Writing your personal statement

As part of your application to study with us, you’ll be asked to submit a personal statement. Your personal statement is your chance to show your understanding of the course, your interest in the subject and how your current skills and knowledge are relevant to the course you’d like to study. Each course we offer is different, so please read your course content carefully.

Show your skills and interests

None of our courses is purely practical and all involve a significant amount of theoretical study and research. Your personal statement should, therefore, show your academic skills. If you're applying to study a course with practical elements (eg BA Digital Media, BA Film, Photography and Media or BA Journalism), you should also talk about any practical skills you have. You might also consider linking to examples of your work.

Your personal statement should also explain why you're interested in studying your course. To do this, you could discuss examples of media that have caught your attention and any readings you've completed.

Tell us what you plan to do after studying

If you have a particular career that you’d like to pursue, we’d like to know how you think the course you’re applying for will help you achieve it.

It’s also a good idea to mention any work experience you’ve done in the past, and how it’s relevant to your course.

Be specific

Include specific examples to explain general statements. Below are some of the types of questions to ask yourself when writing your personal statement:

  • Which issues or ideas connected to the course do you find interesting and why?
  • Have you done any reading around the subject?
  • What academic skills do you have that makes you well suited to the course?
  • Which type or examples of media have caught your attention?
  • If the course you're applying for has practical elements, have you produced any media yourself? What did you use to create it?
  • If you have a career path in mind, why did you choose it?
  • How do you think this course will help you achieve your career aspirations?

See the UCAS website for more advice on writing your personal statement.