SOP For Civil engineering at CMU

Statement of Purpose

It is remarkable that so much can be learned from the numerical simulation of solid and fluid and thermal phenomena and how this information can be used to optimize the design of engineering systems. Exposure to deformation and stress analysis, computational methods of mechanics of solid as an undergraduate fascinated me and produced a strong curiosity in me about the mechanics of materials. This has led me to pursue a Ph.D in Civil and Environmental Engineering. I would like to conduct my graduate work at Carnegie Mellon University

While at XXX University, I completed my undergraduate studies in XXX Engineering. I am always one of the best students in the School of Mechanical Engineering. I got various different scholarships and won some prizes in Mechanics Olympiad and the student's scientific research contest. While my school curriculum focuses on programming, algorithms, and numerical simulation to solve problems of engineering, I am much more interested in the mechanics of materials and computational mechanics. As an undergraduate, I was working on some different projects in which I studied the mechanics of solid and computational mechanics. My first project was to investigate the nonlinear vibration of nanocomposite cylindrical shells with an internal fluid flow. Although it took me a lot of effort to finish the project, I still wanted to explore more about the mechanics of materials and computational mechanics. Thus, I extended to research 4 more projects related to the mechanics of materials. Specifically, I researched the nonlinear vibration of the plate, shell under various different conditions using different approaches. These results gained from these projects have been published in 5 prestigious peer-reviewed journals. Also, I have gained an understanding of how the properties of materials, the temperature, the loads, the geometrical parameters, and the fluid flow velocity affect the vibration of structure through those research projects. I also have acquired the necessary skills to conduct scientific research. I learned how to update new research directions using the google scholar website, how to develop my research ideas, and how to write a scientific article.

Besides my studies at my school, I worked at the XXl R&D center as a mechanical engineer. My main responsibility at the XXX R&D center is to analyze the deformation, flow, stress, thermal conductivity of various different structures such as beams, 4th axis gimbal stabilizer using the finite element method and ANSYS software. Those results from my job were used to optimize the design of systems. Through these projects, I have gained a better understanding of the mechanics of materials, the finite element method, and the applications of the finite element method to solve problems of engineering. My ability to write code in C++, C, Matlab, and Maple has been improved through these projects. Also, my teamwork skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills have been improved through these projects. As a result, I can work well in a team and can work under pressure.

Moving toward graduate school, I desire to further explore the mechanics of solid, materials and structures, computational mechanics, finite element methods, nanostructure, continuum mechanics, fracture of engineering materials. More specifically, I am planning to find a research topic related to solid mechanics, fracture and damage, modeling, and large-scale computer simulation or computational modeling behavior of solids.

After consulting my advisers and reviewing CMU faculty members' publications, I strongly believe that the Ph.D program at Carnegie Mellon University is an excellent fit for me. The school of civil and environmental engineering is home to several faculties with research interests that match my own. For example, Professor XXX research is working on Continuum mechanics of defects, mechanics of crystalline, Dislocation Mechanics, Computational modeling of elastic and inelastic behavior of solids. I think I would able to contribute greatly to Professor XXX's work. XXX has also caught my attention with his work on the area of theoretical and computational multiscale methods applied to problems in materials science. It would be exciting to conduct research toward a better understanding of theoretical and computational multiscale methods. I also believe that I will fit with Prof. XXX's work involving using solid mechanics, Molecular simulation, Non-equilibrium statistical physics, Multi-scale methods development, high-performance computing.Attending Carnegie Mellon University and working jointly with faculty members at Carnegie Mellon University will allow me to obtain top-notch knowledge and to continue pursuing my goal of becoming a professor at a research university. I know I am ready and well-prepared to continue my studies in graduate school. Not only did I do well in my undergraduate courses, but I also have plenty of undergraduate research experience. I am clear on my interests and certain about my choice to continue my studies.

Since you already have a masters degree certification, you do not need to focus so heavily on your undergraduate course. For the statement of purpose in this case, you should be explaining how your undergraduate thesis relates to your masters thesis, culminating in your PhD dissertation. The dissertation should clearly show how you will be able to apply all of your previous studies to your PhD studies. The idea, is to show a clear purpose for your dissertation that will relate either to career progression or breakthrough studies that will help further improve the field of mechanical engineering.

I can see that you have a strong academic background, but you do not have any convincing professional skills and research traits presented that would imply you would be a successful PhD student. It would be better if you could highlight your research skills as a student and a professional since a PhD requires you to do a tremendous amount of research based on your chosen topic. This will show that your purpose is truly something of interest to you and will be beneficial to both you and the university upon your graduation. If possible, relate some of your undergraduate and masters research to the current program of the professor to add to the idea that your purpose has a definite connection with ongoing research at the university, through the professor.

The essay should not only be about what you hope to obtain at the university, you should also be able to highlight how the university will benefit from your purpose of study.

Hi Holt,
Thank you for your advice. it is really helpful for me
I don't have a master degree. I want to apply directly to the Phd program at CMU.