Personal Statement is written to communicate your background and why you want to join a particular program. When applying for a master of public administration, applicants are faced with the task of connecting their current occupation and their chosen course which most times don’t come off as an easy task. So, we are presenting a master of public administration personal statement sample which was submitted by another applicant to guide you when writing yours.
P.S: This sample provided here is solely for education purposes, do not copy it. If you need assistance writing yours, click here to hire our experts today.
Areas to Cover When Writing Your Personal Statement Include:
- Personal motivation to study the course
- Academic and professional background
- Relevance of the program to your career
- Why did you pick the school and country?
- Qualities that would make you a good addition to the program
How to Introduce Yourself in Your Master’s Personal Statement
Start your statement by describing your strengths immediately. Because faculty will be reading many statements, it’s important to start off with your strengths and not “bury your lede.” Consider traits of successful graduate students from your informational interviews, and identify which of these traits you have.
Tips on How to Make Your Personal Statement Stand Out
1. Plan Before You Write: We know you’re eager to jump in and start writing, but as the old phrase goes; ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’. Before you start, briefly outline the points you want to make in your personal statement, and make sure you’re answering the questions; what, why, and how. What do you want to study? Why do you want to study it? How do your skills and past experiences prove this?
2. Format Correctly: Careful formatting will make your personal statement appear neat and professional. To do this, separate it into paragraphs, making sure to include an introduction and conclusion. Each paragraph should discuss a different topic, so that, as a whole, your personal statement reads clearly and fluidly.
For example:
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Academics
Paragraph 3: Why you’re interested and how you’ve demonstrated this
Paragraph 4: Hobbies and interests (including relevant work experience)
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
3. Make your introduction clear and direct: Grab the attention of your reader from the start, with a strong opening sentence highlighting your main skills, as well as outlining why you are applying to this course.
4. Include examples (but make sure they’re relevant): For every statement you make, follow it up with a ‘so what?’. Ok, so you were on your school debating team. So what? Follow up this statement by talking about the skills you therefore developed, as well as what you learned from this experience. Perhaps this taught you how to develop a structured argument, which will be useful in an essay-based subject where you will need to approach a question critically and argue your point.
5. Put the ‘personal’ in ‘personal statement’: Making your application personal, ensuring it doesn’t sound insincere or generic, is the winning ticket for your personal statement. What makes you unique? Don’t be afraid to think a little outside of the box. Admissions tutors read hundreds of personal statements, so saying something a little different will see your application dazzle the masses.
6. Make your conclusion brief but informative: The conclusion is your final chance to make an impression on the admissions tutor. Use it to sum up and explore themes you have mentioned previously and apply them in a wider context. Decide what your main message is in your personal statement and reaffirm this in your conclusion.
7. Proofread when you’re done: Check through your personal statement, it’s extremely easy to miss out on mistakes in your work, which is why it’s vital to have someone else read through it before you send it off.
Word Count of a Master’s Personal Statement
State the name of the program and the University, and write a separate personal statement for each application. Even if the courses you are applying for are very similar, you should write a tailored response for each one. In most cases, there will be a word limit of 400 to 600 words.
Master of Public Administration Personal Statement Sample
What has motivated you to pursue an M.P.A. degree? Why are you interested in public administration and public policy?
I am writing to indicate my interest in your distinguished Master’s of Public Administration Program and I wish to use this study to develop robust knowledge in administration and policy development. Studying Public Administration will help me stay informed about public policy decisions made both in national and international institutions and I hope to apply the knowledge to actualize my personal goal of becoming a policymaker in my country.
One of my reasons for picking Public Administration is because the knowledge can be applied across the public and private sectors, and being equipped with the right managerial, administrative, and leadership competence will put me in a position to proffer effective and efficient solutions in the area of national and international trade. Born and brought up in xxx, and having received my first degree here too, I am interested in enrolling for this study in a country that will give me solid backing in learning and cultural exposure.
How will your background and preparation, including education and professional experience, contribute to your success in the M.P.A. program?
My undergraduate study in xxx equipped me with communication, negotiation, and human relationship skills that have paved my path to success on the professional front. So far, my career experiences have involved the application of managerial competencies and understanding, my recent work experience in International Trade Operations in a multinational bank has served as a bridge for communicating and relating with a lot of people, thereby ensuring the resolution of customers’ problems and orienting them on how to apply government policies to succeed as business owners and citizens. More so, this position has made me increasingly aware of the importance of promoting policies that protect customers. Hence, I developed an interest in understanding how nations can create an equally competitive playing field for trade and investment both locally and internationally. Public administration is a preparatory and clarifying course that will enable me to establish a refined knowledge to provide a relevant contribution to our private sector. Therefore, I believe that knowledge from my previous study and professional background will play an important role in my success during this program and upon graduation.
What particular policy interests do you hope to explore, specifically as they relate to our three areas of research priority (Governance, Social Policy and Inequality, and Innovation, Science, and Technology). Why are you interested in these areas?
My interest to study at the University of xxx stems from the reputation of this school and the courses offered by this program. Going into this program, my area of interest is Social Policy and Inequality, and I am interested in these areas because despite the moral decadence in my country today, a lot of people are hoping to have a better social system that cares and prioritizes their needs. So, getting a degree in Public Administration with a focus on Social Policy and Inequality will enable me to understand what it takes to support social policies for my country.
What do you hope to achieve in this program?
I already have experience working in the private sector, and one area of focus will be to utilize my knowledge from this program to serve as a link for policy-makers to ensure the implementation of their corporate responsibilities, especially in the underdeveloped areas where they are operating.
Free Master of Public Administration Personal Statement Sample PDF
Download the free Master of Public Administration Personal Statement PDF Sample
This file is strictly for educational purposes, do not miss out on this change by copying it.
See other Samples:
- University of Plymouth, UK
- University of Algarve, Portugal
- University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
- University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- Lund University, Sweden
- University of California, USA
- Brock University Ontario, Canada
- Ulster University, UK
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada
- New Brunswick, UK
- Uppsala University, UK
- University of Birmingham, UK
- University of Warwick, UK
- University of Toronto, Canada
- University of Hertfordshire, UK
- McMaster University, UK
- University of Bradford, UK
- University of Waterloo, Canada
- Birmingham City University, UK
- James Cook University, Australia
- University of Sunderland, UK
- University of Hull, UK
- University of Westminster, UK
- University of Derby, UK
- Coventry University, UK
- University of Oxford, UK
- University Canada West, Canada
Need Assistance Writing a Master of Public Administration Personal Statement?
If so, contact Fasthire today. We’ll look into your application and compose a good personal statement for your application. We have professionals who are skilled in helping students compose their personal statement and study and visa statement of purpose/explanation and we’ll be ready to assist you right away. You can either use our regular, or express service depending on the urgency of your need
