XXXX University is my first choice for graduate study toward a Ph.D. Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology for several reasons outlined in what follows. I think the big-city environment of Houston, complete with all the significant resources of one of America’s larger cities, is especially appropriate for studying I/O Psychology.
I have nurtured a particular interest in the psychology of the workplace both as an undergraduate student in Psychology in my native New Delhi, India, and as a graduate student at the XXXX School of Professional Psychology, finishing my MA Degree this year in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a 3.7 GPA. My GPA is a much better reflection of my capacity to excel at XXXX University than my mediocre scores on the GRE examination.
I look forward to a long and productive professional life researching employee motivation, selection, job performance models, and workforce team development. I have had only limited opportunity to engage in intensive research because I chose the internship track during my master's program in Chicago. I hope to make up for this by earning my Ph.D. in a research-intensive program at XXXX. Your program at XXXX provides research opportunities in topics related to my interests and solid training for careers in both academic and applied settings. I have communicated with current students and received positive feedback about the program. It would be a great honor to study under Drs. XXXX and XXXX because they have similar research interests as my own in various areas related to the psychology of the workplace. I also appreciate how your I/O Program at XXXX promotes a collegial working style and how students receive the close support of their advisor for doctoral research. I especially hope that Dr. XXXX finds time to serve as my advisor.
Your I/O Psychology program is ideal since I enjoy learning in a large metropolitan area and a collaborative, positive environment. I hope to be selected for your competitive program based on my leadership experience since I was the Founder/President of the International Student Association at The XXXX School of Professional Psychology. This experience helped me grow not only professionally but also personally. I learned to view things from different perspectives, more fully embracing and celebrating multiculturalism in increasingly creative ways. I created this student body to help international students voice their opinions, which was an enormous success.
I also served as a mentor to a first-year student in my second year of graduate school. Our I/O psychology department had a peer mentor program where every newly admitted student was assigned a mentor to provide support, feedback, and friendship and set a professional example for first-year students. Participation in this program also helped me develop greater leadership competency. I made the Dean’s List for my outstanding GPA as an undergraduate student. I have had a chance to work in many subfields of I/O psychology during my master's program and have gained versatile experience outside of the classroom.
I hope to teach I/O Psychology and devote my professional life to research in our field. My professional engagement has been primarily in healthcare, but I do not see my professional interests as limited to this area, at least for the future. I recently became employed by the VHA in XXXX, Texas, a national healthcare network of not-for-profit hospitals providing members with a broad range of healthcare services. Previously, I spent six months (July 2015- November 2015) with XXXX Healthcare, also in Irving, providing healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services.
I want to focus on becoming an inspiring teacher after earning my Ph.D. at XXXX and start my own business, a company that focuses on leadership training and helps budding leaders reach their maximum potential. There is a shortage of such consulting firms in India, and the demand is high. Indian companies rely on foreign trainers. Many Indian companies do not even have a training and development component to their business. After finishing my Ph.D., I want to return to India and contribute to this sector of our economy.
You will undoubtedly have applicants with higher GRE scores than mine. But I ask you to consider my excellent grades and extracurricular activities as an indicator of my ability to excel in your program at XXXX University.
Thank you for considering my application.
PHD Psychology Personal Purpose Statement Samples