One of the requirements of all graduate programs at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø is a personal statement. Click on your program of interest below to view the specific questions you should address.
Accordion Content
Prepare a detailed statement explaining research interests and experience.
For the Biology, MAT click on the Education: Professional Licensure MAT section
Your essay should be well-structured, double spaced, and 600-800 words.
Prepare a 750-word statement of purpose that describes the experiences that have influenced your decision to study or work within the discipline of criminal justice or criminology. Also, include the following:
- Academic topics of interest
- Your commitment to social justice
- How you see these issues reflected in the areas of criminal justice
Personal Statement (Required of every applicant)
A statement of personal and professional goals (suggested page length of 5-7 pages, double-spaced) which responds to each point below, is required of every applicant.
- Describe the experiences that have influenced your decision to pursue social work as a profession by responding to the following:
- Your motivation for being a social worker
- Speak to at least two of the professional values or ethics and how they relate to your own values and beliefs
- Identify at least two qualities you can bring to the social work profession and to colleagues in the MSW program
- Describe at least two personal strengths and two areas for future professional growth related to becoming a professional social worker
- Your specific strengths
- Areas for future professional growth
- What do you see as the most pressing social issue facing society?
- How do we as social workers respond to this need?
- What is your personal involvement in working on this issue?
- Describe your commitment to social justice and social change.
- Your experience with people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds including race, ethnic heritage, age, gender, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, disability or national origin
- Your experience with social change including specific example
- Students will spend a minimum of 16 hours per week in their first practicum placement and a minimum of 20-24 hours a week in their second practicum placement (advanced standing students will only complete one 20-24 hour per week practicum placement). It is expected that students are prepared to complete practicum placement hours during weekday daytime hours. How do you propose to manage the special time demands of the program? Please be specific as to how you plan to meet the challenges of:
- Course work and course schedule
- Completing practicum placement requirements
- Paid or volunteer work and your personal responsibilities
Practicum Education Experience Summary (Advanced Standing Candidates Only)
Advanced Standing candidates must also submit a summary statement of their final semester senior practicum placement or your current position if in social work:
- Please identify your practicum education placement or your current post BSW social work position as well as the type of services provided by the agency/organization.
- Please clearly identify your responsibilities in this placement, or in your current post BSW social work position.
- Select a client system from your practicum education placement or current post BSW social work position and briefly describe the reason for your involvement, your understanding of the client’s needs, your methods to address the identified needs, and the outcome of your intervention.
- Using the work you did with the identified client from above or from your overall experience at the placement or current post BSW social work position, please describe what you learned, providing at least two specific examples, about yourself as it pertains to social work while doing this work.
Personal Statement (Most Certificates)
A short essay on the value of the Graduate Certificate Program for the applicant
Online Course Design Certificate
Please begin by addressing how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue this certificate. Take some time to think about yourself as a learner when you answer the questions below.
- Describe the skills and knowledge you wish to obtain in this certificate program.
- Discuss the variety of applications that you use on a regular basis and your familiarity with each application. For example, applications could be web browser(s), Office Productivity tools (e.g. Microsoft Office), Design & Creativity (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite), Software Development, Management and/or Workflow.
- When you are faced with a technology issue, how would you work through this problem?