A communication method and a system for converging a fifth generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a fourth generation (4G) system with an internet of things (IoT) technology are provided, which may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method and an apparatus for transmitting a reference signal are provided. The method includes receiving, from a base station, a first parameter and a second parameter associated with a sound reference signal (SRS) by higher layer signaling, identifying a bandwidth for the SRS based on the first parameter and the second parameter, and transmitting, to the base station, the SRS based on the identified bandwidth for the SRS.