How To Write A Statement of Purpose For Ph.D.

Writing a statement of purpose for Ph.D. has never been easy, hence applicants can leverage on this article for proper guideline in writing a convincing statement of purpose for their respective Ph.D. programs

How to write a Statement of Purpose for Ph.D.

The statement of purpose, sometimes called a personal statement, is an important part of Ph.D. applications. It functions similarly to a cover letter; it should convince the reader that you have the right qualifications, motivation and professional goals to pursue graduate studies in their program.

The statement of purpose should convince readers– the faculty on the selection committee– that you have solid accomplishments behind you that show promise for your success in graduate study.

Some few Strategies to Write a Powerful and Convincing Statement of Purpose for Ph.D.

Whether applying for a Ph.D. program, the strategy of writing a powerful statement of purpose would be to sound focused throughout. Rising from your academic and professional background to your career aspirations, you need to carefully and painstakingly connect all the dots between reaching your goals through your choice of school and course.

The essay should always go in a flow covering your previous experience, present involvements, and your plans/aspirations for the future. An important point to remember while writing your Statement Of Purpose for Ph.D. would be to divide it into different paragraphs that cover all the pointers. Here, let us look at how you can write a presentable statement of Purpose to build a strong profile:

1st Paragraph: Introduction

This paragraph is often confused with self-introduction. It should not introduce you but should discuss what you are about to discuss in your Statement Of Purpose. There are so many approaches you may adopt to go about this paragraph:

Discuss your long-term goal and connect it with your idea of pursuing the course you are applying to.

Explain your background in 2-3 lines and connect it with your future goals.

Present your understanding of the chosen field and write how you want to contribute to that field.

Write about a story that helped you realize your professional interest in the chosen field of career/study.

2nd and 3rd Paragraphs: Academic Background and Professional Experience

This comprises of your academic background: what you have done so far (previous work), what you are currently pursuing, your academic strengths and projects and industrial exhibition you have attained, etc. If you have any professional experience it should be discussed in the upcoming paragraphs. This will help in establishing your career progression.

4th Paragraph: Why This Course?

In this paragraph, you should be able to discuss why you want to join a course and what modules would you tap during this course. It should also cover the skills you would acquire in this duration of the course along with the exposure that would help in developing the skills desired to realize your goals.

5th Paragraph: Career Goals

This is the most important paragraph, where you should discuss your short and long-term goals. Your next goal would be where you would want to work right after completing this course. You should be able to name some companies along with the designation you see yourself working at. This should explain the kind of job profile you would be working on.

Then comes your long-term goal, wherein you should mention where you see yourself from 10-12 or 15 years down the line. This may include your desire to working on the CEO/CFO/CTO level or maybe establishing a firm that you own. It may also include your dream of expanding your existing family business overseas. You may also be interested in further studies like a Ph.D. which can be included here. More in this section may include your desire of becoming a professor or researcher.

In any case, it is suggested that you discuss your business aim, principles, and core values you needed to or how you would influence the young aspirants of this industry. You should be able to portray how you wish to make a distinction in the industry keeping in mind the current industrial scenarios and emerging trends?

6th Paragraph: Why This University

This is a specific paragraph wherein you can convince a university as in how they are suitable for your profile and you are an ideal candidate for their university. You should discuss the course curriculum, research work, faculty names, as well as the university-specific activities that would help you in improving your profile.

Closing Paragraph

This can be also called a concluding paragraph. In this paragraph, you should conclude your desire and readiness towards joining the chosen course. Since this is the closing paragraph, you should sound focused and prepared for all the challenges that come your way. It should also show that you have the zest in you to succeed and with the help of the chosen course and university you will definitely make a difference in the industry from a global perspective.

How long is a statement of purpose supposed to be?

A statement of purpose should be only one-page. You could write up to one and a half pages if needed, but nothing longer than this. The reason is that you need to be economical and concise with your writing. Admissions officers read dozens of applications a day so you are going to need to be able to concisely and clearly state what you want to say. Writing longer than one page to one and a half pages will make you seem like you lack focus and clarity in your purpose for school.

Also, ensure you use Times New Roman font with a font size of 12point, 1-inch margins on all sides, and 1.5 line spacing. This format will ensure easy readability as it is also the expected format.

However, you probably won’t get extra points for good general formatting. Therefore, it is going to benefit you much more to focus on impressing your reader with your actual content.

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