Research Interest (proposed graduate program relates to your career goals)

Agricultural Economics field

My insight and understanding of agriculture originate from my youth. I was blessed to experience childhood in a rustic piece of Ghana, where the only work available was farming. My family have been farmers as far back as anyone can trace. I wish to study agriculture, not in light of my family but rather notwithstanding them. My dad and granddad are both persuaded the day of the farmer is no more, and have constantly endeavored to steer me into another field. I disagreed. I have constantly comprehended the significance of Agriculture to civilization. However, from that minute forward I understood exactly how much more important Agriculture would be in the future.

Learning is an endless process which is more closely related to the importance of developing human resources. Sam Farr the American Politician said, to make agriculture sustainable, the grower has got to be able to make a profit, but this is not the case with farmers in Ghana. Despite the number of acres, they cultivate, they still earn less income putting sustainability in jeopardy. My interest in this field developed during my final year at the Undergraduate level when I specialized in Agricultural Economics. In one of the courses I offered during my final year, called Agricultural Policy, I came to realize that, most of the problems facing our Agriculture sector in Ghana are as a result of low income been received by farmers and the issue of food security.

During my final year of study at the University, I undertook various courses such as Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural Co-operatives, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Financing, Production Economics and Analysis, Accounting and many more related courses. These courses truly broadened my knowledge on the application of Economics in Agriculture and also equipped me with the needed knowledge to further my studies in Agricultural Economics. I also worked on a project which was to find consumers' Awareness, Perception and Willingness to pay for fish sausage in the Kumasi and Accra Metropolis of Ghana. I was a Research Study Assistant at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. I was responsible for helping students with thesis writing, data entry and analysis and also getting research materials online.

I am eager to work and do research in the field of Agricultural Economics. I have selected this program carefully after a lot of consideration regarding my interest for the program and the various opportunities that are available after specializing in this field. A master's degree in Agricultural Economics and then leading to a PhD is my ultimate goal. I have decided to dedicate myself to conduct research in the field of Agricultural Economics. This has always been my desire. The University of XXX has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in its advanced academic programs, especially in Agriculture and it is an important leader in the global economy. I believe the school will provide me with all the vital needed skills and knowledge in order to continue progressing to reach my potential.

I am prepared to accept the challenges that I may face during my graduate studies. I believe that my educational background, experiences and my will to succeed makes me a strong candidate for the master's program in Agricultural Economics at your university. I hope I would be given the opportunity to prove myself and realize my full potential in this field.

**Can you please help me with the definition for Research Statement, Research Interest and Statement of Purpose
Thank you.

@johnsnon
Hi there! Welcome to the forum. Hopefully, my feedback will give you insight on how to improve your writing.

To answer your question first, a research statement often contains a thesis line that will give a brief insight on what you are trying to uncover in your writing. The research interest, depending on which context you are working from, typically contains an explanation on what your literal interests are (what field are you more inclined towards?) to give insight on what people can anticipate. Finally, the statement of purpose is sort of a guideline on the reasons why you are interest in these fields/topics in the first place (and experiences you have to back up these reasons).

The work itself that you have is alright. I do think, however, that you can still enhance the writing by focusing a lot more on being straightforward. For example, the first paragraph's content doesn't necessarily have a lot of impact on the overall flow of your writing. What I would suggest is focusing a lot more on the field itself. While it's great to give small anecdotes to give at least a sentence on why you have decided to pursue this path, it certainly doesn't mesh well when you're dedicating too long of a space to these sentiments, especially for academic and research-related topics.