Letter of recommendation for a Master's: who to ask and how

For a Master's application you usually need two or three letters of recommendation (LORs), often submitted by your referees through an online portal. Ask people who know your academic work well, such as a thesis supervisor or a lecturer, plus a manager if you have relevant work experience. Ask early, give them a short brief, and never write or sign the letter yourself.

Who should you ask?

Pick people who know your work, not people with the grandest titles. A lecturer who supervised your final-year project and can describe how you handled it is worth more than a head of department who only knows your name. Relatives and family friends don't count, however senior they are.

Academic referees are the default for a Master's: thesis or project supervisors, lecturers from courses related to the programme, or a professor you did research with. Professional referees, usually a line manager, make sense if you've been working since graduation or if the programme values work experience. If you've worked for a while, one academic and one professional letter is a sensible mix.

Ask directly whether they can write you a strong letter. If they hesitate, thank them and ask someone else, because a lukewarm letter hurts more than it helps. And if the programme asks for academic referees only, follow that, even if your manager knows you better.

How many letters do you need?

Usually two or three. The programme's requirements page should say how many and what kind, and some programmes don't ask for letters at all. Send the number requested. Extra letters rarely help, and a portal may not accept them anyway.

If you're applying to several universities, the same referees will usually write for all of them. Give them the full list up front, and if you add a university later, ask before you register them in another portal.

When should you ask?

As soon as your shortlist is settled, and several weeks before your first deadline. Lecturers tend to get these requests in the same busy months, and the best letters come from referees who weren't rushed. Avoid their exam and marking periods if you can. If a referee has moved to another university or company, they can still write for you, so ask for an email address they actually check.

Portals often send the request to your referee only after you enter their details in your application, so register referees early, even if the rest of the application isn't finished. Then put every referee deadline into your dated application roadmap and send a polite reminder about a week before each one.

When you get a decision, tell your referees. They gave up an evening for you, and you may need them again.

What should you give your referee?

Make their job easy. Send one email with everything they need:

• Your CV and transcript, so they can check dates and grades.
• A short list of draft points: the courses they taught you and your grades, the project you did with them, and one or two moments they saw first-hand.
• Your statement of purpose draft, so the letter supports the same story. No draft yet? The SOP generator gives you a first version to rewrite in your own words.
• A list of programmes with deadlines, the portal link or the email they'll receive, and whether each university wants a letter, a form or both.
• Any format rules the university gives, such as letterhead, a signature or a set of questions.

Write your draft points in plain English and keep them short, so your referee can use them as reminders. They are facts, not a finished letter, and the difference matters, as the section on ethics below explains.

What format do referees use?

When a university wants an uploaded letter, most referees follow a standard shape:

1. Letterhead of the university or company, the date, and a greeting such as To the Admissions Committee.
2. Who the referee is, how they know you and for how long.
3. Specific evidence of your ability: a project, a result, how you compare with others they've taught.
4. Why you suit this kind of programme.
5. A clear closing recommendation, contact details and a signature.

About one page is normal, and specifics carry it. 'She rebuilt our lab's data pipeline on her own initiative' says more than 'She is hardworking and dedicated.' Some portals skip the letter and ask referees to rate you on set criteria or answer fixed questions instead. Either way, a submission from an institutional email address looks more credible than one from a personal account.

Where is the ethical line?

Writing your own recommendation letter and signing it in your referee's name is misrepresentation. So is submitting a letter through their portal link yourself, setting up an email account in their name, or uploading a letter they haven't seen. If a university finds out, it can reject your application or withdraw an offer, and your referee's reputation takes the hit too.

The common trap is the busy referee who says, 'Write it and I'll sign it.' Politely offer a detailed page of draft points instead. A letter you wrote isn't their assessment, even with their signature on it, and it tends to sound exactly like your own statement of purpose.

Draft points are fine. Asking a referee to check facts is fine. The words and the judgement have to be theirs, and so does the submission. If you're unsure whether something crosses the line, imagine the admissions office phoning your referee to confirm the letter. If that thought worries you, don't do it.

Next steps

Map your referee deadlines in the application roadmap so the requests don't pile up in one week. Then work through the guide for your destination, whether that's the UK or Canada, and if you're also applying for funding, read our DAAD scholarships guide.

FAQ

Can a professional reference replace an academic one?

Sometimes. If you graduated a while ago and have lost touch with your lecturers, some programmes accept a manager's letter instead. Check the requirements first and ask the admissions office if they're unclear.

Does the letter need a letterhead and signature?

If your referee uploads a PDF, letterhead and a signature are standard. If the portal uses an online form instead, your referee simply fills it in.

Can I read my recommendation letter?

Usually not, and you shouldn't push for it. Many portals submit letters confidentially, which is part of what makes them credible.

What if my referee's English isn't perfect?

Let them write in their own words. A committee cares about specific evidence, not polished phrasing, and a letter you rewrote for them stops being theirs.

How long should a letter of recommendation be?

About a page is typical. Two specific examples of your work say more than a full page of adjectives, so point your referee to the moments worth describing.