I am M Hasan from Bangladesh. I am writing this statement with great joy to study the course MA International Development at the University of East Anglia (UEA). This course is designed to provide a broad knowledge of moral, practical, and political challenges that are faced by the world today. More importantly, this course will teach me how the world politics, morals, gender equality, climate change and access to education shapes the economy. If I get the opportunity to pursue this course, it will also increase my skills of decision making into a shape and how they grow and prosper. As I want to do a career in this field, I am confident that this program will equip me with a lot of tools and skills required to do so.

I have reviewed the course specification of MA International Development at the University of East Anglia and found some modules which are adjusted with the latest developments. The course provides to get the opportunity to be able to make decisions that will help me understand the forces that dictate the level of development in an economy. The modules include Contemporary World Development, and Development Perspectives among the Core modules.

After this, the university provides 2 sets of optional modules totalling in 19 optional modules to choose from. After doing research of my prospective job market, my previous experiences, and current interests, I would like to take Governance, Democracy and Development and Rural Livelihoods and Agrarian Change, given the chance. These modules would help me to broaden my knowledge range of disciplines for a career in international development.

I have completed my Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2012. After that, I started my professional career as a First Executive Officer in Jamuna Bank. In the meantime, I felt that I need to gain more comprehensive knowledge to explore human rights in the environment and international crimes. Then I have completed another master’s degree; Master of Human Security in 2019 from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Now I am working as District Commandant in Bangladesh Ansar & VDP. My core responsibility is to ensure personal security, community security & political security of mass people and conduct various training for the socio-economic benefits. I need to get this MSc degree for my promotion. With my academic and professional experience, I am confident that my aspects and professional goal make me a suitable candidate for the course.

Through my research, I have come to know that this MA degree have been ranked as one of the top-10 in the world for development studies in 2021 according to QS World University Rankings. Therefore, the course modules are specially designed to the requirements of the development sector. By completing this MA degree, I will gain knowledge in problem solving in environments to examine political, economic, and socio-cultural transformations in the world and explore the dynamics, challenges and opportunities confronting various societies. My previously earned skills and conducting of further research programs, and detailed appreciation of my current knowledge and developments will help me to complete my prospective study. I hope my chosen course will make it better and further open doors for my profession.

The UK’s academic reputation is globally renowned, especially the study environment in my country follows traditional systems of education which quite different. Furthermore, due to political chaos, students often struggle to finish their degrees on time. Moreover, a UK degree prepares its graduates with great academic prowess and develops personal and professional skills fundamental for organizational success. Skills attained in and carried over from the UK are vital when aiming for organizational growth and a competitive edge. Moreover, there are almost 20k UK alumni working in my home country by using their knowledge and experience gained from the UK. This staggering number of post-graduation successes has strengthened my ambition to get a degree from the UK. And the degrees awarded by UK universities are recognized all over the world by recruiters and academics alike and most universities have a graduate employability rate of almost 90%. These are the reasons why I choose the UK over other countries to pursue my higher education.

University of East Anglia is my choice as it is also incredibly welcoming to international students. The University of East Anglia (UEA) was founded in 1963 and is a public research university which is another attraction. The university is placed in the top 20 higher education institutions in the UK: 12 positions in the Complete University Guide 2018 and 18-th position in the Guardian University Guide 2018. Moreover, to support students the University have invested heavily in their facilities to shape the physical and intellectual environment of learning. The alumni of this university include some notable names, such as Greg James (BBC Radio 1 Presenter), Ian McEwan who’s a Booker Prize Winner and Kazuo Ishiguro who won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 2017. Tutors are highly qualified academics and focus on education and research for their respective subject areas. If I get the chance to study at this university, I will have the opportunity to gain real-world knowledge and transferable skills that will allow me to become an accredited development specialist. It would be a great achievement for me if I get the opportunity to study at University of East Anglia.