Letter of Recommendation (LOR) for Masters - Sample & Tips

Studying abroad is a complex procedure, and after choosing the university you want to attend, you must organize the necessary documents. Among these, the SOP, the LORs, and the Resume are part of your application documents that will be sent to all the universities, along with your application form. As you are probably aware, a letter of recommendation for masters program plays a vital role in your application and enhances your profile.

As a result, you must be explicit and detailed about the contents of your LOR. Someone who can attest to your potential, skills, and character must write a letter of recommendation (LOR) that you will submit with your application to a university or institution overseas. Typically, this document is authored by your academic advisors, employers, or instructors. Most academic institutions demand convincing LORs in order to evaluate your degree of intelligence, creativity, leadership, and other pertinent attributes. 

A LOR for Master's degree is usually a single-page document, where a recommondation is written of roughly 400-500 words. The LOR for MS format is divided into 4 or 5 short paragraphs: introduction, body (2-3 paras), and then conclusion/summary. This is the general structure of LOR for MS, which is accepted by most of the universities. 

LOR format for Masters

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to structure an LOR for master's applications:

Section	Content	Example
Introduction	Your name and position Your relationship to the applicant Length of time you've known the applicant	As the Head of the Aeronautical Department at XYZ College, New Delhi, I am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for Ms. ABC, an undergraduate student of this department. I have known ABC for two years now, and hence I can confidently discuss her skills and qualities.
Applicant's Academic Abilities	Comment on their academic performance Highlight relevant coursework Mention any academic awards or achievements	ABC has consistently been amongst the top scorers of her batch throughout the course of her degree and was thus one of the few people to be offered the chance to pursue an Honours degree. This requires the completion of extra credits and a publication to receive the degree.
Technical Skills	Describe specific technical abilities Mention projects they've worked on Highlight any unique or advanced skills	Additionally, ABC has successfully represented our college in numerous Aircraft Design competitions, both nationally and internationally. Most recently, her team designed a UAV for ‘Crop Health Analysis’ and won the National Aviator Challenge, conducted by QPR University.
Personal Qualities	Discuss their character and work ethic Mention soft skills (communication, teamwork, etc.) Provide specific examples of these qualities	Her design reports frequently have something different and innovative in them and solve a real-life problem. Besides this, she has also sparked the interest of many students in the field of Aerospace by taking the initiative to organize technical workshops, competitions, and talks.
Research Experience (if applicable)	Describe any research projects Mention publications or presentations Highlight their research skills	Her event based on ‘Air Crash Investigations,’ organized as a part of our annual technical fest in 2019, proved to be a great success.
Comparison to Peers	Compare the applicant to others in similar roles Use percentiles or rankings if possible	Overall, ABC exhibits a strong feeling of camaraderie and teamwork, coupled with an unwavering enthusiasm for the aerospace industry.
Specific Anecdote	Provide a detailed story that illustrates the applicant's strengths Choose an anecdote relevant to their intended field of study	She has consistently shown herself to be a productive student in our department and has shown excellent leadership abilities.
Suitability for the Program	Explain why the applicant is a good fit for the specific MS program Connect their skills and experiences to the program's focus	She will undoubtedly excel in the course and prove to be a valuable addition to any college she attends.
Conclusion	Summarize your recommendation Offer to provide additional information if needed	Thus, I strongly recommend Ms. ABC to your esteemed institution and wish her the best in the same.

NOTE: Each LOR draft (considering there are 2-3 LORs for one applicant) should be highlighting different qualities so that they do not look as written by one person and the examples should be specific to that recommender only. One should aim to write LOR for Masters within 400-500 words. Use of official letterhead will be recommended and if possible maintain a formal tone throughout.

Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Sample for Masters

The following is an LOR sample for MS program. Instances and applications have been picked at random to create this sample. Shiksha.com strongly recommends against copying the content and suggests that applicants use this article as a point of reference only.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

As the Head of the Aeronautical Department at XYZ College, New Delhi, I am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for Ms ABC, an undergraduate student of this department. I have known ABC for two years now, and hence I can confidently discuss her skills and qualities. She is a highly motivated and sincere student, who has actively capitalised on every opportunity our college had to offer.

ABC has consistently been amongst the top scorers of her batch, throughout the course of her degree, and was thus one of the few people to be offered the chance to pursue an Honours degree. This requires the completion of extra credits and a publication to receive the degree. She is currently working towards that in parallel with her normal courses. She was also chosen by the student council to teach first-year students, who needed tutoring when she was in her second year.

Additionally, ABC has also successfully represented our college in numerous Aircraft Design competitions, both nationally and internationally. Most recently, her team designed a UAV for ‘Crop Health Analysis’, and won the National Aviator Challenge, conducted by QPR University. Her design reports frequently have something different and innovative in them and solve a real-life problem. Besides this, she has also sparked the interest of many students in the field of Aerospace, by taking the initiative to organize technical workshops, competitions and talks. Her event, based on ‘Air Crash Investigations’, organised as a part of our annual technical fest, in 2019, proved to be a great success.

Furthermore, ABC was an approachable and effective president of our Aerospace Club from April 2023 to March 2024. In her term, the work of this club went on seamlessly. She not only mentored her juniors in a technical capacity but her complete dedication was undoubtedly laudable.

Overall, ABC exhibits a strong feeling of camaraderie and teamwork, coupled with an unwavering enthusiasm for the aerospace industry. She has consistently shown herself to be a productive student in our department and has shown excellent leadership abilities. She will undoubtedly excel in the course and prove to be a valuable addition to any college she attends. Thus, I strongly recommend Ms. ABC to your esteemed institution and wish her the best in the same.

Yours sincerely,

Full name of the Recommender

Designation, Department

Name of Institution, City

Contact No:

Email ID:

Letter of Recommendation for Masters in Computer Science – Tips to follow

Hopefully, the above LOR sample must have helped you with an idea about writing a Letter of Recommendation for higher studies. Similarly, for an LOR required for MS in CS, you will follow the same format. However, here it is advisable to highlight technical skills like:

• What programming languages is he/she an expert in
• Coding skills and where did he/she showcase them
• Any specific project where he/she used his/her technical expertise
• Knowledge of different applications
• Any application developed/created, and more pertinent skills

LOR for Masters in Mechanical Engineering – What to Include

Similar to the attributes highlighted above in a LOR sample for Masters in CS, for a Mechanical Engineering student, qualities like the following can be highlighted, with suitable instances:

• Knowledge of the market
• Knowledge of various tools to be highlighted
• Teamwork skills
• Leadership skills
• Technical skills
• Problem-solving skills, and others

Letter of Recommendation for Masters in Civil Engineering – Tips to follow

For a student aiming for MS in Civil Engineering, the LOR format for Masters should highlight qualities like:

• Curiosity or critical thinking
• Creativity and flair for innovation
• Collaborative spirit
• Having an eye-for-detail
• Problem-solving skills

LOR for Masters in Electrical Engineering – What to Cover

• Knowledge of circuit-design
• Knowledge of other software or tools
• Critical thinking and analyzing
• Innovation
• Organizational skills
• Complex problem-solving skills

LOR for Masters in Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) – What to emphasize

• Interest and knowledge of technology
• Latest trends incorporated in prior work
• IT skills
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Efficiency

LOR Sample for Financial Analyst – Skills to Include

• Accounting
• Corporate Finance
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Forecasting
• Financial Modelling
• Technical Analysis

Also Read: How to make an impressive Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

LOR Samples

The LOR samples PDFs for masters can be downloaded by students for the refrence purposes. The below mentioned PDFs have LOR format for masters for both acedimic and professional use. 

Sample LOR for Academic Recommendation

Sample LOR 2 for Professional Recommendation

Whom should you ask for a letter of recommendation for Masters application?

Every university you apply to will require at least two or three letters of recommendation. You must so choose three candidates who are entirely capable of doing this task. A letter of recommendation’s structure and content are just as important as the recommender - the one who will suggest your profile for admission. The choice of the recommender is solely on you. Preferably, they can be any Assistant Professors (college faculty) or Project Managers and Supervisors, with whom you share a good rapport, and have worked closely, who should write you a LOR. If you have work experience or have undergone any internship, then you can ask for LOR from your manager or team lead/project lead at that organisation. If you are going for studies directly after your Bachelor’s, then you can get all three LORs from the college faculty (professors and HOD). Read How to Choose the Right Recommender to know more about it.

Difference between a letter of recommendation and a reference letter?

A letter of recommendation (LOR) is specific to academic requirements. Generally, it is required by the universities along with your application form when you make your final submission to the university. In a letter of recommendation, your qualities, achievements, and overall personality are discussed. The recommender must provide their letter of recommendation (LOR) directly to the university, or occasionally the university will give a link to the recommender's email. It is more personal and covers the applicant's personality as a whole. On the other hand, a Reference Letter is usually used for professional purposes when you join a new company. You can use one reference from one recommender and keep it to yourself. It is more official, hence, only professional accomplishments and performance are discussed.

Tips for Indian Students

One of the most important things to remember is that the Admission Committee comes across thousands of applications and thousands of documents. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while drafting your LOR:

• They can easily recognize if the LOR was plagiarized or written by the same person. Thus, it is advisable not to copy any content from the web/internet.
• Even if you are writing the LORs yourself, make sure the qualities and instances are genuine and differ for each LOR, as each recommender will have different experiences and associations with you.
• The content should differ as well as the style without deviating from the format.
• Apart from this, here are a few ‘don’ts’ to keep in mind if you are writing the LORs yourself: Common Errors in a LOR.

How to Submit a Letter of Recommendation (LOR)?

Before writing a letter of reference to the international university of their choosing, a student must bear a few things in mind. To ensure that everything goes as smoothly and problem-free as possible, there are some rules that must be observed. Some of the steps that you can take to achieve the same are listed below:

• Asking for LOR:Make a list of all those from whom you require a letter of recommendation and reach out to them to take their consent. Make sure whosoever you choose is academically or professionally acquainted with you as they would need to write about your capabilities and qualification.
• Give relevant details:After your chosen writers have given their consent, give them all the necessary details related to your academics and the course you are applying for. Also, tell them what purpose would this letter serve and about anything specific which you would like them to mention. Do remind them of the deadline as well. Do all of this before the deadline approaches so that the LOR is not written hastily.
• Share the guidelines:If the university or college you have selected has set any LOR guidelines, help your recommender get familiar with it so that they use the correct format to write the same. This way he/she will be able to write accurately without any scope for error.
• Sending the LOR:Ensure that you are well acquainted with the medium of sending the LOR. Some institutions might want the recommender only to send the LOR directly to them whereas some may require the applicant to do so online. You should know the right process.