Information for Referees

The Reference Process

If a candidate nominates you as a referee in their application form, you will receive an email from UCL’s admissions system automatically once the candidate has submitted their application.

The email will contain a link to an online form where you may enter your reference. The online referee form will request the following information:

How long have you known the applicant?

In what capacity do you know the applicant?

You will then be asked assess the applicant on a scale of 1 to 10 in relation to the following criteria:

• Intellectual ability
• Ability to organise workload
• Motivation
• Originality
• Written communication skills
• Verbal communication skills
• Overall assessment of applicant

There will also be a free text box for a written reference. In this box, please focus on the outstanding features of the candidate, with a particular focus on their research experience and any other attributes which make them stand out above their peers.

Please do not email your reference directly to the Doctoral Programme unless specifically requested to do so.

Timescales

We would ask that referees return their report as soon as possible once they have received a reference request. The deadline for referee letters is Monday 3rd February 2025. We cannot consider an application unless both references are received by that date. For this reason, we strongly encourage candidates to submit their applications in good time and to inform you (also in good time) of this deadline.

If a candidate informs you they have submitted their application, but you have not received an email reference request, please contact us at quantum-cdt-admissions@ucl.ac.uk.