Ask a lecturer who knows your work and can meet the programme’s reference rules. Tell them what you are applying for, remind them how they know you, and give them the deadline and submission instructions. Ask before entering their details into an application system.
The aim is to make it easy for the lecturer to decide whether they can help and, if they agree, to write a specific reference. A recognisable name alone cannot explain your academic readiness.
On this page: Choose a referee · Request email · Briefing checklist · Follow up
Choose someone who can discuss your work
Oxford’s referee guidance recommends checking the course’s requirements and choosing someone familiar with your work. It advises contacting the department when you cannot provide the specified type of reference. Professional references are accepted by some courses, not automatically by every course.
Start by listing people who assessed or supervised something you can identify: your final-year project, a substantial assignment, laboratory work, or a relevant placement. Beside each name, write the work they saw, when they saw it, and what they could reasonably comment on. This is more useful than ranking potential referees by seniority.
If you graduated several years ago, remind the lecturer of your department, graduation year, project topic and any relevant interaction. If you cannot obtain an academic reference, ask admissions about an acceptable alternative before assuming that an employer can replace one.
A reference request email you can adapt
Use the lecturer’s preferred professional contact route. Replace the brackets in this example and keep the first message short enough to answer easily.
Subject: Request for a master’s application reference — [your name]
Dear [title and surname],
I was your student in [course/project] at [university] in [year]. My [assignment/project] focused on [brief reminder].
I am applying for [master’s programme] at [institution] for [intake]. Would you be willing to provide a reference discussing my readiness for this course?
The reference deadline is [date and time zone], and submission is through [official process]. The referee guidance is here: [link].
If you are available, I can send my CV, programme details and a short summary of the work you supervised. Please let me know if the timing or request is not suitable.
Thank you for considering it.
[name]
If you have several applications, say so. Provide a small list of institutions and deadlines rather than allowing unexpected requests to arrive one after another. A lecturer agreeing to one reference has not necessarily agreed to an unlimited set.
What to send after they agree
- Your current CV and the official programme link.
- A short explanation of why you are applying.
- A reminder of the work the lecturer assessed, with relevant dates.
- Your statement draft if it helps explain your plans.
- The referee instructions, deadline and submission route for each application.
- Your application reference, if the instructions require it.
Use factual notes rather than telling the lecturer what praise to include. For example, “You supervised my survey design and final presentation” helps identify an experience. “Please say I was the best student” asks for a judgement the lecturer must make independently.
Do not write a letter in the lecturer’s name or submit it through their account. Follow the receiving institution’s process. As a contrasting scholarship example, Chevening asks applicants to collect and upload references under its stated rules. That process should not be assumed for a university application.
Follow up without losing track
Agree on a sensible reminder date when possible. Check the application portal before following up, because the reference may already be recorded. If it is missing, send one clear reminder with the deadline and the relevant link.
Reminder example:
Dear [title and surname], thank you again for agreeing to support my application to [programme]. The portal currently shows the reference as outstanding, and the deadline is [date]. Please let me know if you have not received the submission link or if your availability has changed. I appreciate your help.
If the lecturer declines or cannot meet the deadline, thank them and approach an eligible alternative. Check how to change a referee in the application system. Do not assume that changing the name gives you a new deadline.
- Referee and permission received: __________
- Programme and official instructions: __________
- Briefing materials sent: __________
- Reference deadline: __________
- Agreed reminder date: __________
- Portal submission status: __________
Keep the reference tracker alongside your master’s application document checklist. For planning the whole application, return to the application preparation guide.
Sources checked on 21 September 2026. See our editorial policy or report a correction.