What is a 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, often
two sides. Some institutions also set a character limit instead of a specific
word count, so check the application guidelines before starting to write
your statement.

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.

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 for a particular programme and why

you deserve a place above other candidates - 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, such as modules or work experience opportunities.
Show that you're ready for the demands of postgraduate life by
demonstrating your passion, 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 - explain your career aspirations and how the course will
help you achieve them.

Address any clear weaknesses, such as lower-than-expected module

performance or gaps in your education history. The university will want to
know about these, so explain them with a positive spin. Lower-than-
expected results may be caused by illness, for example. Admit this, but
mention that you've done extra reading to catch up and want to improve in
this area. Keep these explanations short and optimistic and instead focus
on the positive outcomes.

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.
Capture the reader's attention with an enthusiastic introduction covering
why you want to study a particular Masters. Then, engage the reader in
your middle paragraphs by evidencing your knowledge and skills and
demonstrating why the course is right for you.
Your conclusion should be concise, and summarise why you're the ideal
candidate. Overall, aim for five or six paragraphs. You can use headings to
break up the text if you prefer.
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 will be automatically formatted.
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
perfect. 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.
 The best personal statements adopt a positive, enthusiastic and
professional tone and are presented 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 perfect,
as the personal statement acts as a test of your written
communication ability.
 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. In
order 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
incredibly important to avoid mistakes. Memorise what you've
written before any interviews.