GRADUATE SCHOOL, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9037, 360-650-3170, email: gradschool@wwu.

edu

Dm11-01-2010
StatementofPurposeGuidelines

Anthropology

500wordessaystatingreasonsfordoinggraduateworkinAnthropology&indicating
majorinterestswithinAnthropology.
ArchivesandRecordsManagement

Nospecificguidelines.Telluswhatyouthinkweneedtoknowaboutyouandyourgoals
andinterests.
Biology
Pleaseaddressresearchinterest(s)andpotentialadviser(s)withindepartment.
Chemistry Astatementofresearchinterestsandfuturegoals,includingidentificationofuptothree
potentialfacultyresearchadvisors.

Comm.Sci.&Disorders

Speech/LanguagePathology

ONEPAGE,singlespaced,12font,letterstatingyourpurposeforadvancedstudyinyour
areaofinterest.(Thecommitteewillnotreadlongerletters)
ContinuingandCollegeEducation

300500wordStatementofPurpose Describeyourpastexperienceworkingwithadults
asavolunteeroranemployee,particularlyinaneducationcapacity;yourunderstanding
ofandcommitmenttothefieldofcontinuingandcollegeeducation,whyyouare
interestedinpursuingthisparticulardegree,andhowyouseethisdegreeprogramfitting
withyourcareergoals.
ElementaryEducation
Brief300500wordstatementofpersonalcareergoalsandreasonsforseekingadmission
totheM.Ed.program.
English

Inastatementofpurposeofapproximately750words,youshoulddemonstrateyourskill
asawriterandthinkerasyouexplainyourintellectual,academic,and/orcreative
interestsandyourprofessionalgoals.Reviewersvalueessaysthatareintellectually
mature,coherent,andwellorganized.Theyarealsointerestedinessaysthatareprecise
andspecific.Forexample,itisagoodideatoavoidoverlygeneralstatementssuchasI
haveapassionforliterature.
EnvironmentalScience Onetotwopagestatementofpurposeindicatingwhichspecializationtheapplicantis
mostinterestedin,explainingwhytheapplicantwishestopursuegraduatestudiesin
environmentalscience,andwhatfutureexpectationss/hehasfortheM.S.degree.The
statementmayindicateapreferredfacultyadviser.Studentsareencouragedtoreview
facultyresearchinterestsasdescribedontheHuxleyWebSite
(http://www.wwu.edu/huxley/facstaff/facstaffinfo.shtml)priortocontactingpotential
facultyadvisers.Studentsareadmittedintotheprogramonlyuponagreementofafaculty
adviser.
ExerciseScience

Pleaseoutlineareasofinterest,goalsforgraduate studyandfuturecareerplansrelated
tothedegree.


GRADUATE SCHOOL, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9037, 360-650-3170, email: gradschool@wwu.edu

Dm11-01-2010
ExperimentalPsychology Pleasewriteabriefessayansweringthefollowingquestionsandrequestsfor
information:

1.Whatareyourcareergoals?HowdoyouseetheM.S.Generalcurriculum
contributingtothosegoals?

2.Pleasedescribeanyresearchexperiencesyouhavehad.Ifyouhaveconducted
research,eitherindependentlyorincollaborationwithothers,pleasebrieflydescribe
theresearchandyourroleinit.Wasitpublishedorpresentedatameetingor
professionalconference?Describetheresearchinterestsyouwouldliketopursuein
graduateschool.IdentifytheWWUfacultymemberswhoseresearchinterestsyour
andwithwhomyouwouldliketowork.

3.Pleasedescribeanyvolunteerorworkexperiencethatyouhavehadthatis
essentiallypsychologicalinnature.Indicatetheamountoftimeyoudevotedtothe
activity.

4.Pleaseprovideanyadditionalinformationthatyouthinkwillhelpusgettoknow
yousothatwecanmakeaninformeddecisionaboutyourapplication.
Geography Onetotwopagestatementofpurposeindicatingwhichspecializationtheapplicantis
mostinterestedin,explainingwhytheapplicantwishestopursuegraduatestudiesin
geography,andwhatfutureexpectationss/hehasfortheM.S.degree.Thestatement
mayindicateapreferredfacultyadviser.Studentsareencouragedtoreviewfaculty
researchinterestsasdescribedontheHuxleyWebSite
(http://www.wwu.edu/huxley/facstaff/facstaffinfo.shtml)priortocontactingpotential
facultyadvisers.Studentsareadmittedintotheprogramonlyuponagreementofafaculty
adviser.
Geology Onetotwopagestatementofpurposeexplainingwhytheapplicantwishestopursue
graduatestudiesingeology,indicatingwhichspecializationtheapplicantismost
interestedin,andhowtheapplicantseesthisM.S.degreeasfittingintohis/hercareer
goals.Anyresearchorteachingexperienceshouldbedescribed.Thestatementshould
indicatepreferredfacultyadviser(s)withinthedepartment.Studentsareencouragedto
reviewfacultyresearchinterestsasdescribedonthedepartmentWebSite
(http://geology.wwu.edu/dept/prospectives/faculty.shtml)priortocontactingpotential
facultyadvisers.Studentsareadmittedintotheprogramonlyuponagreementofa
facultyadviser.
History
Nospecificguidelines.Telluswhatyouthinkweneedtoknowaboutyouandyourgoals
andinterests.


GRADUATE SCHOOL, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9037, 360-650-3170, email: gradschool@wwu.edu

Dm11-01-2010
MarineandEstuarineScience

MESPBIO
MESPES
Thestatementofpurposeisachancetoshowwhoyouarebeyondwhatiscontainedin
yourtranscriptsandyourGREreport.Reviewerswilluseittoevaluateyourexperience,
goals,motivation,enthusiasmandresearchinterests.Yourstatementgivesyouan
opportunitytoexplainanythinginyourdatathatmaybeuncleartothereader.Youcan
highlightyourstrongpoints,particularlyiftheyarenotadequatelyexpressedinyour
othermaterials.Youcanalsodiscussweaknessesinyourrecord.Thisisntachanceto
makeexcuses;instead,candidlydiscussanyextenuatingcircumstancesthatmayhelpthe
reviewerunderstandyoubackground.
Yourstatementwillbereadbyareviewcommitteeandbypotentialfacultyadvisers.Be
suretogivesomeindicationofthetopic(s)youwishtopursueingraduateschooland
whatadviser(s)youwouldliketoworkwith.Yourapplicationwillbestrongerifyouhave
actuallycommunicatedwiththoseindividualsbeforehandandknowthattheyare
acceptingstudents.Youdonothavetoknowyourprecisethesistopic;itisgoodtobe
flexible.However,itisinadequatetosimplystatethatyouliketheoceans.Adviserslike
applicantswhohavethoughtabouttheirfuture,knowsomethingaboutthefield,and
havedevelopedtheirowninterests.
Thereisnosetlengthforthestatementofpurpose.Halfapageistooshort;4pagesis
probablytoolong.Makesurethestatementiswellwrittenasreviewerswilluseitto
assessyourwritingability.Usegoodstructureandvigorouslyeditoutgrammaticalerrors,
spellingmistakesandtypos.Itgenerallyhelpstohavesomeoneelse(afriend,colleague,
orprofessor)readandcritiquethestatement.

MasterinTeaching

Apersonalstatementthatdescribesyourexperience(s)withadolescentsandyour
backgroundasitappliestotheteachingprofession.SecondaryEducationfacultybelieve
experiencewithdiverse,multiculturalpopulationsbenefitsprospectiveteachers,sobe
suretoincludeanyandallbackgroundorexperienceyouvehadwithdiversepopulations.
MasterofBusinessAdministration

Astatementofbackground
Anassessmentoftheskillsandknowledgeyoucurrentlyhave
Adescriptionoftheskillsandknowledgeyouhopetoacquire
Astatementofyourlongtermcareergoals
MentalHealthCounseling
(Psychology)
Pleasewriteabriefessayansweringthefollowingquestionsandrequestsfor
information:

1.Whatdoyouconsidertobetheprimaryroleofamentalhealthcounselor?

2.Whatexperiencesinlife,work,and/orschoolinghaveyouhadthatarerelevantto
thecounselingprofession?

3.SpecificallywhyhaveyouselectedWWUscounselingprogram?Atthistime,what
areyourlongrangeprofessionalplansinthefieldofmentalhealth?

4.Researchexpertiseisanintegralpartofyourtraining.Pleaseindicateatleasttwo
areasofclinicalresearchand/orpracticeinwhichyouareinterested.

PoliticalScience

Twopagestatementofpurposeshouldexplainwhytheapplicantwishestopursue
graduateworkinpoliticalscience.Itshouldalsoindicatewhichtrackand/orfieldof
concentrationtheapplicantintendstopursue.


GRADUATE SCHOOL, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9037, 360-650-3170, email: gradschool@wwu.edu

Dm11-01-2010
RehabilitationCounseling

Athreetofourpagetypedstatementofpurpose. Thisshouldbeasuccinctstatement
thatprovidesanaccurateindicationofwritingandgrammaticalskills,inadditiontothe
applicant'sreasonsforapplyingtotheprogram.

Thepersonalstatementshouldaddress:(a)careerobjectives,(b)rationaleforseekingthe
Master'sdegreeandchoosingtheWWUprogram,(c)professionalandpersonalstrengths
astheyapplytothefieldofrehabilitationcounseling,(d)relatedworkexperiences,(e)
thewayinwhichpersonalandprofessionallifeexperienceshaveconvergedtomotivate
applicationtotheprogram,(f)astatementofgoalsandintereststhatdemonstratesand
illustratestheapplicantspersonalvaluesystem,and(g)otherinsightsasdeemed
appropriatebytheapplicant.
SchoolCounselor(Psychology) Pleasewriteabriefessayansweringthefollowingquestionsandrequestsfor
information:
1.Whatstimulatedyourinterestinschoolcounselingasacareer?

2.Whatdoyouconsidertobethecurrentroleoftheschoolcounselor?

3.Whatpersonalqualitiesdoyoupossessthatyoubelievewouldcontributetoyour
effectivenessasacounselor?

4.WhatcausesyoutobeinterestedintheprogramatWWU?
ScienceEducation

StatementofpersonalcareergoalsandreasonsforseekingadmissiontotheM.Ed.
program.
SportPsychology

Pleaseoutlineareasofinterest,goalsforgraduatestudyandfuturecareerplansrelated
tothedegree.