Letter of Recommendation

One letter of recommendation is required to provide a candid viewpoint of an applicant's personal characteristics, performance and experience, strengths, capabilities, and professional promise. It should be written by someone who has worked closely with the candidate. The selection committee relies heavily on these letters to assist in making a final decision.

The person writing the letter of recommendation should have been in a supervisory or mentor relationship with the applicant. The letter should be about one page in length, and consist of three parts: the opening, the body, and the closing.

In the opening part, the writer should explain his or her relationship with the candidate. In particular it should illuminate whether the relationship was managerial or academic or other and describe the amount of time and conditions under which the writer was able to observe the candidate's performance.

In the body, writer should provide specific information about the applicant based upon the personal observations of the writer and should include:

  1. Personal characteristics such as poise, confidence, dependability, patience, creativity, etc.

  2. Specific areas of strength or special experiences/projects on which the candidate worked; and

  3. How the candidate works with other people, etc.

    This is where the writer can point out exceptional strengths such as a very high energy level or excellent communication skills, exceptional follow through or specific areas of knowledge or experience that are exemplary. Whatever makes the candidate stand out in the writer's mind should be provided in the body.

The closing of the letter should briefly summarize previous points, clearly stating why the writer is recommending the candidate for the Master of Science degree program and include the writer's contact information.