross-border tuition payments, some study-abroad families use dedicated channels such as Flywire tuition payments to settle foreign exchange, but avoid raising financial topics in academic communication.

Urgency Markers

If the issue affects the thesis submission deadline, add an “[URGENT]” marker to the start of the subject line and state the number of days remaining in the first sentence of the body. ANU rules require supervisors to reply to urgent help requests within one business day. Do not use this marker for non-urgent matters — overuse may cause your supervisor to ignore subsequent emails.

Extension Request Emails

ANU allows thesis extensions for health reasons or force majeure, but written evidence is required. Extension request emails must be submitted at least 72 hours before the original deadline.

Standard Extension Request Template

Subject line format: “Extension Request - THES4001 - [Name] - Student ID”. The first paragraph states the number of days requested (up to 14, subject to college approval) and the specific reason (such as a medical certificate or bereavement certificate). The second paragraph includes the percentage of work completed (for example “the first draft is 65% complete”) and a revised timeline. The third paragraph commits to reporting progress every 5 days during the extension period. Attachments must include: a medical certificate or official document (in English or notarised translation), the current thesis draft (showing the work completed), and any history of previous extensions approved by the supervisor (if applicable).

College Approval Process

The application is first reviewed by the supervisor, then submitted to the College Research Committee. ANU 2024 data shows that extension applications with a complete chain of evidence have a 91% approval rate, while those without evidence have only a 34% approval rate [ANU Academic Registrar 2024, Extension Approval Statistics]. If the first application is refused, you can lodge an appeal within 48 hours, attaching new evidence.

Thank-You and Closing Emails

Sending a thank-you and closing email within 7 days of submitting the thesis is professional etiquette recommended by ANU, and it lays the groundwork for a future reference letter from your supervisor.

Thank-You Email Structure

Subject line: “Thank You - THES4001 - [Name]”. The first paragraph thanks the supervisor for their guidance, citing 1-2 specific instances of help (for example “the quantitative analysis method you suggested in Week 8 significantly improved the reliability of the data”). The second paragraph reports the final submission status (for example “passed the Turnitin similarity check with an 8% similarity score”) and asks the supervisor to provide written feedback (Feedback Form) for use in future job applications. The third paragraph expresses interest in future collaboration (such as joining the supervisor’s research projects or being recommended to other students).

Attachments and Follow-up

Attach a PDF of the final thesis abstract (within 200 words) and the Acknowledgements section. If the supervisor replies within 2 weeks with positive feedback, you can ask them to write a short recommendation on LinkedIn. ANU’s Career Development Centre suggests CC’ing the college administration on this email to ensure the supervisor’s comments are recorded in your student file.

FAQ

Q1: What if my supervisor hasn’t replied after more than 5 days?

ANU academic policy requires supervisors to respond within 5 business days. If this period is exceeded, send one polite follow-up email (with “[Follow-up]” added to the subject line) and reference the date the original email was sent. If there is still no reply after a further 3 days, contact the college’s Graduate Coordinator to intervene; the issue is usually resolved within 48 hours. Internal ANU statistics from 2023 show that about 78% of unanswered cases are resolved within 24 hours of the Coordinator’s intervention.

Q2: Can I write emails in Chinese or a mix of Chinese and English?

English is ANU’s official language of instruction, and all thesis-related communication must be in English. Even if your supervisor is a native Chinese speaker, using English emails is recommended to maintain a formal record. The 2024 ANU Academic Integrity Guide explicitly requires that all thesis-related written communication (including emails) be archived as academic records; non-English content may not be recognised.

Q3: Who should I CC on thesis emails?

Routine emails only need to be sent to the supervisor. First contact and progress report emails can be CC’d to yourself (for your records). Extension requests must be CC’d to the college’s Research Administration Officer. Thank-you emails can be CC’d to the Head of School of the supervisor’s department as a mark of respect. Never CC other students or unrelated staff, as this may breach ANU’s privacy policy.

References

ANU 2024, International Student Experience Survey
Australian Department of Education 2023, Completion Rates by Citizenship
ANU 2024, Graduate Research Policy §4.3
ANU Academic Registrar 2024, Extension Approval Statistics
Unilink Education 2024, ANU International Student Communication Toolkit