How many academic references are required?

• One academic reference for postgraduate taught courses
• Two academic references for postgraduate research courses

When you complete the application form it will indicate how many references are required. There is no need to upload further references unless you are asked to do so as extra references will not be considered.

How do I provide references?

When you complete your application you are asked to provide referee contact details, including a valid email address. The system will contact your referee(s) directly with a link to a reference portal to submit your reference. Please make sure your referee contact details are correct before submitting your application. We only accept references that come directly from the referee. We do not allow applicants to upload references with their application. The reference link will expire after 60 days but you can send a new link in the Applicant Portal.

We do recommend that you contact your referees prior to nomination to ensure that they are willing and able to write a reference for you and to let them know to expect an email from Warwick.

References will be verified so please ensure you provide an institutional email address when providing academic referee details.

PGCE applicants

When applying for a PGCE course via the Department of Education (DFE) application form you will need to provide details of two referees. Referees will only be contacted to request a reference if you are successful in being made an offer.

The DFE will contact referees directly with details of how to upload a reference to the DFE system. Once a reference has been received DFE will contact Warwick confirming a reference has been added to your application.

Should you need to amend any referee details after submitting your application this should be done via DFE ApplyLink opens in a new window.

My referee did not receive the reference request - can you resend the link?

If your referee has not received the link to provide your reference please visit your applicant portalLink opens in a new window where you can resend the link to them directly. Please ensure that you check that the referee contact information provided with your application is correct and update if required. You should also ask your referee to check if the email containing the link arrived in their spam or junk folder.

My reference is not acceptable. What do I do?

If you have received an email telling you that your reference is not acceptable you will need to provide details of a new referee. Please visit your applicant portalLink opens in a new window where you can edit your referee details or add a new referee. Click the button to send the request and your referee should receive it within 24 hours.

Who should I nominate to be my referee?

An academic reference should be provided by a tutor who has taught you on your current or most recent degree and who can provide an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for your chosen programme of study.

Some departments at the University will also accept professional references in lieu of an academic reference. These must be submitted by your current or most recent line manager. If you are unsure about the suitability of your referee please contact your department directly.

Please note that personal references, such as those from family and friends, are not acceptable.

What should be included in the reference?

• Your referee should refer to you by your official name (used in your application and documents).
• Your referee should comment on your academic suitability for the proposed programme of study, and any other information they consider to be relevant to your application. If they have knowledge of your recent study, it would be helpful if they could indicate the standard attained.
• For research degrees, a good tip is to ask the referee to comment specifically on your ability in the area detailed in your proposal, as well as your capacity to undertake independent research.
• References must be submitted in English, unless otherwise permitted by the department. References not submitted in English might delay your application significantly, and could result in you missing crucial funding deadlines. It is your responsibility to ensure your referee is aware of this.
• If you are applying for an Economics Master's degree programme, your referee should include an assessment of the your academic strength in comparison to other students in your cohort. They will be required to confirm whether you are in the top 5%, top 10%, top 25% or top 50% when compared to students on the same course in the same time period.

Do you accept paper based references?

Please contact your academic department or the Admissions Service through the Live Chat to discuss alternative ways of providing a reference if your referee is not able to use the referee portal.