Step 4 - Reference Letters
Two Completed Reference Forms
Referees must complete the University of Calgary Reference Form accessible through the online application system. In addition to the form, an appropriate letter of recommendation is required. Letters accompanying the Reference Form must bear the referee’s original signature on each page. Each Reference Form, in a sealed envelope with the referee’s signature across the seal, must be collected by the applicant and submitted to GDER, Ed Tower 940, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive, NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4.
Faxed references will be accepted only if they are on institutional/organizational letterhead. Emailed references must be from an institutional/organizational email address (e.g. yahoo.com, hotmail.com are not acceptable); reference letters can be the body of the email or an attachment.
An appropriate reference is one written by an independent individual to provide an objective assessment of the applicant's background and capabilities with respect to the program to which admission is sought. A reference from a non-academic source must come from a person who has been a direct supervisor of the applicant. Letters from friends, family members, colleagues, people currently registered in a graduate degree program, or general reference letters that are not written in support of the person’s application to the particular graduate program are not acceptable. Reference letters shall be addressed to "GDER Academic Admissions Committee". An applicant currently registered in a graduate degree program, or who has recently completed a graduate degree program, must include a letter of reference from their program supervisor.
In compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP), if the applicant and the referee reside in Alberta, the applicant is required to fill out a Reference Letter Request Form. This form is an agreement between the applicant and the referee recognizing that the reference is supplied in confidence. The Reference Letter Request Form is to be kept by the referee.
Letters of reference must be dated within the previous twelve months of the date that the application is submitted.
The Reference Forms can be found as part of the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application. If you miss these forms or forget to print them while filling out your application, use the Reference Forms provided below.
Students applying to the Graduate Diploma and/or MEd with GDER's Graduate Certificate, must supply one reference, written by a faculty member who taught the applicant in the Graduate Certificate at the University of Calgary.
Students applying to the MEd with GDER's Graduate Certificate and/or Graduate Diploma must supply one reference, written by a faculty member who taught the applicant in the Graduate Certificate and/or Graduate Diploma at the University of Calgary.