Geodata sciences - cover letter - applying for PhD Student Position

motivation / cover letter

I am applying for a Ph.D. Student Position in Spatial Mobility Analytics, and I want to write a motivation/cover letter ...... please help me with your feedback!!

Dear Sirs, Madams,
I was very glad when I saw this particular opportunity to apply for a Ph.D. and with this letter, I would like to express my strong motivation for it.

I have graduated from X school, one of Morocco's oldest engineering schools, where I was able to get a solid knowledge in geographic information sciences engineering. Since March 2018, I have been working as a GIS engineer at Y., and I have been able to practice my skills in the management of projects and Geospatial data in the field of water resources.

Thanks to these experiences and others, I have gained practical skills in GIS, geosciences, geodesy, remote sensing, cartography, computer science, mathematics, etc. and I was able to perceive the complexity of this field.

In the three years after my graduation, I took MOOCs and other courses in Geodata sciences and machine learning but I realized, that in order to build higher skills and learn new techniques in Geosciences, a Ph.D. in this field is absolutely essential.

After an overview of the Ph.D. program and the focus areas you are offering, concerning either urban, health, or ecological applications, I believe that this opportunity suits my intentions. And I am strongly motivated to work on Spatial Mobility Analytics.

On the other hand, the University of Zurich offers a good quality of research and the opportunity to learn and work alongside recognized research professors and build strong professional and academic networks. Moreover, it will provide me with the rare occasion of being surrounded by people who share the same interests and ambitions, which means ideas can be discussed and improved greatly.

Therefore, I see Knowledge gained on the studies at the University of Zurich as an extraordinary and exceptional career opportunity, and I will be extremely grateful to get a chance to attend this program to experience an international environment and expand my horizons while building my research carrier.

As I understand, this program is very competitive, attracting highly motivated students, but I am convinced that my analytical skills, communication ability, academic, and professional experience give me a strong recommendation for a place at it. Therefore I would be honored if you decide to accept my candidateship for Ph.D. studies. At the same time, I am aware of possible challenges and high investments of effort I will have to place in order to successfully complete this Ph.D.

Once again I am grateful for considering my application and I look forward to a favorable reply.
Sincerely,

Your presentation is friendly and presents information that you deem relevant but sadly, do not apply to a motivation letter. The motivation letter, specially for a PhD student needs to provide specific information. The selling point of your motivation needs to represent the current status of your research in relation to more advanced academic and skills training. a motivation based on a collaborative approach with specific professors and their research is a must.

Your current presentation in more of a personal statement and academic biography, which do not factor into a motivational letter. As I do not know if you should be writing this letter based on specific requirements or not, I can only comment based on the standard PhD motivational letter requirements. Revise this to be a more advanced representation of your academic and professional needs.

I think it is of paramount importance to align your research interest with what the PhD program can offer. Only by doing that, the committee would notice that you have done some research about the program. Please be aware that you only need to highlight several key skills or experiences. Other than that, you can simply put them into a formal CV.