Professor refuses to write a recommendation letter to students who haven't written a research paper with him I am currently a fourth-year  Electrical Engineering student. I have been a top-ranked student in our department. I have passed 3 courses with a professor in our department and have received a full mark in all three. I did participate a lot in all classes and had many discussions about the courses in his office hours. He knows me very well. I have also been the teaching assistant of this professor twice, for two distinct courses. I believe that I have also done a decent job as a TA for him. I also have worked in his research lab for a year now.
Recently I have asked this professor for a recommendation letter for graduate school and he refuses, arguing he has decided to only give a recommendation letter to people who have written a research paper with him. By the way, he is willing to accept me as a master student, in his group but I prefer moving to another university.
My professor is new to the field I am currently working on and I believe it is hard for an undergraduate student to write a scientific paper in this situation.
I wanted to ask whether his refusal for recommendation letters is reasonable and also ask for some advice on how to handle this situation.
PS:
Maybe &quot;reasonable&quot; is not the best choice of word. I mean whether only giving recommendation letters to co-authors is something &quot;common&quot;.
I am applying to a direct PhD in the US. But I am from a different country. Direct PhDs are not possible in our country.
I Professor obtained his bachelor degree in our university and his PhD in the US.
He has also worked as a professor in the US and in Europe before joining our department.
I wanted to ask whether his refusal for recommendation letters is reasonable 


My personal opinion is that if you worked in his lab for a year (satisfactorily), it is unreasonable to refuse a letter. All the more so if you had other good interactions (TAing, etc.) with him.


  and also ask for some advice on how to handle this situation!


Unfortunately, my opinion counts for absolutely nothing. You cannot force this professor to write you a letter, and would be unwise to try. All you can do is find someone else. Preferably someone who can comment on your research, or at least someone who can confirm that your advisor almost never writes letters for undergrads (i.e., vouching that the lack of a letter from your advisor should not reflect poorly on you).