diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/admin.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/admin.py
index 3b40290f5d3c..9d6926c91642 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/admin.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/admin.py
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 """
 from django.contrib import admin
 
-from bulk_email.models import CourseEmail, Optout
+from bulk_email.models import CourseEmail, Optout, CourseEmailTemplate
+from bulk_email.forms import CourseEmailTemplateForm
 
 
 class CourseEmailAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
@@ -16,5 +17,33 @@ class OptoutAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
     list_display = ('user', 'course_id')
 
 
+class CourseEmailTemplateAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    form = CourseEmailTemplateForm
+    fieldsets = (
+        (None, {
+            # make the HTML template display above the plain template:
+            'fields': ('html_template', 'plain_template'),
+            'description': '''
+Enter template to be used by course staff when sending emails to enrolled students.
+
+The HTML template is for HTML email, and may contain HTML markup.  The plain template is
+for plaintext email.  Both templates should contain the string '{{message_body}}' (with
+two curly braces on each side), to indicate where the email text is to be inserted.
+'''
+        }),
+    )
+    # Turn off the action bar (we have no bulk actions)
+    actions = None
+
+    def has_add_permission(self, request):
+        """Disables the ability to add new templates, as we want to maintain a Singleton."""
+        return False
+
+    def has_delete_permission(self, request, obj=None):
+        """Disables the ability to remove existing templates, as we want to maintain a Singleton."""
+        return False
+
+
 admin.site.register(CourseEmail, CourseEmailAdmin)
 admin.site.register(Optout, OptoutAdmin)
+admin.site.register(CourseEmailTemplate, CourseEmailTemplateAdmin)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/fixtures/course_email_template.json b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/fixtures/course_email_template.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..427dfbb8aab4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/fixtures/course_email_template.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[
+    {
+        "pk": 1, 
+        "model": "bulk_email.courseemailtemplate", 
+        "fields": {
+            "plain_template": "{{message_body}}\r\n----\r\nThis email was automatically sent from {platform_name}.\r\nYou are receiving this email at address {email} because you are enrolled in {course_title}\r\n(URL: {course_url} ).\r\nTo stop receiving email like this, update your account settings at {account_settings_url}.\r\n", 
+            "html_template": "{{message_body}}\r\n<br/>\r\n----<br/>\r\nThis email was automatically sent from {platform_name}. <br/>\r\nYou are receiving this email at address {email} because you are enrolled in <a href=\"{course_url}\">{course_title}</a>.<br />\r\nTo stop receiving email like this, update your course email settings <a href=\"{account_settings_url}\">here</a>. <br />\r\n"
+        }
+    }
+]
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/forms.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/forms.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2ccdd72d1668
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/forms.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import logging
+
+from django import forms
+from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
+
+from bulk_email.models import CourseEmailTemplate, COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class CourseEmailTemplateForm(forms.ModelForm):
+    """Form providing validation of CourseEmail templates."""
+
+    class Meta:
+        model = CourseEmailTemplate
+
+    def _validate_template(self, template):
+        """Check the template for required tags."""
+        index = template.find(COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG)
+        if index < 0:
+            msg = 'Missing tag: "{}"'.format(COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG)
+            log.warning(msg)
+            raise ValidationError(msg)
+        if template.find(COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG, index + 1) >= 0:
+            msg = 'Multiple instances of tag: "{}"'.format(COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG)
+            log.warning(msg)
+            raise ValidationError(msg)
+        # TODO: add more validation here, including the set of known tags
+        # for which values will be supplied.  (Email will fail if the template
+        # uses tags for which values are not supplied.)
+
+    def clean_html_template(self):
+        """Validate the HTML template."""
+        template = self.cleaned_data["html_template"]
+        self._validate_template(template)
+        return template
+
+    def clean_plain_template(self):
+        """Validate the plaintext template."""
+        template = self.cleaned_data["plain_template"]
+        self._validate_template(template)
+        return template
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/0006_add_course_email_template.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/0006_add_course_email_template.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e41234fcff3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/0006_add_course_email_template.py
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from south.db import db
+from south.v2 import SchemaMigration
+from django.db import models
+
+
+class Migration(SchemaMigration):
+
+    def forwards(self, orm):
+        # Rename 'to' field to 'to_option'
+        db.rename_column('bulk_email_courseemail', 'to', 'to_option')
+
+        # Adding model 'CourseEmailTemplate'
+        db.create_table('bulk_email_courseemailtemplate', (
+            ('id', self.gf('django.db.models.fields.AutoField')(primary_key=True)),
+            ('html_template', self.gf('django.db.models.fields.TextField')(null=True, blank=True)),
+            ('plain_template', self.gf('django.db.models.fields.TextField')(null=True, blank=True)),
+        ))
+        db.send_create_signal('bulk_email', ['CourseEmailTemplate'])
+
+    def backwards(self, orm):
+        # Rename 'to_option' field back to 'to'
+        db.rename_column('bulk_email_courseemail', 'to_option', 'to')
+
+        # Deleting model 'CourseEmailTemplate'
+        db.delete_table('bulk_email_courseemailtemplate')
+
+
+    models = {
+        'auth.group': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'Group'},
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'unique': 'True', 'max_length': '80'}),
+            'permissions': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField', [], {'to': "orm['auth.Permission']", 'symmetrical': 'False', 'blank': 'True'})
+        },
+        'auth.permission': {
+            'Meta': {'ordering': "('content_type__app_label', 'content_type__model', 'codename')", 'unique_together': "(('content_type', 'codename'),)", 'object_name': 'Permission'},
+            'codename': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'}),
+            'content_type': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ForeignKey', [], {'to': "orm['contenttypes.ContentType']"}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '50'})
+        },
+        'auth.user': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'User'},
+            'date_joined': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'default': 'datetime.datetime.now'}),
+            'email': ('django.db.models.fields.EmailField', [], {'max_length': '75', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'first_name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '30', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'groups': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField', [], {'to': "orm['auth.Group']", 'symmetrical': 'False', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'is_active': ('django.db.models.fields.BooleanField', [], {'default': 'True'}),
+            'is_staff': ('django.db.models.fields.BooleanField', [], {'default': 'False'}),
+            'is_superuser': ('django.db.models.fields.BooleanField', [], {'default': 'False'}),
+            'last_login': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'default': 'datetime.datetime.now'}),
+            'last_name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '30', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'password': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '128'}),
+            'user_permissions': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField', [], {'to': "orm['auth.Permission']", 'symmetrical': 'False', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'username': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'unique': 'True', 'max_length': '30'})
+        },
+        'bulk_email.courseemail': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'CourseEmail'},
+            'course_id': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '255', 'db_index': 'True'}),
+            'created': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'auto_now_add': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'html_message': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'modified': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'auto_now': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'sender': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ForeignKey', [], {'default': '1', 'to': "orm['auth.User']", 'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'slug': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '128', 'db_index': 'True'}),
+            'subject': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '128', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'text_message': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'to_option': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'default': "'myself'", 'max_length': '64'})
+        },
+        'bulk_email.courseemailtemplate': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'CourseEmailTemplate'},
+            'html_template': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'plain_template': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'})
+        },
+        'bulk_email.optout': {
+            'Meta': {'unique_together': "(('user', 'course_id'),)", 'object_name': 'Optout'},
+            'course_id': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '255', 'db_index': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'user': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ForeignKey', [], {'to': "orm['auth.User']", 'null': 'True'})
+        },
+        'contenttypes.contenttype': {
+            'Meta': {'ordering': "('name',)", 'unique_together': "(('app_label', 'model'),)", 'object_name': 'ContentType', 'db_table': "'django_content_type'"},
+            'app_label': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'model': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'}),
+            'name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'})
+        }
+    }
+
+    complete_apps = ['bulk_email']
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/0007_load_course_email_template.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/0007_load_course_email_template.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7ccaaf07f9bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/0007_load_course_email_template.py
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+from south.v2 import DataMigration
+
+
+class Migration(DataMigration):
+
+    def forwards(self, orm):
+        "Load data from fixture."
+        from django.core.management import call_command
+        call_command("loaddata", "course_email_template.json")
+
+    def backwards(self, orm):
+        "Perform a no-op to go backwards."
+        pass
+
+    models = {
+        'auth.group': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'Group'},
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'unique': 'True', 'max_length': '80'}),
+            'permissions': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField', [], {'to': "orm['auth.Permission']", 'symmetrical': 'False', 'blank': 'True'})
+        },
+        'auth.permission': {
+            'Meta': {'ordering': "('content_type__app_label', 'content_type__model', 'codename')", 'unique_together': "(('content_type', 'codename'),)", 'object_name': 'Permission'},
+            'codename': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'}),
+            'content_type': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ForeignKey', [], {'to': "orm['contenttypes.ContentType']"}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '50'})
+        },
+        'auth.user': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'User'},
+            'date_joined': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'default': 'datetime.datetime.now'}),
+            'email': ('django.db.models.fields.EmailField', [], {'max_length': '75', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'first_name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '30', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'groups': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField', [], {'to': "orm['auth.Group']", 'symmetrical': 'False', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'is_active': ('django.db.models.fields.BooleanField', [], {'default': 'True'}),
+            'is_staff': ('django.db.models.fields.BooleanField', [], {'default': 'False'}),
+            'is_superuser': ('django.db.models.fields.BooleanField', [], {'default': 'False'}),
+            'last_login': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'default': 'datetime.datetime.now'}),
+            'last_name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '30', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'password': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '128'}),
+            'user_permissions': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField', [], {'to': "orm['auth.Permission']", 'symmetrical': 'False', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'username': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'unique': 'True', 'max_length': '30'})
+        },
+        'bulk_email.courseemail': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'CourseEmail'},
+            'course_id': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '255', 'db_index': 'True'}),
+            'created': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'auto_now_add': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'html_message': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'modified': ('django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField', [], {'auto_now': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'sender': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ForeignKey', [], {'default': '1', 'to': "orm['auth.User']", 'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'slug': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '128', 'db_index': 'True'}),
+            'subject': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '128', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'text_message': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'to_option': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'default': "'myself'", 'max_length': '64'})
+        },
+        'bulk_email.courseemailtemplate': {
+            'Meta': {'object_name': 'CourseEmailTemplate'},
+            'html_template': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'plain_template': ('django.db.models.fields.TextField', [], {'null': 'True', 'blank': 'True'})
+        },
+        'bulk_email.optout': {
+            'Meta': {'unique_together': "(('user', 'course_id'),)", 'object_name': 'Optout'},
+            'course_id': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '255', 'db_index': 'True'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'user': ('django.db.models.fields.related.ForeignKey', [], {'to': "orm['auth.User']", 'null': 'True'})
+        },
+        'contenttypes.contenttype': {
+            'Meta': {'ordering': "('name',)", 'unique_together': "(('app_label', 'model'),)", 'object_name': 'ContentType', 'db_table': "'django_content_type'"},
+            'app_label': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'}),
+            'id': ('django.db.models.fields.AutoField', [], {'primary_key': 'True'}),
+            'model': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'}),
+            'name': ('django.db.models.fields.CharField', [], {'max_length': '100'})
+        }
+    }
+
+    complete_apps = ['bulk_email']
+    symmetrical = True
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/models.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/models.py
index 72c9569cc1ec..c7937fab5c6d 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/models.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/models.py
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@
 2. ./manage.py lms schemamigration bulk_email --auto description_of_your_change
 3. Add the migration file created in edx-platform/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/migrations/
 
-
-ASSUMPTIONS: modules have unique IDs, even across different module_types
-
 """
+import logging
 from django.db import models
 from django.contrib.auth.models import User
 
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 class Email(models.Model):
     """
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ class Email(models.Model):
     class Meta:  # pylint: disable=C0111
         abstract = True
 
+SEND_TO_MYSELF = 'myself'
+SEND_TO_STAFF = 'staff'
+SEND_TO_ALL = 'all'
+
 
 class CourseEmail(Email, models.Model):
     """
@@ -48,12 +52,12 @@ class CourseEmail(Email, models.Model):
     #   (student, staff, or instructor)
     #
     TO_OPTIONS = (
-        ('myself', 'Myself'),
-        ('staff', 'Staff and instructors'),
-        ('all', 'All')
+        (SEND_TO_MYSELF, 'Myself'),
+        (SEND_TO_STAFF, 'Staff and instructors'),
+        (SEND_TO_ALL, 'All')
     )
     course_id = models.CharField(max_length=255, db_index=True)
-    to_option = models.CharField(max_length=64, choices=TO_OPTIONS, default='myself')
+    to_option = models.CharField(max_length=64, choices=TO_OPTIONS, default=SEND_TO_MYSELF)
 
     def __unicode__(self):
         return self.subject
@@ -68,3 +72,82 @@ class Optout(models.Model):
 
     class Meta:  # pylint: disable=C0111
         unique_together = ('user', 'course_id')
+
+
+# Defines the tag that must appear in a template, to indicate
+# the location where the email message body is to be inserted.
+COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG = '{{message_body}}'
+
+
+class CourseEmailTemplate(models.Model):
+    """
+    Stores templates for all emails to a course to use.
+
+    This is expected to be a singleton, to be shared across all courses.
+    Initialization takes place in a migration that in turn loads a fixture.
+    The admin console interface disables add and delete operations.
+    Validation is handled in the CourseEmailTemplateForm class.
+    """
+    html_template = models.TextField(null=True, blank=True)
+    plain_template = models.TextField(null=True, blank=True)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def get_template():
+        """
+        Fetch the current template
+
+        If one isn't stored, an exception is thrown.
+        """
+        return CourseEmailTemplate.objects.get()
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _render(format_string, message_body, context):
+        """
+        Create a text message using a template, message body and context.
+
+        Convert message body (`message_body`) into an email message
+        using the provided template.  The template is a format string,
+        which is rendered using format() with the provided `context`
+        dict.  Output is encoded as UTF-8 by default.
+
+        This doesn't insert user's text into template, until such time we can support
+        proper error handling due to errors in the message body (e.g. due to
+        the use of curly braces).
+
+        Instead, for now, we insert the message body *after* the substitutions
+        have been performed, so that anything in the message body that might
+        interfere will be innocently returned as-is.
+
+        Output is returned as a unicode string.  It is not encoded as utf-8.
+        Such encoding is left to the email code, which will use the value
+        of settings.DEFAULT_CHARSET to encode the message.
+        """
+        # If we wanted to support substitution, we'd call:
+        # format_string = format_string.replace(COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG, message_body)
+        result = format_string.format(**context)
+        # Note that the body tag in the template will now have been
+        # "formatted", so we need to do the same to the tag being
+        # searched for.
+        message_body_tag = COURSE_EMAIL_MESSAGE_BODY_TAG.format()
+        result = result.replace(message_body_tag, message_body, 1)
+
+        # finally, return the result, without converting to an encoded byte array.
+        return result
+
+    def render_plaintext(self, plaintext, context):
+        """
+        Create plain text message.
+
+        Convert plain text body (`plaintext`) into plaintext email message using the
+        stored plain template and the provided `context` dict.
+        """
+        return CourseEmailTemplate._render(self.plain_template, plaintext, context)
+
+    def render_htmltext(self, htmltext, context):
+        """
+        Create HTML text message.
+
+        Convert HTML text body (`htmltext`) into HTML email message using the
+        stored HTML template and the provided `context` dict.
+        """
+        return CourseEmailTemplate._render(self.html_template, htmltext, context)
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py
index 7afd286570dd..a0001d37fd77 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tasks.py
@@ -15,11 +15,14 @@
 from django.http import Http404
 from celery import task, current_task
 from celery.utils.log import get_task_logger
+from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 
-from bulk_email.models import CourseEmail, Optout
+from bulk_email.models import (
+    CourseEmail, Optout, CourseEmailTemplate,
+    SEND_TO_MYSELF, SEND_TO_STAFF, SEND_TO_ALL,
+)
 from courseware.access import _course_staff_group_name, _course_instructor_group_name
 from courseware.courses import get_course_by_id
-from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
 
 log = get_task_logger(__name__)
 
@@ -47,9 +50,9 @@ def delegate_email_batches(email_id, to_option, course_id, course_url, user_id):
         log.warning("Failed to get CourseEmail with id %s, retry %d", email_id, current_task.request.retries)
         raise delegate_email_batches.retry(arg=[email_id, to_option, course_id, course_url, user_id], exc=exc)
 
-    if to_option == "myself":
+    if to_option == SEND_TO_MYSELF:
         recipient_qset = User.objects.filter(id=user_id)
-    elif to_option == "all" or to_option == "staff":
+    elif to_option == SEND_TO_ALL or to_option == SEND_TO_STAFF:
         staff_grpname = _course_staff_group_name(course.location)
         staff_group, _ = Group.objects.get_or_create(name=staff_grpname)
         staff_qset = staff_group.user_set.all()
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ def delegate_email_batches(email_id, to_option, course_id, course_url, user_id):
         instructor_qset = instructor_group.user_set.all()
         recipient_qset = staff_qset | instructor_qset
 
-        if to_option == "all":
+        if to_option == SEND_TO_ALL:
             enrollment_qset = User.objects.filter(courseenrollment__course_id=course_id,
                                                   courseenrollment__is_active=True)
             recipient_qset = recipient_qset | enrollment_qset
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@ def delegate_email_batches(email_id, to_option, course_id, course_url, user_id):
     num_queries = int(math.ceil(float(total_num_emails) / float(settings.EMAILS_PER_QUERY)))
     last_pk = recipient_qset[0].pk - 1
     num_workers = 0
-    for j in range(num_queries):
+    for _ in range(num_queries):
         recipient_sublist = list(recipient_qset.order_by('pk').filter(pk__gt=last_pk)
                                  .values('profile__name', 'email', 'pk')[:settings.EMAILS_PER_QUERY])
         last_pk = recipient_sublist[-1]['pk']
@@ -95,7 +98,6 @@ def course_email(email_id, to_list, course_title, course_url, throttle=False):
     being the only "to".  Emails are sent multipart, in both plain
     text and html.
     """
-
     try:
         msg = CourseEmail.objects.get(id=email_id)
     except CourseEmail.DoesNotExist as exc:
@@ -116,41 +118,43 @@ def course_email(email_id, to_list, course_title, course_url, throttle=False):
     course_title_no_quotes = re.sub(r'"', '', course_title)
     from_addr = '"{0}" Course Staff <{1}>'.format(course_title_no_quotes, settings.DEFAULT_BULK_FROM_EMAIL)
 
+    course_email_template = CourseEmailTemplate.get_template()
+
     try:
         connection = get_connection()
         connection.open()
         num_sent = 0
         num_error = 0
 
+        # define context values to use in all course emails:
         email_context = {
             'name': '',
             'email': '',
             'course_title': course_title,
-            'course_url': course_url
+            'course_url': course_url,
+            'account_settings_url': 'https://{}{}'.format(settings.SITE_NAME, reverse('dashboard')),
+            'platform_name': settings.PLATFORM_NAME,
         }
 
         while to_list:
+            # update context with user-specific values:
             email = to_list[-1]['email']
             email_context['email'] = email
             email_context['name'] = to_list[-1]['profile__name']
 
-            html_footer = render_to_string(
-                'emails/email_footer.html',
-                email_context
-            )
+            # construct message content using templates and context:
+            plaintext_msg = course_email_template.render_plaintext(msg.text_message, email_context)
+            html_msg = course_email_template.render_htmltext(msg.html_message, email_context)
 
-            plain_footer = render_to_string(
-                'emails/email_footer.txt',
-                email_context
-            )
+            # create email:
             email_msg = EmailMultiAlternatives(
                 subject,
-                msg.text_message + plain_footer.encode('utf-8'),
+                plaintext_msg,
                 from_addr,
                 [email],
                 connection=connection
             )
-            email_msg.attach_alternative(msg.html_message + html_footer.encode('utf-8'), 'text/html')
+            email_msg.attach_alternative(html_msg, 'text/html')
 
             # Throttle if we tried a few times and got the rate limiter
             if throttle or current_task.request.retries > 0:
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_course_optout.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_course_optout.py
index 18f04cebc149..0adf11952701 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_course_optout.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_course_optout.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import json
 
 from django.core import mail
+from django.core.management import call_command
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@ def setUp(self):
         self.student = UserFactory.create()
         CourseEnrollmentFactory.create(user=self.student, course_id=self.course.id)
 
+        # load initial content (since we don't run migrations as part of tests):
+        call_command("loaddata", "course_email_template.json")
+
         self.client.login(username=self.student.username, password="test")
 
     def tearDown(self):
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py
index b0cf8dc06e2d..86bcba7100cc 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_email.py
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 """
 Unit tests for sending course email
 """
-from django.test.utils import override_settings
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.core import mail
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
+from django.core.management import call_command
+from django.test.utils import override_settings
 
 from courseware.tests.tests import TEST_DATA_MONGO_MODULESTORE
 from student.tests.factories import UserFactory, GroupFactory, CourseEnrollmentFactory
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ def setUp(self):
         for student in self.students:
             CourseEnrollmentFactory.create(user=student, course_id=self.course.id)
 
+        # load initial content (since we don't run migrations as part of tests):
+        call_command("loaddata", "course_email_template.json")
+
         self.client.login(username=self.instructor.username, password="test")
 
         # Pull up email view on instructor dashboard
@@ -208,10 +212,8 @@ def test_unicode_message_send_to_all(self):
             [self.instructor.email] + [s.email for s in self.staff] + [s.email for s in self.students]
         )
 
-        self.assertIn(
-            uni_message,
-            mail.outbox[0].body
-        )
+        message_body = mail.outbox[0].body
+        self.assertIn(uni_message, message_body)
 
     def test_unicode_students_send_to_all(self):
         """
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py
index 606a0bef8888..e8874ea18eb9 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/bulk_email/tests/test_err_handling.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 from django.test.utils import override_settings
 from django.conf import settings
+from django.core.management import call_command
 from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse
 
 from courseware.tests.tests import TEST_DATA_MONGO_MODULESTORE
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ def setUp(self):
         instructor = AdminFactory.create()
         self.client.login(username=instructor.username, password="test")
 
+        # load initial content (since we don't run migrations as part of tests):
+        call_command("loaddata", "course_email_template.json")
+
         self.smtp_server_thread = FakeSMTPServerThread('localhost', TEST_SMTP_PORT)
         self.smtp_server_thread.start()