FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
Graduate Scholarship Office
Earth Sciences Building, Room 1010
2500
University Drive NW
Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4
grad.ucalgary.ca
How to find good references
G
raduate school programs typically require two or three references as part of your application
package. Some course-based professional programs will require one academic reference and one
professional reference. Each program sets its own criteria for reference letters, so be sure to check
its requirements.
I
t is important to identify these potential references at least one month in advance of applying to
graduate programs.
Types of referees
Academ
ic references should be permanent professors on the university’s faculty.
Professional references are individuals you worked with (such as a former employer) who can
write positively on your relevant work experience.
I
f you are an Indigenous student and would like to use community references for your application,
contact the Graduate Program Administrator (GPA) in your program of interest on how to proceed
securing them. The Native Centre
may also be able to provide guidance with questions about
community referrals.
Selecting your referees
Y
our referees will write letters speaking to your academic performance or work experience and your
ability to do well in graduate school. You will want to make yourself well known to your potential
referee so that they can provide as detailed a letter as possible.
W
hen selecting an academic reference, pick smaller, more recent courses where you interacted
regularly with the professor or course instructor. Lab sessions or seminar classes are ideal, because
they allow you ample time for face-to-face interactions with the course instructor.
I
f you’re returning to school after a long absence you should try to re-acquaint yourself with previous
course instructors. Be sure to re-establish contact early on and keep up a steady correspondence to
remind them who you are. If possible, try to send them any copies of assignments/tests they have
marked to jog their memory.
T
ry to re-establish contact with your former department/program. They will have records of your
attendance and staff may be able to help you re-establish contact with former professors, especially
if they have retired or are no longer working in the same department.