Ethical and practical challenges. Personal Statement to Study a Master Degree in Urban Planning.

to start my career path in Architectural engineering and urban design

I had the chance to understand clearly the concept of individuals' social responsibility and practice it effectively during my volunteering and professional life.

While visiting many inhuman slum areas characterized by many natural resources that could be restructured to improve their citizens' lives, and meeting talented, passionate individuals fighting to reach their dreams with the minimum resources that allowed for them, my decision to study urban planning with sustainable development tools was gradual and considered. These experiences exaggerated my desire for studying global development policies. Guided me to attend conferences, workshops, and to search deeply on the applications of architectural engineering to start my career path in Architectural engineering and urban design.

Currently, I'm a freelance architect managing and designing architectural projects in my city, where my responsibilities varied from implementing green conceptual solutions, managing execution phases, and customizing efficient solutions for each challenge. In Parallel, managing an international initiative in the Middle East aim to spread awareness about women health care for refugees and for local females.

In order to, my effective contribution in the civil community, I'm one of the youngest project managers in a developing non-profit organization, successful and biggest community improving agent in 28 governorates. Where I'm leading and designing national awareness campaigns, youth models, and social development movements.

These experiences have developed and strengthened my leadership and managerial skills, reinforced my communication skills while working with various types of clients, individuals, and organizations, and empowered my personal skills to manage talents and challenges effectively.

My 5 years of academic studies shaped my profound understanding of how different communities form, work, and change.
While studying urban geography, urban planning and placemaking, environmental studies, heritage preservation, and theories of urban design, I was fascinated by the boundless effects of urban design that expand beyond designing districts and towns to shift humans' behaviors and mindsets. The program offered practical experiences through visiting historical Egyptian cities, architectural competitions, site visits in national urban design projects, and conferences with inspirational architectural professors.

This successful experience was a key element that strengthened my desire to pursue a master degree in urban planning. Guided me to discover that I'm willing to go the extra mile in terms of exploring both the ethical and practical challenges of planning. By studying a master degree in urban planning I will deepen my understanding of global policies and environmental solutions that could be implemented to create a better integration between communities and nature. My professional skills to lead national and international development projects will be strengthened. By devoting my previous professional and social experiences to build international networks of professors, researchers, and social leaders. And spread needed awareness for other individuals to improve their communities.

Alaa, as a masters degree personal statement, this essay is still a work in progress. It lacks focus and proper information development in reference to the development of your personal interest in Urban Planning. The first thing you need to ask yourself when writing this essay, "What do I know about urban planning at this point? Why do I want to learn more about it? Where did that interest come from?" Those are the 4 main questions the personal statement should respond to so that you can properly introduce yourself as a professional to the reviewer.

The last paragraph, should explain what your criteria for choosing the educational institution was. What do you aim to learn? How do hope to learn those lessons? Does this university respond to your academic needs? Why and how? These questions, when properly presented in the personal statement heighten the personal insight into who you are as a professional and returning student. Explain why you feel that now is the right time for you to go back to school. Everything else can be presented in the statement of purpose.