“MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK”
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (PRAAASIM)
I am grateful to write this statement of purpose (SoP) which includes my academic backgrounds, ambitions, reasons for choosing a particular country, education providers, the relevance of the course to future career and my educational plans. The reason behind writing this Statement of Purpose is to seek permission for enrollment in University name to pursue a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) for the Intake. Hence, the details here delineate my motives during my studies and future plan right after the completion of a Master’s Degree along with financial details.
Introduction and Family Background
Introducing myself, my name is Applicant’s name , an energetic and vibrant man, born on D.O.B. Originally, I am from Location name but at present, I am a permanent resident of N Location name . I am a student with a lot of dreams and courage for doing the hard work to succeed in an educational career. Altogether, we are XX members in the family, including me, my eleven-month-old son Mr. Son’s name , My wife Mrs. Spouse name , Father Mr. (Name) and mother Mrs. (Name). My father is editor-in-chief of Company name and my mother is a Housewife.
My Educational Journey
Academically, I completed my school level of education (School Leaving Certificate) from School Name under Nepal Board in year A.D scoring the distinction of score%. After S.L.C, I joined college name , for my higher secondary level in the science stream and passed in year A.D scoring the first division of score %. With the conviction of doing something for my society and be a social catalyst, I joined Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) affiliated under University name . I completed the three years’ BSW from college name , Kathmandu, Nepal year A.D scoring XX CGPA out of 4. After completion of my Bachelor degree, I joined the company name as a Training Officer. In parallel to working at company name , I had joined the Masters of Sociology at college name , affiliated with University name and completed with score% in year A.D . As I aspired for an international masters’ degree abroad especially from Australia, thereafter, I researched many educational providers in Australia for a postgraduate degree. As per the requirement, on self- preparation I met an English proficiency level of XX in the IELTS Academic on the test dated year A.D with an individual band score of Listening XX, Reading XX, Writing XX and Speaking XX.
Besides Academic journey
Apart from academics, I have different achievements and activities gained throughout my life. From year A.D to year A.D. I devoted myself for an MBBS preparation. Through which I learned about science and medicine extensively but eventually, I directed my vision from being an ‘individual doctor’ to a ‘social doctor’ after completion of BSW in order to gain hands-on experience I served for company name as Microfinance and Training Officer from year A.D until the beginning of year A.D . As a Training Officer, I was assigned to deliver training on cooperative education and replication programs. In year A.D , I received a scholarship from the Embassy name in Kathmandu Nepal and I was enrolled as a research student at the university name from year A.D to year A.D . After year A.D to date, I am engaged with company name as an Operational Manager. My core responsibilities are in operations, counseling and international relations.
Reasons for not choosing Nepal
In Nepal, under the affiliation of University name , only one college name located at Maitighar has been running the course Master of Social Work (MSW). Without any doubt, the education system in Nepal is a considerable one of the best. Though, there are some drawbacks and impotency in the Nepalese education system. The major reason is the course structure and curriculum of our edification system, which is the same for many years. Courses here are remotely updated or upgraded due to lack of academic concern leading the old fashion courses may not be efficacious as the international platform education. Moreover, according to my research, the international degree holders herein Nepal are more prioritized than the Nepalese educational holder by the companies and organizations due to the modern educational system of developed nations. I chose Australia, not Nepal in order to hold the globally recognized degree which will definitely enhance my career in the future and able to grasp the opportunities and fulfill future goals. Furthermore, I came to know during my research that the MSW course here in Nepal is not taught with a practical base approach despite the curriculum is structured profoundly practically based. I am looking for a more holistic approach to teaching with a blend of hands-on experience, which will help me in performing well in my future job prospects. As a consequence of which I will be far off from roaming here and there, searching and hunting for jobs alike graduates from Nepal holding the MSW degree. This I believe is because the instruction and teaching methodologies here do not meet the requirement of the current job market. Also, I found that there are limited seats for the MSW course in Nepal and student has to go with many entrance examination. Also, in order to get the higher position job and high salary international degree holders gets priority. Also, studying abroad will give me an opportunity to make different friends from different countries can exchange cultures and ideas with each other.
Why Australia?
From the research, I found that Australia has been one of the most preferred destinations for Nepalese and other International students. Australia has seven of the top 100 universities in the world and over 22,000 courses across 1,100. The country has 5 of the best 30 cities in the world for students in terms of affordability, quality of life, safety, which are all important elements for International students when choosing the best study destination. Education provided by Australian universities is recognized globally and qualification gained is globally accepted. Education in Australia has been flourishing in recent years with an edge curriculum and high-quality teachers. Besides, employers and universities all over the world recognize the Australian degree thus the graduates are successful in finding jobs and hold prominent positions worldwide. The standard of living in Australia is among the highest in the world. Similarly, the weather and climate condition is like that of Nepal. So, it could be easier for me to adapt to the environment.
Moreover, the education system of Australia is also different from other countries due to the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF). It is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. It includes the qualifications from each education and training sector into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework (website link/). There is ESOS Act (Education Service for Overseas Students) which protects the rights of international students studying in Australia (website link). Also, there is the Tuition Protection Service (TPS), which is a placement and refund service for international students activated in the event that when the institution is unable to teach our course which they have promised to us. The Australian government plays a vital role in the overseas students for their studies to get the legal protection which they deserve. It also has a low crime rate with political stability website link)). On the other hand, OSHC assists the hospital and medical costs. After graduating, I could also work in the relevant field as Post Study Work (PSW) by which I will be able to get practical knowledge for my further work. Thus factors such as affordable fee structure, course content, climate condition, safety, practical education, scholarship opportunities, low crime rate, cultural diversity, drove me to choose Australia for Master of Social Work (Qualifying).
Why not other Countries?
I did some research and took advice from educational consultants for better study options and also I researched other countries for study destinations like the USA, the UK, and Canada. USA has high crime rate compared to other countries but Australia is a safe country. Also, to get admission in US based Universities student should provide GRE also which takes a long time to prepare. I also went through universities in the USA to compare the fee structure and courses and found that Rutgers University, Syracuse University has a course on Social work. However, the fee structure for the master program per year is comparatively higher i.e. at Rutgers University is USD amount (website link)) and in Syracuse University for the MSW program it is AUD amount (website link)).
Similarly, in Canada, many universities also provide the same course such as Athabasca University, University of Regina and York University but it differs due to unfavorable weather conditions as it is located in extremely cold regions. The temperature falls about -30 degree Celsius more or less in winter, which makes hard to survive in such a country and it will make a hard place to cope up while transportation because of snow falls everywhere. Subsequently, I was reluctant to pick Canada as my final education destination. The UK is also one of the leading countries in terms of delivering education. Also, I have searched for some of the universities in the UK such as Brunel University and Middlesex University which deliver similar courses in Social Work. However, from the search, I came to know that the tuition fee, daily living expenses are skyrocketing and very tough to afford. In this way, the UK is removed from the list for being highly expensive. (1 POUND = NRS amount ). Also, there is no Tuition Protection System (TPS) in the UK where Australia has that system which protects the paid fees of student.
Reason to choose location name
Location name is the ultimate location for study and lifestyle. From my research, I found that location name cities are safe, welcoming and offer a secure environment for study and living. The lower proportion of international students in location name classes equals an excellent opportunity to build a student’s English language skills and make Australian friends. Significantly, location name has a lower cost of living than most other regions of Australia, with some of the lowest average weekly costs for students in the country. The tuition fees in location name are much more competitive than other cities across Australia. Also, location name offers the chance to be part of a growing, thriving community; offering a lively cultural and arts scene, cafes and restaurants, markets and music festivals. location name is also a place of natural beauty and with nearly half the state protected by World Heritage Area, national park or marine and forest reserve, it is no surprise that location name has the cleanest air in the world. Every international student has access to a full range of support services including contact with dedicated student advisors and free English language support.
Reasons for choosing the University name
University name is Australia’s fourth oldest university and the country’s leading tertiary teaching institution, having received more teaching awards than any other Australian university. In year A.D alone, six of its academics were given citations in the prestigious Australian Awards for University Teaching – the highest number for any Australian university. This recognition emphasizes the high calibre of education offered across the breadth of academic disciplines at the University name. University name is an excellent choice for students wishing to get a quality education and an authentic Australian experience. In the prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), the University name jumped 8 places to be rated 284 internationally. This places the University in the top X% of universities world-wide and reaffirms its reputation as a premier research institution. The University name offers a range of awards that reward, recognize and encourage a high-performance culture across all domains. University name has world-class infrastructure and support services across all campuses to provide the best educational and life experience during students’ time at the university. The university has a wide range of facilities across its campus designed to provide additional support for the students to ensure their university experience is as smooth as possible. These include simple things such as having a bank and book shop, which specializes in academic texts, gym, and childcare. Moreover, after referring to the testimonials of the alumni and current students at University name, their high level of scarification allured me to choose University name. Additionally, the graduates from the University have comparatively higher industry placement upon completion of their studies.
I have researched a lot about the same course in universities in Australia. Master of Social Work is also provided by other educational institutions like Macquarie University, Edith Cowan University, University of the Sunshine Coast, RMIT, La Trobe University and the University of Southern Queensland from which I came to know that these Universities approach different teaching methods. However, University name having higher teaching methodology and academic excellence exactly meet my expectations in comparison with other educational providers in Australia. Another considerable factor is the environment where the university is located. As I mentioned earlier, location name outweighs advantages in terms of living atmosphere and climatic conditions compared with other cities in Australia. In addition, the most striking factor is the living cost in location name, as it is relatively low. As I am accompanying my dependent along with me in Australia it will be a greater advantage to minimize the cost. Even though the tuition fee at University name is a bit higher than the aforementioned universities, however, I will balance through the lower cost of living in location name. The comprehensive knowledge delivery followed by institution placements, career hub, group engagement, workshops, and one-to-one careers coaching, and career mentorship program are the principal factors that have attracted me the most. Thus based on the cost, faculties and the university location, I firmly chose University name over other universities.
Reasons behind choosing the Masters of Social Work (MSW) (Qualifying)
Upon several studies, I have found that Social Work is especially intended for those who are involved in helping professions. Actually, I was influenced by Ms. Pushpa Basnet, the two times CNN hero and interestingly, she was my ultimate senior during my field placements in 1st year at college name. My desire to help others in need advanced me to join a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. During my undergraduate years, the placement garnered my knowledge of social work practice and scenarios of different social issues in the modern world.
In the context of Nepal, it needs more skilled manpower in the social work field. The case is not just about Nepal and South Asia, the world needs many more social workers as millions deprived people are suffering from trauma, stress, depression and old age. This clearly indicates the pivotal role of social workers. I want to establish myself as a distinct social worker in the near future. For which I need to be competent with comprehensive knowledge of social work, community service, psychology, and counselling skills to deal with the ageing clients. I believe that the Social Work program at University name Australia is the next step that will take in terms of career development. It provides me with additional portable knowledge, skills, techniques, and tools in order to be more successful in the Social problems, managing or delivering solutions and projects to solve it. Also, I have a background in Social work on a bachelor’s degree. During my bachelor degree, I have gained a lot of knowledge about social science and social work. After a lot of research, I found a Master’s degree in Social Work from University name will help me to pursue my dream in the future. The Social work degree from University name will make me ready to promote social change and development and will help them make a difference in the lives of marginalized and disadvantaged in my home country Nepal. I will be exposed to challenging real-life situations through studies in social work settings, being mentored by experienced professionals in the field. After the degree as a qualified social worker when I will serve the motherland, it would be a milestone in my career prospects for the social and community development of Nepal.
My understandings about the Course Structure
The Master of Social Work (Qualifying) at University name is provisionally accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). It is an entry qualification into the social work profession and has been determined to meet the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards 2012 (ASWEAS). University name Masters of Social Work (Qualifying) will equip students like me with the knowledge and skills to make important contributions to the betterment of people and communities, Individuals and families. Master of Social Work (Qualifying) is for 2 years. The total cost for the course is AUD amount (website link), which is affordable as compared to the same course in other universities and colleges. In Year 1, I will be learning the following subjects: Social Innovation and Sustainability and 21st Century Social Work, Contexts of Social Work Practice, Communication and Assessment Skills in Social Work, Social Work Theories, Values and Frameworks for 21st Century Practice, Social Work Practicum 1. Whereas in the second Year 2, I shall be studying subjects like Collaboration, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Social Work, Social Work Exhibition and Social Work Thesis, Social Work Research Practice, Trauma, and Justice, Professional Pathway Social Work Practicum. I am confident that, from the course, I will be learning practical skills, concepts, and theory, as well as hands-on experience in professional practise in order to acquire the interpersonal and communication skills needed to work effectively with others. The skills and expertise from the course will equip for a diverse range of rewarding careers such as Case Manager, Disability Advocate, Relationships counsellor, Researcher, Community Development worker, Policy analyst, and Advisor.
My Future Career Plan after completing MSW
I have a concrete future plan as a social worker on my return to the homeland upon completion of my education. After completion of my study, I will apply for Post Study Work (PSW) in order to gain some international job experience in the Social Work field of Australia. With the PSW, I will gain practical experience. Also, I can implement my learned concept from the university to industry. I believe that, PSW will hone, enhance and sharpen my knowledge and skills with practical exposures. For PSW, I will search for jobs from the portals like seek.com.au, Grad Connection, Glassdoor, etc. The organizations such as Scout Association of Australia, Tasmanian Branch, Southern Tasmanian Netball Association, and The Salvation Army (Tasmania) Property Trust in Tasmania will be appropriate for me to implement my learnt concepts and skills during PSW. After gaining experience and developing my skills in the field of Social Work, definitely I am returning to Nepal.
On return to Nepal my aim is to first chisel my skills and knowledge and gain high-quality expertise in the humanitarian sector. For which the degree earned from Australia will be a boon that would boost my professional career eventually. Specifically, I have short term and long term career goals. At the beginning phase, I will work with organizations such as The Hope Hermitage, Pashupati Bridashram, The Nepali Host Family, Matatirtha Old Age Home to meet my long term goal. With an international degree in Social Work, I have a comparatively high chance of getting a good position. I can earn NRS amount to NRS amount per month in the initial stage. It will increase in the future with the experience and I can get above NRS amount – NRS amount per month. In Nepal, I can apply for a job through various job sites like JobsNepal.com, Kumarijobs.com, Merorojgari.com. Basically, the return on investment of my education expenses is the amount of salary and the incentives. The amount of salary that I will earn working with social organizations in the initial phase upon return from Australia will help me recover a lot of expenses back in Australia. Moreover, engaging with social organizations will enhance my knowledge and make me financially stable which will support me to achieve my long term goal
In the long run, I have a dream to set up an organization focusing to work with an ageing population. In the present scenario, the old aged people in Nepal are abandoned by their offspring. This situation is gradually increasing in Nepal day by day. The government of Nepal is not addressing these issues in a much-focused manner despite knowing the fact that the situation would excessively worsen in the future. To control this situation, I will make people aware of this bitter reality for which I will act as an activist/ a role model. In spite of the awareness program definitely betraying old age parents by their children will persist in the communities. Another circumstance is that single-parent elderly people are deprived of different facilities and bound to live a miserable life. Added to it, there are other factors that compel old people to live alone at their old age. For which I will open an old age home that will help those old aged people where my knowledge and skills gained from Australia will be immensely valuable. The skills ascertained from social work practices, working with groups and communities from the social work subject will ultimately facilitate for performing the task. In a broader spectrum, it will contribute to maintaining social harmony, norms, and values. In this connection, I am inspired from the articles written by my father regarding old age people issues. These all factors had influenced me to work for the society. I have been in the development sector for quite a long period of time. In all these years, I have created an excellent working link among NGOs and INGOs based in Nepal who would be, more than happy to welcome me towards my long term vision of setting up state-of-art old age homes in different provinces of Nepal.
About my Dependent
My wife spouse name (daughter of father-in-law name and mother-in-law name) is happy to join me in location name, Australia for my education journey as my dependent. Spouse name date of birth is D.O.B with passport number XXXXXXXX and at present, she is XX years old. I got married to her on D.O.B in Kathmandu, during my visit from Japan. Academically she has completed the Bachelors’ in Hotel Management (BHM) from university name. She had worked as a Receptionist- Front Office Department for company name, Nepal from year A.D to year A.D taking reservations, preparing bills and dealing with payments.
With her presence in Australia, I can be emotionally strong as well as feel safe in each step of my life. I believe that as she stays along with me will teach her many lessons and enhance her capabilities in multiple fields out of her sector. Being apart from each other, we are emotionally, mentally as well as physically detached. Due to which it will be difficult for me to achieve my educational and professional career goals. She can get the opportunity to learn about the development and advancement in any sector; laws, social status, values and cultural diversity in Tasmania. She has taken this as a challenge as well as the adventure of her life and will be a new experience for her. So, in Australia also she will be in every problem solving and decision making. We are still at the career development phase therefore though we have an offspring he is not accompanying us. I have adequate savings in the account for bearing the overall expense of my spouse.
Regarding my son’s upbringing and Care arrangement I adore my son’s name very much as he is just eleven-month-old ( born on D.O.B, and he is very cute. Despite the fact, I am bound to leave him in Nepal and pursue my education at University name Australia leaving him here in Nepal with my parents that is with his grandfather and grandmother. I along with my spouse am leaving the son in Nepal so that he can learn Nepalese culture, traditions, and ways of leaving since his early age. As I and my wife will be in Australia, son’s name presence here in Nepal will be a great company to my parents with their grandson to raise him up. Importantly, to reduce the cost of accommodation and meals and thereby make savings for tuition fees in location name , Australia, unwillingly I am obliged to leave him here in Nepal. To restate, I know that to be home away from a little eleven-month-old son is really a tough decision of my life. However, I do not want to take a second chance to upgrade my education career. After all, I believe that I am doing all this for my son’s bright future.
Incentive to return home country
Culturally and emotionally, I am attached to my family and my motherland so my love for them is incredible. I cannot stay away for a long time without them. Especially, I am leaving my little 11-month-old son in Nepal who is very cute, just for the sake of achieving my educational goal. In our country, there is the latest tendency of people going abroad to study, settling and not returning to their countries. I would like to serve my fellow citizens with the help of knowledge and skills that I will acquire from university name , Australia to contribute to the old age population in my own land. I would get inner satisfaction if I could do something for my nation from my side. Being a patriotic citizen I am more focused on my set up goals. We have our own ethnic-specific customs and traditions of celebrating social and cultural ceremonies that I do not want to miss permanently by staying in Australia which will also motivate me to return to Nepal. Thus, definitely I will return to my own country. More importantly, I being the only son in my family, I have to look after my parents when they get old. Last but not the least, my dream of becoming a Social Worker will get pace here in Nepal than anywhere else in any other country. Furthermore, I also need to take care of my paternal property as there is legal provision of transferring paternal properties to the offspring in Nepal
Funding arrangement for me and my spouse’s expense in Australia
In connection with finance, my family members are extremely supportive, friendly and have always been an inspiration for my life. My family has a sound/ robust financial background in the form of assets and regular income. Hence, without any doubt, they supported my idea to study abroad in Australia and became my sponsor for my study tenure. Thus, the expenses during my study period in Australia will be paid by my parents. My father works for company name as an editor in chief for the most popular online newspaper from where my father’s total income per year is NRs. amount/- which is equivalent to AUD amount according to the recent exchange rate. Furthermore, I have sanctioned an educational loan of NRs. amount /- which is equivalent to AUD amount from Bank name, Branch name, and Kathmandu for my tuition fees as well as for required living costs and food for me and my wife. The collateral for the loan is home and land. I am the borrower and the loan is sanctioned in my name while my father as a guarantor owns the property. As the educational loan amount is not sufficient, to cover up the cost an additional amount of NRs. amount is there in my bank account which totals the amount of NRs. amount /- that is AUD amount for the expenses to be made on tuition, accommodation, and food. Also, the total property valuation of the land and building is NRs. amount /– that is AUD amount. Therefore, I strongly believe that there will not be any financial hurdle for me, my wife in Tasmania and my family here in Nepal while I pursue my higher education in Australia.
Accommodation in location name
There are various accommodation websites that provide living arrangements for international students. Regarding my accommodation, after getting my visa confirmation, I will either book the accommodation through various websites like website link , website link. To lower the expense, we will share an apartment with my friend living in location name , however, preference is to find a place near the university.
About my travel to different countries
During the work tenure at program name I had traveled to location name , the location name, and location name from year A.D to year A.D. The visit was under invitation of Company at location name in the location name, from which I got an opportunity to learn about various insurance products and microfinance modalities. I had traveled to location name from year A.D, to year A.D, while I made a visit to my parents in between twice as well. I was in location name and stayed as a research student, during which I learned concepts about research methods and culture
Visa Conditions
As an international student, I am aware of visa conditions under visa subclass 500. Some of the visa conditions are as follows:
⮚ I need to maintain a minimum of 80% attendance.
⮚ I am allowed to work 40hrs per fortnight on a part-time basis.
⮚ I need to maintain the health insurance until I remain in Australia.
⮚ I must notify to University/DHA within 7 days if I change the address/contact details.
⮚ I must maintain 50% pass grades throughout the study program.
⮚ I cannot change my University upon 6 months of enrollment.
Declaration:
I declare that this SOP is my intensive research outcome on the abroad study plan and have not had any assistance from others in writing this. Also, I am a genuine student and a genuine temporary entrant to location name, Australia. Last but not least, I also state that I have sufficient funds to cover my tuition fees and living expenses throughout my study duration in Australia.
Yours faithfully,
Applicant’s name
Mobile No.:
E-mail ID:
Passport no.: