Guidelines for Statement of Purpose
AKA "Personal Statement"
Guidelines for Statement of Purpose (“Personal Statement”):
2-3 well-written pages; should address the following:
• Why apply to this program? What makes CLJ and UIC a good fit for your personal and professional goals? Mention potential faculty members you know or might want to work with.
• What makes you a good candidate for this program? (writing, research or creative skills; personal characteristics or experience; involvement in activism, organizations or personal involvement with CLJ related matters)
• What are your professional goals (including what you intend to do with the degree; we will not hold you to it)?
• What do you intend to study? For MA, discuss your research area or research interests. For PhD, be as specific as you can with your research topic, methodology, research questions. (We will NOT hold you to it, and it does not have to be fully developed. We recognize that students change their topic during their education.)
• If there are any gaps or points of interest / contention in your other application materials (grades, records, a bad semester), we recommend that you discuss it in your statement.
• Tell us about yourself and any unique skills or other areas of your life we should know about.
For PhD students, focus on:
Areas of Intended Study; Research and Teaching Experience and Goals; Intellectual Fit with Program and Faculty at CLJ/UIC