If your program requires it, your admission file must include letters of recommendation from professors or professionals.

Make sure that the letters of recommendation are submitted before the application deadline for admission to the program. Your admission file won’t be considered complete and won’t be evaluated until we’ve received all your letters of recommendation.

Follow these steps: 

1. Check your program requirements to find out the number of letters you’ll need.

2. Choose your referees. Ideally, and unless the program accepts professional references, your referees should be university professors who can attest to your research ability.

3. Contact your referees two to three weeks before the deadline for submitting your application. Confirm their availability, email address and job title.

4. Access your admission file (in the uoZone “Applications” section) and enter their names and contact information.

5. Let your referees know that the University of Ottawa’s letter-of-recommendation process is fully confidential. They’ll receive an email containing a link to a secure form.
   1. Give your referees an exact date for providing their letter of recommendation, i.e., before the deadline for applying for admission to the program.
   2. Make sure the letters are written in English or French, in accordance with the program requirements.
   3. You shouldn’t ask family members, students (e.g., former or current classmates), staff or teaching assistants for letters of recommendation.
   4. Encourage your referees to send their letters from email addresses linked to institutions or organizations, instead of public email service providers (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail).