diff --git a/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py b/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py
index 22222d30a4..cd454016f2 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/terrain/course_helpers.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # pylint: disable=W0621
 
 from lettuce import world
-from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User, Group
 from student.models import CourseEnrollment
 from xmodule.modulestore.django import editable_modulestore
 from xmodule.contentstore.django import contentstore
@@ -41,14 +41,28 @@ def log_in(username='robot', password='test', email='robot@edx.org', name='Robot
 
 
 @world.absorb
-def register_by_course_id(course_id, is_staff=False):
-    create_user('robot', 'password')
-    u = User.objects.get(username='robot')
+def register_by_course_id(course_id, username='robot', password='test', is_staff=False):
+    create_user(username, password)
+    user = User.objects.get(username=username)
     if is_staff:
         u.is_staff = True
         u.save()
     CourseEnrollment.enroll(u, course_id)
 
+@world.absorb
+def add_to_course_staff(username, course_num):
+    """
+    Add the user with `username` to the course staff group
+    for `course_num`.
+    """
+    # Based on code in lms/djangoapps/courseware/access.py
+    group_name = "instructor_{}".format(course_num)
+    group, _ = Group.objects.get_or_create(name=group_name)
+    group.save()
+
+    user = User.objects.get(username=username)
+    user.groups.add(group)
+
 
 @world.absorb
 def clear_courses():
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/terrain/ui_helpers.py b/common/djangoapps/terrain/ui_helpers.py
index e400ca9b95..f143973c46 100644
--- a/common/djangoapps/terrain/ui_helpers.py
+++ b/common/djangoapps/terrain/ui_helpers.py
@@ -45,8 +45,29 @@ def is_css_not_present(css_selector, wait_time=5):
         world.browser.driver.implicitly_wait(world.IMPLICIT_WAIT)
 
 @world.absorb
-def css_has_text(css_selector, text, index=0):
-    return world.css_text(css_selector, index=index) == text
+def css_has_text(css_selector, text, index=0, strip=False):
+    """
+    Return a boolean indicating whether the element with `css_selector`
+    has `text`.
+
+    If `strip` is True, strip whitespace at beginning/end of both
+    strings before comparing.
+
+    If there are multiple elements matching the css selector,
+    use `index` to indicate which one.
+    """
+    # If we're expecting a non-empty string, give the page
+    # a chance to fill in text fields.
+    if text:
+        world.wait_for(lambda _: world.css_text(css_selector, index=index))
+
+    actual_text = world.css_text(css_selector, index=index)
+
+    if strip:
+        actual_text = actual_text.strip()
+        text = text.strip()
+
+    return actual_text == text
 
 
 @world.absorb
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/instructor/features/bulk_email.feature b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/features/bulk_email.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7b46d1ec9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/features/bulk_email.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+@shard_2
+Feature: Bulk Email
+    As an instructor,
+    In order to communicate with students and staff
+    I want to send email to staff and students in a course.
+
+    Scenario: Send bulk email
+    Given I am an instructor for a course
+    When I send email to "<Recipient>"
+    Then Email is sent to "<Recipient>"
+
+    Examples:
+    | Recipient                        |
+    | myself                           |
+    | course staff                     |
+    | students, staff, and instructors |
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/instructor/features/bulk_email.py b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/features/bulk_email.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6706f0f430
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/instructor/features/bulk_email.py
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+"""
+Define steps for bulk email acceptance test.
+"""
+
+from lettuce import world, step
+from lettuce.django import mail
+from nose.tools import assert_in, assert_true, assert_equal
+from django.core.management import call_command
+
+
+@step(u'I am an instructor for a course')
+def i_am_an_instructor(step):
+
+    # Clear existing courses to avoid conflicts
+    world.clear_courses()
+
+    # Create a new course
+    course = world.CourseFactory.create(
+        org='edx',
+        number='999',
+        display_name='Test Course'
+    )
+
+    # Register the instructor as staff for the course
+    world.register_by_course_id(
+        'edx/999/Test_Course',
+        username='instructor',
+        password='password',
+        is_staff=True
+    )
+    world.add_to_course_staff('instructor', '999')
+
+    # Register another staff member
+    world.register_by_course_id(
+        'edx/999/Test_Course',
+        username='staff',
+        password='password',
+        is_staff=True
+    )
+    world.add_to_course_staff('staff', '999')
+
+    # Register a student
+    world.register_by_course_id(
+        'edx/999/Test_Course',
+        username='student',
+        password='password',
+        is_staff=False
+    )
+
+    # Log in as the instructor for the course
+    world.log_in(
+        username='instructor',
+        password='password',
+        email="instructor@edx.org",
+        name="Instructor"
+    )
+
+
+# Dictionary mapping a description of the email recipient
+# to the corresponding <option> value in the UI.
+SEND_TO_OPTIONS = {
+        'myself': 'myself',
+        'course staff': 'staff',
+        'students, staff, and instructors': 'all'
+}
+
+
+@step(u'I send email to "([^"]*)"')
+def when_i_send_an_email(step, recipient):
+
+    # Check that the recipient is valid
+    assert_in(
+        recipient, SEND_TO_OPTIONS,
+        msg="Invalid recipient: {}".format(recipient)
+    )
+
+    # Because we flush the database before each run,
+    # we need to ensure that the email template fixture
+    # is re-loaded into the database
+    call_command('loaddata', 'course_email_template.json')
+
+    # Go to the email section of the instructor dash
+    world.visit('/courses/edx/999/Test_Course')
+    world.css_click('a[href="/courses/edx/999/Test_Course/instructor"]')
+    world.css_click('div.beta-button-wrapper>a')
+    world.css_click('a[data-section="send_email"]')
+
+    # Select the recipient
+    world.select_option('send_to', SEND_TO_OPTIONS[recipient])
+
+    # Enter subject and message
+    world.css_fill('input#id_subject', 'Hello')
+
+    with world.browser.get_iframe('mce_0_ifr') as iframe:
+        editor = iframe.find_by_id('tinymce')[0]
+        editor.fill('test message')
+
+    # Click send
+    world.css_click('input[name="send"]')
+
+    # Expect to see a message that the email was sent
+    # TODO -- identify the message by CSS ID instead of index
+    expected_msg = "Your email was successfully queued for sending."
+    assert_true(
+        world.css_has_text('div.request-response', expected_msg, index=1, allow_blank=False),
+        msg="Could not find email success message."
+    )
+
+
+# Dictionaries mapping description of email recipient
+# to the expected recipient email addresses
+EXPECTED_ADDRESSES = {
+    'myself': ['instructor@edx.org'],
+    'course staff': ['instructor@edx.org', 'staff@edx.org'],
+    'students, staff, and instructors': ['instructor@edx.org', 'staff@edx.org', 'student@edx.org']
+}
+
+UNSUBSCRIBE_MSG = 'To stop receiving email like this'
+
+@step(u'Email is sent to "([^"]*)"')
+def then_the_email_is_sent(step, recipient):
+
+    # Check that the recipient is valid
+    assert_in(
+        recipient, SEND_TO_OPTIONS,
+        msg="Invalid recipient: {}".format(recipient)
+    )
+
+    # Retrieve messages.  Because we are using celery in "always eager"
+    # mode, we expect all messages to be sent by this point.
+    messages = []
+    while not mail.queue.empty():
+        messages.append(mail.queue.get())
+
+    # Check that we got the right number of messages
+    assert_equal(
+        len(messages), len(EXPECTED_ADDRESSES[recipient]),
+        msg="Received {0} instead of {1} messages for {2}".format(
+            len(messages), len(EXPECTED_ADDRESSES[recipient]), recipient
+        )
+    )
+
+    # Check that the message properties were correct
+    recipients = []
+    for msg in messages:
+        assert_equal(msg.subject, u'[Test Course] Hello')
+        assert_equal(msg.from_email, u'"Test Course" Course Staff <course-updates@edx.org>')
+
+        # Message body should have the message we sent
+        # and an unsubscribe message
+        assert_in('test message', msg.body)
+        assert_in(UNSUBSCRIBE_MSG, msg.body)
+
+        # Should have alternative HTML form
+        assert_equal(len(msg.alternatives), 1)
+        content, mime_type = msg.alternatives[0]
+        assert_in('test message', content)
+        assert_in(UNSUBSCRIBE_MSG, content)
+
+        # Store the recipient address so we can verify later
+        recipients.extend(msg.recipients())
+
+    # Check that the messages were sent to the right people
+    for addr in EXPECTED_ADDRESSES[recipient]:
+        assert_in(addr, recipients)
diff --git a/lms/envs/acceptance.py b/lms/envs/acceptance.py
index 7d2ad15e6c..dd3a0c0e59 100644
--- a/lms/envs/acceptance.py
+++ b/lms/envs/acceptance.py
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ MITX_FEATURES['AUTOMATIC_AUTH_FOR_TESTING'] = True
 # Enable fake payment processing page
 MITX_FEATURES['ENABLE_PAYMENT_FAKE'] = True
 
+# Enable email on the instructor dash
+MITX_FEATURES['ENABLE_INSTRUCTOR_EMAIL'] = True
+
 # Configure the payment processor to use the fake processing page
 # Since both the fake payment page and the shoppingcart app are using
 # the same settings, we can generate this randomly and guarantee
diff --git a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/send_email.html b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/send_email.html
index 5a11bcf207..115cdeddd4 100644
--- a/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/send_email.html
+++ b/lms/templates/instructor/instructor_dashboard_2/send_email.html
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 <script type="text/javascript" src="jsi18n/"></script>
 <div class="vert-left send-email">
   <h2> ${_("Send Email")} </h2>
-  <div class="request-response msg msg-confirm"></div>
+  <div class="request-response msg msg-confirm" id="request-response"></div>
   <ul class="list-fields">
     <li class="field">
       <label for="id_to">${_("Send to:")}</label><br/>