SOP for Masters in Germany: Structure, Samples & Writing Tips

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SOP for Masters in Germany or Personal Statement is an essay centered on interest, desire, and self-knowledge of the students. It focuses on who the applicant is, his/her purpose of applying, reasons for considering himself/herself a qualified candidate, and their aspirations in the long run. SOP for MS in Germany is not a mandatory requirement for all the programs. However, international students are advised to submit it to increase the chances of admission.

SOP for MS in Germany carries information about the personal and academic background of the applicant, as well as his vision and aims for the short term and long term future. The applicant has an opportunity to talk about his interest in the subject he has chosen for advanced study. He/she can also explain in the statement of purpose how he got interested in it along with the prerequisite knowledge gained by him.

University-Wise Requirements for SOP for MS in Germany

Some universities in Germany do not request an essay form of the SOP and provide few prompts. Below are the university-wise guidelines for admission into MS programs of top universities:

Universities	SOP Requirements
TU Munich	Essay, Letter of Motivation \| Academic projects, research internships, voluntary work, and other work undertaken by the applicant must be included.
KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology	Letter of Motivation: 1 page
University of Freiburg	Letter of Motivation: 500 words or less
University of Göttingen	Personal Statement (up to 300 words) in English or German

Guidelines for SOP for MS in Germany

A well-written SOP for MS in Germany usually have the following elements:

Intellectual interest in the program
A professional, formal, and serious tone
Specific details about the research and professional experience
Not more than one page

There are some general guidelines that every student writing an SOP for Germany can follow. These are the basic prerequisites with little or no variation with university.

Must describe the applicant's academic, personal and professional background
Write as many drafts as possible with no limitation to the word count, ideas, sentence structure, choice of words, area of focus, etc. These factors should only be considered when editing the final draft.
Should avoid clichés in their essay as these are usually big turn-offs to the admission committee.
Never to copy another's SOP as this can easily be detected and it will cost the applicant the admission
Avoid sounding religious in the essay or proving to be religiously motivated. Admission teams are usually interested in applicants who are intellectually motivated not religiously motivated.
Resist from showing altruistic motivations as these are now clichés seen in thousands of SOPs
Information on childhood experience should be kept at the barest minimum as they easily bore the admission team
Be honest and sincere about any claims made in the statement of purpose
Repeating or copying some generic statement from the CV into the SOP is a practice that is frown upon

A statement of purpose popularly called a letter of motivation or motivation letter is not required in all top German universities offering MS programs. While some made it optional, some still require it as a compulsory document. Notwithstanding the case, an applicant should be able to write an exceptional SOP if required with the above-explained tips and guidelines.

SOP for MS in Germany: Samples

Though you have the leverage to plan and write your SOP in your own distinct style, the following samples can be considered as reference:

SOP Sample 1 for MS in Germany

I am seeking admission in Masters in Science in XXXXX at your renowned university for the coming fall semester as I aim to get my master's degree from the world’s hub of technology in education i.e. Germany. With this aim in mind, I have studied the German language along with my undergraduate degree and attained the proficiency certificate in the same. Though I could study the opted course without knowing the language as it is offered in English, I didn’t want to miss the learning from the surroundings due to lack of local language knowledge.

I come from a rural city of Uttar Pradesh located in Northern India and am a first-generation learner as my parents are in agriculture. They always wanted me to study and I was equally enthusiastic about going to school and indulging in Science and Mathematics especially. My school teacher noticed my passion and got me admission in the nearby city school and I commuted daily around 15 kilometers to attend the same.

I did my high school with 82% marks from CBSE Board and in senior secondary, I opted for Non-medical STEM subjects and passed that from the same board with 87% marks. For my undergraduate studies I had to shift to a hostel as commuting daily was not possible. During the undergraduate studies, I got exposure to projects, research, experiential learning, hands-on workshops and all this gave me a different perspective about my career and advanced studies.

During this time I got exposure to the technological advantage certain countries have for agriculture and I realized that the same can be used by my parents also. This made me interested to go deeper in the subject and I came to a conclusion that I need advanced Studies and much deeper knowledge along with practical experience to make a change not only in my parent's life but also in all those who are still using age-old methods for agriculture.

I started indulging in all the material beyond my syllabus that would give me a little guidance on this and even spoke to my professors about it. Fortunately, then I came across a few videos and material on the net that guided me about the world's technological hub and how Germany can provide the education that can help me to fulfill my dreams. After confirming that information was authentic I immediately started learning the German language and started preparing myself for my MS in Germany.

Today, I am happy that I am in a position to apply for my dream course and I'm quite hopeful that I will be able to get admission in the same.

SOP Sample 2 for MS in Germany

I have just completed undergraduate education by getting a degree in the Bachelor of Technology in telecommunication engineering and now I would like to pursue my Masters in Science in telecommunications from the xxxxx university in Germany. Considering the fact that science and technology are two areas in which one can get the best world-class degree from Germany I was eying this option since high school.

I have an excellent academic record scoring above 80% both in Highschool and the secondary certificate. I completed the ICSE board and learned a lot not only through academic syllabus but also through the activities and the projects undertaken in the school. I got a lot of exposure to see life and science coming together as my school has collaborated with the school in Germany. During my Secondary Education, we had a lot of interaction not only with German children but also with German teachers visiting our school and guiding us about the differential education taking place in the country.

This made many children interested in studying in Germany and here also I am one of those luckier ones whose parents agreed for it and gave me a nod to sponsor my education. They also guided me at least to learn the basics of the German language as it will help me to mingle with the locals and understand the culture of my surroundings.

I also participated in various non-academic activities like debates, roleplays, school fairs, and sports. I continued the practical studies and the co-curricular activities even when I was in my undergraduate but the level of experiential learning decreased as there was no longer that German collaboration in my higher studies. I started realizing the difference between the two methods of delivery and got more inclined to have my higher studies from Germany.

I tried my best to acquire the fundamental knowledge required for the advanced course and also to inculcate all the life skills and other qualities that are required to secure admission. I possess excellent communication skills, am a good team player, and have the ability to critically examine any situation and take decisions empathetically and reasonably. I also participated in the research project and did a 6 months internship as part of my degree to gain the best possible from my academics and beyond them from my education.

Now I have cleared the standardized tests also with very good grades and feel that I am absolutely ready for advanced education. I am enclosing all my relevant documents, transcripts, certificates, and achievements along with this application and I'm quite hopeful that I'll be able to get a positive outcome of my application.