Letter of Recommendation (LOR) for Masters (MS) in Computer Science – Samples, Format

Studying abroad is one of the most crucial decisions of your life, and the process of studying abroad is equally significant. As an international student, you’ll have to be extra cautious with every step of your admission process. A Letter of Recommendation (LOR) amplifies your application by endorsing and recommending you to a prospective institution for admission to a specific course.

The purpose of the LOR is to provide the admission authorities with more information about you, which is obtained from a person who has directly taught or worked with you in the past. Based on their experience with you, the admission committee can determine your candidature for the university.

What is a LOR for a Master's?

Among the several documents you would be required to submit as part of your application process, the Letter of Recommendation is one of the most important. This is because it validates your skills, experience, and expertise by a third person to the university authorities, thereby strengthening your case for admission before them.

A LOR for a Master's in Computer Science helps add weight to your application by presenting you in good light before the selectors. It clearly outlines in the words of your recommender any past professional experience that you may have had in the field of Computer Science. In addition, the recommender also defines the total number of years that you have studied the discipline or a related field of study before choosing to pursue an MS in the subject.

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation for Master’s in Computer Science?

Most universities abroad where you apply for MS in Computer Science or CS would ask you to submit a Letter of Recommendation written by someone well-acquainted with you academically or professionally. The recommender you choose for this purpose must be someone familiar with your academic or professional trajectory and can validate your exact skills, expertise, or experience gained in the field of CS over the years.

It would be helpful for your recommender to bear the following points in mind while crafting a LOR so that it boosts your chances of acceptance into the university:

1. Make sure to highlight the student's academic, professional, and personal accomplishments and also state how you discovered them.

2. Maintain a positive tone throughout the letter, all the while maintaining a professional attitude in your interaction with the university. Avoid getting too frank or personal. Also, avoid sharing any irrelevant personal details of the candidate in the letter.

3. Convince the university of why you think the candidate deserves to be a part of the Master's program in Computer Science and how they can contribute to society at large by pursuing this course.

What is the Structure / Format of a LOR for MS in CS?

Like every other official document that needs to be attached with your application for MS in CS to the university that you apply to, the LOR would also follow a certain specific format. A well-structured Letter of Recommendation is not only pleasing to the eyes of the reader but also keeps them engaged throughout the read. Here is the exact Letter of Recommendation format for Master’s courses that the recommender is ideally expected to follow while crafting the document:

Introductory paragraph: The recommender should begin by introducing themselves to the admissions committee. They clearly define their designation, place of work, and years of experience and notify the authorities of their professional relationship with the applicant.

Body of the letter: This can be broken into 2-3 short paragraphs, each highlighting different aspects of the candidate. For instance, the first paragraph in the body can describe the student's strengths and qualities. These can be both academic and professional. The applicant's personality traits or soft skills can be highlighted in separate paras. Ensure to provide concrete examples in every paragraph to fortify the chances of convincing the authorities to accept the student's admission application.

Concluding paragraph: This would summarise all that you discussed in your Letter of Recommendation, stating clearly why you think the applicant is an appropriate fit for the university they have applied to. Make sure to let the authorities know they can contact you in case they need more or specific details (if any) at the contact details provided at the end of the letter.

Tips for Writing a Letter of Recommendation for MS in Computer Science

For writing a good LOR, you must remember a few points that would ensure a well-crafted and error-free document. The following tips can come in handy:

Sample for LOR for MS in CS

A reference sample can aid in understanding how to write a good LOR for the applicant. However, please note that the sample below is for illustrative purposes only and should not be copied verbatim. Nevertheless, you may refer to it while drafting your sample LOR for MS in CS:

Students like Sonali Khanna are like a rare treasure to find, and I can only say that I was lucky to have found her among the crowd of students at the campus placement conducted at St. Xavier's University, Mumbai, in 2021. I, Sagar Sen, Technical Lead at Infocare Web Technologies, Mumbai, have had the rare pleasure of directly supervising Sonali for over 2 years at the company where she worked as an Android Trainee Developer.

During the course of her employment between Jan 2021 and Jan 2023 at Infocare, Sonali displayed exemplary professional skills, including quick learning, innovative thinking, and prompt action. I noticed these skills in her right at the time of campus placement at St. Xavier's College, where she completed her Bachelor's in Computer Science. Our recruitment team posed a set of questions to the hundreds of students present for the interview for the position of Trainee Android Developer. Sonali emerged as an inevitable leader, providing creative and perfect answers to all the questions asked. Her confidence and thorough knowledge of the subject impressed me a great deal back then.

Within a few days of joining the company, Sonali was quick enough to learn about her responsibilities and assumed them all in the correct spirit desirable. As part of her job role, she was keenly involved in designing, developing, and maintaining Android apps in alignment with the client's requirements.

Sonali also possesses excellent people communication skills, which is one of the many assets to her credit. She would always handle client interactions confidently and effectively, driving the entire team to target achievement within the stipulated time limit. Her strong leadership skills and gentle communication style helped her easily transition to the Android Developer position upon her promotion after a year, a role in which she shone precisely as expected. She shared with me her keen interest in further honing these skills by pursuing a two-year professional Master's course in Computer Science, and I completely support and respect her views on this.

Sonali's absence from the team and in the organisation would be felt strongly; however, I am assured and confident of her decision to take the next step on her career ladder by joining your esteemed institution. I have no doubts whatsoever that Sonali would prove to be a valuable and rather indispensable asset to any organisation that she is a part of, however brief a period. With that confidence and best wishes for her successful future endeavours, I sincerely request you to consider my recommendation for her application for MS in CS at your elite university.

I also encourage you to please get in touch with me at the below details shared in case I can be of any more help to you in providing additional information about Sonali's work experience or personality traits.

Yours sincerely,

Sagar Sen,
Technical Lead, Android Development,
Infocare Web Technologies, Mumbai
Contact: +91 xxxxxxxxx
Email: xxxx@infocaretech.com

FAQs

1. How long should a LOR for Master's in Computer Science be?

A strong and well-structured LOR written for a Master's application in CS can be between 300 and 500 words or 1 page. It is best to stay within the word limit by an unreasonable amount.

2. How many Letters of Recommendation are needed for a Master’s degree in CS?

Most universities abroad demand a minimum of 2 LORs from the candidates applying for MS in CS. These recommendations should ideally be from an academic or professional expert in the field of Computer Science and must have worked in a professional capacity with the candidate.

3. Are LORs compulsory for Master’s in Computer Science?

Yes, a LOR is generally accepted as one of the most important documents submitted as part of the MS in CS application at a university abroad.

4. How many LORs can a professor give?

It depends from one professor to another. Some may prefer to share just 1 LOR, while others may be okay with providing 2-3 letters if required. However, make sure that each letter is unique in content and style.

5. Who is the best person to ask for a Letter of Recommendation for Master’s in CS?

When asking someone to write a LOR for your college application, it is essential to choose the right recommender. Ensure that the chosen person knows about your academic accomplishments and professional skills thoroughly. For this reason, it is important that the recommender not only know you but has also interacted with you in some professional capacity.

6. Why do universities ask for more than one LOR for Master’s in Computer Science?

Most universities abroad may ask the candidate to submit more than 1 LOR as part of the application process. This is done to receive a thorough and holistic picture of the student's candidature and to seek validation for their portfolio from a trusted adult with sufficient expertise in the field of study.

7. Does a LOR for Computer Science Master's need to be stamped?

It is advisable to mail your Letter of Recommendation to the concerned university in an official envelope that is signed, sealed, and stamped by the recommender.

8. Do international students need a recommendation letter for Master’s in CS?

Most universities abroad require international students to submit 1-2 LORs as part of their application for the MS in CS program at the institution. These LORs lend credibility to the student's profile and help the university determine whether or not the candidate is a desirable fit for the institute.

Read more insightful articles