Family Studies Program Guidelines for Creating a Letter of Intent

Students applying for either the M.S. or Ph.D. in Family Studies must complete and email a Letter of Intent following the guidelines below:

Use the style of a professional business letter, including date, your name and return address.

Address the letter to: Family Studies Faculty, and email it . DO NOT send it by US Mail or a delivery service. Email ONLY.

Indicate within the opening paragraph of your letter of intent whether you are applying for the M.S. or Ph.D. program, and information about your degree(s) held and where you studied.

Discuss your interest in and reasons for wanting the master’s or doctoral degree in Family Studies. If you are not already familiar with the discipline of family studies/ family science, we suggest you visit the website of the National Council on Family Relations and read the material available to learn more.

Discuss your strengths and skills you will bring to the Family Studies Program. These may include elements of your life experience, personal characteristics, occupational background, academic accomplishments, etc.

Discuss your academic, research and professional goals.
Email your vita as a separate attachment when you email your letter.

What constitutes an exceptional Letter of Intent?

Purpose: The reasons for pursuing a graduate degree are logical, reasonable, clear and insightful.

Content – Part 1: Applicant clearly, reasonably and insightfully describes strengths for his/her academic success.

Content – Part 2: Applicant clearly, reasonably and insightfully describes his/her program goals in academics, research, and professional development.

Organization: The information is logically presented; all sections are well organized and logically progress throughout.

Writing Style: Correct sentence structure, grammar, word usage and spelling are always used.

Guidelines for Writing Your Letter of Intent

Do:

  • Use a professional letter format
  • Use professional, formal language and tone at all times
  • Focus the content on your professional and educational experiences and goals
  • Use slang or informal language
  • Read about the program for which you are applying so that your letter aligns with program outcomes
  • Include spelling, grammar and sentence structure errors
  • Have someone else proofread your letter to provide editing advice.

Don’t:

  • Write a short story or provide inappropriate content – remember, this is a professional letter to be addressed to the Admissions Committee, so sharing personal stories or the personal stories of others is not appropriate
  • Use slang or informal language
  • Include spelling, grammar or sentence structure errors
  • Take this lightly – the admissions committee thoroughly reviews and discusses each application packet and considers the letter of intent to be a critical component of the application.