CV and personal statement for a master's application in the UK
A UK master's application often needs a CV covering education, work and internships, plus a programme-specific statement: LSE expects 1,000 to 1,500 words, some King's courses cap it at 4,000 characters. Most applications go directly to universities, not UCAS.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
First step: open the programme page, not a template
UK universities set document rules per programme, and the programme page wins when it differs from the general guidance. LSE says so in plain words on its statement guidance. King's College London says its course pages list specific documents, such as a CV or a writing sample, that some courses add to the standard set.
- Write down, for each programme, whether a CV is required and any page or length limit.
- Note the statement format: a word count, a character count, or set questions.
- Check how many references are needed and whether one must be academic.
- Look up the grade the university expects from a degree in your country.
- Note the application deadline and any earlier scholarship deadline.
Why one CV is rarely enough
LSE wants extracurricular activities, personal achievements and unrelated work experience in the CV, not the statement. A programme with a work experience requirement wants the jobs first. Keep one master file of facts and cut a version per application.
UCAS Postgraduate or a direct application
UCAS answers this in one line on its FAQ: you apply direct to the provider for postgraduate courses, and its search tool shows how each course takes applications. Prospects adds that UCAS Postgraduate manages applications for a small number of UK universities and colleges. In practice you will use each university's own portal, such as LSE's online application or King's Apply.
| Course type | Where you apply | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Most taught master's (MA, MSc, LLM, MRes) | The university's own portal | UCAS FAQ; LSE; King's |
| Postgraduate teacher training in England | DfE 'Apply for teacher training' | UCAS; King's (PGCE via DfE Apply) |
| Teacher training in Wales or Scotland | UCAS | UCAS |
| MA/MSc in social work, nursing or medicine; accelerated LLB | UCAS application service | UCAS |
| Performance courses at a conservatoire | A separate conservatoire search and service | UCAS |
Because each portal is separate, nothing stops you applying to several universities; you pay each one's fee and write each one's statement.
What the CV has to carry
LSE asks for a CV or résumé that includes your employment history or other professional experience, internships included, and wants the final version: it will not swap in an update unless it asked for one. King's asks for work history in the Employment section of its form, and for a CV only where the course page says so.
A sensible order for an admissions CV
- Education first: degree title in English with the original name, university, city, dates, and your grade with its scale.
- Dissertation or final-year project title, and the modules closest to the programme.
- Research, internships and work, each with dates and one line of what you did.
- Publications, conference posters or competitions, if any.
- Languages with test scores and dates; technical skills the programme uses.
- Activities and achievements that LSE says belong here rather than in the statement.
Grades from Türkiye
Write the cumulative GPA with its scale, for example 3.42/4.00, so nobody has to guess. LSE's page for applicants from Turkey says a taught master's normally needs a lisans diploması with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3/4 for its upper second class equivalent, and 3.6/4 for first-class equivalent; for degrees completed before 2005 it normally expects a yüksek lisans. Programmes can ask for more. How a degree is compared formally is on the degree recognition page.
The personal statement next to the CV
LSE calls it a statement of academic purpose and expects 1,000 to 1,500 words unless the programme sets its own format. It asks three things: what prompted your interest and why this programme (academic motivations), what makes you suitable, and what you want from the programme for your goals. It asks you to put your name and the programme title in the header or footer of every page, and to avoid rankings and generic praise of London.
King's Master of Public Health, as one example, wants a statement of up to 4,000 characters, two pages at most, describing your prior learning, how the course builds on it and how it may help your career. Prospects puts a typical master's statement at about 500 words, one side of A4, unless the university says otherwise.
Who carries what
The statement argues; the CV proves. If the statement says your dissertation used panel data, the CV should name the dissertation and the method. If an achievement has nothing to do with the programme, LSE wants it in the CV only.
Checklist: what LSE and King's ask for
Built from both universities' own pages, read on 13 October 2026. Course pages can add to or override these rows.
| Item | LSE (graduate programmes) | King's College London (taught postgraduate) |
|---|---|---|
| Portal | LSE online application | King's Apply |
| Application fee | £95 application assessment fee, non-refundable once acknowledged | Most taught courses charge a non-refundable fee inside King's Apply |
| CV | Required: employment history and other professional experience, including internships; final version only | Only where the course page asks; work history goes in the Employment section |
| Statement | Statement of academic purpose, 1,000 to 1,500 words unless the programme says otherwise; separate one per programme encouraged | Personal statement; length set per course, for example up to 4,000 characters (max 2 pages) for the MPH |
| References | Two, nominated with official email addresses; academic preferred; not processed until both arrive | How-to-apply page: one reference contact, usually academic, and a second if the department asks; the MPH page and King's FAQ say two |
| Transcripts | Each qualification; translation by an accredited translator if not in English; scan the reverse if it explains the marks | Transcripts with official English translations; interim transcripts if still studying |
| English test | Can follow after applying; must be less than two years old on 1 October 2027 for 2027 entry | Can follow after applying; results no more than two years old |
| Files | Each upload 2MB at most; PDF preferred; no secured PDFs at application stage | Files over 3MB should be reduced or split |
| After an offer | Original or certified copies before registration | Deposit for most courses, usually £2,000 for overseas fee status |
Sample education lines for a Turkish graduate
- BSc Economics (İktisat, Lisans), [University], Ankara, Türkiye. 09/2021 to 06/2025. CGPA 3.42/4.00. Taught in English.
- Dissertation: 'Minimum wage changes and informal employment in Türkiye, 2014 to 2024', supervised by [name]; Stata, panel regression.
- Relevant modules: Econometrics II (AA), Labour Economics (BA), Public Finance (AA).
- Research assistant, [Department], 02/2024 to 06/2025, 10 hours a week: cleaned household survey data for two working papers.
Proof: sources and the date we read them
Every page was read on 13 October 2026.
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| Postgraduate applications go direct to the provider; exceptions by course type | UCAS FAQ and UCAS postgraduate course page |
| UCAS Postgraduate manages a small number of institutions; statement about 500 words | Prospects, Applying for a Masters; Personal statements for postgraduate applications |
| CV contents, fee, references, transcripts, file sizes, English test validity | LSE, Supporting documents |
| Statement length, prompts, header rule | LSE, Statement of academic purpose |
| GPA 3.3/4 and 3.6/4, pre-2005 rule | LSE for Turkish students |
| Documents, Employment section, CV only where required, deposits | King's, How to apply and Important information for applying |
| 4,000 characters, two references for the MPH | King's, Public Health MPH entry requirements |
Who this page is not for
- PhD applicants: LSE wants a research proposal of about 1,500 words for MPhil/PhD, and King's usually asks research students for one too.
- Teacher training (PGCE with QTS): applications go through DfE Apply; the UK teacher CV page covers schools.
- Executive programmes that require years of work: the job history comes first, and LSE accepts one professional reference for all of them.
- Master's applications in the Netherlands: Studielink and the Nuffic comparison are on their own page.
Next steps and other options
- After an offer, the university issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for the Student visa; King's says the deposit appears in your CAS as proof of fees paid.
- If your degree needs a UK comparison, the degree recognition page explains the UK ENIC statement.
- If you are still choosing a test, the CEFR page explains how to write language levels.
- Staying after the course is a separate question; the Graduate and Global Talent page covers it.
CitedCV can build an English CV with UK conventions from the facts you enter, so the dissertation, grade scale and dates stay the same across versions. It does not write your statement of academic purpose; LSE requires that to be all your own work.
Questions people ask
Do I apply for a master's through UCAS?
Usually not. UCAS says you apply direct to the provider for postgraduate courses; exceptions include teacher training and some social work, nursing and medicine programmes.
Do UK universities need a CV for a master's application?
Some do and some do not. LSE asks every graduate applicant for a CV, while King's asks for one only where the course page says so.
How long should a personal statement for a UK master's be?
It depends on the university. LSE expects 1,000 to 1,500 words, King's sets limits per course such as 4,000 characters, and Prospects calls about 500 words typical.
What GPA do I need from a Turkish university for LSE?
LSE's page for Turkey says a cumulative GPA of 3.3/4 normally, for its upper second class equivalent, and 3.6/4 for first-class equivalent. Popular programmes may expect more.
Can I apply before my English test result?
Yes, at both LSE and King's. You meet the requirement before registration, and both want results no more than two years old.
Should I put hobbies on a master's CV?
Put them in the CV, not the statement, if you include them at all. LSE says unrelated activities and achievements belong in the CV.
Can I update my CV after submitting?
Not at LSE unless it asks: it assesses the application as submitted, so upload the final version. King's asks you not to send extra documents while it assesses.
Sources
- UCAS, How do I apply for postgraduate study?www.ucas.com/faqs/how-do-i-apply-postgraduate-study
- UCAS, Choosing a postgraduate coursewww.ucas.com/postgraduate/how-apply-through-ucas/how-apply-postgraduate-courses/filling-your-ucas-postgraduate-application
- LSE, Supporting documentswww.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Graduate/Prospective-students/Supporting-documents
- LSE, Statement of academic purposewww.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Graduate/Prospective-students/Supporting-documents/Statement-of-academic-purpose
- LSE for Turkish studentswww.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/international-students/country-pages/turkey
- King's College London, How to apply: postgraduate taught courseswww.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/how-to-apply
- King's College London, Important information for postgraduate applicantswww.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/how-to-apply/important-information-for-applying
- King's College London, Public Health MPH entry requirementswww.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/public-health-mph/requirements
- Prospects, Applying for a Masters degreewww.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/masters-degrees/applying-for-a-masters-degree/
- Prospects, Personal statements for postgraduate applicationswww.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-study/masters-degrees/personal-statements-for-postgraduate-applications/