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Sussex University Personal Statements

These UCAS personal statements have been kindly provided by students applying to University of Sussex. You can click on one of the links below to view the entire statement and find out if the applicant was offered a place.

You can also view our entire collection of personal statements or view personal statements for application at other universities .

Biomedical Science Personal Statement Example 3 I find that science subjects suit my inquisitive personality; I enjoy experimenting and understanding how the world works. For my Biology independent study module I chose to explore the process of organ transplantation, specifically the medicines that make it possible...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 7 Keeping up to date with world news online, aroused my interest in psychology . I was particularly captivated by the articles about abnormal behaviour such as self-harm; one of the reasons for this being the alarming rise in the number of victims over the years, which made me curious about its causes ...

Anthropology Personal Statement Example 1 Completing my sixth form education at a multicultural boarding school has allowed me to experience a wide social and cultural diversity that I never would have expected in a school environment, in great contrast to the subtle ethnocentrism of my previous schooling...

International Relations Personal Statement Example 2 I'd like to study international relations because I am concerned about the rapid rise of great powers such as the resource-rich Gulf States. I would like to understand how states engage at the national level and how they leverage power...

Psychology Personal Statement Example 11 “If she’s smart she will study Medicine.” This is an unwritten rule in my culture - all Nigerian parents want their children to become doctors. What becomes of the aspiring psychologist in the family? I met a junior doctor, at an educational conference, who wanted to specialise in psychiatry...

Geography Personal Statement Example 4 All through my academic life I have found Geography extremely interesting because of the vast range of topics involved with it and how it relates to every subject in one way or another. I have a particular interest in the physical side of Geography and especially the topics of: climate change, coasts, hazards and the environment...

Physiology and Medical Sciences Personal Statement Example The human body is arguably the most complex life form that has ever existed. Studying how the body works helps us to comprehend the many processes that maintain health and find better treatment for diseases...

English Personal Statement Example 26 Growing up reading Roald Dahl, I saw elements of myself in Matilda, as ever since I can remember, I have loved reading. My passion for English could be seen by those around me, as a child, having taught myself to read and write by the time I was 4 years old, and there was never any doubt that I would go on to pursue a career in English...

Postgraduate Linguistics Personal Statement Example My interest in linguistics was gradually shaped throughout my life by all the different ways in which I have experienced languages: as a learner, translator, and as a teacher. However, it was the times spent living in Russia and later in the UK that made me fully understand that language can be a means of conveying much more than just our thoughts...

Environmental Engineering Personal Statement Example Nowadays, Environmental Engineering plays a vital role in the world as the environment is being put under constantly increasing pressure. As I am fascinated by Science and Mathematics and feel that the environment is incredibly important, I decided to study this course...

Geography Personal Statement Example 16 "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is an ever recurring question asked to me by many individuals, including myself. I have come to the conclusion that I will never come up with a final answer, as I have many ambitions and aspirations...

English Literature & Spanish Personal Statement Example For me, the most captivating part of English literature is the way great writers are able to influence the reader's imagination through the manipulation of language. The A-level topic of World War One literature was especially affecting because it showed me the importance of world events and their effect on contemporary literature that still inspires us today...

English Language/Literature Personal Statement Example 1 It is my belief that the most important part of anybody’s personality is the way that they exhibit it to the world. This idea of self expression is the basis of everything that I most enjoy and feel passionate about in life, which is why I am applying to study English...

Politics and Sociology Personal Statement Example 3 International relations and political science always attracted my attention and I clearly remember how impressed I was after the very first lesson on political science. Our teacher briefly explained us how political science had become an independent science and how it developed from a number of other disciplines: philosophy, history, economics, law...

Law Personal Statement Example 70 Law is ever changing, whether parliament is passing new legislation, existing legislation is being rewritten or the courts are interpreting laws in different ways. In the case of Anthony Bland the distinguishing of earlier precedents was vital...

Biomedical Sciences Personal Statement Example 36 What I love about science is that it has yet to offer the 'best' way for anything. Man will always find ways to do things better than before, quote: "Wherever the knowledge takes us, it will empower us to do more...

Neuroscience Personal Statement Example 2 The application of scientific knowledge to understanding how humans, and the creatures around us, function and react with each other has always been a source of wonder to me. The opportunity to combine a scientific understanding of processes and structure of the nervous system and brain with knowledge of applications relevant to our own behaviour, including those of a clinical kind, makes neuroscience such an attractive prospect to me...

Business/Human Resources Personal Statement Example In a turbulent economic and social climate, business remains of core importance. It is a crucial element of our lives, working as a catalyst for innovation, which is why I wish to study it at undergraduate level...

Media Studies Personal Statement Example 2 When I was nine years old, I would secretly read a Lord of the Rings book after bedtime with a flashlight with all the enthusiasm of, well, a child. Nobody was more excited than I when we went to watch the film adaptation, and, needless to say, I was mesmerized - not only by the effects, but also by the design of its posters, websites and trailers that all did justice to the film...

History Personal Statement Example 43 I have always wanted to be part of an open-minded society and live in a country where originality is rewarded, so the UK came to my mind as being the best country to read my degree. My passion for the English language has developed over years of studying English at school, where I have been successful in every written and oral exam...

English Personal Statement Example 30 English is not simply the study of humanity, or society, or history or the written word; it is all of those together and it is this versatility that makes it so appealing to me. The link between literary criticism and psychoanalysis is a great interest of mine...

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How to write a good Personal Statement

It may seem like the term has only just started, but the UCAS deadline isn’t too far away. So if you’re planning on going to university next September, now would be a good time to start your personal statement.

Your personal statement forms a core part of your university application and should explain why you’ve chosen that particular course and why you will be good at it.

Your personal statement should be 4,000 characters or 47 lines (whichever is shortest). To give you an idea of what this looks like, one page of Word is 51 lines. So try and sell yourself in one page and make sure that your writing is to the point.

So to get you started, we thought we’d give you our top tips on how to plan, write, and check a good personal statement.

Plan your content

Start by making a rough plan of what you need to include. Try to remember that universities want you to tell them why you should be accepted onto their course.

So before you start writing, make a few notes about why you want to study there.

Ask yourself:

• Why do you want to study that subject?
• Why do you want to study at that university?
• How will your experiences and skills help you to be a success?
• What work experience do you have?
• What relevant clubs or societies are you apart of?
• What career goals do you have?

If you’re still struggling to make a start, take a look at the UCAS page on Turing and pick up a UCAS Handbook from student services.

Make it manageable

Once you have an idea of the content, try separating it into manageable chunks. This will help you to decide what is essential and what isn’t.

Like with most pieces of writing you’ll need a beginning, middle, and an end; so getting your content into manageable chunks will also help you to decide what should go into each section.

Arguably, the first and last paragraphs are the most important so you can make a good first impression and leave a good lasting impression.

With this in mind, you need to cut to the chase in this first sentence and tell the reader why you want to study this course. Allow yourself 5 lines to do this.

Use the next 25 lines to explain and provide evidence of why you deserve the place, then summarise and recap in the last 15-17 lines.

Think about your experiences, what skills these have given you, and how these will be useful to help you in your studies and future career.

Write a rubbish first draft

So now you have your content and you know what you’re going to include in each section, it’s time to write your rubbish first draft.

We call it a rubbish first draft because we don’t want you to be too precious about this one. Don’t spend too long trying to get it right first time. Just get some words down and give yourself something to build on. Good writing isn’t about the quality of your first draft. It’s about nurturing your ability to spot what’s good in your draft.

Read, refine, and repeat

Now you have something to work with, you can spend some time tightening up your introduction, really selling yourself in the body of your statement, and finishing it off with a memorable ending.

Try to avoid using clichés and over-used phrases such as: For as long as I can remember I have… It has always been my dream to work in… Just write in a clear and simple way.

Make the final paragraph bold and memorable, leaving the reader with no doubts as to why you will be an excellent addition to their university. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in this part either. You want to stand out, not blend in.

While you’re reviewing, keep asking yourself – is this to the point? Am I telling them why I deserve a place on this course? You are not writing an essay. What matters are the facts - get these across clearly and avoid the temptation to embroider your writing with flowery language.

Keep communicating with your tutor and book in time to see them so they can provide you with feedback. Make sure you do this well in advance of your deadline because their time will be booked up quickly.

Before you send it…

Leave your personal statement for a couple of days and come back to it with fresh eyes. That way you’ll be able to sport any glaring errors. Once you’ve read it, ask a friend to read it. Then ask your parents to read it too. This will be useful because they should be able to let you know if it reflects who you are.

For even more tips and information about writing your personal statement, why not try:

www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/how-write-ucas-undergraduate-personal-statement

www.which.co.uk/tools/personal-statement-builder

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Sussex - Mathematics, Statistics and Financial Economics

Mathematics, statistics and financial economics – 2013 ( queen mary, sussex ).

I have been drawn to the logical, abstract and exact nature of mathematics from an early age and this once relatively casual interest has developed over the years into a ...

Please note UCAS will detect any form of plagiarism. PSE and its contributors do not take any responsibility for the way in which personal statements are used.

How to Write a Personal Statement For University

In University by Think Student Editor March 16, 2023 Leave a Comment

The process of applying to university can be hard at any stage. There are a range of things you need to consider. What subject(s) do you want to study? Where do you want to study? What are the entry requirements?

To make matters worse, you also have to bring these considerations together when writing the next bit of your application, your personal statement. Without knowing how to go about it, writing your personal statement can feel incredibly stressful and almost impossible to get done, believe me I know. However, writing your personal statement can be more than doable if you have the right technique and you know what you’re doing.

Continue reading to learn more about what makes up a personal statement and how to write your own. This article will take you through the process of writing a personal statement for both undergraduate and postgraduate applications and give you some extra advice for when you write yours.

Table of Contents

What is involved in writing an undergraduate personal statement?

If you’re familiar with the university application process in the UK, you’ve probably heard of a personal statement. However, do you actually know what it means and what makes one up?

For an undergraduate UK university application, a personal statement is a piece of writing, where you will need to explain why you’re a good candidate for the course(s) you’re applying for and what makes you different from other candidates . UCAS refers to this as a “chance to get noticed” because in your personal statement you pretty much need to show off your achievements, experiences, talents and the things you do or have done outside of your course that relate to what you’re applying for. To learn more about what personal statements are, check out this UCAS guide .

To do your personal statement, you will have a maximum of 4,000 characters or 47 lines, depending on which comes first. As much as it sounds, this isn’t actually very much as the character count will include each letter, space and piece of punctuation. To learn more about the formatting of a personal statement, check out this UCAS guide .

When writing your personal statement, there are quite a few key things that you need to include. These range from explaining your passion and reasoning for choosing the course to your own skills and experience. For example, you may want to write about any schemes you did, your hobbies, the reading you did and other extracurriculars related to the course.

You can also mention the skills you have picked up that will make you a great student, for example the experience you got from volunteering, doing a part time job or any roles or responsibilities you had at your sixth form or college. To learn about what you should put on a personal statement in more detail, check out this great Think Student article .

What is involved in writing a master’s personal statement?

While the basis of a master’s personal statement is the same as that of an undergraduate one, it does have its differences. While there must obviously still be a focus on you and what makes you a good fit for the course, for a postgraduate personal statement the key is to let your passion for the subject show.

As your postgraduate application will typically be done directly to the university, rather than as a general UCAS application, the exact formatting and word count required may depend on where you are replying to. Due to this, it is best to look at the university website to get a more accurate word count.

For example, the University of York give a general recommended personal statement word count of between 500 and 1,000 words. However, for specific departments and master’s degree courses, they may only need to be between 300 and 400 words long, such as with the education department.

To learn more about this, check out this page on the University of York’s website. You can also check out this article by Prospects and this Think Student article to learn more about the application process for master’s degrees.

How to write a personal statement for a university application

As mentioned above, you will have a maximum of 4,000 characters to write your personal statement. As this isn’t a lot of space, you need to make sure that you get your most important points across and that it is structured in a clear and engaging way .

To do this, there are a number of steps that you will need to follow to ensure that your personal statement is the best that it can be . To learn what these are, check out the following sections. You can learn more about the information included below by clicking on this guide and this page by UCAS as well as this article by The UniGuide.

You can also check out this page by Studential and this page by University Compare to see personal statement examples.

Step 1: Write down what you’re going to put on your university personal statement

As mentioned above, your personal statement is your chance to show off your personal achievements, experiences and ambitions as well as what you’ve done outside of your studies and more.

Due to this, when writing a personal statement, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that you need to put on it. Writing down the key points you want to include in your personal statement can be a great way to make your personal statement clearer and more focused on what you really want to say.

It can also help you to get everything on from the start, which can help you to avoid having to rewrite your entire personal statement just to include all of your key points. In the long run, this can also save you quite a lot of time.

Step 2: Explain why you want to study the course on your personal statement

One of the most crucial parts of your personal statement is explaining why you want to study the course you’ve applied for. This makes it a great way to start your personal statement . Especially, as it can help you to structure the rest of your personal statement by using it as a starting point.

To actually write about why you want to study your course, it can help to think about what you hope to learn, what it will allow you to do, how interested you are in the subject or even its relevance to the wider world. Writing about all of these can help to make you seem knowledgeable/ well-read in your subject and you may even want to start linking the wider reading you’ve done.

You can also mention your future ambitions and how the course you’ve applied to will help you get there. This maybe in regard to getting a job, especially for more practical subjects, or it could be for further study, such as a master’s degree or an alternative postgraduate qualification.

Step 3: Explain what makes you a good candidate on your personal statement

After explaining why you want to study the course, you also need to explain why they should choose you. To do this, you need to explain what qualities, skills, achievements and experiences you have that will make you a great pick to study the course that you’ve chosen.

When doing this, you need to make sure that you’re not just listing but rather that you’re explaining how they’re relevant and how they’ve made you a great candidate. To do this, you can use methods, such as ABC.

The ABC method stands for action, benefit, course. In this, you have to explain what you did, how it has helped or enhanced your studies and how this relates to the course you want to study at university. To learn more about this, check out this guide by Plymouth Marjon University.

You may also want to use themes to create links between the different activities you’ve done. For example, when I was writing my personal statement for modern languages, I linked my A-Level Spanish studies and the wider reading I had done to the theme of culture and then I linked my A-Level English Language studies and a MOOC I had done to the theme of translation. By doing this, you’re able to talk about more things in a way that seems more natural than if you were to mention each thing individually .

Step 4: Link to the less academic side of university on your personal statement

While the main focus of your personal statement should be on the course itself, why you want to study it and why you are academically a great candidate, another aspect of your personal statement is linking to the less academic side. This may be in terms of university life itself, such as with clubs and societies, that you’re interested in joining.

However, it may also be to do with showing off your non-academic features that will make you a great candidate. To do this efficiently, you can try and link these aspects together and talk about the skills and qualities that you’ve picked up due to any part-time work, volunteering, hobbies, etc. that you’ve done. A great way to do this is by using the ABC method again or by using the STAR method.

The STAR method is typically used for job interviews, however, it can also work pretty well for writing a personal statement. STAR stands for situation, task, action, results, meaning that you have to explain a situation and how you resolved it.

This method can work well to talk about your personal qualities or skills you learnt from a hobby or part-time job that you may have. To learn more about the STAR method, check out this guide by Indeed.

Step 5: Proofread and edit your personal statement

Another key aspect of writing your personal statement is rewriting it. You need to make sure that it is within the character/line count, that it is clear and easy to read and that all the spelling and grammar is correct. If there are these mistakes, it can leave a massive impression on your prospective university and so it is important that you do it correctly .

When proofreading and editing your work, you can also check to make sure that you’ve not repeated loads of phrases or words and that you’ve not used cliches. This is so that your writing will feel more natural to admission’s tutors.

How to write a personal statement for a master’s university application

As mentioned above, the master’s degree university application process is slightly different to the undergraduate one. Due to this, there are also some pretty noticeable differences that you need to consider when writing your master’s personal statement.

To begin with, your master’s personal statement will need to be a lot more focused on your passion for your subject . Unlike when applying for an undergraduate degree, you will need to have clear motivations for studying and you’ll probably also need to have plans for what you want to do after finishing the degree.

As you will have had to have done an undergraduate degree, you’re also now qualified. This means that you are expected to have experience and will need to show this off.

From your dissertation to any relevant projects to any work experience. You will need to make sure that you mention these and explain why they’re relevant to your course and how they’ve made you a great choice for that course. You can do this in a similar way to an undergraduate personal statement, by using the ABC and STAR methods that were mentioned above.

As mentioned above, you will need to apply directly to the university that you want to do your master’s at. This makes your personal statement different to undergraduate level as it means that you will need to explain not only why you want to study that course but also why you want to go to that university specifically . This may be for its reputation, or you may want to highlight a specific aspect of the degree that you’re particularly interested in.

To learn more about writing a master’s degree personal statement, check out this page by UCAS and this guide by the University of Sussex.

Can you re-use your university personal statement?

To put it simply, yes, you can reuse your personal statement for university . This is because it is your own work and so can’t count as plagiarism.

However, due to UCAS’ plagiarism detection system, they will be notified as your personal statement will be more than 30% similar to that of another personal statement. This won’t however be a problem as long as your personal statement is under the same name.

If it’s still your personal statement but you’re applying with a different name, you will need to fill in the “previous name” box when filling out your application . To learn more about this, check out this guide by UCAS.

While you are allowed to reuse your personal statement, it may not be a good idea to do so. This is because a personal statement can make or break your university application and if you were unable to get in with it before, the same thing may happen again.

This is especially because there may be things you’ve missed out and new experiences and achievements you’ve gained between writing your personal statement and sending it off again . To learn more about reusing a personal statement, check out this Think Student article .

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How to write a CV

Find out how to write a CV and showcase your skills, experience and ability. 

Book a place at a CV and applications workshop where you will be guided through what to include.

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• what a CV is
• where to start and examples of different types of CV
• what to include in your CV .

What is a CV? 

Your CV (or Curriculum Vitae) is way for you to show off your skills and experience to potential employers and helps recruiters assess your suitability for a role or course.

Your CV should:

• provide a clear timeline of your major activities in recent years
• show where you have built up the ability to do the job or other opportunity you are applying for
• demonstrate professionalism with its logical, appropriate layout and wording.

Where to start

To give your CV the best chance of success, it is important to understand what the employer is looking for, before you start writing.

If you are applying to an advertised job vacancy or course, go through the person specification or entry requirements and identify where you have evidence of the skills, knowledge or experience needed.

If you are writing a speculative application, research the career area and find out what skills are in demand.

Your CV should be no longer than two pages (unless you are writing an academic CV).

• Chronological – this is the most popular style of CV for new graduates. Education, work experience and other major activities are listed in date order. See an example of a chronological CV – with experience . Also see part-time chronological CV with experience , a chronological CV with limited experience , chronological CV – following a Masters , a CV for jobs in finance .
• Skills – this type of CV centres on a list of the main skills you have to offer, with examples of when you have demonstrated them. This can be a good choice if you are changing direction, have little experience, or need to tell the employer about multiple technical skills. See an example of a skills CV – with experience and part-time Skills CV – with limited experience .
• Academic – for academic careers after completing a PhD, CVs tend to be much longer, with details of research carried out, and lists of publications, conferences attended. See an example of an academic CV .
• Alternative/creative – for certain creative industries, it is important to demonstrate your creativity by taking a bold approach to designing the CV so that it shows off your talents.

Use our CV checker 

Sussex students and recent graduates can access extra support to help you write your CV. Once you have written your CV, you can upload it to our CV checker by CV360, to get instant feedback on how you might improve it. If you are a recent graduate email  [email protected] to get access to the CV checker.

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What to include 

See what to include in your CV below.

If you are an international student and  you are applying for a job in your home country, you can see CV/resume formats for different countries by using  GoinGlobal .

Contact details 

• Postal address
• Social media: include the details of your accounts, such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

Introduction

Write a short introduction which highlights your key skills. Explain briefly where you are now, what you have to offer, and what you are looking for.

List your current or most recent course (including selection of modules or dissertation if relevant), and then work backwards to A-level and GCSE. You can summarise the number of your GCSEs and total grades obtained. Do mention if you have English and Maths.

Give the start and finish dates, title of the course, and name of the institution, followed by the result if known.

If you don’t have A-levels or GCSEs, give the original name and grade of your pre-Sussex qualifications, with UCAS points if possible.

Work experience

List your most recent work experience first. You can include any type of work, including part-time, temporary, and voluntary experience.

Organise the information in a similar way to the education section and highlight any achievements with supporting evidence.

For experience that is not relevant to what you are applying for, focus on transferable skills. If you have worked in retail, for example, you could write about building teamwork, communication and customer service skills.

Mention any structured activities, especially those in which you have an official role, for example: student societies which you help to run. 

Start by reviewing the skills you’ve gained from volunteering or work experience. You can also use examples from your academic life.

Once you have identified your skills, you need to show how you have used them. Think about where you developed particular skills and what you did. Avoid lists of skills without explanation.

• Wrote demanding essays at university and achieved a consistent 2.1.
• Compiled reports for a summer job as a business analyst intern and presented to the Board.

Just because you haven’t done a particular job before, it doesn’t mean you aren’t suitable for it. You may already have the transferrable skills required.

You may have worked at the University bar during your studies and are now applying for a graduate role in HR. You will have gained interpersonal, communication, self-management, planning and organisational skills from working at the bar. These skills will also be useful in an HR role and you can use your work experience to show that you have them.

See more information about skills from careers site TargetJobs .

You can write ‘Details of referees are available on request’ at the end of your CV.

If you are asked for referees, it is usual to give two: one from your current or most recent course, and one from a current or recent employer if possible.

Telling an employer about a disability

Your disability may have impacted on your ability to gain work experience. If this is the case, think about how you can demonstrate your skills and experience from other areas of your life when writing your CV, for example you may want to write about being involved with societies, volunteering, your studies or your interests.  Find out more about your disability rights .

More support

We have partnered with  EmployAbility  to provide students with disabilities and long-term health conditions with individualised advice and support. The EmployAbility team will also advocate for you with an employer to ensure you receive the adjustments you need.

Writing style

Always check your CV before you send it, and ideally get someone else to read it.

Once you have written your first draft, ask yourself if it can be written more simply or concisely. Try reading your written documents aloud. Shorten long sentences or divide them into two shorter ones.

Use active, not passive language.

Don’t: Problem-solving skills were developed.

Do:   I strengthened my practical problem-solving skills. 

Don’t: I had to answer queries from a wide range of people.

Do: I answered queries from a wide range of people.

How to format your CV

• conventional fonts, such as Arial, Calibri or Helvetica
• black ink – colours can look unappealing and grey if they are printed in black and white
• bold, underlining and other emphasis sparingly and consistently, e.g. for section headings
• a line between sections and leave reasonable page margins.

Further help and advice

If you need further help and advice while writing your CV: 

• ask a question  in CareerHub
• book a place at a CV workshop via CareerHub
• use our  How to write your CV  Canvas course to learn the basics.

See more from How to apply for a job

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘Real hope’ for cancer cure as personal mRNA vaccine for melanoma trialled

Excitement among patients and researchers as custom-built jabs enter phase 3 trial

Doctors have begun trialling in hundreds of patients the world’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma, as experts hailed its “gamechanging” potential to permanently cure cancer.

Melanoma affects about 132,000 people a year globally and is the biggest skin cancer killer. Currently, surgery is the main treatment although radiotherapy, medicines and chemotherapy are also sometimes used.

Now experts are testing new jabs that are custom-built for each patient and tell their body to hunt down cancer cells to prevent the disease ever coming back.

A phase 2 trial found the vaccines dramatically reduced the risk of the cancer returning in melanoma patients. Now a final, phase 3, trial has been launched and is being led by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).

Dr Heather Shaw, the national coordinating investigator for the trial, said the jabs had the potential to cure people with melanoma and are being tested in other cancers, including lung, bladder and kidney.

“This is one of the most exciting things we’ve seen in a really long time,” said Shaw. “This is a really finely honed tool. To be able to sit there and say to your patients that you’re offering them something that’s effectively like the Fat Duck at Bray versus McDonald’s – it’s that level of cordon bleu that’s coming to them … The patients are really excited about them.”

The vaccine is an individualised neoantigen therapy. It is designed to trigger the immune system so it can fight back against a patient’s specific type of cancer and tumour.

Known as mRNA-4157 (V940), the vaccine targets tumour neoantigens, which are expressed by tumours in a particular patient. These are markers on the tumour that can potentially be recognised by the immune system.

The jab carries coding for up to 34 neoantigens and activates an anti-tumour immune response based on the unique mutations in a patient’s cancer.

To personalise it, a sample of tumour is removed during the patient’s surgery, followed by DNA sequencing and the use of artificial intelligence. The result is a custom-built anti-cancer jab that is specific to the patient’s tumour.

“This is very much an individualised therapy and it’s far cleverer in some senses than a vaccine,” said Shaw. “It is absolutely custom-built for the patient – you couldn’t give this to the next patient in the line because you wouldn’t expect it to work.

“They may have some shared new antigens, but they’re likely to have their own very individual new antigens that are important to their tumour and so, therefore, it is truly personalised.”

The ultimate aim to permanently cure patients of their cancer, Shaw said. “I think there is a real hope that these will be the gamechangers in immunotherapy,” she said.

Phase 2 data found people with serious high-risk melanomas who had the jab alongside the immunotherapy Keytruda were almost half (49%) as likely to die or have their cancer come back after three years than those who were given only Keytruda.

Patients received 1mg of the mRNA vaccine every three weeks for a maximum of nine doses, and 200mg of Keytruda every three weeks (maximum 18 doses) for about a year.

The phase 3 global trial will now include a wider range of patients, and aims to recruit about 1,100 people. The UK arm aims to recruit at least 60 to 70 patients across eight centres, including in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Leeds.

• Skin cancer
• Medical research
• Vaccines and immunisation
• UCL (University College London)

More on this story

UK scientists working on breast cancer monitor fitted in bra

Study offers hope in identifying high-risk prostate cancer patients

UK cancer study shows big fall in death rates since early 1990s

Sussex man doing well a year and a half after new brain cancer treatment

Cancer experts call on philanthropists to help fund ‘golden age’ of research

Princess of Wales’ diagnosis: cancers in young are rising, but so are survival rates

What is preventive chemotherapy and how effective is it? The Princess of Wales’ treatment explained

Drug that could slow womb cancer to be rolled out by NHS in England

UK trails other countries on waiting times for cancer treatment, study finds

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Online application guide

Follow our guide to help you with your research application. You will find out how to complete each section of the application form, the supporting documents you need, and how to contact us if you need help.

Getting started

You apply through the University’s  postgraduate application system .

You need to:

• create an online account using our postgraduate application system
• click on the URL in the activation email to activate your account
• log in to your account using the email address and password chosen when you registered
• select your research degree from the A-Z drop-down menu, or type its title into the keyword search
• select your point of entry. You should check the entry points your degree offers. For some of our courses you can select to start your degree in September, January or May, while for others entry is in September only
• select your mode of study, for example, part-time or full-time 
• click Apply to begin your application. You can apply for up to three courses. 

Completing the application form

Follow our guidance to help you complete each section of the application form:

You must fill in all of your personal details and indicate if you need a visa to study in the UK.  

If you do require a visa to study in the UK, you must:

• submit your passport (and previous visa if you have studied in the UK). This is so that so we can give you a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number for your visa application.

You must: 

• provide a valid home address. If you want to be contacted at a different address, provide a correspondence address
• make sure you tell us if you change your address by emailing [email protected] .

Provide details of your:

• qualifications - give details of any further or higher education qualifications you have completed, or are studying
• previous university -  select your previous university from the list. If you are an international student, type the name of your university into the text box and select your country from the list
• subject of study  - the title of the course you have completed or are studying. You must include the title/level of the course/s e.g. BA, MSc 
• class or grade - your final grade i.e. Pass, 2:1. If you have not yet completed the qualification, provide a date for when you will receive the result
• extra information -   if you wish to give us more   information about your qualification, such as module descriptions, complete the description box. 

Please state whether English is your first language. If English is not your first language you need to:

• check our English language requirements
• tell us the English language qualification you have, and the grades you have achieved, and upload a copy of your certificate 
• tell us if you will be taking an English language test in the future. 

If you have language qualifications not included in our list of accepted qualifications, provide details and evidence of your qualification, so we can consider it as an alternative.

You can give more information about relevant work experience that you have (paid or voluntary) that may support your application.

You can attach any associated certificates or references. 

You must provide:

• research proposal/research statement 
• summary of academic interests (this is optional depending on the subject area you are applying for)
• degree certificates and transcripts. If the originals are not in English, certified translations must be provided
• your English language qualification, where applicable
• two academic references  –  including one from your most recent university. Or you can provide contact details for your referee and we will email them. 

If you are applying for a research degree, you may need to submit a research proposal or research statement. It is important your proposal/statement is in the format your subject area requires. Before submitting your application, see our  guide to writing your research proposal  for subject-specific guidance. Staff from our Schools of study have provided guidance on what a proposal/statement should contain.

Identifying a supervisor/department

You are encouraged to identify which supervisor(s) or department you would like to work with, and you can discuss your research interests with supervisors before applying.  If you ask to be supervised by a particular member of faculty, this will be considered but not all such requests can be accommodated.  Find out how to find a supervisor .

You can keep track of the sections you have completed on your form:

• each section is marked with a red cross to show that it is not yet complete, or a green tick if the section is finished
• you cannot submit your application unless all sections are complete
• once you are happy with your application, click submit.

You will be notified by email that your application has been successfully submitted. You cannot change or add information after your application has been submitted, apart from your contact address.

You can monitor the progress of your application by logging into your account and clicking on the status button next to your course application. 

You can use your account to:

• see if we need more information or documents. This is shown in the application's status. We will also email you to notify you
• see if you have been given an offer
• see a copy of your offer letter 
• accept or decline your offer through your account

It is only possible to hold one offer at a time from the University of Sussex. 

You can apply for up to three courses by returning to the application homepage and adding another course.

Some sections of the application will already be completed from your first application. 

Your supporting documents, including your references are used across each application.  

You might also be interested in:

• student support
• visas and immigration
• how to apply for accommodation
• how to apply for a PhD