Statement of purpose (SOP) for Master of Civil Engineering

Statement of purpose (SOP) for Master of Civil Engineering

Statement of purpose (SOP) for Master of Civil Engineering
Ashma Shrestha

It doesn't matter which country you choose to apply for your student visa; that could be the UK, USA, Canada, Australia or any other country; SOP is a mandatory application requirement.

A well-crafted comprehensive SOP plays a significant role in a successful study visa application for any country. This guide presents you a Statement of Purpose (SOP) sample for students looking to enrol on Civil Engineering.

These are the quick tips you need to follow while composing your SOP for Civil Engineering:

  • Mention when you developed a passion for your intended course Civil Engineering
  • Present your independent research and reasons behind choosing management and Care, country and the university.
  • Mention your academic achievements. Also, do not forget to write about your projects, research papers and experiences.
  • Assert your career plans and how the chosen degree will help you achieve them.
  • Talk about your goals based on your home country.

Statement of purpose (SOP) sample for Master of Civil Engineering

Introduction & Family Background

My name is <name>. I was born on [date]. I am a <country> citizen. I intend to pursue a Master of Civil Engineering from <university name>. 

I have a small family of four members, including me, my father, mother, and younger brother. My father works at *** in the role of <position>. My mother owns a company ***. My younger brother works as a manager at ***

Academic Background

I have completed my grade 10 in [date] with a GPA of 3.6 and my grade 12 with a GPA of 3.4 in [date]. I have completed a bachelor of Civil Engineering from **University, <country name>  in date with a CGPA - of 3.47. I prepared for the English proficiency examination, appeared for the exam on Date, and scored an Overall 8 with not less than 7.

Work Experience

I have been working as a Construction Site Supervisor in <company name> starting from [date] to [date]. My last salary was ** per month.

Reason for not choosing [home country] as my study destination

Before going with the decision to studying in overseas, I had also thought of pursuing a master’s degree in my own country, but there are very few colleges and universities that offer Master of Engineering Courses, and also I am not very assuring about global recognition with the certificate from the universities. My view on <home country> education system is not very satisfactory as its teaching method, course structure and delivery method are still based on traditional and old techniques. 

Higher education is recognized today as a capital investment and is of paramount importance for the economic and social development of the country. The main objective of higher education is 

  • To impart higher education to the people as per the need of the country. 
  • To produce manpower competent enough in the global context.

But Higher education in <home country> has faced several challenges in the shape of various aspects: Quantity and Quality, Lack of Infrastructure and Facilities, Poor Administrative Work, Educational Policies & Courses and Curriculum.

My experience of having physically attended bachelors made me believe that students in <home country> are studying just for the sake of a degree and not for gaining adequate knowledge. Most of the <home country> graduates are unaware of their interests, so the ratio of unemployed graduates is increasing gradually. As an aware student, I felt these factors are not providing me with the platform needed to excel in my professional career. Most importantly, the students' political involvement and its effect on regular classes, examination cancellation, postponing of result dates and its overall effect on the learning environment led me to choose abroad for my further education.

Being unsatisfied with the education system in <home country>, I shifted my search for abroad education in abroad nation. After finding and comparing the features, I decided to study in Australia. 

  • The internship is qualitative and quantitative in Australia, whereas in <home country> Internship is just a curriculum.
  • Education systems of universities overseas are often changed, keeping in line with new technologies added to the classrooms.
  • Universities overseas have regular course or teaching methods updates as necessary, but we have not updated for an extended period in <home country>. 
  • Universities overseas are a peace zone related to learning knowledge for international students, but here in <home country>, students are encouraged to get involved in politics rather than getting knowledge.

Those kinds of unprofessionalism and uncertainty compelled me to think of studying abroad studies than studying in <home country>. Honestly, I have been witnessing that students hardly attain university classes, and exams are not held on time. For a better academic environment and practical education, I have chosen Australia for a master’s degree.

Reason for not choosing other countries like USA / UK / Canada for my further studies

I began searching for the most appropriate educational location for me. For this, I went to local seminars, met experts and even surfed on the internet for long hours. After all, I got to know that countries like the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia offer good educational services to the students as I have read some testimonials of the learners on various websites.

During this research, I have gone through websites of various universities in the USA, U.K, and Canada which offer courses of my interest- Master of Engineering.

I have come across the fact that most universities require the GRE/GMAT exam along with the IELTS or TOEFL, which is more time-consuming, but in Australia, I can get admission to top universities only with a PTE/IELTS score which is very time-consuming. As per my research, it takes 6 to 8 months to prepare for the exam along with a high IELTS/ GRE or GMAT score, which will add a distinct gap in my profile. 

The master’s degree from UK University is 12 to 14 months which is not acceptable in my home country as in my country, the duration of the master’s degree is of 2 years. The degree earned in the UK is not accepted worldwide. Based on my research, the course structure does not come with major and minor options, and the degrees may not be valid if I want to work in government institutions of my home country.

Most universities offer courses between 1 to 2 years, which is not of relevant concern as I want to pursue a full-fledged degree. Canada is also comparatively more expensive than Australia Canada, being a good education provider for international students, has certain geographical extremities and difficulties (more than 8 months’ snowfall in a year), which creates enormous problems in travelling and living for the students coming from a country which has a tropical climatic condition. Because of the cold climate, it won't be easy to adjust. Hence, considering all these reasons, I decided to study in Australia rather than choosing other countries as mentioned above. It is a developed country, and its educational system is world-class based on the rankings of the universities

Reason for choosing Australia as my study destination

In Australia, I found several things that enticed me Firstly, Australia is the most desirable destination among <home country> students due to its quality of education, variety of courses to choose from and post-study work opportunities. Australia is the world's third most popular international student destination, just after USA and UK, and it is affordable also. Australia is home to nearly 700,000 international students due to its high-quality education, easy access to student support services, multicultural society and fantastic lifestyle that make Australia an attractive study destination. 

Australia provides the world’s strict protection for international students through Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000. The Act ensures that international students receive the same standard of education as Australian students. 

The Tuition Protection Service (TPS) helps international students whose education providers cannot fully deliver their course of study. The Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is health insurance arranged to help the hospital and medical costs.

Australian Qualification Framework (AQF)- It is a learning system that the Australian government authorizes. In such cases, students are placed in another university to complete their studies. The institution in Australia come in all sizes and locations, making it easy for students to find a school that suits them and their motives. Besides, employers and universities worldwide recognize the Australian degree; thus, the graduates successfully find jobs and hold prominent positions worldwide. 

Rather than some general research, below listed some specific points related to the benefits of studying Information Technology in Australia:

  1. Australia offers truly world-class education and regularly features in global rankings. Eight Australian universities placed in the top 100 in the latest QS World University Rankings, commended on academic reputation, employer reputation and international student ratio. Several universities are featured in the Times Higher Education Rankings and the Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities.
  2. International students can work up to 40 hours per fortnight in Australia, which will help them pay for things like nights out with friends or short trips over holiday breaks.
  3. Another reason to choose Australia as my preferred destination to study was that the living expenses and tuition fees are considerably less expensive compared to other countries, and the Australian government offers PSW (Post-study work permit), which enable the international student to work in Australian companies to get international exposure and skills.
  4. Australia is one of the most culturally diverse nations in the world, with a large population of international students. This means that you will study with students worldwide and enjoy many of the comforts of home — from restaurants and grocers to film festivals and food fairs. 
  5. Australian universities are strong in research, excelling in arts and humanities, education and sciences. Australia is also a proud contributor to global research, credited for many important discoveries, such as penicillin, IVF and Wi-Fi. This makes Australia an excellent choice for international students — whether you want to learn from the best in a coursework degree or undertake your research.
  6. Australia is an English-speaking country which will benefit the international student to increase their communication skills and be helpful for the local people residing there because it doesn’t require any additional language to communicate, just like European counties. 

So, I finalized Australia, convinced that the Australian education system is one of the best globally. Studying in Australia will also help me improve my communication skills because I will be studying in a multicultural society with people worldwide. Also, getting a degree from an Australian University also ensures I will get a job. According to a survey, due to the Australian degree’s reputation, only 1 in 10 international graduates are unemployed after graduating from Australia. Also, my younger sister is in Australia, and she has already experienced Australia's education system. So, after consulting with her, I decided to study further in Australia.  After considering all these facts, I decided to choose Australia. 

100,000+ students achieved their study abroad dreams with us.  Start your journey today.

Reason for choosing ** university as my education provider

I had checked a couple of universities in Australia before I decided to apply to study at <your university>. As a student, I need to know where I will study and what benefits I will get for the money I will invest in my education. The first thing that came to my mind was the university's ranking. <your university> is ranked in the top 2% of universities globally for graduate employability.  This means <your university> is a very high-rated university. My personal views are that a university education should be able to assist a student in getting a job in an excellent, high-ranked organization where a student can earn a good salary and, along with the salary, gets to fulfil his or her desire to achieve their dreams. I can seek their help to find a new house for myself should there be any issues with the current accommodation. University has a dedicated team that will help prepare me for part-time job applications and interviews with the organization so that I can work part-time to keep myself busy. This team is there to help a student in their studies and assignments. I will be new to Australia and its education rules so this team will help me understand the Australian way of studies and help me with studies and assignments if I am lacking behind. Moreover, <your university> has a strong ongoing relationship with communities, industries and universities which provides an opportunity for multiple learning experiences. It provides internship opportunities in many of its programs. <your university> has a wide range of support programs for international students, such as welfare support related to assisting accommodation and other support, pre-departure information, Assisting Airport pickup, orientation, and Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC) and students’ services which are as following: 

  • Flexi Campus Transfer Option 
  • 24/7 Student Care Service  
  • Wi-Fi Enabled campus 
  • Welfare Support Services. 

Why Master of civil engineering 

A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering has provided me with the foundation of civil engineering, and I want to cater my knowledge by pursuing master's in the same field. Also, a bachelor’s degree gave me skills to make a profit for an organization by improving their processes, people, and resources but a Master of Engineering degree will give me skills such as management, leadership, and strategic integration within any organization, in a way, master’s degree from <your university> will be an addition to Bachelor of Civil Engineering as both the degrees are in the same field. I also had some working experience in the same field. So, I wanted to take the next step and further strengthen my theoretical knowledge and develop professional skills by undertaking a Master of Engineering (civil major) course at a reputed international university.

The Master of Civil Engineering Course is increasingly popular because of its demand in every private and government organization. Different organizations are seeking professionals to find new ways to slowly move away from contemporary methods of management of projects to new and improved ways so that the projects can be completed on time with minimal use of resources. This course would be a perfect fit for me as it will provide knowledge and skills to work on any project and bring a change in the management field.

Future growth and career plan

After completing my master’s program from <your university>, Australia, I planned to return to <home country>. Still, I learned about the Post Study Work (PSW) visa, which allows graduates to work in Australia temporarily after they finish their studies, and the Australian Government offers this opportunity. I am very grateful to the Australian government for providing this opportunity to a student like me from a developing country. Getting work experience in a developed country feels like a dream to me. I would love to grab this opportunity to strengthen my knowledge of the field. PSW will provide real work experience as well as will allow me to enhance my skills related to engineering practices. Because of the PSW opportunity, I plan to work in Australia for 3 years only to gain international experience. Otherwise, I would have returned to <home country> after my studies.

Incentive to return to home country

After completing my course, I will return to <home country> as there are many job opportunities here. My parents have done a lot and have sacrificed a lot for me so that I become successful. They have never compromised on my studies so after completing my degree, it is my responsibility to return and be with my parents in their old age. My parents have always encouraged and inspired me to be a better person and have always been there throughout my studies. So, it is my turn to give them back all the happiness they deserve, and I believe I have a lot of responsibility towards them and their personal needs. They have always been there for me through my thick or thin and play a major role in my life to be a motivated and career-oriented person who drives me towards better work, dedication, and interest in fulfilling all projects I undertake. Being the only son child, this is my responsibility to return to my home country for my parents, as my sister is already in Australia and one day she will get married. Since no matter how high someone reaches, they should never forget their family, as before anything, family comes first. I am also emotionally attached to the cultures and festivals and have never skipped one. I cannot live away from my family for an extended period. I want to get married and settle down in <home country>.  

There is a lot of employment activity in the engineering sector, which will happen over the next decade, as per many reputed surveys. Engineer graduates with international exposure will be preferred in lead roles, as they can quickly adapt to global perspectives and increase the company's productivity. Hence my return to <home country> is inevitable to honour my family's goodwill and reach my goal of having a successful engineering professional career in <home country>.

Furthermore, I have no reason to stay in Australia after my studies as I have family commitments in <home country>. I must return to <home country> as my family will be waiting for me, and I cannot prefer to live without them. 

Funding arrangements for my studies in Australia

My parents have a total annual income worth ***. Also, we have shown the bank balance of *** from <bank name>. Financially I have no issues, and I believe there is no point in struggling and building a life in a new country when you have an excellent robust platform to use in your home. I only want to go to Australia for my education and after that, I will return to my home country and start my professional career as soon as possible. My family have enough funds to meet my expenses and can repay the loan in the future.

Visa conditions subclass 500

At this moment, I admit that I, as a student, must follow the below-mentioned student visa conditions under sub-class 500 during my stay in Australia. 

  • I can work 40 hours per fortnight when my course is in session. 
  • I must maintain overseas student health coverage (OSHC) during my stay in Australia.
  • I must inform my education provider/DHA of the address where I live in Australia within seven days of arriving in Australia and notify them if I change my address or contact details. 
  • I must maintain 80% attendance for the entire duration of my course.
  • I must maintain a 50% pass grade in each term. 
  • I cannot change my course or institution for six months upon enrolment.

Regards,

<Your name>

<Passport number>

If you are having difficulty developing an SOP, check out this Statement of Purpose Template (SOP) | All you need to know

You can also have a look at other SOP samples:

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