Statement of Purpose

Please describe briefly and concisely your past and present academic, research and/or professional accomplishments as they relate to your intended field of study, your educational objectives while at NYU, and your career goals following the master’s program. State your specific area of specialization in the general master’s program in psychology and include your reasons for choosing this field of study. What specific goals and objectives do you have for applying to NYU?

The statement should be concisely written, in a professional/academic, rather than a personal/informal style, and should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

Working Focus / Specialization (state early in the essay)

Applied behavioral science, with a focus on motivation, self-regulation, and social behavior in real-world settings (especially organizational and workplace contexts).

Paragraph 1 Academic/Professional Focus + Purpose for Applying (Introduction)

Goal of this paragraph:

Establish your intended field of study, specialization, and overall reason for applying to NYU.

Include:

• Your current academic background (Psychology training at UCSD)
• Your intended specialization in the general MA in Psychology:
• Applied behavioral science
• focus on motivation, self-regulation, and social behavior
• A concise statement that your interests have been shaped by:
• academic psychology training
• professional experience in consulting/software/organizational settings
• A clear statement of purpose for applying to NYU:
• to strengthen research methods, academic writing, and applied analysis skills

Possible angle/sentence function:

• My academic training in psychology and my professional experience in organizational settings have shaped my interest in applied behavioral science…
• I am applying to NYUs MA in Psychology to develop more rigorous training in…

Paragraph 2 Past and Present Academic Accomplishments (Academic Preparation)

Goal of this paragraph:

Show that you have the academic foundation and intellectual preparation for graduate study in psychology.

Include:

• Brief summary of your undergraduate psychology preparation (without listing too many courses)
• Skills developed through your academic training:
• analyzing psychological theories
• interpreting evidence
• structured academic writing
• connecting theory to behavior in real-world contexts
• Emphasize readiness for graduate-level study:
• analytical thinking
• disciplined reading and synthesis
• interest in evidence-based reasoning

Optional additions (if true and useful):

• 12 examples of psychology coursework/projects that shaped your interest in behavior, motivation, or self-regulation
• Any experience with research-based assignments, literature review, or theory application

Paragraph 3 Research and Professional Accomplishments (Evidence of Fit)

Goal of this paragraph:

Demonstrate relevant accomplishments beyond coursework and explain how they support your specialization.

Section A: Research / Academic Writing Experience

Include:

• Your work on a literature review/report on Binge Eating Disorder
• What this experience demonstrates:
• literature synthesis
• critical reading
• structured argumentation
• academic writing
• engagement with psychological research questions

If applicable, clarify the level of the work accurately:

• published paper / formal report / academic project / review paper

Section B: Professional Experience (Accenture + / software development company)

Include:

• Internship experience in consulting and software-related organizational contexts
• What you observed in practice:
• motivation differences
• communication patterns
• coordination challenges
• self-management and performance behavior
• social dynamics in teams
• How these experiences strengthened your interest in applied behavioral science

Connect the two sections:

• Academic writing/research gave you analytical tools
• Professional experience gave you real-world behavioral problems
• Graduate study is the next step to integrate both

Paragraph 4 Educational Objectives at NYU (Why NYU + What You Want to Learn)

Goal of this paragraph:

Directly answer the prompts question about your educational objectives while at NYU and why NYU is the right place.

Include:

A. Specific educational objectives at NYU

• Strengthen research methods in psychology
• Improve academic writing and scholarly communication
• Deepen understanding of contemporary psychological theory (especially relevant to behavior, motivation, self-regulation, social processes)
• Build stronger applied analytical skills for translating theory into practice

B. Why NYU (program fit)

Frame NYU as a good fit because:

• the general MA in Psychology allows interdisciplinary exploration while maintaining a clear specialization
• you want to integrate social/cognitive/applied perspectives
• you value rigorous graduate-level training that can support both research and applied work

C. Application-to-practice emphasis (important for your profile)

• You want to apply psychological concepts to practical settings such as:
• self-regulation in performance/work
• motivation in management and team settings
• behavioral patterns in organizational contexts

Paragraph 5 Career Goals After the Masters (Short-Term + Long-Term)

Goal of this paragraph:

Show a clear, credible plan after the MA while keeping reasonable flexibility.

Include:

Short-term goals (after MA)

State 12 realistic pathways:

• Research-oriented roles (e.g., research assistant, behavioral research, psychology-related analytical roles)
• and/or
• Applied organizational/management roles where psychological knowledge can be used in real settings (motivation, self-regulation, employee management, operations)

You may mention:

• applying psychological principles in business/operations management contexts
• evidence-based approaches to team performance and motivation

Long-term goals

• Continue advanced study (if appropriate) or
• Develop a career in applied psychology/behavioral science in organizational settings
• Emphasize long-term commitment to integrating psychology with real-world problem solving

End with a forward-looking conclusion:

• NYU as a bridge between your current preparation and your long-term academic/professional development

What to Emphasize Throughout (Tone + Strategy)

Emphasize these strengths:

• Combination of academic psychology training + professional experience
• Interest in evidence-based application of psychology
• Clear focus on motivation, self-regulation, social behavior
• Maturity in seeing graduate study as skill-building, not just credential-seeking

Keep the tone:

• Professional
• Concise
• Analytical
• Goal-oriented

Avoid:

• Overly personal storytelling
• Vague statements like I am passionate about psychology without evidence
• Listing too many experiences without explaining relevance
• Sounding undecided (instead, present structured flexibility)