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Applications and CVs for further study

Advice on applying for further study, including examples of CVs and personal statements.

Most graduates considering further study will be applying for Taught Masters degrees, and this is the focus of this page. If you are thinking of applying for PhD or MRes study see 

Moving on to a PhD

Writing applications for further study is similar to completing job applications. You need to provide evidence that you have the required qualifications, skills, experience and relevant knowledge. You also need to explain why you have chosen the course, for example how it will help you move towards your career goals.  

Personal statement 

A personal statement is a key element of postgraduate applications. Watch our quick guide to help you write a successful statement. 

Prospects: postgraduate study personal statement examples 

Some institutions will ask you to submit a CV in support of your application. Your CV should be tailored to the programme with an emphasis on relevant study and experience. It should demonstrate that you have the skills needed to study at this level - self-motivation, research, persistence and problem solving. 

Examples of CVs for further study 

This article was published on 2024-05-14

S4-S6 Personal Statement Guide

The Edinburgh College applications for 2020 open up this week. Here is a guide on how to do the Personal Statement part of the application.

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Advice on Preparing Your Portfolio

As part of the application process, you may need to submit a portfolio of your work. A portfolio is a collection of your work that you feel represents your talents, skills and passion. We have put together some advice on preparing a portfolio.

When applying for a course, check to see if you need to submit a portfolio as part of the application process. This information should be available on the course page on the website but if you are unsure you can contact the Course Information team by emailing [email protected]

This means you will be able to start planning for your portfolio to make sure it's in good shape for when you hit submit.

Include a variety of work 

In your portfolio, you should include a variety of different pieces of work to demonstrate your creative potential. This might include drawings, pieces of writing, paintings, sketches and videos. Your portfolio should demonstrate your skills and also your potential. You can also include some background that demonstrates the process, research and context of your work.

Show your passion

Your portfolio is another opportunity to show your passion for the subject area you are applying for, along with your application and personal statement. The work in your portfolio should demonstrate your technical skills, and also your passion for the subject. Keep this in mind when selecting pieces to submit in your portfolio.

Check the guidance 

When submitting your portfolio there will be specific guidance you should follow around what to include and how to submit. This will vary from course to course. When you are asked to submit your portfolio you will receive all the information you need to do this. 

Art and Design Application Process & Portfolio

Portfolio guidance for the courses in The School of Art and Design. This includes advice on the content, formatting and size of your portfolio but also information on the portfolio review process, what to do if you don’t have a portfolio and the support available for Teachers supporting School pupils preparing portfolios for Art and Design courses.

Further Advice for Applications

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The personal statement is a key part of your UCAS application. You have a limited space to tell universities who you are, what you want to do, and why they should accept you. If you give it your best and tackle it step by step it need not be a daunting task.

Before you begin

The personal statement is one of the final sections of your UCAS application. However, you shouldn’t leave it until the last minute. Give yourself plenty of time to write.

• Your personal statement must be at least 1,000 characters long , including spaces.
• The maximum length is 4,000 characters or 47 lines, whichever comes first.
• It’s a good idea to write your statement in a separate document , make all the edits you want, and then copy and paste it into your application.
• Plan out your structure and key points before you start writing, just like an essay. You can use this page to decide what to include. 

Top tips for writing your statement

Watch the video for a summary of the key advice on how to write your personal statement.

Or use the bullet points below as a checklist when you're writing.

Remember the UCAS Deadline is 31 January 2024.

We look forward to receiving your application, good luck!

1. Introduce yourself first

You don't need to start your introduction with “My name is...”, but it’s vital to tell whoever’s reading your application who you are. Start by answering these questions:

• Why are you interested in studying your subject?
• What is it about university that appeals to you?
• Where do you hope a degree will take you?

Include any relevant anecdotes and details about yourself that will make your application stand out. Has someone inspired you to study your chosen subject? Have you always dreamed of a particular career?

2. Tell us about your skills and achievements

You should demonstrate the things you’re good at and provide examples to back it up. Include things like:

• Any awards you’ve received.
• Hobbies or activities that build skills.
• Work experience and what that taught you.
• Volunteering or projects like Duke of Edinburgh, Step Together, or Young Enterprise.

3. Do some final checks

There are a few dos and don’ts to make sure your personal statement is the best it can possibly be.

• Do proofread everything. A spellchecker might not pick up on every mistake so make sure your writing makes sense.
• Don’t mention the names of any specific universities if you’re applying to more than one. They all see the same application.
• Do have someone else read your statement before you submit it. A teacher or family member could have suggestions.
• Don’t be tempted to copy someone else’s writing. Your statement should be unique to you and similarities will be caught out.
• Do bring your best self! If you take the time to really think about your statement, plan it out, and write to the best of your ability, then it’s a job well done.

Head back to our main 'How to Apply' page and remember to send your application before 31 January 2024.

• Schools & departments

What you need to apply

To apply to Edinburgh you’ll need qualifications, a personal statement and a reference.

Your qualifications

You will need to provide evidence of your school or college grades and/or predicted grades on your UCAS application. You will also need to provide evidence of your English language skills.

The qualifications you will need vary by degree and may also depend on whether you are a widening access student.

You should take the time to understand the entry requirements for the degree you wish to apply for and what qualifications you will need to achieve to be eligible for an offer.

You must enter  all  your qualifications on your UCAS application, from secondary education onwards - whether you have the result or you're still awaiting exams and results.

If you studied at a university or college but didn't finish the course, you still need to enter these details, include the start and finish date, and state that you didn't receive any qualifications there.

Understanding our entry requirements

Widening access offers

Your predicted grades

We use predicted grades as part of our selection procedures. It is therefore very important that your application includes predicted grades for any qualifications which you have listed on your application but have not yet completed.

It is your responsibility to make sure that your referee adds these predicted grades to your application when adding your reference.

We may be unable to consider your application if we do not have your predicted grades.

Your personal statement

Depending on the degree you are applying for, admissions staff will be looking for different things from your personal statement. Generally, however, your personal statement should:

• explain why you want to study the subject you have applied for
• demonstrate a clear understanding of what the subject involves at degree level
• detail your relevant skills, qualities and experience and state how these have been developed
• show that you understand the implications of your choice on your career aspirations

If you are applying to a professional or vocational degree you should demonstrate a clear understanding of the profession. If you can, you should support this with evidence of appropriate work experience, volunteering or work shadowing.

We recognise that not all students have equal access to such opportunities and therefore do not stipulate that you must achieve experience through any specific means. We will consider a variety of experiences provided you are able to reflect on what you have learned.

Remember that your personal statement is your opportunity to tell us about yourself. The information you give us must be true. If you copy a personal statement from elsewhere, or ask someone else to write this for you, including the use of AI apps such as Chat GPT, you could be committing fraud.

You can find guidance on personal statements on the UCAS website.

UCAS guidance on personal statements

UCAS guidance on using AI and Chat GPT in statement writing  

Personal statement guidance for Medicine

Your reference

If you are applying from a school, college or registered UCAS centre, a teacher or tutor who knows you –  your referee –  will write your reference before submitting your application.

If you are not currently in education and apply independently, you can ask a registered school, college or centre you recently attended, or an employer, if they would be willing to write a reference. Once you have agreement from your referee, add their details to the reference page of your application and UCAS will contact them.

Supporting information

If you need to send us supporting information, for example evidence of special circumstances relating to your school education, you must include this in your application or send it to us as additional information.

If you – or a party on your behalf – sends us supporting information, certificates or other documents before you apply, it may not be possible for us to match these to your application at a later date.

It is your responsibility to make sure that you provide all relevant information as part of the application process, even if you think it has been sent to us before you applied. If you do not, it is possible that your application will be unsuccessful due to missing information.

Any information sent to us that we can’t match to an application will be securely destroyed at the end of the admissions cycle in which it was received.

We can’t guarantee that we will consider supporting information if we receive it after the UCAS deadline.

How to send us supporting information

You should send supporting information by email where possible.

Email:  [email protected] 

Make sure your email includes:

• your UCAS identification number, or
• your University of Edinburgh Universal User Name (UUN)

If you can't email us please use our online enquiry form to let us know and we can discuss alternative ways of sending the information.

Submit an enquiry

A complete application

You must submit a fully completed UCAS application including a personal statement, reference and predicted grades by the relevant deadline to ensure that your application is considered. 

When to apply 

We take all the information on your application into consideration as part of the selection process.

How we select applicants

Submitting a complete and accurate application

Before you submit your application, you should make sure that all your information is complete and accurate.

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Napier University, Edinburgh Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to Napier University, Edinburgh. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

Computer Science Personal Statement Example 9 I have made my degree course choices based around my love of computers and all things computing. To help with my decision concerning degree course choices I read through many prospectuses and attended university open days, I sat in on some lectures that outlined the course content of each subject...

Advertising & Marketing Communications Personal Statement Example The reason I chose the UK as the country I want to study in is that I have always admired its long-established traditions not only in education but also in politics, religion, sport, etc. To me it is most fascinating how Britain has succeeded in preserving its culture, customs and traditions despite the crucial historical events it's been through...

Aerospace Engineering Personal Statement Example 14 For as long as I can remember, aircraft have always been a primary interest of mine. Being a typical young boy my early interests and aspirations were to become a fighter pilot or an astronaut. However, as I grew older and my eyes were opened to the wonders of physics, my interests were turned to the engineering behind the machines themselves, from the 11 ton Eurofighter Typhoon to the 2000 ton Space shuttle...

Languages/Linguistics Personal Statement Example My decision to study languages at University stems from a fascination of the complexity of language and the changes which languages go through. As I am Scottish, I often speak in a regional dialect and I find myself engrossed as to why people speak in dialects and why speakers of the same language can have difficulties understanding each other...

International Business Personal Statement Example 2 The motivation behind my decision to gain a Business Degree lies in my determination to better understand how the real world works. I particularly enjoy the way that business blends in with everyday issues...

Law and History Personal Statement Example 4 Louis de Bernières writes in ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin' that history is fascinating 'because everything [is] connected to everything else in the most elaborate, devious and elegant ways'. Perhaps this explains the importance of history in understanding the modern world; it governs the way in which we view society, dictates our actions and, perhaps most importantly, provides guidance to those who establish law...

Engineering Personal Statement Example 21 The world of engineering is so complex, yet so inspiring. Incredibly, engineers are discovering more ingenious and inventive solutions to complicated problems, whilst continually maximising efficiency...

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