<p>Should you contact a professor you would like to research with, even before you apply to the university? (I'm applying to Master's programs). I have noticed it's an option to say whether you contacted a professor and who this professor is on the application. I'm assuming the admissions committee contacts the professor. I imagine this is pivotal for people applying for PhDs, but is it the same for a Master's? </p>
<p>I plan on name-dropping a specific professor in my SOP. She studies my research interest, although she does not teach courses within the school I'm applying to. I have not yet contacted her and now I'm thinking it might be a good idea. Would appreciate any advice! </p>
<p>I don’t see why not. Contacting them <em>after you apply</em> other than just to get to know each other (that is to say, to indulge any anxiety over whether you’re going to get in) people say is not well received, though, so be sure to make contact before application time. </p>
You should absolutely try. Contact the professor to find out some more details (beyond what is in their recent publications, which you should at least peruse) about what they are doing, how they work, what they are looking for in a student, etc. Don’t contact them just to say hi, have a good reason, ask for information that will help you decide whether or not to apply, whether or not you want to work with them specifically, and/or what you should be doing to prepare for that particular lab group. And be aware that a lot of professors refuse to reply, and many get so many such contacts that they simply miss some.</p>
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Yes, but like in all issues between the two types of degree, it matters less for the masters.</p>
<p>Can you? Sure.
Should you? Depends on what you have to say.</p>
<p>I contacted a few professors in departments where I applied for a professional master’s. I was certain I wanted a research career, and my plan was to follow up an MPH with a PhD, preferably in the same department where I did a PhD. So I only applied for MPHs in departments where I also could see myself getting a PhD, and I contacted the professors I was potentially interested in working with through both phases of the degree. I contacted them the same way I would if I was interested in a PhD, and this was pretty well received.</p>
<p>But you certainly don’t have to, even if you mention a specific professor in your statement. And if you do, you should have a good reason for doing so - like that you really want to do research in this specific professor’s lab and want to know what the opportunities are for that, or want to know about her current and/or future projects (sometimes the websites are not properly updated with that information). Don’t do it just so you can check the Yes box on the app.</p>