diff --git a/spec/controllers/application_letters_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/application_letters_controller_spec.rb
index aa8b3caf..1112244a 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/application_letters_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/application_letters_controller_spec.rb
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
         user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         sign_in user
         post :create, application_letter: invalid_attributes, session: valid_session
-        expect(assigns(:application_letter)).to be_a_new(ApplicationLetter).with(:user_id => user.id)
+        expect(assigns(:application_letter)).to be_a_new(ApplicationLetter)
       end
 
       it "re-renders the 'new' template" do
diff --git a/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb
index f6c155cb..743dbab2 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/profiles_controller_spec.rb
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
   # adjust the attributes here as well.
   let(:valid_attributes) { FactoryGirl.build(:profile).attributes }
 
-  let(:invalid_attributes) { FactoryGirl.build(:profile, user: nil).attributes }
+  let(:invalid_attributes) { FactoryGirl.build(:profile, user: nil).attributes } #TODO: we need another required field for a profile
 
   # This should return the minimal set of values that should be in the session
   # in order to pass any filters (e.g. authentication) defined in
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
   describe "GET #index" do
     it "assigns all profiles as @profiles" do
+      sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
       profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
       get :index, params: {}, session: valid_session
       expect(assigns(:profiles)).to eq([profile])
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@
   describe "GET #show" do
     it "assigns the requested profile as @profile" do
       profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+      sign_in profile.user
       get :show, id: profile.to_param, session: valid_session
       expect(assigns(:profile)).to eq(profile)
     end
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@
 
   describe "GET #new" do
     it "assigns a new profile as @profile" do
+      sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
       get :new, params: {}, session: valid_session
       expect(assigns(:profile)).to be_a_new(Profile)
     end
@@ -58,6 +61,7 @@
   describe "GET #edit" do
     it "assigns the requested profile as @profile" do
       profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+      sign_in profile.user
       get :edit, id: profile.to_param, session: valid_session
       expect(assigns(:profile)).to eq(profile)
     end
@@ -66,18 +70,21 @@
   describe "POST #create" do
     context "with valid params" do
       it "creates a new Profile" do
+        sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         expect {
           post :create, profile: valid_attributes, session: valid_session
         }.to change(Profile, :count).by(1)
       end
 
       it "assigns a newly created profile as @profile" do
+        sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         post :create, profile: valid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(assigns(:profile)).to be_a(Profile)
         expect(assigns(:profile)).to be_persisted
       end
 
       it "redirects to the created profile" do
+        sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         post :create, profile: valid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(response).to redirect_to(Profile.last)
       end
@@ -85,11 +92,13 @@
 
     context "with invalid params" do
       it "assigns a newly created but unsaved profile as @profile" do
+        sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         post :create, profile: invalid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(assigns(:profile)).to be_a_new(Profile)
       end
 
       it "re-renders the 'new' template" do
+        sign_in FactoryGirl.create(:user)
         post :create, profile: invalid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(response).to render_template("new")
       end
@@ -106,6 +115,7 @@
 
       it "updates the requested profile" do
         profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+        sign_in profile.user
         put :update, id: profile.to_param, profile: new_attributes, session: valid_session
         profile.reload
         expect(profile.cv).to eq(new_attributes[:cv])
@@ -113,12 +123,14 @@
 
       it "assigns the requested profile as @profile" do
         profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+        sign_in profile.user
         put :update, id: profile.to_param, profile: valid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(assigns(:profile)).to eq(profile)
       end
 
       it "redirects to the profile" do
         profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+        sign_in profile.user
         put :update, id: profile.to_param, profile: valid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(response).to redirect_to(profile)
       end
@@ -127,12 +139,14 @@
     context "with invalid params" do
       it "assigns the profile as @profile" do
         profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+        sign_in profile.user
         put :update, id: profile.to_param, profile: invalid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(assigns(:profile)).to eq(profile)
       end
 
       it "re-renders the 'edit' template" do
         profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+        sign_in profile.user
         put :update, id: profile.to_param, profile: invalid_attributes, session: valid_session
         expect(response).to render_template("edit")
       end
@@ -142,6 +156,7 @@
   describe "DELETE #destroy" do
     it "destroys the requested profile" do
       profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+      sign_in profile.user
       expect {
         delete :destroy, id: profile.to_param, session: valid_session
       }.to change(Profile, :count).by(-1)
@@ -149,6 +164,7 @@
 
     it "redirects to the profiles list" do
       profile = Profile.create! valid_attributes
+      sign_in profile.user
       delete :destroy, id: profile.to_param, session: valid_session
       expect(response).to redirect_to(profiles_url)
     end
diff --git a/spec/request_helper.rb b/spec/request_helper.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b7f4202
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/request_helper.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+def login(user)
+  post_via_redirect user_session_path, 'user[email]' => user.email, 'user[password]' => user.password
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/requests/applications_spec.rb b/spec/requests/applications_spec.rb
index 6622cfb8..65ebddd7 100644
--- a/spec/requests/applications_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/applications_spec.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
+require 'request_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe "Applications", type: :request do
   describe "GET /applications" do
     it "works! (now write some real specs)" do
+      login FactoryGirl.create(:user)
       get application_letters_path
       expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
     end
diff --git a/spec/requests/profiles_spec.rb b/spec/requests/profiles_spec.rb
index a8fc5cfd..f70a7962 100644
--- a/spec/requests/profiles_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/profiles_spec.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 require 'rails_helper'
+require 'request_helper'
 
 RSpec.describe "Profiles", type: :request do
   describe "GET /profiles" do
     it "works! (now write some real specs)" do
+      login FactoryGirl.create(:user)
       get profiles_path
       expect(response).to have_http_status(200)
     end
diff --git a/spec/views/application_letters/edit.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/application_letters/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
index b8e48746..30ea662a 100644
--- a/spec/views/application_letters/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/application_letters/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
     assert_select "form[action=?][method=?]", application_letter_path(@application_letter), "post" do
       assert_select "input#application_letter_motivation[name=?]", "application_letter[motivation]"
-      assert_select "input#application_letter_user_id[name=?]", "application_letter[user_id]"
       assert_select "input#application_letter_workshop_id[name=?]", "application_letter[workshop_id]"
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/views/application_letters/new.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/application_letters/new.html.erb_spec.rb
index 88644b14..b03a366a 100644
--- a/spec/views/application_letters/new.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/application_letters/new.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
     assert_select "form[action=?][method=?]", application_letters_path, "post" do
       assert_select "input#application_letter_motivation[name=?]", "application_letter[motivation]"
-      assert_select "input#application_letter_user_id[name=?]", "application_letter[user_id]"
       assert_select "input#application_letter_workshop_id[name=?]", "application_letter[workshop_id]"
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/views/profiles/edit.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/profiles/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
index d5ed6a0f..d36bd1c5 100644
--- a/spec/views/profiles/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/profiles/edit.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
     assert_select "form[action=?][method=?]", profile_path(@profile), "post" do
       assert_select "input#profile_cv[name=?]", "profile[cv]"
-      assert_select "input#profile_user_id[name=?]", "profile[user_id]"
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/views/profiles/new.html.erb_spec.rb b/spec/views/profiles/new.html.erb_spec.rb
index f9e473bd..16b12b17 100644
--- a/spec/views/profiles/new.html.erb_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/profiles/new.html.erb_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
 
     assert_select "form[action=?][method=?]", profiles_path, "post" do
       assert_select "input#profile_cv[name=?]", "profile[cv]"
-      assert_select "input#profile_user_id[name=?]", "profile[user_id]"
     end
   end
 end