Sample SOP for Computer Science, UK Universities

Choosing to study computer science, particularly software development and IT applications at an advanced level was always a natural path for me to take. I completed graduated with a Bachelors in Computer Applications in 2009, where I was exposed to web designing, e-commerce, software engineering, IT management strategies among others. Keen to educate myself in the business aspects of this field, I applied for and was accepted to a Master’s in Business Administration program at <university>. I completed the course in 2011, having received a solid grounding in IT management, corporate planning, organizational behaviour, and strategic management, training and development. 

As an astute learner and applicator of skills, I undertook two major projects as part of my education. During my MBA, I independently studied the training and development protocols of a camshafts company. However, it is my undergraduate project that I hold as a pride of place. I worked with the Anand Textile Corporation to develop an end-to-end organizational software system to help them arrange raw material, stock, online orders, and purchases. It was extremely rewarding for me to receive glowing feedback from the company and facilitate their foray into online markets and establishing themselves as a brand. I knew, from this experience, that I eventually would want to work extensively with computer-based applications in the future.

Although I did received a degree in business management that has provided me with additional expertise and did work as a management  intern, I realised that my aptitude and more importantly zeal to learn existed more for the IT sector. From 2014 to 2018 (barring a maternity break in 2016), I have worked on a variety of projects performing domain testing and manual testing as a QA analyst. In my current role, I work as a test analyst for InnovateUK, where I am involved in Sprint Planning and defining user stories for feature’s testing. I execute DTC’s (Story boards) for each sprint, which are owned by few critical modules/functionalities and perform system and browser compatibility checks. I routinely take on additional responsibility to mentor other team members and report defects to a bug tracking tool. Please refer to my attached resume for further details.

The U.K. is a beautiful country and the balanced quality of life is an attractive prospect for me. Alongside the natural beauty, it is renowned globally as a leading educational hub for people the world over owing to its adoption of novel technologies at a much faster rate as compared to India, Australia, Canada, etc . Many U.K universities feature in the Top 100 list if university rankings worldwide. Purely in terms of student life, the protection given to international students is second to none. The U.K. currently boasts of having five cities out of the top 30 university towns in the world, owing to its mix of cultures, quality of life, and employer activity. Due to these factors and my own initial research, I have concluded that there is vast choice afforded to students in terms of internships and observer-ship opportunities that will prepare me to move forward into gaining some experience of working in the British financial industry. While my progression in my career and balance of lifestyle is paramount, the monetary gains from such jobs will allow me to build a secure future for myself and my family.

<university> is a dual-sector university, which offers me flexibility and choice in picking the right study pathway for myself. The smaller class size and low student to teacher ratio will ensure that I am able to approach my professors and avail their advice frequently. I thrive in different work environments and am an excellent communicator, and I want to take that a step further by taking advantage of <university’s> focus on multiculturalism and diversity to make myself feel comfortable in any professional interactions globally.

<university> comes across as being a vibrant place, with a welcoming environment for international students. It has consistently produced accomplished graduates and boasts impressive alumni that have gone on to be in high demand as employees in the industry or launched their own hugely successful entrepreneurial ventures. I am looking forward to being one of a diverse class, developing my communication skills by learning from different people and contributing a part of myself generously to the community.

My primary objective at this point is to further my knowledge and be a part of the master’s program because I seek to undergo a structured education in the field, which will help me dive deeper to learn a science I have come to love, but with a more sturdy foundation. I have been exposed significantly to work in the industry but haven’t yet worked for a satisfactory amount of time in research. To this end, I hope to work in a research group that will expose me to such an environment, allowing me to take a call on my future course. 

My short-term aim is to return back to India and establish myself in the industry by securing a position as a software professional in a prestigious multinational corporation. In the long term, I wish to take my learning and acquired skills and apply them to launch my own business venture, which will be a socially conscious effort to improve the lives of people in India and other disaffected areas of the world through the introduction of accessible and comprehensible internet-based technologies and facilities in these areas.