Techniques for transmitting UE-specific reference signals (UE-RSs) in a wireless network are described. In an aspect, a UE-RS may be transmitted in different manners depending on the number of layers used for data transmission. In one design, a cell may determine subcarriers for a UE-RS based on a frequency shift if data is transmitted on one layer and based on a predetermined set of subcarriers (with no frequency shift) if data is transmitted on multiple layers. In another aspect, a UE-RS may be transmitted on subcarriers determined based on a frequency shift for data transmission on multiple layers. In yet another aspect, a UE-RS may be transmitted from a plurality of cells to a UE for coordinated multi-point (CoMP). In yet another aspect, a UE-RS may be transmitted in a data section of a subframe including only the data section.