The template below is an optional resource to use when requesting a letter of recommendation from an instructor for your application for ESC conditional admission during your junior year. You can fill in the bracketed sections with information pertinent to your application. The template is loosely based on this generic template, and other templates are available here. Additional guidance on applying to graduate school is available from University Career Services.
Please request that your recommenders submit their letters directly to the Hussman School Office of Graduate Studies, at mjgrad@unc.edu. They should include your name and “ESC REC” in the subject line.
Dear Dr. LAST NAME [or Dear Professor LAST NAME],
I am writing to ask whether you would be willing to write a letter of recommendation in support of my application for conditional admission to the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media’s M.A. in Media and Communication program as part of the Environment and Science Communication dual degree. The application deadline is Jan. XX, 20XX.
As you may recall, I have taken [NAME(S) OF COURSES] with you. [DESCRIPTION OF MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES IN COURSE, SUCH AS TOPIC FOR MAJOR PAPER OR STRONG FINAL GRADE.] You’ll see on my attached resume that I am majoring in environmental studies and completing a [SECOND MAJOR, MINOR OR THREE-COURSE SEQUENCE] in media and journalism. My current overall GPA is [GPA].
In the ESC program, a student can earn a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and a master’s in mass communication in just five years. Conditional admission would allow me to begin graduate study in the Hussman School concurrently with my final year of undergraduate work next year. I am excited to pursue the dual degree because [DESCRIPTION OF CAREER OR OTHER INTEREST RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNICATION]. [DESCRIPTION OF RELATED EXPERIENCE VIA COURSES, INTERNSHIPS OR OTHER ACTIVITIES.]
Thank you for considering this request. The Hussman School asks that you sign the recommendation letter and send it as a PDF file to the Hussman School Office of Graduate Studies (mjgrad@unc.edu) by the Jan. XX deadline. If you would like more information about the ESC program or my interest in it, please feel free to contact me at [PHONE NUMBER] or [EMAIL ADDRESS].
Sincerely,
[NAME]
