SOP Sample for MS Construction Engineering in Canada

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Country: Canada Course: Construction Management Applying to: [UNIVERSITY_1] for M.Eng in Construction Engineering and Management

Travelling has been an integral part of my life ever since I was a kid. My father worked in the armed forces, owing to which we used to relocate every five and three years alternatively and I was intrigued by the unique architecture style of different cities, ranging from single-storey houses to high-rise buildings that we stayed in. My fascination for buildings from a young age made me pursue a degree in architecture from [UNIVERSITY_2] affiliated with [UNIVERSITY_3] (Hyderabad, India).

Throughout the duration of my bachelor's degree, I had always been inclined towards Design subjects along with Building Construction since I was passionate about learning new techniques of construction and often used to apply them while designing. Besides that, I developed a huge liking for solving numerical problems in Structural Mechanics and managed to top twice in that subject during my curriculum and hence developed a liking towards Estimations and Costing subject. The 7th Semester of my coursework proved to be a turning point in my life when I took Building Construction Management as my elective and deep dived into construction management by getting acquainted with effective skills such as scheduling, budgeting, organization, cost, quality, safety, and function needed in the construction of the building right from its conception to completion. Getting all this knowledge made me realize that designing is only a small part of the construction process and hence evoked my true interest in the construction management field.

Apart from academics, I also engaged myself in various competitions and as a result participated in National level design competition "ASPAIRE: Smart Design in Heritage Precinct" organized by [INSTITUTION_1] (Hyderabad) in collaboration with [ORGANIZATION_1] (India). I also took part in National level design competition "TRANSPARENCE 2017: Mother and Child Welfare Center". Moreover, I used to dedicate my time to actively attending seminars concerned with architecture, such as "Design: A Process from Intuition to Solution" administered by [UNIVERSITY_3] (Hyderabad) & [ORGANIZATION_2] (Hyderabad). I was also a part of a seminar on Adobe construction techniques, conducted by [INSTITUTION_2] (Hyderabad). I also attended a study tour from Madurai (India) to Chennai (India). Furthermore, I was a part of the runner up kho-kho team (Traditional Indian sport) in the Annual fest.

During my architectural internship, I gained hands-on experience about the profession, which exposed me to real-life work problems and helped me develop skills to counter them effectively and creatively. Since universities only provide the theoretical knowledge which acts as the foundation, it is the architectural internship which gave me the insight into the industry. As an intern, there were a range of tasks I equipped myself with, such as architectural design, creating 3D models, working on estimations and costing, preparing presentations and working drawings, scheduling and construction administration on site visits and coordinating with the construction team. All of this helped me gain valuable experience and establish a network with the professionals in the field and taught me about my real strengths and weaknesses. In addition to this, I learned a lot of soft skills, like teamwork, work ethics, adaptability skills, communication skills, responsibility, and time management.

After completing my undergraduate studies in June 2020, I took a gap as India was worst hit by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and hence utilized that time by learning various software skills and reading journals about marvelous structures designed by architects. I also researched about the latest construction materials and the advanced technologies incorporated in the construction sector. In March 2021, I joined an architectural firm, [COMPANY_1], but could only continue for a month due to the 2nd wave of the COVID-19 pandemic but I made use of that time by preparing for my IELTS exam in which I scored an overall band of 7.5, plus sorting universities and country for my higher education. After the case surge came to a halt, I started applying for jobs again and finally joined [COMPANY_2] in September 2021 and currently working there as a junior architect and thus enhancing my knowledge about the world of construction.

Since I completed my bachelor's degree from India, I was adamant on pursuing my master's in construction management through an institution that is internationally recognized, and which allows me to gain global exposure with high quality standards and create associations that would help me down the line. While narrowing my options from the range of best countries, I finally concluded choosing Canadian universities over others because of its academic excellence, affordable tuition fees, friendly and safe environment, varied cultural diversity and the wonderful hospitality of the nation.

As I was researching about master's program in construction management in Canadian universities, I came across M.Eng in Construction Engineering and Management at [UNIVERSITY_1], Montreal and decided to take this course. I went through the course outline thoroughly and found subjects like Project Management, Construction Planning and Control, Construction Processes, Project Cost Estimating, etc., of my interest along with the opportunity of internship during the dedicated educational program which would introduce me to the work culture of the construction sector in Canada. Moreover, I have an immense belief that the overall learning environment of the university would play a vital role in gaining more expertise and knowledge and would also help me to become a successful professional in the field of construction management in the future.

Finally, through this master's program, I want to scale up my knowledge of modern construction techniques while expanding my management skills that can be implemented in multiple construction projects and scenarios.