How to Write a Statement of Interest

How Do I Write a Great Statement of Interest ?

• Write in lay terms, NOT disciplinary jargon  —  SKHS is multidisciplinary unit so you will be communicating to faculty members with varied background and it is important that all are able to understand your goals and objectives clearly
• Be concrete, practical and feasible – sound like you know what you are doing and that you have a reasonable time to do it in – i.e. the SKHS Master’s program is 2 years long and the Doctoral program is 4 years long – show how you can complete your proposed study in the relevant time period
• Avoid being vague, speculative or uncertain
• Do not use up space with excessive lists of courses
• Use inclusive language
• Be clear and concise, focus on organization and flow, use subheadings
• Proof read your work carefully
• Include your reasons for pursuing a graduate program in your field and explain where you hope to end up
• The more specific the better (especially for PhD applications) – think of this as a creative writing project
• Begin with your general research objective/what you are interested in studying, move to your background, finish with your motivations and future aspirations: What will be your contribution to the knowledge base in your area of study?
• Things you might include: Supervisor name and expertise, resources you will access i.e. libraries, journals, databanks etc.