Guidelines for Reference Letters

Please contact us if you require a reference letter, certificate, or transcript from the Chair. Since we issue many reference letters, it is imperative that you take note of the following instructions:

• Leave enough time (approx. 3 weeks before the application). We need the request early enough to have time to write the text.
• Direct your request to the member of the team who knows you best. This person should also be the one to write the letter. Professor Biermann can sign the document upon request.
• We will need to know you well enough to provide a meaningful letter. Usually, applicants are specialized in International Relations. You should have enrolled at least in one of our seminars and gained at least a GPA of 2.0.
• We provide reference letters for German universities (Master applications) and internships only in exceptional cases, because this contradicts the guidelines of our professional association, the DVPW, and contributes to an inflationary use of such letters.
• The better we know you and the more relevant information you provide us, the more we can write the letter tailored to your needs.
• Once we have agreed to write your reference letter, please send us the following information via email for appraisal; if the referee is Prof. Biermann, please send the documents to the secretariat:
  
  
  • Information about the position, scholarship etc. you are applying for.
  • Any form that you or the referee has to complete (where applicable, include instructions about which criteria the recipient wants us to apply)
  • Application documents (cover letter, CV, proposals etc.)
  • An ASPA transcript of your grades
  • Details indicating since when you have known the referee and which seminars you completed at the Chair, including the grades
  • A date when you need the reference
  • The contact details of the recipient (and whether the reference letter must be submitted directly to that person/institution or sent to you)
    
    
• Please note that it is your responsibility to provide all documents in good time. Your request cannot be processed if documents are missing. Writing a reference letter is at the discretion of the Chair. In case of lesser-known requests, a decision on whether to write a reference can only be made after reviewing the documents.