SOP Sample for MS in Computer Science from India

Statement of Purpose

Growing up, our generation witnessed the fourth industrial revolution unfolding right before our eyes. Computers became lighter, telephones became smaller, internet became faster and social media changed the world. Even as a child, the technology behind games always piqued my curiosity. I started asking more and more questions about the workings of computers and applications, and quite often, my parents were unable to satiate my thirst for in-depth knowledge. While the science behind the physical structures of these gadgets was mildly intriguing too, it was the intangible inner workings of these sophisticated machines that got my motor running. My fascination has compelled me to pursue a master's degree in computer science at [UNIVERSITY] University.

Reminiscing about my school days, I yearned to be as proficient as possible in the field of computers. During my intermediate years, even though I chose Biology over Computer Science as an optional subject, it did not affect my liking of computers. The desire to work as a computer professional motivated me to learn new programming languages, new applications, and different operating systems. So, I decided to choose Computer Science as my major for my Bachelor's degree. However, deciding on a certain sub-field was challenging for me. Many people and factors persuaded me to pursue a career in Information Science and Engineering or Electronics and Communication, but the ease of programming languages was the one thing that convinced me to pursue software development as my career objective.

As my undergraduate education progressed at [UNIVERSITY], my affinity for the subject only amplified, and the advanced coursework and complicated labs kept me engaged and grounded at the same time. I never compromised on the electives that I wanted to pursue when there was an option for a higher scoring subject. I particularly looked forward to the highly technical lab work of OOPS (Object-Oriented Programming), SQL (Structured Query Language), Python, and Machine Learning, in which I was always among the highest scorers of my batch. Further, the healthy competition from my highly competent classmates and excellent professors' support and instruction allowed me to push my boundaries and strive for excellence.

During the course of my undergraduate curriculum, I indulged myself in a significant number of projects to enhance my repertoire of skills. One of the projects I invested myself in was constructing an OBS-Online Banking System using database construction and management skills. The baseline of the project was mapped out by an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) and I proceeded to build the scheme, analyzed the business logic, and implemented the system using MySQL as the database service and JAVA as my language of choice. I also have a decent amount of experience in web development, having built a full-fledged website executed using HTML, Bootstrap CDN, JavaScript, CSS, and Firebase. My undergraduate thesis project (mandatory curriculum project) could be termed as Real-Time Object Detection Using Instance Segmentation using the TensorFlow and OpenCV libraries, with Python as the base. The objective of this project was to build an object detection model to detect an object and label it along with instance segmentation. The optimum algorithms to train the model were shortlisted, and the model was made intelligent by using these to train it, based on the selected datasets.

In my final year, with the goal of furthering my practical knowledge, I applied for and secured an internship at an IT company named [COMPANY], which is one of the top start-up companies in [CITY]. Over the course of two months, I worked on a user interface static website for the company which was developed using WordPress. I participated in the entire development process, from setup to testing of the portal. After successful completion of the website, a small task of reading the real-time data, processing it, and storing it on Hadoop was assigned, which helped me gain knowledge on big data analytical tools such as Apache Spark, Hadoop, Kafka, and Leaflet. During this internship, I had the opportunity to learn concepts on web development and learn about different projects undertaken by the organization.

The knowledge obtained would be incomplete unless applied at the right platform. Acquiring technical acumen and knowledge in four years of engineering proved to be fruitful as I secured a job at [COMPANY], which is one of the top multinational professional IT sectors in India. During my initial training at [COMPANY], I learned JAVA, Testing, SQL, and DBMS. Later I was put into a telecom project as a Functional Tester. In these 2+ years of experience in functional testing, my responsibilities were to evaluate the operational requirements, planning and designing the test cases according to the client's requirements. I got an opportunity to work on a Selenium tool as it was required to convert manual test cases to automation tests. In the process, I also learned about different tools such as Cucumber, Jira, and Jenkins, which were necessary for our test management process. I also worked on automating some of the manual processes using Python and JavaScript, which helped the client save around one to two hours of manual work every day. Appreciation from the clients for my completed project has escalated my reputation for being proactive and meeting deadlines under short notices. I was also awarded the Above and Beyond Award of the Month for my efforts.

The industrial knowledge that I have gained through my job experience has been indispensable to my growth as a professional. Though the knowledge gained through my undergraduate college curriculum provided a strong foundational base in conceptual perspicuity, the relevant experience gained by being a part of the workforce has left an indelible imprint on me. Not only has my time within the industry boosted my confidence and interpersonal and leadership skills, but it has also corroborated the fact that computer science is my passion, and increased my love and thirst for more comprehensive knowledge of the subject.

On the extracurricular side, I volunteered to actively participate in college festivals on several occasions, both at the departmental and college level ([EVENT_NAME]), especially in the creative team and campaigning in other colleges. All these activities have instilled a sense of team spirit, leadership, and a greater understanding of group dynamics.

At this juncture of my life, an MS in Computer Science is my immediate aim, as it would help bridge the gap in my knowledge base, which I feel is still not broad-gauged enough and is holding me back in my career. I believe that completing my higher education overseas would give me the exposure and professional network I lack. The world-class educational standards would help me realize my full potential, get acquainted with the global industry practices, and give me a wider, international perspective. Therefore, I am applying to the master's program in computer science at [UNIVERSITY] University, commencing in the Fall of 2022. While I am sure that such an elite course with a wide range of electives will test my limits, I humbly request that your esteemed institution provide me with an opportunity to prove my mettle. I will dedicate myself to capitalizing on every chance to learn, grow and excel, and prove to be a valuable asset and source of pride for your institution in the future.