<p>Hey y'all, going through the motions of applying for a PhD program in History. I secured 2 letters of recommendation from former and respected professors, but these are really the only two history professors I've gotten to know as every other History class involved large lectures. So, would it be better to use a letter from my German professor (I know foreign languages are important to History programs which is why I did not think this would be a problem, and show diversity) or an employer in my field I've conducted outside research with? Both recommendations would be incredibly strong I feel as both people know me well and have told me how much of a pleasure I have been on multiple occasions. So, which choice would make for the stronger application? Or would it be better to meet with a former History professor from these larger lectures in classes I've gotten an A in and ask for a "she did well in my class" letter? Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>Any help is appreciated! =)</p>
<p>You can add an additional letter if you want. For most of my schools, they did not state that only 3 were accepted. </p>
<p>As for your question, was your employer at a university? What was the nature of your research? Since you have two from professors, if you did research under someone with a PhD, then I would say go for the research one. However, I am not in the History field so you might want to wait for other people to confirm it. I would lean towards adding a fourth if they accept more.</p>
<p>If they accept a fourth letter, then send four. If they only accept three, it’s better to have three academic references (even if one is from outside your field) than to have two academic references and one outside one, with the exception of certain circumstances. If your supervisor has a PhD in history and the research you did was VERY similar to what you’d be doing as a graduate student (not in content but in method), then that might be superior to a letter from your German professor. But if your supervisor does not have a PhD in history (or anything akin to history) and your work was related research but not historical methods, then an academic reference is better. The adcom wants to know how you have performed as a student and your preparation and potential for graduate school; someone who has a PhD can always comment on that more effectively than someone who does not, because they know what the process is like.</p>