statement of purpose graduate school phd applicant
Stage I:
Do your Homework
1. Browse through the websites of the schools/departments/programs of interest to you. Obtain brochures and booklets and read through them carefully. Highlight the aspects of the programs that appeal to you. (doctoral program offered jointly through CSULB and the Claremont University in Engineering and Industrial Applied Mathematics)
2. Read up on the research interests and projects of the faculty in the schools/departments/programs. Read publications from a faculty of interest.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hamid Rahai and Dr.Masoud NazariI hearing about the some research topics within the department that reflects to my interests such as the smart building, and learning more about the PhD program at CSULB.
(I am interested in Smart Grids, reliable and safe power solutions, Green Energy, Lean Methodology, Zero Net energy buildings)
3. Browse through recent articles from the research field of interest and try to get a general understanding of how the field developed and what are its current problems and challenges. ( I am impressed by the research done by Dr. Masoud Nazari and his team to turn the Engineering and Computer Sciences building at CSULB into a “smart” structure by making it highly efficient and able to respond to energy demand, It would be very interesting to see the analysis, simulation and apply in real life)
My goal is to understand, learn more about zero net energy buildings and apply it on a bigger such as cites or even countries.
Stage II: Reflect and Brainstorm (on paper)
1. Reflect on your intellectual development.
• What and when were the major moments in your life that have led you to your current research interest(s) and school/department/program?
I remember in my 5th grade when a class mate brought solar-powered (Amorphous silicon) calculator to our math class. I was amazed by the idea that this device can operate independently without changing batteries or charging for years. The idea of having a system that so reliable, efficient and does not create any waste or needs any more operational cost sounded great to me.
In 2012, I have received my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. The idea of having a sustainable renewable energy was still my interests, which led me to think of (how can we make the most of the solar panels?). this question led to designing a solar tracker. Solar tracker involved the development of a more efficient solar panel system that tracks solar energy to maximize exposure to and usage of solar energy in 3D motion.
In 2016, I have received my Master of Science in Systems Engineering with technical focus in Electrical Engineering. Now that I am interested in sustainable and renewable energy, I have dedicated most of my projects throughout my education towards this topic. I have applied the systems engineering tools toward solar energy throughout my studies up until my thesis. Where I evaluated current electrical energy sources in Saudi Arabia, identifying cost, efficiency and management issues. It further proposed alternatives, with specific focus on Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) to address these problems with a cost analysis, implementation strategy (verification and validation), and measurement of effectiveness using the Systems Architecting Model.
The Saudi Government spends about $120 billions a year on energy!
• What or who influenced your decision or interest (i.e. role models)? What quality about them appealed to you?
The kingdom of Saudi arabia relies mainly on oil and gas and has what the experts called it oil addiction. The consumption of Saudi Arabia in 2013 was about 5 million barrels a day that’s as much as the US, China, Russia, Japan and India each in which those countries have 5 to 40 times more population than Saudi Arabia. One third of this consumption is used for electricity generation. This made my vision of a green system a little bit harder, up until last year when the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has announced the Saudi 2030 Vision that seeks to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors. Also building a 10,230-square-mile transnational city from scratch called (Neom) the city will Plans call for robots to perform functions such as security, logistics, home delivery, and caregiving and most importantly to be powered solely with wind and solar power. Having a whole country sponsoring me to do my phd and support my vision is such privilege and an honor that push is me more toward my main goal (a green sustainable world)
2. Why did you choose your research topic(s)/field/school?
Because our power system is old, not reliable, has so much waste, and harmful to the environment
3. Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
An interest of energy generation and its method
4. What are your career goals?
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
It is my hope in the near future, with my education and dedication to this subject matter, to be part of Neom project (click on the link for more info) , be part of the change toward efficient sustainable world and having my own consulting and sustainable power solutions firm (triple SSS) “Smart Solar Solutions”
• What do you hope to accomplish?
Living in a world with 100% sustainable green energy
• What drives you? What motivates you?
Doing the right action consisting of producing the most good for the most people, and giving equal consideration to everyone affected. So, it is “The most good” and “The least harm”.
Stage III: Outline your Statement of Purpose
1. From the results of Stage II, determine a central theme/topic that stands out or dominates your reflections and brainstorm.
2. Using bullet points and brief comments/statements, organize your reflections and brainstorm ideas that strengthen the central theme/topic of your statement of purpose.
• Concentrate on your life experiences and give specific examples.
• Put down only those things that excite you.
• Do not make things up!
3. Your outline should cover these areas and, preferably, in this order:
• What aspects of the school/department/program appeals to you?
• What are your research interest(s)?
• How did you become interested in your current research topic/area?
• How did you prepare or are preparing to address the issues in this research area/topic (i.e. research experiences, courses, etc.)?
• What are your future goals for graduate school (i.e. Ph.D.)?
• What are your career goals (i.e. professorship)?
• What characteristics of the school/department/program can help you accomplish your goals?
• What positive aspects do you bring to the school/department/program? Stage IV: Write Draft of Statement of Purpose When writing your statement of purpose:
• Always use positive language when referring to yourself.
• Give detailed, but concise examples.
• Use transition words, sentences and paragraphs.
Your statement must read smoothly.
• Skip a line after each paragraph.
• Refrain from starting neighboring paragraphs the same way.
• Avoid using vocabulary that you do not know.
• Refrain from repeating yourself.
• Have strong opening and closing paragraph.
• Stay within the 2 – 3 page limit!
• Thank the admissions committee for their time at the end of your statement of purpose.