How to phrase request to Professor of restricted class in another department

[Coconut Water]

My faculty advisor has already given me an enthusiastic nod to take a certain class as an elective that falls outside my department. The class and its professor seem to excellent fit for my area of study.

 

However, the class is restricted to students of that particular department. I will be in the Dept. of Education while the class is restricted to students in the Dept. of Information Studies. But both departments are in the same Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA. The class really does make sense with my area of specialization (having to do with media, culture, technology and social aspects). I feel the class would be a great way to get started on thinking about what my thesis will be about, and my Fall schedule will be well-rounded with this course.

 

What is a polite and promising way to phrase my email to the professor of the class to allow me to add her class? This is my first quarter and I hope to get the most out of a very condensed Master's program (it's only 1 academic year long). The class is still open, last I checked.

 

P.S. My back-up choice is a core course in my department, but it's in the evening which conflicts with a medical issue I am resolving. I don't think I should mention my medical issue, as I don't want to call attention to it and complicate things.  I may be required to attend certain events in the evenings for my department, but I think those would be sporadic and hence more manageable than counting on sitting through a 4 hour class suffering with my condition.  I don't want it to look like I used the medical issue as an excuse to enroll.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Coconut Water

[fuzzylogician]

Dear Professor X, 

 

My name is Coconut Water, an incoming Masters student in the Department of Education at UCLA. I am writing to ask whether it would be possible for me to take your class 'Topics in Awesomeness' in the upcoming Fall semester. This class was recommended to my by my advisor, Prof Y, since my research interests include Awesomeness and Amazingness. I believe your class would be a great way for me to round out my classes for the Fall and to start thinking about a topic for my thesis. Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is any additional information I can provide. 

 

Thank you,

Coconut Water 

 

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If this is someone who you might consider collaborating with, or having on your thesis committee or some such, you could include a line about looking forward to meeting this prof in person in the Fall.

[Coconut Water]

Thanks fuzzy!

[fuzzylogician]

Thanks fuzzy!

 

You're welcome. Now that I think about it, you should change 'semester' to quarter. UCLA is on a quarter system, if I'm not mistaken. 

 

Also, as for your edit, I don't think there is any need to mention the medical issue at the moment. If the prof says no and there is no solution that doesn't affect your health, then I would bring it up.

 

ETA: err, yes. Quarters. You say so yourself in your post. 

Edited July 20, 2014 by fuzzylogician

[lewin]

1. Don't mention the medical issue.

 

2. You could consider including a line that says "I have read this course is restricted to xxx majors but I'm hoping you can make an exception because....."   Then it's clear you read the rules. There's nothing that bugs me more than a student email that looks like they haven't read the rules before emailing

[Guest |||]

I really like that coconut water student, much better than the greasy water applicant we got.

[Sigaba]

Dear Professor X, 

 

My name is Coconut Water, an incoming Masters student in the Department of Education at UCLA. I am writing to ask whether it would be possible for me to take your class 'Topics in Awesomeness' in the upcoming Fall semester. This class was recommended to my by my advisor, Prof Y, since my research interests include Awesomeness and Amazingness. I believe your class would be a great way for me to round out my classes for the Fall and to start thinking about a topic for my thesis. Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is any additional information I can provide. 

 

Thank you,

Coconut Water 

 

---

If this is someone who you might consider collaborating with, or having on your thesis committee or some such, you could include a line about looking forward to meeting this prof in person in the Fall.

 

I recommend changing the highlighted to: 

 

I am writing to ask for your permission to take your class...this fall.

 

The reason for the recommendation is that it allows you to cut right to the chase and to identify the "action item" for the recipient a bit more efficiently.

 

Also, if the course has prerequisites, please consider writing a brief sentence or two in which you describe how your previous work may fulfill those requirements.

 

As you wait for a reply, find ways to familiarize yourself with the bureaucratic / administrative steps that may follow. For example, if there are forms to fill out, make sure you have a couple of copies and that you've read the instructions carefully. This way, if the professor writes to you something along the way of "Okay, make it happen." you know what to do next.