<p>I am applying for a Master Degree in Electrical Engineering and I finished writing my Statement of Purpose and I want your comments and reviews. here is the essay:</p>
<p>I am applying for the Graduate Program at your reputable university to complement and bridge the gap between academic research and field applications in my professional career. Recently, XYZ Company has approved me, through their Advance Degree Program, for a full-time master degree in Electrical Engineering focusing on Power Systems. As a high potential employee, I have been selected for the Advanced Degree Program which is awarded to further develop high caliber professionals.
Electronic passionately interested me from a young age. At the age of 12, I got my first Remote Control Car I was very curious on how it operates and after a few days I could not resist my curiosity and disassembled the car. I was amazed when I saw the internal parts of the car and started to understand their function. Since that day, whenever any of my toys stopped working, I opened them and try to fix them. My passion for electronics grew when I took electrical circuits in my first physics class which helped me to relate what I see in electronic toys to what I learn in the class. My remarkable performance in physics during high school put me in the 1st place in the regional physics competition and that qualified me to the National Physics Competition to compete against the top 40 physics students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I realized that my passion for electronics is growing and I decided that I want to be an Electrical Engineer
According to S.R. Covey, in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, one of the key traits to accomplish any task is to begin with the end in mind and work accordingly to achieve it. In order to achieve my goal, I worked very hard during intermediate and high schools to get a high GPA that will allow me to get into engineering schools. In 2000, I graduated from High School with a high GPA which qualified me to apply for XYZ Company College Preparation Program, a one-year college prep program designed to prepare selected Saudi high school graduates for admission and success at competitive universities worldwide After the completion of the program, I was given the choice whether to go to a national or US University. I chose the second option and XYZ company sent me to Boise State University. The choice was very challenging since I was the first of my family to go to college and the first of my all relatives to go to a US college. In 2006, I graduated from Boise State University with B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Applied Mathematics. After the graduation, I retuned back to XYZ Company to start my dream job as an Electrical Engineer.
At XYZ Company, particularly in Terminal Department, I had the chance to explore my capabilities and adopt them in all aspects of my professional and personal life. The high level of motivation and eagerness to learn has led to sharpening my skills which is translated through the innovative and remarkable accomplishments I have made. Some of the accomplishments include being the project engineer for a new 230kV/13.8kV substation that is considered as the main substation in one of the companys oil tank farms where I worked on the project from the design stage until the project completion. I take advantage of opportunities by showing considerable flexibility in accepting any challenge allowing me to explore new experiences adding to my knowledge a wealth of experience that builds up my technical and leadership competencies. For example, the company has issued a corporate document with mandatory requirements to mitigate the Arc Flash hazards. My department manager assigned me as the overall Arc Flash Mitigation leader and my task was to construct an implementation plan within the given deadline. I formed a team from maintenance, operations & training and we sat a plan to implement the new requirements. The plan involved special training for technicians, conducting arc flash analysis for all substations, initiating hardware upgrade projects and holding awareness sessions to all operators and technicians in the plants. In addition, I led several investigation teams to troubleshoot failures of power cables, circuit breakers and motors. After concluding the troubleshooting, a detailed report is issued to list the root causes along with recommendation to prevent such failures. This did bring me to the forefront competing with experienced senior engineers in the department.
My intended area of specialization in the graduate program in Electrical Engineering Department at the University of South Carolina will be in Power Systems. The importance of power system integrity and reliability forms a solid foundation for a valuable research. Problems such as large motor failures, cables deteriorations & Arc Flash mitigations are potential research subjects that will surely add positive value to USC Masters Program. These enhancements will not only affect my company or country, but they will also help satisfy the worlds energy needs, as my department is responsible for supplying crude oil and refined products to the whole world.
Although it has been more than 7 years since I received my undergraduate degree, I am very excited in going back to school and use my practical field experience to enrich my academic research field. Again I am choosing to continue my education at the US due to its well-structured higher education. Moreover, American Universities are some of the primary consumers of modern technology and USC is one of those that would be ranked at the top of the list. Power Electronics and Motor Drives & ERISE Laboratories are examples of USC top class research centers that focus on power system reliability and efficiency. Being ranked as the 7th in program quality and 6th in faculty research productivity nationally, USC Electrical Engineering Department will definitely strengthen my engineering sense and help me achieve my goal of being one of XYZ Company specialists in Energy & Power Systems.
Continuing higher education is part of the overall plan set to enable me in achieving both short and long-term career goals. Through the Master Degree Program Im expecting to gain the required knowledge and apply it to come up with solutions to overcome chronic problems that negatively affect the companys plants operations. After gaining valuable expertise in my home department, I then plan to move to Central Engineering and hold the position of Energy & Power Systems Specialist whos responsible for serving all XYZ facilities. I am determined to continue my persistent efforts to be recognized as the industrys foremost expert in the field of Power Systems. I foresee for myself a bright career future that I decided to fulfill.
I am confident that USCs graduate program in Electrical Engineering will best suit my needs. Being ranked as one of the top Engineering Schools in addition to the versatility and flexibility of its multidisciplinary graduate program will definitely strengthen my engineering sense and broaden my technical knowledge. In addition the variety of choices offered by the curriculum suits my career goals.
To reiterate, the great effects which materials have obviously influences my life in a way or another, and as a result it ignited my curiosity to explore this field in depth. I am confident that the distinguished skills and experiences along with an outstanding performance throughout my career will put me on track of success towards achieving an Honored Master Degree.</p>