Personal statements for postgraduate applications

What is a Masters personal statement?

A Masters personal statement is a piece of writing that you submit as part of your postgraduate application. It's your first real chance to sell yourself to the university and to demonstrate to admissions tutors that you're right for the course.

It's likely that you've already written a personal statement for your Bachelors degree, so this should give you some idea of what to expect. However, don't be tempted to use your undergraduate personal statement as a template. You will have progressed academically since then and admissions tutors will want to see evidence of this.

Your postgraduate personal statement should be unique and tailored to the course that you're applying to. Use the opportunity to show off your academic interests and abilities, and to demonstrate that the programme will benefit from your attendance as much as you'll benefit from studying it.

How long should a postgraduate personal statement be?

A Masters personal statement should be around 500 words. This equates to one side of A4. However, some universities require more, sometimes two sides. Some institutions also set a character limit instead of a specific word count, so it's important that you check the application guidelines before starting to write your statement.

As they're relatively short, don't waste words on autobiographical information. This isn't necessary in postgraduate personal statements. Instead, focus on why you want to study a particular programme and your potential to successfully complete the course.

'I found writing my personal statement really tough, for this reason,' explains Jennifer Coates, Speech and Language Therapies Masters student at the University of Sheffield. 'I tend to be quite wordy, so I found it really hard to keep my word count down while trying to put in as much information as possible.'

What should I include in a Masters personal statement?

You should tailor your personal statement to fit the course you're applying for, so what to include will largely depend on the course requirements. However, in general you should write about:

• Your reasons for applying and why you deserve a place above other candidates - demonstrate your interest and passion for the course and subject. Discuss your academic interests, career goals and the university and department's reputation, and write about which aspects of the course you find most appealing, for example particular modules or work experience opportunities. Show that you're ready for the demands of postgraduate life by demonstrating your knowledge and experience.
• Your preparation - address how undergraduate study has prepared you for a postgraduate course, mentioning your independent work (e.g. dissertation) and topics that most interested you.
• Evidence of your skillset - highlight relevant skills and knowledge that will enable you to make an impact on the department, summarising your abilities in core areas including IT, numeracy, organisation, communication, time management and critical thinking. You can also cover any grades, awards, work placements, extra readings or conferences that you've attended and how these have contributed to your readiness for Masters study.
• Your goals - discuss your long-term plans and aspirations, as they give the academic team an understanding of how they might best support you through your studies.
• Any weaknesses - such as lower-than-expected module performance in your undergraduate degree or gaps in your education history. The university will want to know about these, so explain them with a positive spin. Cover how these gaps and weaknesses have been addressed and what will be different in your postgraduate studies.

How should I structure my personal statement?

Your personal statement should follow a logical, methodical structure, where each paragraph follows on from the one before. Make sure paragraphs are short, succinct, clear and to the point. You only have 500 words so use them wisely.

The majority of postgraduate applications are submitted online directly to the university. If this is the case, present your personal statement in a standard font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman, text size 11 or 12. If your course application is submitted through UKPASS (UCAS's postgraduate application service) font style won't matter, as personal statements are automatically formatted.

Overall, aim for five or six paragraphs. You can use headings to break up the text if you prefer.

Paragraph one (the introduction)

Capture the reader's attention with an enthusiastic introduction covering why you want to study a particular Masters.

Don’t waste time coming up with a catchy opening. The more you try, the more contrived you'll sound and the more likely you are to fall into the trap of using clichés. Make your opening lines interesting and personal.

Your opening could include how your current interests have led you to apply for this course, and how you see it helping you achieve both your full potential and future aspirations.

Avoid using overused phrases, such as:

• For as long as I can remember…
• From a young age…
• I am applying for this course because…
• Throughout my life I have always enjoyed…
• I have always been interested in…
• I have always been passionate about…
• I have always wanted to pursue a career in…
• Reflecting on my educational experiences…

Admissions tutors read hundreds of applications per course so the opening paragraph of your personal statement needs to get straight to the point and make a real impact. Avoid overkill statements, gimmicks and popular quotes.

If you're really struggling, come back and tackle the opening once you have written the rest.

Paragraphs two, three and four (the middle)

Engage the reader in your middle paragraphs by summing up your:

• academic achievements
• employment background
• skills
• future career goals
• gaps in your education or work history.

Evidence your knowledge and demonstrate why the course is right for you.

Paragraph five (the conclusion)

Conclusions should be short, sharp and memorable, and leave no doubt in an admissions tutor's mind that you deserve a place on a course.

The perfect ending should pull all of your key points together without waffling or repeating yourself.

Like the rest of your Masters personal statement, keep the ending simple. Be succinct and make it clear why you'll be an asset to the university and end on a positive note, with a statement about why the institution would be lucky to have you as a student.

How can I write a good postgraduate personal statement?

• Give yourself plenty of time and don't rush. Your personal statement can make or break your application so it needs to be right. Tutors can tell if you're bluffing, and showing yourself up as uninformed could be costly. Before you start, read the rules and guidelines provided, check the selection criteria and research the course and institution.
• Use AI tools responsibly. It's a 'personal' statement, so it needs to be specific to you. Using AI tools such as ChatGTP to generate a statement may be easier, but generalised statements will never be as effective. Personal stories and experiences really bring your statement to life.
• Adopt a positive, enthusiastic and professional tone and write in clear, short sentences. Avoid elaborate or overly complicated phrases. Unless otherwise stated, all postgraduate personal statements should be written in English and your spelling, grammar and punctuation must be spot on, as the personal statement acts as a test of your written communication skills.
• Don't use the same supporting statement for every course. Admissions tutors can spot copy-and-paste jobs. Generic applications demonstrate that you have little understanding of the course. To stand out from the crowd Masters personal statements must be unique and specific to the course and institution.
• Draft and redraft your statement until you're happy. Then ask a friend, family member or careers adviser to read it. Proofreading is important to avoid mistakes. Memorise what you've written before any interviews.

'I didn't have as much experience as a lot of other candidates, but what I had was a genuine passion for my subject,' says Jennifer. 'I tried to ensure this enthusiasm was in every word I wrote.

'Additionally, I catered the experience I did have to the course. I was applying for a healthcare Masters and was working as a chef. I wrote about how this made it easier for me to multitask, work under pressure and within a team. While it might not be specifically related, it's about how you draw skills from the experience you do have and extrapolate it to the degree you want.'

What should I avoid in a Masters personal statement?

Don't:

• follow online examples too closely, only use them as a guide
• use your undergraduate UCAS application as a template
• be negative
• lie or exaggerate
• use clichés, gimmicks, humour, over-used words such as 'passion' or Americanisms
• include inspirational quotes
• make pleading/begging statements
• needlessly flatter the organisation
• include irrelevant course modules, personal facts or extra-curricular activities
• use overly long sentences
• repeat information found elsewhere in your application
• waffle
• leave writing your personal statement to the last minute.

Jennifer adds, 'don't put yourself down - I've seen a lot of really smart, hard-working people write personal statements focusing upon their weaknesses rather than their strengths. You have an undergraduate degree - you're already doing amazingly.'

What are admissions tutors looking for?

Make sure your personal statement provides:

• an explanation of how the course links your past and future
• an insight into your academic and non-academic abilities, and how they'll fit with the course
• evidence of your skills, commitment and enthusiasm
• knowledge of the institution's area of expertise
• reasons why you want to study at the institution.

Personal statement examples

The style and content of your postgraduate personal statement depends on several factors, such as the type of qualification that you’re applying for - such as a Masters degree, a conversion course or teacher training. Here are some postgraduate personal statement templates to help you get started:

Psychology personal statement

If applying for a conversion course you need to explain why you want to change subjects and how your current subject will help you. Explain what experience you have that will help with your conversion subject, and what you hope to do in the future. Explore our psychology personal statement example for inspiration and learn more about psychology conversion courses.

Business management personal statement

Postgraduate courses in business management are popular among graduates. To make your application stand out your personal statement needs to cover your motivations for choosing a specific course at a particular university, your career goals and how the Masters will help you achieve them. Be sure to mention relevant transferrable skills and work experience. Take a look at our business management personal statement example and read up on management courses.

Law personal statement

Whether you're undertaking a general LLM or a more specific programme, such as an LLM in human rights or international business law, you'll need to convey why you want to study the law in more depth and how this could potentially aid your career. Check out our law personal statement example and discover more about LLM degrees.

Computer science personal statement

If you'd like to study a computer science but your first degree is unrelated, you'll need to explain why you'd like to change disciplines. Demonstrate your technical, mathematical and analytical skills, as well as knowledge of the subject area. See our computer science personal statement example and information technology sector.

Social work personal statement

If your Bachelors degree was in an unrelated subject you'll need a Masters in social work (MSW) to qualify. Social work Masters have a substantial work placement element so you'll need to cover what you hope to achieve during this time as well as demonstrate other relevant experience. Check out our social work personal statement example and find out more about social work courses.

Nursing personal statement

Your personal statement needs to convey your reasons for choosing this career path, as well as demonstrate a specific set of skills, knowledge of the working environment and relevant experience. Take a look at our nursing personal statement example and find out more about working as an adult or children's nurse.

PGCE primary personal statement

For PGCE primary courses detail why you want to work with this age group, and highlight why your educational background has inspired you to teach. Cover skills you have gained, related work experience and your knowledge of the primary national curriculum. Take a look at our PGCE primary personal statement example and read up on PGCEs.

PGCE secondary personal statement

Cover why you want to teach at secondary level while also acknowledging the pressures and challenges of working with older pupils. You'll be teaching a specific subject, so evidence your knowledge in this area and the relevance of your first degree. Highlight any related work or voluntary experience. Check out our PGCE secondary personal statement example and explore applying for teacher training.

Find out more

• Search postgraduate courses.
• Completed your application? Discover what postgraduate interview questions you may be asked.