How to write Statement of Purpose (SOP) for PhD?

In a Ph.D. application process, every document involved in the application process plays a very significant role in pitching the application of the candidate in front of the admission committee. Different types of documents such as any type of sample research essay, LOR, resume, and SOP, can perform the role of tie-breaker or deciding factor when selecting only a limited number of candidates from a large pool of applications. Therefore it can be said that the “Statement of Purpose or (SOP)” plays a significant role in the application process. The following article will provide information regarding the format and requirements of SOPs accepted by various international universities: 

What is the difference between the SOPs required in MS, UG, MBA, and PhD SOP?

To write well-structured SOPs for Ph.D., it is essential to understand the difference between SOPs required in UG, MS, MBA, and PhD. SOP. Although the internet is full of common guidelines for writing an effective SOP, all these guidelines did not apply to the SOP required in Ph.D.  For example, the SOP required for UG contains information regarding the interests, hobbies, and other such details about the candidate. On the other hand, the SOP written for PhD requires to focus on the passion of the candidate regarding the selected field and subject. Similarly, the SOP required for MS and MBA is based on the leadership, goals, and managerial and leadership abilities of the candidates.  

Similarly, the SOP for PhD is largely focused on research and extensive research. The research can be from any interesting field of research, research of some other professor, or research conducted by the candidate on its own. The SOP for a research paper should be able to highlight the skills of the candidate to conduct research, time-management abilities, reasoning and analytical abilities, and efficiency of the candidate. The admission committee for a PhD focuses on two major points on the SOP. First, the admission committee focuses on the potential of the candidate to qualify as a scholar and can provide significant contributions to the research work and improve the reputation of the university.  The second important thing taken is consideration the alignment of the research objectives and topic with the university and its faculty, or how the research will be beneficial for the university or its department. 

Steps for writing an SOP for Ph.D.

Although the format of writing a statement of Purpose (SOP) for the Ph.D. program is almost similar to the SOPs required for other courses, certain differences need to be taken care of when drafting an SOP for a Ph.D. 

• Create a statement of purpose for yourself: Simply inform the admission committee about yourself. The foremost objective of an SOP is to describe yourself as a person. The essay should provide information regarding the intellectual trajectory and why it is necessary for you as a student to broaden your horizons in the field of education by completing a Ph.D.  Also, it is important to avoid the faculty and university about your greatness multiple times. Rather the SOP should showcase the importance of studying under such faculty is important for the student and how it will impact the overall life in the future. 

• Answer all the why questions: It is important to answer all the possible reasons for selecting a Ph.D. in the SOP for Ph.D. The SOP should provide information regarding the different reasons that resulted in creating interest in completing the degree and why it resulted in selecting the particular field for specialization, along with the reasons for selecting the particular university.

• It is important to be straightforward regarding your research interest: It is advisable to mention in the introduction the relation between your interest or passion with the particular field of the subject selected for your Ph.D. This is the place where the candidate proposes the research topic to the institution or university. In case the candidate is not sure about the research topic, then the students can provide information regarding the field of study and different possible options it can provide for the candidate. In case the candidate is willing to select two or more subjects, in that case, they should provide information regarding them also. When writing the SOP it is important to make sure that it answers the following questions:
• “What is your research topic or field, and why”?
• “What have you learned in this field so far that made you take up this topic”?
• “How passionate are you about pursuing this further”?

• Research and academic background: Provide short information regarding the academic background beginning with the bachelor's degree. After the bachelor’s degree provide information regarding the master's degree and how it is related to the selected research topic. In this section, the students can provide information regarding the different research projects completed by the candidate. The candidates should mention the title of the dissertation and explain the objectives of the research along with procedures used to conduct the research in a glimpse. For example, the information can include how you took the assistance of the faculty members, referring to other research, and conducting a survey.  Also, the students need to note that the entire research should not be copied here. Information related to procedures and learning objectives should be mentioned. Also if the research paper has been published or is in the process of approval, the fact should be highlighted. The students should focus on skills, knowledge, and expertise gained during the completion of the research study and how they will be helpful in future research during the completion of the PhD. The students should also mention any practical expertise gained during the completion of the research.

• It is important to address the previous issues directly: In case the candidates receive negative marks in previous academic qualifications, it is important to provide information about these issues directly in the SOP for PhD.  It is important to provide information regarding their negative marks and what they learned from them. Taking the negative marks to the admission committee showcases the ability of the candidate to handle problems and emerge as a strong person. 

• Reasons for joining the specific university and course: It is one of the most important sections of the SOP and helps in answering the main question of the admission committee which is why you have selected the particular university and the course.  The question is very important as this question can make or break the entire profile of the candidate. The answer to this question should begin by selecting a particular professor and their research. Provide references of faculty, departments, amenities, professors, labs, and research centers in the university. Also, it is important to mention the role of the selected university and course in fulfilling the short-term and long-term goals of the candidate. When answering the Why question it is important to cover the following risk
• “Why this program”?
• “Why this university/ department”?
• “Why this specialization”?
• “Why study/ research under the tutelage of a certain professor”?

• Career goals: Career goals are also an important part of the application process for PhD admission. Whether the SOP is written for UG students, MBA aspirants, or Ph.D. candidates, the lack of clear goals in the minds of the students, results in making the readers lose their interest in the profile of the candidate.  This also results in highlighting that the candidate is not serious regarding their course and just applying for admission for fun. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the career goals of the candidate should align with the course selected by the candidate and also with the research conducted previously.  Also, the students can provide information regarding the future, research works that they are willing to undertake, and how much impact they will make in the particular society. The goals of the candidate should be divided into two distinct paragraphs. The first paragraph should provide information regarding the short-term goals of the candidate, such as what the student wants to do just after completing the course. It may include processes such as conducting future research, making practical use of the research, pursuing research in any other field, or joining the research and development division of any other industry or firm or else. The second paragraph should include the long-term goals of the candidates, such as where the candidate wants to see themselves in the next 10-15 years. These will be the ultimate goals of the candidate for their life such as holding the post of the general manager in a reputed firm, starting their own business, or starting won R&D department of their own, or something like that. However, it is important to note that the long-term and short-term goals of the candidate should be linked with the course selected by the candidate for graduation. 

Soft skills that should be included in SOP for Ph.D.: To get admission to Ph.D. courses, the candidate needs to highlight some of the soft skills in the SOP for Ph.D. courses.  Some of the important soft skills that should be included in the SOP are :

• Problem-solving
• Creativity
• Communication
• Analytical thinking
• Integrity
• Teamwork
• Passion for success
• Willingness to learn

Motivation Letter for Ph.D. course

Sometimes the candidates may also be required to submit a letter of motivation in certain Ph.D. programs. The letter of motivation is slightly different from the SOP. The letter of motivation is written to the professor or department under which the student will be guided to complete their research study. Also, a large number of MS fellowships require students to draft motivational letters or “letters of interest”. 

SOP requirements for PhD for top universities.

Statement of Purpose or SOP required is different for different universities and courses are different. Although the process of writing the SOP is the same for all universities and courses. However, the structure and word limit for different SOPs are different as per the requirements of the universities.

The following table shows the requirements for drafting an SOP for various top universities according to the QS World Ranking 2023.

Note:  The information has been collected from the official websites of the top universities. Although it is beneficial for the students to visit the official webpage of the universities and course-related webpage to get exact information regarding the SOP requirements for different courses. 

Conclusion

Although a large number of samples and examples are present over the internet for writing SOP, the students should write their SOP on their own or can get help from experts present in Theobrain with the requirements of the SOP and its content. Plagiarism is a major issue when you copy your SOP from a sample or online example. The admission committee immediately the application after the identification of any type of plagiarism in the documents submitted by the candidate. In Ph.D. plagiarism is treated as a criminal offense. Therefore it becomes important for the students to write their documents on their own and provide the highest information regarding their achievements. For more help, the students can contact the experts on The obtain for submitting the PhD application.