Top tips: personal statements for postgraduate study

Your personal statement is your chance to explain why a master’s validated by the London South Bank University (LSBU) is right for you and how it will support your future goals. While writing a personal statement can seem a daunting task, we’re here to help. Simply follow our top tips below or give us a call, so we can guide you through the process – we’ll even review your first draft. 

Make each word count 

Your personal statement should be around 300-500 words and, in reality, that isn’t very much. For example, the introduction to this post (above) is 70 words. You’ll need to fit everything you want to say in about five or six paragraphs of text, so each word matters: be concise. Keep your sentences short, no more than 25-30 words.  

Don’t worry if your first draft is a lot longer than the suggested word count because you can repeatedly edit it down, which also forces you to focus on the most important content. However, this is one of the many reasons why you do need to allow yourself plenty of time to prepare your application. 

Want personalised advice? Our friendly Course Adviser team are here to help:

What should I include? 

Your personal statement for further study should highlight: 

• Your interest in the course/subject and how it fits with your knowledge and skills, as well as any career and personal ambitions/aspirations. 

• Why Cambridge Education Group specifically – why do you want to study one of our part-time, online LSBU-validated degrees? 

• All previous study and its relevance to the course. For international students, this includes all prior UK study (whether completed/passed or not and any short courses). 

• Relevant work, voluntary or other experience relevant to the course. 

• Your awards, achievements and anything else that sets you apart as a great candidate and someone who will make a valuable contribution to the course. 

Why do we want to know this? 

In order to offer you a place on our course, the information in your personal statement should help us understand: 

• You genuinely love the subject and clearly understand your future goals and how to achieve them. 

• You have seriously considered the actual programme and university you’re applying to, rather than cut and pasted the same personal statement multiple times. 

• You are a committed learner, academically capable of successfully completing the course. 

• You plan your future carefully and considerately, using your time wisely to seek out relevant experiences.

• You are highly skilled and motivated and will be an enthusiastic, engaged participant in the learning experience. 

Key points to remember 

If you’ve already written a personal statement when applying to university for an undergraduate degree, you probably have a good idea of how to prepare and complete the task successfully. When it comes to writing your personal statement for postgraduate study, the process is pretty similar. It helps to remember the following: 

• Give yourself plenty of time: Don't rush your your personal statement because it could be the deciding factor in whether or not you are successful in gaining a place on your course.  

• Prepare and plan: Do your research, develop a rough outline of what you want to include and then draft, edit, re-edit and repeat until you’re satisfied. 

• Check spelling and grammar: Your personal statement is not a test of English language spelling or grammar, but we expect you to be able to write clearly and competently, and stick within your word limit. You can always use a spellcheck or get someone else to proofread your draft statement.  

• Explain change: If you're applying for a subject that is different to your undergraduate discipline, tell us why you have decided to change your field of study and how it builds on/complements your previous knowledge and experience.  

We’re here to help 

If you’d like support while you make your application to one of our LSBU validated programmes, including how to prepare your personal statement, our course advisers are here to help. They can also help you plan your next steps, choose a payment plan, or answer other questions you have about studying with us. Complete the short form below to request a call back from a Course Adviser.