Claudya Stevany - Motivation Letter for Master Degree

admission to MA in Development Studies

Dear Sir/Madam,

Since I was in Senior High School, I have always been interested in social issues, updated every issue happening in Indonesia. I can say that I have this passion for social fields, that is why I have completed my studies in a Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. I was granted a degree of Bachelor of Communication with GPA 3.94 and a fully-funded scholarship from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. While I was in college, I was required to update social issues and conflicts happening in Indonesia. Unfortunately, from the occurred issues and conflicts, sometimes it is hard to find the best solutions to solve them. I have been wondering about why there is always inequality when my country has a clear human rights' law? Why the problems happened in the past, were difficult to overcome even until now? I believe there is always a solution when it comes to a problem.

In this letter, I am showing my personal interest to apply for the MA in Development Studies, with the specialization in XXX. At the XXX, I strongly believe that this program will be the best step to be a professional development practitioner.

Apart from studying, I was actively involved in the University Students' Association. From activities held by the association, I have given the trust to be the project officer, which has trained me to become a leader. I was also responsible to help students to solve problems. It means that I have to be able to analyze the problems and find the way out. I also underwent some social activities such as orphanage visits and fund raising with my team. By these, I could open my mind that there were so many social matters to be concerned especially in Indonesia. Moreover, I learned not only how to analyze problems but also how my presence can be beneficial to the environment. I believe that every big change starts with the small one. In addition, I was one of the Citizen Journalist Academy participants who has published two online articles and two video coverages in Indonesian national media. I was not only studying, but also able to express my ideas and creativity into real forms.

My ambition to study in the Netherlands is rooted from the scarcity of specific course regarding social justice perspective. Since the students of International Institute of Social Studies are coming from different countries, I believe that I will be able to discuss various development problems that occur in many countries. After taking this degree, I will work for the Indonesian National Commission on Violence Against Women and apply all global knowledge I have learned to be able to develop a conducive circumstances to the eradication of all forms of violence against women and the enforcement of women's human rights in Indonesia.

I want to study at the XXX for its high-quality development studies and multicultural background, proven by the XXX alumni that are now successful in their career. I am sure that your program will give a balanced and professional academic experience, both theoretically and practically. Based on the reasons I stated, I consider myself that I can hone my skills and competencies by joining the Master Degree's program offered in the International Institute of Social Studies. I believe that my spirit, vision, and hard work will give benefits to my country. Furthermore, I would broaden my perspective and have the opportunity to encourage critical understanding in a professional way.

Claudya, this is not a motivation letter. You have placed information here that belongs in a personal statement and a statement of purpose. So you have to edit and revise this essay to create a proper motivational letter. You are lucky that there are 2 paragraphs int his essay that you can use as a part of the revised essay. These are paragraphs 3 and 4. However, in paragraph 3, you have to change the term "ambition" to "motivation" in accordance with the theme of the letter. You can actually complete this letter with just the addition of 1 more paragraph, that of the actual motivation or reason for your desire to pursue a masters degree.

Now, you cannot frame the motivation as a question. You have to present that as a statement of fact, based on supporting evidence from your professional experience, that you feel needs to be improved so that you can help improve that professional sector either in the company or your country. This is the launching pad for the last 2 paragraphs so you need to come in with a strong motivation that does not look at your high school days or history of your academic background. Instead, look to the future and discuss why you are motivated to aspire for a better future in this profession. That will be strong enough to be backed by the reason why you chose to study in this university and this country. So your motivation letter will be composed of 3 strong paragraphs representing your motivation points.