meaning of statement of purpose in education

What Is a Statement of Purpose and Why Is It Important?

• July 13, 2023

When applying to study abroad, one of the most important pieces of a strong postsecondary application is your statement of purpose (SOP). Writing the perfect SOP might seem daunting, but don’t worry: we’re here to help. Below, we’ll go over the meaning of a statement of purpose, the basic structure of a statement of purpose, and highlight ways you can make yours stand out. Remember, the most challenging part of writing an SOP is often getting started.

Curious about other study abroad application pieces? Ace your application with our deep-dive series on resume tips , proof of financial support , transcripts , and study gap statements .

What is a Statement of Purpose?

Let’s dive into the meaning of a statement of purpose. Essentially, it’s a short essay that highlights your educational background, achievements, and goals. It’s also where you should share why you’d like to study your desired program at the university or college of your choice.

A strong statement of purpose means you can stand out among the many applications schools receive. Plus, it helps distinguish you from your grades (because you’re more than just your GPA)! Use your SOP to highlight your extracurricular achievements and enthusiasm for studying at a specific college or university. It gives the institution a look at your personality and helps determine if you’re a good fit for the campus culture. It can also be a creative way to showcase your writing skills.

Ultimately, a statement of purpose is an important piece in the application puzzle because it can impact whether you receive a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from the institutions you apply to. Whether you need to know how to write a statement of purpose for grad school , or for your first degree or diploma, approaching your SOP thoughtfully is crucial no matter what.

After you receive your Letter of Acceptance, what’s next? Find out in our Pre-Departure Guide for International Students .

Two Important Rules for Your Statement of Purpose

Steer clear of plagiarism.

Write your statement of purpose in your own words. This means that it needs to be written by you and only you. Don’t copy anything from external sites, general templates, or a statement written by someone else ( not even ChatGPT ).

Using any of these shortcuts is considered plagiarism, which is a serious academic offence. To avoid writing a statement of purpose that is generic or plagiarized , focus on highlighting ambitions and goals that are uniquely yours. Remember, the school wants to see what makes you stand out! Nobody can tell your story better than you can.

Keep Things Clear and Follow Instructions

The admissions team will be reading hundreds of applications, so details count. Your statement of purpose should be concise and use clear language with proper grammar.

Schools will provide guidelines for the length of your SOP. In most cases, it’s no more than one page long. They’ll also include guidelines for the SOP’s word count, spacing, and structure. It’s important to follow these guidelines, as it demonstrates to the institution that you can follow instructions and pay attention to detail.

To polish up your application, use strategies from our International Application Tips for Canadian and American Schools blog.

What Should I Write in My Statement of Purpose?

We recommend customizing every statement of purpose to each program you apply to. Sending a generalized statement of purpose can actually hurt your chances of acceptance, as it can be perceived as a lack of care. So, while you’ll adapt your SOP each time, most institutions will ask you to answer at least some of the questions below.

Paragraph 1: What’s Your Story?

In your opening paragraph, give a brief introduction of who you are. Then, talk about which program you’re applying to, and your desired intake date. Next, give a brief summary of what you’ll talk about in your Statement of Purpose. (It’s a lot like writing an introductory paragraph for high school essays.)

Paragraph 2: What Inspires You?

In the second paragraph, focus on what motivated you to pursue the program you’re interested in. Perhaps you were inspired by your parents’ medical careers, and want to follow in their footsteps. Or, did a school trip to a museum with an enthusiastic teacher inspire you to study archaeology?

Whatever your reason, make sure it’s unique to your personal experience and relevant to your program!

Paragraph 3: What Can You Bring to The Table?

This is where you can write about past experiences related to your desired field of study. Include any extracurricular activities, work experience, sports teams, or clubs that can enhance your studies.

You don’t need to mention every single accomplishment. Instead, choose experiences that you believe are relevant, then discuss what skills you earned from that experience, and how these skills make you a great candidate. For instance, if you were interested in entering an Early Childhood Education program, highlight previous experience you had working with children, like being a summer camp counsellor, and how it helped you learn skills such as management and event coordination.

Paragraph 4: Why Do You Want to Study Here?

In this statement of purpose section, look for meaning. Discuss why you chose that particular institution and what you value about it. Does it have a renowned engineering program, with a strong reputation for field research? Does the campus have amazing facilities and studios for the fine arts program you’re applying to? Speaking clearly about why you care about applying to this institution demonstrates your knowledge of its history, reputation, resources, and global impact.

Additionally, as a potential international student, discuss why you want to study in that particular country. For instance, do you want to study in Canada because of its multicultural demographic, and to practice English or French language skills? An international education also exposes you to a new culture and way of life, providing a wealth of learning opportunities that go beyond academics, so be sure to include these reasons in your statement of purpose.

Paragraph 5: What Are Your Next Steps?

In the last paragraph of your statement of purpose, discuss what you hope to achieve with this degree. This is where you outline your next steps and what you plan to take away from this study experience.

Talk about your intended career path, or if you plan to pursue further education. Do you plan on returning to your home country to bring back what you have learned, or do you wish to work internationally? The university wants to know how completing their degree will help your future goals and plan of action.

In the closing sentence, thank the admissions officers for taking the time to review your application. Showcase your enthusiasm and excitement for a new chapter in your life!

Once you’ve finished writing your statement of purpose, proofread it to catch any errors. We also recommend reading your SOP out loud. You’ll pick up on different things than you would when you read it silently (bonus points if you read it to a friend, family member, or school counsellor, who can also provide feedback). Once you’re ready, add your SOP to the rest of your documents and submit them.

By following this outline, understanding the meaning of a statement of purpose, and starting your own should feel less intimidating and more motivating. You’ve got this!

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SOP in Educatio...

SOP in Education: How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Education for MA/MEd?

An advanced degree in Education leads to a wide career opportunities and an inclusive enhancement of the candidate’s potential. Students with a background in humanities and its other majors might aspire to go for a MA in Education or an M.Ed abroad. For applying to the universities, an SOP in education is an essential part of the application process in the top b-schools like Stanford University. 

In addition to the competencies available in your portfolio, these schools also assess writing samples to evaluate your basic skills like creativity and critical thinking. Similarly, other key factors relating to your journey can also be highlighted and substantiated through your SOP for education.

So how can one write an effective statement of purpose for education? Let’s discuss that at length and understand the intricate facets of a SOP in education. 

What can lead an statement of purpose for masters in education to be rejected right away?

Ans. Plagiarism and poor syntax can get your SOP for masters in education rejected.

What is the best writing style for an SOP for masters in education?

Ans. Conversational writing keeps the narrative engaging. So, write your SOP effectively maintaining a positive tone. 

How many SOPs to write for Education?

Ans. Each university requires a separate and original SOP. Hence, you need to write a different SOP for every university you’re applying to.

How to save and submit your SOP?

Ans. SOPs have to be uploaded in PDF as part of the applications. This makes your statement of purpose for masters in education look professional and eliminates the possibility of any formatting inconsistencies. Universities may also provide forms to paste contents of SOP as part of applications with or without the option to upload it.

How to Draft a Statement of Purpose for Education? 

To begin writing your SOP for masters in education, introspect, brainstorm, research, and collect your thoughts. Among the details in your SOP should be life experiences, academic and professional backgrounds (if applicable), career goals, co-curricular activities, volunteering/community involvement, and more.

So, refer to the effective guidelines given below to draft a stellar statement of purpose for masters in education for education programs. 

Introduction

What drove you towards choosing education as your interest? What is the most powerful experience that led you to choose this field? For example , how on Teachers’ Day, you took English lessons for the kids near your residence and that experience of imparting knowledge built your passion for teaching and education.

• Start the introduction with a striking experience that is suggestive of your interest and journey into the field. 
• Alternatively, you might begin with a research problem statement that you consider exploring in your future MA/M.Ed program. 
• However, the main idea here is to show your familiarity with the educational research currently underway at the school of education in your selected university.

Second Paragraph

Developing on the idea of how education motivates you, write about relevant academic and life experiences that have boosted your interest in the field. How has each of these experiences directed your thought process, streamlined it, or transformed it?

• Here, you can describe the relevant undergraduate experiences or courses that led you to develop an interest in education. 
• For example, you might have developed an interest in educational psychology or the different philosophies of education. 
• Write about a few course specifics and how these led you to develop your portfolio and inspired you to work on projects relevant to these interests. 
• You can include any interesting projects you worked on or relevant co-curricular experiences worth sharing. Make sure that your experiences align with your interest in the Education program you’re applying for. 

Third Paragraph

Have you gone through a setback or failure in your academics? If you just made the cut or have lesser scores, you can mention those in this paragraph.

• Have you faced any other unique challenges or setbacks that have redefined your perspectives or interests? It can be any physical setback or even an academic one.
• Mention the ways in which you overcame the challenge faced along with  and the result of these experiences.
• It’s imperative to reflect on the lessons from these experiences to highlight your strength and resilience.

Fourth Paragraph

In this paragraph, you can include extracurriculars. It is a fact that universities are interested to know more than just academics. So, go ahead and describe your hobbies, social work, volunteering, etc, here. You can also include the details of any workshops or certifications which you have taken to upgrade your skills. 

Fifth Paragraph

In this paragraph, you can describe your job role or any work experience that you may have. In case of a lack of work experience, any internship experience can also be added, while contemplating the acquired skills and learnings. Analyse a knowledge gap and or the need for you to go for MA in Education/ M.Ed.

• How have your undergrad studies and work experience/s influenced your career goals? Why do you wish to go for MA in Education/ M.Ed at this point in your career? 
• Write about your short-term and long-term goals. 
• How will the MA in Education/ M.Ed program from a specific university help you achieve these goals? 
• How does the program align with your areas of interest?

The idea is to keep your conclusion as engaging as the introduction.

• What makes you a valuable contributor to the University?
• How can you be an asset to the University?
• What activities, clubs, sports, student associations, groups, etc, piqued your interests?
• What diverse experiences do you bring to your future graduate community? 

Suggested: How to Write a Good SOP? 

Do’s and Don'ts of Sample SOP for Masters in Education

Your sample SOP for masters in education should be honest, precise, engaging, and well-written. Remember that every experience that you present should be coherent and connected well with your experiences. This leaves no space for mistakes. Follow these Do’s and Don’ts in your statement of purpose examples for masters in education. 

Suggested: Common mistakes in Writing SOPs and Application Essay

Skills to Include in Your Sample SOP for Masters in Education

Your SOP for MA in Education/ M.Ed should be thorough and anecdotal. Education is an extensive and skill-based field of study. From special education teachers, career counsellors, curriculum developers, to instruction specialists, educational coordinators, and corporate trainers, the career opportunities are vast.

Therefore, your SOP for masters in education should include these skills to make it unique and appealing that the rest. 

• Instructional capabilities
• Cognitive development
• Problem-solving
• Communication
• Agility and adaptability
• Curiosity and imagination
• Knowledge of Education Specialisation (applying for)

Suggested: Remove Your SOP Writing Fever!

SOP Requirements of Top Universities for Education 

Mostly, all universities have similar SOP requirements for their respective applications. We have shortlisted a few top universities for M.A in Education/ M.Ed with their SOP requirements below

1. Stanford University (Graduate School of Education)

If you are applying for MA in Education at the Graduate School of Education in Stanford University , follow these steps:

• What is your purpose for applying to the program?
• Write precise sentences by backing them up with relevant instances and learnings from your experiences.
• Rather than ceaselessly mentioning all your accomplishments, focus on a particular strength or achievement that is relevant to your purpose.
• Why would the university be a perfect fit for you? How will you contribute to the university’s culture, community, and classes?
• Provide a concise account of how your previous work, background, and/or academic experience supports your decision to apply to the program and how the program will impact your career goals.
• Keep in mind to write the SOP within two pages, with a 12 point regular font, and single spacing with one-inch margins.

2. University of California

Some colleges under the University of California require a personal statement along with an SOP for M.A in Education/M.Ed.

• The personal statement should be approximately one to two pages and double spaced.
• In the personal statement, include your background, culture, economic and social experiences, and how those elements have led you to pursue a graduate degree. 
• For the MA in Education SOP, it is essential to discuss your career objectives, along with a reason substantiating what you intend to gain from the program.
• It is highly recommended to make your SOP research-based for MA in Education. Analyse the faculty members whose research interests align with yours and explain your intention of working with them, highlighting the specific research interests you have in common.
• For the M.Ed SOP, focus more on how the coursework supports your career goals and objectives.
• Also, include your reasons for choosing the particular program and applying at UC.
• For both MA and M.Ed, briefly mention your experiences with teaching or tutoring students from various cultural and language backgrounds. If not applicable in your case, mention any related experience where you got the chance to impart your knowledge.
• Focus on your community service experiences and describe any leadership positions that you may have held.
• Add the reason for choosing UC and the respective college. 

3. Harvard University (Graduate School of Education)

Harvard University has set the limit of the SOP to not more than 1500 words. For writing the SOP for Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), one should include the points mentioned below.

• Start with your background. Mention the notable experiences that have motivated you to further study in the field of education or its related issues. 
• Describe your objective for going into the program at this point in your career. Elaborate on your academic and professional goals along with how the program can aid you in developing your knowledge, skills, and tools.
• Remember to discuss your reason for choosing HGSE, and the selected program with the relevant concentration (Arts and Learning, Early Childhood, Higher Education, Literacy and Languages, etc.) Also, include how the Master’s program would help you in attaining your future goals. 

The SOP writing style for most countries remains the same. However, in the case of program-specific statement of purpose for Education, you can re-engineer the original draft to suit the University/program requirements.

We understand writing an SOP can be daunting. But don’t worry, Yocket is here to help you comprehend the nuances of an actionable SOP in terms of the format and guidelines. Therefore, choose Yocket premium and bring your study abroad dream to life. Our councellors are transparent with the rules, cooperative, and provide unique services. So choose them today! 

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Congrats! You’ve chosen a graduate program , read up on tips for applying to grad school , and even wrote a focused grad school resumé . But if you’re like many students, you’ve left the most daunting part of the application process for last—writing a statement of purpose. The good news is, the task doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming, as long as you break the process down into simple, actionable steps. Below, learn how to write a strong, unique statement of purpose that will impress admissions committees and increase your chances of getting into your dream school.

What is a statement of purpose?

A statement of purpose (SOP), sometimes referred to as a personal statement, is a critical piece of a graduate school application that tells admissions committees who you are, what your academic and professional interests are, and how you’ll add value to the graduate program you’re applying to.

Jared Pierce, associate director of enrollment services at Northeastern University, says a strong statement of purpose can be the deciding factor in a graduate student’s admission.  

“Your statement of purpose is where you tell your story about who you are and why you deserve to be a part of the [university’s] community. It gives the admissions committee the chance to get to know you and understand how you’ll add value to the classroom,” he says.

How long should a statement of purpose be?

“A statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words,” Pierce says, noting that it should typically not exceed a single page. He advises that students use a traditional font at a readable size (11- or 12-pt) and leave enough whitespace in the margins to make the statement easy-to-read. Make sure to double-space the statement if the university has requested it, he adds. 

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose: A Step-by-Step Guide

Now that you understand how to format a statement of purpose, you can begin drafting your own. Getting started can feel daunting, but Pierce suggests making the process more manageable by breaking down the writing process into four easy steps.

1. Brainstorm your ideas.

First, he says, try to reframe the task at hand and get excited for the opportunity to write your statement of purpose. He explains:

“Throughout the application process, you’re afforded few opportunities to address the committee directly. Here is your chance to truly speak directly to them. Each student arrives at this process with a unique story, including prior jobs, volunteer experience, or undergraduate studies. Think about what makes you you and start outlining.”

When writing your statement of purpose, he suggests asking yourself these key questions:

• Why do I want this degree?
• What are my expectations for this degree?
• What courses or program features excite me the most?
• Where do I want this degree to take me, professionally and personally?
• How will my unique professional and personal experiences add value to the program?

Jot these responses down to get your initial thoughts on paper. This will act as your starting point that you’ll use to create an outline and your first draft.

2. Develop an outline.

Next, you’ll want to take the ideas that you’ve identified during the brainstorming process and plug them into an outline that will guide your writing. 

An effective outline for your statement of purpose might look something like this:

• An attention-grabbing hook
• A brief introduction of yourself and your background as it relates to your motivation behind applying to graduate school 
• Your professional goals as they relate to the program you’re applying to
• Why you’re interested in the specific school and what you can bring to the table
• A brief summary of the information presented in the body that emphasizes your qualifications and compatibility with the school

An outline like the one above will give you a roadmap to follow so that your statement of purpose is well-organized and concise. 

3. Write the first draft.

Your statement of purpose should communicate who you are and why you are interested in a particular program, but it also needs to be positioned in a way that differentiates you from other applicants. 

Admissions professionals already have your transcripts, resumé, and test scores; the statement of purpose is your chance to tell your story in your own words.

When you begin drafting content, make sure to:

• Provide insight into what drives you , whether that’s professional advancement, personal growth, or both.
• Demonstrate your interest in the school by addressing the unique features of the program that interest you most. For Northeastern, he says, maybe it’s experiential learning; you’re excited to tackle real-world projects in your desired industry. Or perhaps it’s learning from faculty who are experts in your field of study.
• Be yourself. It helps to keep your audience in mind while writing, but don’t forget to let your personality shine through. It’s important to be authentic when writing your statement to show the admissions committee who you are and why your unique perspective will add value to the program.

4. Edit and refine your work.

Before you submit your statement of purpose:

• Make sure you’ve followed all directions thoroughly , including requirements about margins, spacing, and font size.
• Proofread carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Remember that a statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words. If you’ve written far more than this, read through your statement again and edit for clarity and conciseness. Less is often more; articulate your main points strongly and get rid of any “clutter.”
• Walk away and come back later with a fresh set of eyes. Sometimes your best ideas come when you’re not sitting and staring at your computer.
• Ask someone you trust to read your statement before you submit it.

Making a Lasting Impression

Your statement of purpose can leave a lasting impression if done well, Pierce says. It provides you with the opportunity to highlight your unique background and skills so that admissions professionals understand why you’re the ideal candidate for the program that you’re applying to. If nothing else, stay focused on what you uniquely bring to the classroom, the program, and the campus community. If you do that, you’ll excel.

To learn more tricks and tips for submitting an impressive graduate school application, explore our related Grad School Success articles .

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in March 2017. It has since been updated for thoroughness and accuracy.

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Statement of Purpose 

The statement of purpose is very important to programs when deciding whether to admit a candidate. Your statement should be focused, informative, and convey your research interests and qualifications. You should describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen degree program, noting the experiences that shaped your research ambitions, indicating briefly your career objectives, and concisely stating your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Your degree program of interest may have specific guidance or requirements for the statement of purpose, so be sure to review the degree program page for more information. Unless otherwise noted, your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. 

Personal Statement

A core part of the Harvard Griffin GSAS mission is to identify and attract the most promising students to form a dynamic and diverse community. We are committed to educating individuals who reflect the growing diversity of perspectives and life experiences represented in society today and who will contribute to our commitment to sustain a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment. Please share how your experiences or activities will advance our mission and commitment. Your statement should be no longer than 500 words.

Writing Sample 

Please visit Degree Programs and navigate to your degree program of interest to determine if a writing sample is required. When preparing your writing sample, be sure to follow program requirements, which may include format, topic, or length. 

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Writing the Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should convince the admissions committee that your achievements show promise for your success in graduate study. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with four different parts.

Make sure to check on the appropriate departmental website to find out if your statement should include additional or specific information.

Part 1: Introduce yourself, your interests and motivations

Tell them what you’re interested in, and perhaps, what sparked your desire for graduate study. This should be short and to the point; don’t spend a great deal of time on autobiography.

Part 2: Summarize your undergraduate and previous graduate career

a) Research you conducted. Indicate with whom, the title of the project, what your responsibilities were, and the outcome. Write technically, or in the style of your discipline. Faculty are the people who read these statements.

b) Important paper or thesis project you completed, as well as anything scholarly beyond your curricular requirements.

c) Work experience, especially if you had any kind of responsibility for testing, designing, researching or interning in an area similar to what you wish to study in graduate school.

Part 3: Discuss the relevance of your recent and current activities

If you graduated and worked prior to returning to graduate school, indicate what you’ve been doing: company or non-profit, your work/design team, responsibilities, what you learned. You can also indicate here how this helped you focus your graduate studies.

Part 4: Elaborate on your academic interests

Here you indicate what you would like to study in graduate school in enough detail to convince the faculty that you understand the scope of research in their discipline, and are engaged with current research themes.

a) Indicate the area of your interests. Ideally, pose a question, define a problem, or indicate a theme that you would like to address, and questions that arise from contemporary research. This should be an ample paragraph!

b) Look on the web for information about departments you’re interested in, including professors and their research. Are there professors whose research interests parallel yours? If so, indicate this. Check the specific program; many may require you to name a professor or professors with whom you might work.

c) End your statement in a positive manner, indicating your excitement and readiness for the challenges ahead of you.

Essential Tips

1. What the admissions committee will read between the lines: self-motivation, competence, potential as a graduate student.

2. Emphasize everything from a positive perspective and write in an active, not a passive voice.

3. Demonstrate everything by example; don’t say directly that you’re a persistent person, show it.

4. If there is something important that happened to you that affected your grades, such as poverty, illness, or excessive work, state it. Write it affirmatively, showing your perseverance despite obstacles. You can elaborate more in your personal statement.

5. Make sure everything is linked with continuity and focus.

6. Unless the specific program says otherwise, be concise; an ideal essay should say everything it needs to with brevity. Approximately 500 to 1000 well-selected words (1-2 single space pages in 12 point font) is better than more words with less clarity and poor organization.

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How to Write a Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

When writing your statement of purpose for graduate school, focus on your specific plans and how the graduate program and its faculty will help you meet these goals. Graduate study is not for slackers. It takes focus and determination to pursue an advanced degree. That's why admissions committees examine your statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or research statement) very closely—they want to see whether you have the right stuff to succeed in grad school. Follow these tips to write an effective graduate school statement of purpose.

1. Know what grad schools are really asking.

Different grad school programs have different prompts. Nonetheless, they're all asking for the same four pieces of information:

• What you want to study at graduate school?
• Why you want to study it?
• What experience you have in your field?
• What you plan to do with your degree once you have it?

Admissions committees look for candidates with clear, well-defined research interests that arise from experience. With that in mind, your statement of purpose should reveal that you care deeply about your chosen discipline and that you have the background to support your ideas and sentiments. It should also demonstrate that you're a diligent student who will remain committed for the long haul. Always answer the question asked of you. Being substantive and direct is much better than being creative or flashy.

2. Be selective about the details you include.

Grad schools don’t care that you make a great chicken casserole or play intramural bocce ball. They do care about those activities that speak to your suitability for graduate work. As a graduate student, you'll be called upon to do difficult coursework and research. You may have to teach undergraduate classes within your field and conceivably even design a course. And you'll have to get along with a diverse group of colleagues who will sometimes work very closely with you. Any experience in school, work, or your extracurricular life that speaks to those abilities is worth talking about.

Read More: 5 Tips for Choosing a Grad School

3. Make your statement of purpose unique.

While it's important to be focused, there's no need to be boring. To distinguish your essay, add unique (yet relevant) information. One of the best ways to do this is to discuss—briefly—an idea in your field that turns you on intellectually. It's an effective essay-opener, and it lets you write about something besides yourself for a bit.

Remember, the idea you choose to talk about can tell an admissions committee a lot about you. And it demonstrates your interest in your field, rather than just describing it.

4. Ask for feedback.

Be sure to show your statement of purpose to someone you respect, preferably the professors who are writing your recommendations, and get some feedback on the content before you send it in. Have someone else proofread your essay for spelling and grammar. A fresh set of eyes often picks up something you missed.

Finally, don't just reuse the same statement of purpose for each school to which you apply. You can recycle the same information, but make sure you change the presentation to fit each individual program.

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Statement of Purpose [Examples + The Definitive Guide to Unbox Statement of Purpose Writing]

Education is an important aspect of our lives; it gives us knowledge of the world around us and changes it into something better. As a student, you learn how to use your education to achieve your goals and succeed on a personal and professional level.

Although stages of higher education are different, they have one thing in common – to advance to the next stage your admission package needs to include a well-written statement of purpose. Scroll down to see how to write this essay and impress every admission committee.

Statement of Purpose: Definition

To truly impress every admission officer, your statement of purpose has to be impeccable. It’s not just enough to follow format rules and word count or to say why you’re passionate etc. The paper also has to be error-free and should be on an academic level. Editing your SoP isn’t the easiest thing in the world because it’s difficult to find and correct mistakes in your own work.

Let’s not forget that you always have doubts whether you did something wrong or if you should delete some parts.This essay is too important to do it on your own. Now that you’ve written your SoP, you should get editing help from professionals.Edusson’s editors and proofreaders have reviewed and corrected thousands of application essays, and they can help you too. Save $20 on editing and submit your SoP right now.

Types of Statement of Purpose

Colleges and universities provide application material with detailed requirements. Your statement of purpose has to meet the provided criteria in order to be taken into consideration by the committee. This means your application essay will need to meet a specific word count and formatting requirements, but successful completion of this task also lies in knowing the difference between different types of SoP.

The personal statement can be divided into several categories depending on the program you want to enroll or the purpose of writing such a statement.

Statement of Interest for Grad School

Personal statements for graduate school are very different from the essay you have to submit when you’re just starting the college education. At that point, the student lacks the experience to focus on academic results and other important facts and personal statements usually revolve around their vision of the world. The admission essays for grad school are more complex.

Throughout this paper, an applicant should describe reasons for applying to the proposed program and his/her preparation for this field of study. In addition, students should also include research and study interests, future career plans, and other aspects of background and interests that could help the admission committee evaluate one’s aptitude and motivation for the graduate program.

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Statement of Intent / Letter of Intent

A statement of intent is required with applications to graduate school in an academic subject e.g. Ph.D. in Chemistry or M.A. in Economics. It’s a common misconception that a letter of intent is just another expression for a personal statement. The statement of intent communicates your research interests and career goals. The paper requires an applicant to describe the subject area of interest, what he/she intends to research within the program, and academic/research experiences.

Personal statement has a similar goal, to help the committee understand why you’re the perfect candidate, but it uses a combination of personal and educational experiences to prove the point.

Ph.D. Statement of Purpose

The Ph.D. statement of purpose provides additional info on applicant’s academic background, motivations for undertaking postgraduate research, and relevant experiences. Bearing in mind the Ph.D. is the highest academic achievement, by the time they reach this level, students gain necessary experience that allows them to focus primarily on their work and academic/research results.

It’s similar to SoP for grad school but involves more info previous projects and an applicant has to describe the goal of his/her further research.

Writing a Statement of Purpose for Grad School

The grad school SoP is your first contact with the admission committee and it’s important to make it stand out. The importance of this essay probably makes you nervous and you’re not sure how to write it in a manner that will impress admission officers. Tips found below will help you.

How to Write a Good Statement of Purpose?

• Avoid including unnecessary information and irrelevant details from personal life
• Instead of mentioning facts one after another, include them through a story, let admission committee understand your knowledge, intellect, and other qualities
• Quantify results and accomplishments, avoid vague expressions
• Be specific and on point, avoid wateriness or text fluffing
• Use a formal, but conversational tone
• Decide how you want to portray yourself or message you want to convey, and make sure information you enter helps you do that
• Be yourself, don’t exaggerate anything
• Focus on your strengths

• Avoid finding excuses for your weaknesses and try not to use a SoP to explain why you didn’t achieve something
• Don’t use same statement for every application
• Show why you belong to a specific program rather than asking or pleading committee to accept your application
• Avoid using vocabulary you don’t understand
• Demonstrate your personal and professional growth through different stages of education and explain how the next step can help you achieve even more
• Revise, edit, and proofread

What to Include in a Statement of Purpose?

Your SoP should include:

• Inspiration or motivation to pursue a specific program
• Life experiences which contributed to your interest or career in specific field (but don’t overdo it)
• Research, internship, volunteer work, or other activities related to your field where you participated
• Specific information about courses and professors in the courses you’ve already taken
• Detailed description of both short- and long-term goals
• Description of way(s) the specific program will help you achieve academic and career goals

How to start a Statement of Purpose?

Do you want to start writing your SoP, but can’t think of anything? Beginnings are always the most difficult parts of the process. When ideas start flowing, it gets easier to finalize your essay. These tips will help you get started:

• Have a clearly thought-out goal – when you’re about to write your SoP, the most important thing is to have a clear goal regarding your education, career, and what do you want to achieve with the specific program. Without a defined goal, it becomes difficult to describe why you applied
• Write down your reasons for enrolling into the program – take a piece of paper and write your motivation or other reasons why you think a specific graduate program will help you accomplish your goals. It’s important to write stuff down so you don’t forget them later on Research – it’s always essential, regardless of the type of paper you’re writing. Now that you’ve defined goals and reasons, you can start researching. There are plenty of things you can research e.g. the university itself, a program, professors, your field of education, current developments regarding your academic and career interests etc.
• Research is great for generating ideas and it helps you write a well-informed paper
• Start writing – you can choose to write the first draft on your computer or a blank piece of paper. Don’t pay attention to sentence structures and other factors. Just write down everything that comes to your mind. Once you’re done, read it again and polish it to meet requirements and eliminate mistakes or unnecessary parts
• Make sure your introduction is strong to grab a reader’s attention

How Long Should a Statement of Purpose Be?

The length of the statement of purpose varies from one college or university to another. Generally, applicants are required to submit SoPs that are between 500 and 1000 words long. In the section with requirements, you’ll also get format rules to follow e.g. single-space, 12 font. It’s very important to stick to the recommended word count and avoid writing more or less than required.

Do you need help with your statement of purpose?

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Statement of Purpose Examples

In some cases, the application material provides a question you should answer through your SoP, while in many instances students have the liberty to create their own from scratch. It can be a problem to figure out what to write about and these examples can help.

Grad School Statement of Purpose Examples

• Why do you want to study at graduate school?
• Why did you choose this program?
• Why did you choose this particular college?
• How much and what kind of experience you have in this field?
• What you plan to do with your degree after graduation?
• What are your expectations from the graduate program and the university?

Letter of Intent Examples

• What do you plan to do, professionally, with this degree?
• Why are you applying to this program?
• How has your academic or work experience prepared you to enter this program?

Statement of Intent Examples

• What are your research goals?
• What are your career goals?
• How can this program help you achieve career goals?
• Description of previous research projects and how they influenced your decision to apply to this program
• How can this program help you overcome obstacles you came across in previous research projects?

Sample Statement of Purpose

My interest in branding derives from a number of factors, including the fact that branding is a broader term than we realize, my university studies, my work experience, and traveling to different locations. We tend to assume brand is associated with companies only, but it can apply to everything. It is simple, the way you present yourself and what message you send to others can be considered as a form of branding.

I have seen firsthand how important brands are to modern companies and how different cultures have an entirely different opinion or understanding of some specific brand. I realized that brands are not just strategies that companies use to sell products and services. Branding means that everything deserves to have a name, to be recognized, and send the most positive message to others.

Although well-known, branding is largely misunderstood and my goal is to investigate everything it entails, but that is only possible with a well-structured management program. It is due to my desire to further the knowledge of branding that I am inspired to apply to the MSc Brand Management program. I have acquired work experience in brand development and marketing. Working in this field has created a solid foundation where I can build my knowledge.

Reasons I applied to this specific program include the fact it is ranked among the best business schools on the market, it utilizes the latest strategies and approaches to ensure students’ knowledge is up to date, and it helps students easily glide into the competitive business world. The program is challenging, it helps students think outside the box, and my previous academic and work experience has prepared me for every challenge of joining this study program. I held numerous professional positions while at the university and I also worked as an Assistant Manager at a Los Angeles-based retail company. My role was to monitor whether other employees comply with the company’s marketing strategy, oversee the implementation of sales goals, and submit reports to my supervisors on a regular basis.

The environment was competitive and fast-paced, but it was also an eye-opening experience. This job position made me more independent, helped me understand my skills and develop new ones, and it showed me how marketing trends quickly change and affect brand or the way people perceive it. I am an ambitious individual by nature and always strive to evolve and improve myself. We live in a busy world where being able to keep up with different standards is crucial for success. Marketing and branding are the same. Specializing in branding will also allow me to explore my creativity and push the boundaries. After completing my master’s degree, it is my goal to use all the knowledge I have gained to help brands, both big and small, promote themselves in the best possible manner.

In addition, I want to help people reinvent themselves and achieve success in their new or existing career.

Statement of Purpose Editing and Writing Service

To truly impress every admission officer, your statement of purpose has to be impeccable. It’s not just enough to follow format rules and word count or to say why you’re passionate etc. The paper also has to be error-free and should be on an academic level.

Editing your SoP isn’t the easiest thing in the world because it’s difficult to find and correct mistakes in your own work. Let’s not forget that you always have doubts whether you did something wrong or if you should delete some parts.

This essay is too important to do it on your own. Now that you’ve written your SoP, you should get editing service from professionals. Edusson’s scope of work includes: essay writing service as well as editors and proofreaders that have reviewed and corrected thousands of application essays, and they can help you too. Save $20 on editing and submit your SoP right now.

Things you will improve through Statement of Purpose Editing

• Statement of purpose meets all the requirements and is written according to the latest standards
• Academic level writing
• 24/7 service allows you to stay in control of the entire process
• Your own writing skills will improve too Unlimited revisions
• Perfect grammar

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Grad School Tips: What is a Statement of Purpose

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Writing a statement of purpose is one of the requirements of being accepted into graduate school. We are often asked what a statement of purpose is and how to write one. So, we have teamed up with Graduate Admissions to answer those questions and to give you some writing tips!

What is a statement of purpose?

“In the most general of terms, in their statement of purpose, the applicant is usually telling the program’s committee something about their reason or purpose in pursuing a graduate degree. However, in practice, that can end up meaning hugely different things for each program. One program might be interested in an applicant’s proposed area of research, while another might expect the applicant to discuss their long term career goals and how earning a degree might help them reach those goals. “ – Elisabeth McBride, Graduate Admissions.

In short, a statement of purpose needs to tell the faculty on the selection committee who you are, why this degree is a good fit for you, and why you would be a good fit for the degree committee.

How to write a statement of purpose.

There is no one-size-fits-all way to write a statement of purpose. Each letter should be individualized not only to the applicant, but the degree that they are trying to earn! Elisabeth from Graduate Admissions says, “Because it [statement of purpose] can have quite broad interpretation, I am hesitant to give applicants much in the way of specific advice regarding the actual content of the statement, since we don’t make admissions decisions. When someone contacts us regarding the statement of purpose (or a letter of intent), we usually mention that very general description, but then refer them to either the application, where they can find any instructions their program might offer, or to contact the program coordinator for additional guidance.”

Since we can’t give you specific tips, we can give you a general guide of what your statement of purpose could look like.

Tip: You should always check your departmental website to find out if your statement of purpose should include specific information!

General Layout for Your Statement of Purpose:

• Briefly introduce yourself. Tell your committee who you are! This could include your interests that are relevant to the graduate program and how that motivates you for earning the degree.
• Include previous work. This could include previous research you’ve done, papers/projects you have completed, or work experience that is relevant to your intended program. Be sure to write technically, or in the style of the discipline you are looking to enter!
• Show you’re interested. The ultimate goal is to show your selection committee that you are serious and dedicated to earning your graduate degree. So, show them you’re interested! Tell them why their program excites you and what you want to study while earning your degree. End your statement in a positive way that shows you are ready for the challenges of the degree. Via Berkley

Tip: Write in an active voice! Not passive. And unless the program requirements say otherwise, your statement of purpose should aim to be between 500-1000 words.

We hope that these general tips will help you start your statement of purpose with confidence!

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Gre prep online guides and tips, 7 successful statement of purpose examples.

Not sure what graduate schools are looking for in a statement of purpose? Looking at successful graduate school statement of purpose samples can help! In this guide, we’ll orient you to what makes a great statement of purpose or letter of intent for graduate school. Then we’ll provide you with four successful statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts. We’ll also provide analysis of what makes them successful. Finally, we’ll direct you to even more helpful examples that you can find online!

The Graduate School Statement of Purpose: An Overview

A statement of purpose (also called a letter of intent or a research statement) introduces your interests and experience to the admissions committee. For research-focused programs, like most PhDs and many master’s degrees, your statement of purpose will focus primarily on your past research experience and plans. For more professionally-focused graduate programs, your statement of purpose will primarily discuss how your pursuit of this professional program relates to your past experiences, and how you will use the skills from the program in your future career.

A statement of purpose for grad school is also where you sell the admissions committee on why you belong in their program specifically. Why do you fit there, and how does what they offer fit your interests?

What’s in a Great Grad School Statement of Purpose?

Here are the essential elements of a strong graduate school statement of purpose:

Clear Articulation of Goals and Interests

A strong statement of purpose will clearly and specifically lay out your goals in undertaking the program and what you hope to accomplish with the degree. Again, for a research-focused program, this will focus primarily on the research project(s) you want to undertake while you are there. For a more professional program, discuss what interests you within the professional field and what skills/knowledge you hope to gain through the program.

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You should be as specific as possible in discussing what interests you. Use examples of particular phenomena, tools, or situations that you find exciting. If you are vague or say that everything in the field interests you, you run the risk of seeming unfocused or not actually that passionate.

Don’t worry that being too specific will box you into a particular research area or subfield during your entire tenure in graduate school. Your program understands that interests change—they won’t be pulling out your research statement to cross-reference with your dissertation proposal!

Evidence of Past Experience and Success

A great graduate school statement of purpose will also show programs that you have already been successful. They want applicants that will be able to follow through on their research/professional plans!

To this end, you’ll need to provide evidence of how your background qualifies you to pursue this program and your specific interests in the field. You’ll probably discuss your undergraduate studies and any professional experience you have. But be sure to draw on specific, vivid examples.  You might draw on your thesis, major projects you’ve worked on, papers you have written/published, presentations you’ve given, mentors you’ve worked with, and so on. This gives admissions committees concrete evidence that you are qualified to undertake graduate study!

Interest and Fit With the Program

The third essential ingredient to a great statement of purpose is to clearly lay out why you and the program are a good fit. You should be able to identify both specific reasons why your work fits with the program and why the program suits your work/interests! Are there particular professors you’d like to work with? Does the department have a strong tradition in a certain methodology or theory you’re interested in? Is there a particular facet to the curriculum that you’d like to experience?

Showing that you and the program are a match shows that you chose the program thoughtfully and have genuine interest in it. Programs want to admit students who aren’t just passionate about the field. They want students who are genuinely enthused about their specific program and positioned to get the most out of what they have to offer.

Strong Writing

The final essential piece of a strong statement of purpose or letter of intent is strong writing. Writing skills are important for all graduate programs. You’ll need to demonstrate that you can clearly and effectively communicate your ideas in a way that flows logically. Additionally, you should show that you know how to write in a way that is descriptive but concise. A statement of purpose shouldn’t ever be longer than two pages, even without a hard word limit.

Admissions committees for humanities programs may be a little more focused on writing style than admissions officers for STEM programs. But even in quantitative and science-focused fields, written communication skills are an essential part of graduate school. So a strong statement of purpose will always be effectively written. You’ll see this in our statement of purpose for graduate school samples.

Real, Successful Statement of Purpose Samples

In this section, we’ll present four successful graduate school statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts, along with a brief commentary on each statement. These statements come from a diverse selection of program types to show you how the core essentials of a statement of purpose can be implemented differently for different fields.

Note: identifying information for these statements have been changed—except for example four, which is my statement.

• Statement of Purpose Sample One: Japanese Studies MA

This statement of purpose is notable for its great use of space and its vivid descriptions. The author is able to cram a lot into about a page. She discusses how she came to her two primary research interests (and how they are connected). She integrates this discussion of her interests with information on her past experiences and qualifications for pursuing the course of study. Finally, she includes details on her goals in pursuing the program and components of the program that interest her. Her examples are specific and fleshed-out. There’s a lot very cleverly included in a small amount of page space!

Additionally, the language is very vivid. Phrases like “evocative and visceral” and “steadily unraveling,” are eye-catching and intriguing. They demonstrate that she has the writing skills necessary to pursue both graduate study and her interest in translation.

• Statement of Purpose Sample Two: Music MM

This sample is fairly long, although at 12 point Times New Roman it’s under two pages single-spaced. The length of this statement is partially due to the somewhat expansive nature of the prompt, which asks what role music has played in the applicant’s life “to date.” This invites applicants to speak more about experiences further in the past (in the childhood and teen years) than is typical for a statement of purpose. Given that this is for a master’s degree in music, this is logical; musical study is typically something that is undertaken at a fairly young age.

This statement does an excellent job describing the student’s past experiences with music in great detail. The descriptions of the student’s past compositions and experiences performing new music are particularly vivid and intriguing.

This statement also lays out and elaborates on specific goals the student hopes to pursue through the program, as well as features particular to the program that interest the student (like particular professors).

• Statement of Purpose Sample Three: Economics PhD

One of the first things you’ll likely notice about this statement is that it’s a little on the longer side. However, at 12 point Times New Roman font and single-spaced, it still comes in under 2 pages (excluding references). It makes sense for a PhD statement of purpose sample to be longer than a master’s degree statement of purpose—there’s more to lay out in terms of research interests!

The writing style is fairly straightforward—there’s definitely a stronger focus on delivering content than flashy writing style. As Economics is a more quantitative-focused field, this is fine. But the writing is still well-organized, clear, and error-free.

The writer also gives numerous examples of their past work and experience, and shows off their knowledge of the field through references, which is a nice touch.

• Statement of Purpose Sample Four: History of the Book MA

This is actually my statement of purpose. It was for a program that I got accepted to but did not end up attending, for a Master’s in the History of the Book. You’ll notice that the two essay prompts essentially asked us to split our statement of purpose into two parts: the first prompt asked about our research interests and goals, and the second prompt asked about our relevant experience and qualifications.

I’ll keep my comments on this graduate school statement of purpose sample brief because I’ll do a deep dive on it in the next section. But looking back at my statement of purpose, I do a good job outlining what within the field interests me and clearly laying out how my past experiences have qualified me for the program.

Obviously this statement did its job, since I was accepted to the program. However, if I were to improve this statement, I’d change the cliche beginning  (“since I was a child”) and provide more specificity in what about the program interested me.

Deep Dive Analysis of a Sample Statement of Purpose for Graduate School

Next, we’ll do a paragraph by paragraph analysis of my statement, statement of purpose sample four. I’ll analyze its strengths and suggest ways I could shore up any weaknesses to make it even stronger.

Essay 1: Academic Interests

To refresh, here’s the first prompt: Please give a short statement that describes your academic interests, purpose, objectives and motivation in undertaking this postgraduate study. (max 3500 chars – approx. 500 words)

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Paragraph 1

Since I was a child, my favorite thing has always been a book. Not just for the stories and information they contain, although that is a large part of it. Mostly, I have been fascinated by the concept of book as object—a tangible item whose purpose is to relate intangible ideas and images. Bookbindings and jackets, different editions, the marginalia in a used book—all of these things become part of the individual book and its significance, and are worth study and consideration. Books and their equivalent forms—perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus—have long been an essential part of material culture and are also one of our most significant sources of information about the human historical past. Through both the literal object of the book, the words contained thereon, and its relationship to other books—forms of context, text and intertext—we are able to learn and hopefully manage layers of information with which we would otherwise have no familiarity.

First, the good: this paragraph does a good job introducing my academic interest in the book-as-object, and shows off pre-existing knowledge both of the study of material culture and literary theory. Additionally, the language is engaging: the juxtaposition of “tangible” and “intangible” in the beginning and phrases like “perfect bound, scrolled, stone tablets, papyrus” lend life to the writing and keep the reader engaged.

If I were to go back and improve this paragraph, first, I would absolutely change the first sentence to something less cliche than talking about my childhood. I might try something like “My love of books is a multifaceted thing. I don’t only love them for the stories and….” Second, I would chill out on the em dashes a little bit. Three sets in one paragraph is a little excessive. Finally, I might actually cut this paragraph down slightly to make more room word-wise later in the statement to discuss what specific things about the program interest me.

Paragraph 2

Furthermore, blogs, webcomics, digital archives, e-readers, and even social media sites like tumblr and Facebook have revolutionized the concept of the book by changing how we share and transmit ideas and information, just as the Gutenberg printing press revolutionized the book all those years ago in the fifteenth century. Once again there has been an explosion both in who can send out information and who can receive it.

This paragraph briefly and effectively introduces my other main academic interest: how new technology has changed the concept of the book-as-object. The tie-back to the printing press is a nice touch; it’s a vivid example that shows that I’m aware of important historical moments in book history.

Paragraph 3

I am deeply interested in the preservation of the physical book, as I think it is an important part of human history (not to mention a satisfying sensory experience for the reader). However I am also very concerned with the digitization and organization of information for the modern world such that the book, in all of its forms, stays relevant and easy to access and use. Collections of books, archives, and information as stored in the world’s servers, libraries and museums are essential resources that need to be properly organized and administered to be fully taken advantage of by their audiences. My purpose in applying to the University of Edinburgh’s Material Culture and History of the Book is to gain the skills necessary to keep all forms of the book relevant and functional in an age when information can move more radically than ever before.

This paragraph actually has a focus problem. Since it covers two topics, I should split it into two paragraphs: one on the integration of my two interests, and one on my goals and interests in the program. I could also stand to expand on what features the program has that interest me: professors I’d like to work with, particular aspects of the curriculum, etc.

In spite of these things, however, this paragraph does a good job clearly integrating the two academic interests related to the book I introduced in the first two paragraphs. And the language is still strong —“satisfying sensory experience” is a great phrase. However, I’ve been using the word “information,” a lot; I might try to replace with appropriate synonyms (like “knowledge”) in a couple of places.

Paragraph 4

Additionally, I intend on pursuing a PhD in Library and Information Sciences upon completion of my master’s and I feel that this program while make me uniquely suited to approach library science from a highly academic and interdisciplinary perspective.

This final paragraph offers just quick touch on my future goals beyond the program. It’s typically fine for this to be relatively brief, as it is here, just so long as you can clearly identify some future goals.

Essay 2: Relevant Experience

The second prompt just asked me to describe my relevant knowledge, training, and skills.

As a folklore and mythology student, I have gained a robust understanding of material culture and how it relates to culture as a whole. I have also learned about the transmission of ideas, information, stories and pieces of lore among and between populations, which is an important component of book history. Folklore is also deeply concerned with questions of the literary vs. oral lore and the tendency for text to “canonize” folklore, and yet text can also question or invert canonized versions; along with this my studies in my focus field of religion and storytelling have been deeply concerned with intertextuality. One of my courses was specifically concerned with the Heian-period Japanese novel The Tale of Genji and questions of translation and representation in post-Heian picture scrolls and also modern translations and manga. In addition to broader cultural questions concerned with gender and spirituality both in historical Japan and now, we considered the relationships between different Genji texts and images.

This is a strong, focused paragraph. I relate my academic background in Folklore and Mythology to my interests in studying the book, as well as showing off some of my knowledge in the area. I also chose and elaborated on a strong example (my class on the Tale of Genji ) of my relevant coursework.

I also have work experience that lends itself to the study of the book. After my freshman year of college I interned at the Chicago History Museum. Though I was in the visitor services department I was exposed to the preservation and archival departments of the museum and worked closely with the education department, which sparked my interest in archival collections and how museums present collection information to the public. After my sophomore year of college and into my junior year, I worked at Harvard’s rare books library, Houghton. At Houghton I prepared curated collections for archival storage. These collections were mostly comprised of the personal papers of noteworthy individuals, categorized into alphabetical folders. This experience made me very process-oriented and helped me to understand how collections come together on a holistic basis.

This paragraph also has a clear focus: my past, relevant work experience. Discussing archival collections and presenting information to the public links the interests discussed in my first statement with my qualifications in my second statement. However, if I were to revise this paragraph, I would add some specific examples of the amazing things I worked on and handled at Houghton Library. In that job, I got to touch Oliver Cromwell’s death mask! An interesting example would make this paragraph really pop even more.

Finally, in my current capacity as an education mentor in Allston, a suburb of Boston, I have learned the value of book history and material culture from an educational perspective. As a mentor who designs curriculum for individual students and small groups, I have learned to highly value clearly organized and useful educational resources such as websites, iPad apps, and books as tools for learning. By managing and organizing collections in a way that makes sense we are making information accessible to those who need it.

This final paragraph discusses my current (at the time) work experience in education and how that ties into my interest in the history of the book. It’s an intriguing connection and also harkens back to my discussion of information availability in the paragraph three of the first statement. Again, if I were to amp up this statement even more, I might include a specific example of a book-based (or book technology-based) project I did with one of my students. I worked on things like bookbinding and making “illuminated manuscripts” with some of my students; those would be interesting examples here.

This statement is split into two parts by virtue of the two-prompt format. However, if I were to integrate all of this information into one unified statement of purpose, I would probably briefly introduce my research interests, go in-depth on my background, then circle back around to speak more about my personal interests and goals and what intrigues me about the program. There’s not really one correct way to structure a statement of purpose just so long as it flows well and paragraphs are structured in a logical way: one topic per paragraph, with a clear topic and concluding sentence.

More Statement of Purpose Examples

We’ve provided you with four great graduate school statement of purpose examples from our graduate school experts. However, if you’re looking for more, there are other sample letters of intent and statements of purpose for graduate school online. We’ve rounded up the best ones here, along with some strengths and weaknesses about each example.

Majortests Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a fairly straightforward, clearly written statement of purpose sample for a biology program. It includes useful commentary after each paragraph about what this statement of purpose is accomplishing.

• This statement of purpose sample is well-organized, with clear topic sentences and points made in each paragraph.
• The student clearly identifies what interests her about the program.
• The student proactively addresses questions about why she hasn’t gone directly to graduate school, and frames her professional research experience as a positive thing.
• She gives a tiny bit of color about her personality in a relevant way by discussing her involvement with the Natural History Society.
• In general, discussing high school interests is too far back in time unless the anecdote is very interesting or unusual. The detail about The Theory of Evolution is intriguing; the information about the high school teacher seems irrelevant. The student should have condensed this paragraph into a sentence or two.
• While this statement is cogently written and makes the candidate sound competent and well-qualified, it’s not exactly the most scintillating piece of writing out there. Some of the constructions are a little awkward or cliche. For example, the “many people have asked me” sentence followed by “the answer is” is a little bit clunky. This is probably fine for a STEM program. But just be aware that this statement is not a paragon of writing style.

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UC Berkeley History Statement of Purpose Sample

This is a graduate school statement of purpose example from the UC Berkeley History department’s PhD program, with annotations from a professor as to why it’s a successful statement.

• The author is able to very clearly and articulately lay out her research interests and link them to past work she has successfully completed, namely, her thesis.
• She is able to identify several things about the program and Berkeley that indicate why it is a good fit for her research interests.
• She addresses the time she spent away from school and frames it as a positive, emphasizing that her use of time was well-considered and productive.
• Her writing is very vivid, with excellent word choice and great imagery.

While very well-written and engaging, this sample statement of purpose for graduate school is a little bit on the long side! It’s a little over two single-spaced pages, which is definitely pushing the limits of acceptable length. Try to keep yours at 2 pages or less. Some of the information on the thesis (which comprises over half of the statement of purpose) could be condensed to bring it down to two pages.

Pharmacy Residency Letter of Intent Sample

This is not technically a sample letter of intent for graduate school because it’s actually for a pharmacy residency program. However, this example still provides illumination as to what makes a decent graduate school letter of intent sample.

• This is a serviceable letter of intent: the writer clearly lays out their own goals within the field of pharmacy, what qualifications they have and how they’ve arrived at their interests, and how the program fits their needs.
• The writing is clearly structured and well-organized.
• The main weakness is that some of the writer’s statements come across as fairly generic. For example, “The PGY-1 Residency Program at UO Hospitals will provide me with the opportunity to further develop my clinical knowledge, critical thinking, teaching, research, and leadership skills” is a generic statement that could apply to any residency program. A punchier, more program-specific conclusion would have amped up this letter.
• While the writer does a decent job providing examples of their activities, like working as a tutor and attending the APhA conference, more specificity and detail in these examples would make the statement more memorable.
• There’s a typo in the last paragraph —a “to” that doesn’t belong! This is an unprofessional blip in an otherwise solid letter. Read you own letter of intent aloud to avoid this!

NIU Bad Statement of Purpose Example

This is an ineffective graduate school statement of purpose example, with annotations on why it doesn’t work.

As you might imagine, the main strength in this document is as an example of what not to do. Otherwise, there is little to recommend it.

• The annotations quite clearly detail the weaknesses of this statement. So I won’t address them exhaustively except to point out that this statement of purpose fails at both content and style. The author includes irrelevant anecdotes and lists without offering a decisive picture of interests or any particular insight into the field. Additionally, the statement is riddled with grammatical mistakes, awkward sentence structures, and strange acronyms.
• You’ll note that the commentary advises you to “never start with a quote.” I agree that you should never start with a freestanding quote as in this example. However, I do think starting with a quote is acceptable in cases like the Berkeley history example above, where the quote is brief and then directly linked to the research interest.

Graduate School Statement of Purpose Examples: 4 Key Points

Graduate programs ask for statement of purpose to hear about your interests and goals and why you think you and the program would be a good fit.

There are four key elements to a successful statement of purpose:

• A clear articulation of your goals and interests
• Evidence of past experiences and success
• Interest and fit with the program
• Strong writing

We’ve provided you with four successful statement of purpose samples from our graduate school experts!

We also provided additional statement of purpose samples (and a sample letter of intent) for graduate school from other sources on the internet. Now you have all kinds of guidance!

What’s Next?

If you’re looking for more information on graduate school , see our guide to what makes a good GPA for grad school .

Not sure if you need to take the GRE ? See if you can get into graduate school without GRE scores .

Want more information about the GRE? We can help you figure out when to take the GRE , how to make a GRE study plan , and how to improve your GRE score .

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Ellen McCammon

Ellen is a public health graduate student and education expert. She has extensive experience mentoring students of all ages to reach their goals and in-depth knowledge on a variety of health topics. View all posts by Ellen McCammon

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SOP (Statement of Purpose): Format, Samples, and Tips

• Updated on  
• Feb 17, 2024

To aesthetically present a movie on the screen, great actors are the requisites. Similar is the case when one is carving their own career path. From choosing the right course to getting into your dream university, you need to take each step carefully. As a crucial part of the eligibility criteria, the universities often demand LOR s, SOPs or entrance test scores to assess the candidates and their suitability for the chosen course. A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is one such element that beholds great value in the admission process of those aspiring to study abroad. Creating an alluring SOP is essential to help the assessment committee understand your willingness for the program you have applied for. This blog aims to provide a comprehensive step-by-step guide on drafting a statement of purpose that can help you sail smoothly through the assessment process and get entry into your dream academic institution.

This Blog Includes:

What is a statement of purpose (sop), why is sop important, sop format, 2. formulate, 3. revise and modify, what do colleges look for in an sop, how to write a perfect statement of purpose (sop / admissions essay), introduction, academic background and professional experience, career goals, why this course, why this university, how long should an sop be, what to include in an sop, what not to include in an sop, 10 tips to write a successful statement of purpose, sop sample for business analytics, sample statement of purpose for mba , sample statement of purpose for masters, sop formats for usa, canada, uk, and australia, top 5 mistakes to avoid while writing an sop, how can you reduce your chances of rejection from your chosen university, can sops help with scholarships, sop vs letter of motivation, sop vs personal statement.

A Statement of Purpose can be referred to as an informative document, containing personal statements, and is essentially required as part of the admission procedure of study abroad programs. Also referred to as an application essay, it comprises the basic details of a candidate along with their professional and personal interests, academic highlights as well as future aspirations. An SOP plays an integral role in the application process of a study abroad program as it provides the admission board with the key information about the candidate and why they want to study a particular course at their institution. It not only describes who you are as an individual but also gives an idea about your writing skills and proficiency in the English language.   

A well-written SOP is an extremely significant element during your admission process. While the academic record and other exam scorecards, academic transcripts and backlog certificates are essentially objective in nature, an SOP is the only truly subjective aspect of your application. It is the only document in your application that allows you to prove that you have something unique which makes you stand out from the crowd. As such, it is the document of your application docket that can hugely determine your admission.

Also Read: Statement of Purpose vs Personal Statement

As such, there is no particular or proper format for writing a statement of purpose or an SOP. Students have to write an SOP just like an elaborative and descriptive English essay dividing the whole context into different paragraphs. Each paragraph must be having distinctive features describing different scenarios, features or characteristics about yourself. You can take the help of the below-provided structure and get started with writing an SOP for the university you want to study in. 

How to Write a Statement of Purpose?

As a pivotal document for any study abroad application, an SOP needs to be precisely well-written. To help you understand the different elements of this document, we have curated a step-by-step procedure that you can follow to curate an impressive statement of purpose.

The first step of the process of drafting a statement of purpose is to think about the varied aspects of your candidature that you should mention in it. The mandatory inclusions of an SOP are academic achievements (especially at the undergraduate level), prior work exposure or volunteering experiences. Start with framing an outline for the document and ask yourself the following questions:

• Which field of study excites me the most?
• Why do I want to pursue this degree?
• What are my expectations from this degree?
• What outgrowth can this degree offer me?
• Where can this degree take me, personally and professionally? 
• Through my pre-requisites, what values can I add to this program?

Once you have made key pointers for most of the questions mentioned above, you can begin jotting them down in a thorough and comprehensive manner.

Now that you know what you want to mention in your SOP, it’s time to curate a rough outline for the document. Here is a list of some essential tips you need to keep in mind while formulating your statement of purpose:

• Since the admission committee strives to understand your candidature through the SOP, you need to be honest in describing your career aspirations and objectives. Focus centrally on maintaining the authenticity of your mentioned details. Duly elaborate on your advantageous perception of the chosen course.
• Creatively cite your personal and professional interests. Mention what you are passionate about and what excites you. Then, sensibly connect it with your chosen program and how it will assist you in grooming your skills. For instance, you can state that you are aspiring to gain experiential learning or training in your desired industry through the course.
• What brought you here should be a sure-shot mention in your SOP. You can begin with stating those features of your chosen course that convinced you to opt for it. Then, write down the objectives you want to fulfil by studying the program. It can be personal growth or professional upliftment or even both. Try to be unique and precise when listing your reasons. 

Once you have jotted down your SOP as per the above-mentioned necessary tips, the final and concluding step is to revise and make changes accordingly. Go through the list that you created in the beginning and ensure that you have added all of them.

• The word limit for a statement of purpose is between 500-1000. 
• Do not miss out the predefined sizes for spacing, margins and font size.
• Try getting a second opinion but getting your SOP read from a friend or an experienced professional.

Many foreign and even national universities ask for a Statement of Purpose (SOP) from candidates wanting to enrol in suitable courses that the university has to offer. They ask for the SOP from candidates in order to check and look at the following things:

• The writing capabilities of the writer or the candidate 
• The X factor that makes their writing stand out from the crowd
• Choice of thoughts and ideas that has been explained in the SOP
• The unique personality of the candidate 
• Candidate’s talent, previous experiences, interests and potential
• How and what can the candidate contribute to the department of the college/university
• Candidate’s motivation or inspiration to study a selected course must be evident and justified
• The reason behind to choose a particular university/college and a particular course of study
• Academic and extracurricular achievements and recognitions (if any)
• Originality and clarity of the SOP as a whole. 

To know more, read our blog on – How to Write an SOP?

Check out the video on the same below!

How to Write a Powerful and Convincing SOP?

Whether applying for undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate programmes, the strategy of writing a powerful statement of purpose should be sound focused throughout. Starting from your academic and professional background to your career aspirations, you need to carefully connect all the dots between reaching your goals through your choice of school and course. The essay should always go in a flow covering your past experience, present involvements, and future plans. An important point to remember while writing your SOP would be to divide it into paragraphs that cover all the pointers. Here is a look at how you may write the SOP presenting your profile strongly:

This paragraph is often confused with self-introduction. It should not introduce you but should discuss what you are about to discuss in your SOP. There are multiple approaches you may adopt to go about this paragraph:

• Discuss your long-term goal and connect it with your idea of pursuing the course you are applying to
• Present your understanding of the chosen field and write how you want to contribute to that field
• Explain your background in 2-3 lines and connect it with your future goals
• Write about an anecdote that helped you realise your professional interest in the chosen field

This comprises of your academic background: what you have done so far, what you are currently pursuing, your academic strengths and projects, and the industrial exposure you have attained.

This is the most important paragraph, where you should discuss your short and long-term goals. Your immediate goal would be where you would want to work right after completing this course. You should be able to name some companies within India along with the designation you see yourself working at. This should explain the kind of job profile you would be working on.

Then comes your long-term goal, wherein you should mention where you see yourself from 10-12 or 15 years down the line. This may include your desire of working at the CEO/CFO/CTO level or maybe establish a firm that you own. It may also include your dream of expanding your existing family business overseas. You may also be interested in further studies like a PhD which can be included here.

More in this section may include your desire of becoming a professor or researcher. In any case, it is suggested that you discuss your business aim, principles, and core values or how you would influence the young aspirants of this industry. You should be able to portray ‘how you wish to make a difference in the industry keeping in mind the current industrial scenarios and emerging trends.

In this paragraph, you should discuss why you want to join a course and what modules would you tap during this course. It should also cover the skills you would acquire in this duration along with the exposure that would help in developing the skills desired to realise your goals.

This is a specific paragraph wherein you can convince a university as in how they are suitable for your profile and you are an ideal candidate for their university. You should discuss the course curriculum, research work, faculty names, as well as the university-specific activities that would help you in enhancing your profile.

Also Read: How to Write a Best Statement of Purpose?

Ideally, if considering an internationally renowned university, then the statement of purpose should be at least 1-2 pages long. In terms of word count, then the same should be around 1000 words. Having said that, the word limit and the length may also sometimes depend on the university that the candidate is targeting and also on the level of degree. Like for example, a candidate who is writing an SOP for an undergraduate program may not exceed 800 to 1000 words whereas a candidate who is writing an SOP for a PhD or M.Phil degree course has to write it in around 1200 words and sometimes even more. Some universities even have a fixed length and word count which is uniform for all the programs and courses. 

There are many elements to an SOP. Universities could ask question-based essays or simply a general statement of purpose. Until and unless categorically asked, an SOP must include your goals and the career path you have taken up so far as well as your academic progress. Other elements that are further important to the SOP are also the personal motivations that lead you to choose the university/course you have applied to as well as how you intend to use that experience to achieve that goal.

Following are a few things that you must do in order to make your SOP application strong:

• Your Statement of Purpose should have a unique and engaging beginning as well as an end. It must be original, a reflection of you. 
• Explain your academic background, present and future aspirations. Through this, you must justify your choice of a particular course for masters or doctorate courses.
• Upon reading your SOP, the admission officer should be able to understand how you can contribute to the university in terms of research and further scope in your chosen area. 
• Always write your SOP in an active voice and ensure you provide information in a manner that is a reflection of your passion and optimism. If you have any statements or references, try quoting them with relevant examples rather than being direct.

Often universities come across a lengthy statement of purpose and yet they reject it. Even when you cannot find one grammatical error, the seemingly excellent SOP would be rejected. And the primary reason is – too much unnecessary information. For instance, just because you might want to talk about your family, does not mean you go on and on to talk about only your family. While your SOP should be a brag sheet, it should be a brag sheet with a substance. You need to pick and choose what to include. Pick a theme and mention the accomplishments that make the most sense to your candidacy.

• Weave your career path into a story, not statements.
• Do not write what you think should be written. Personalise the SOP and make it your own.
• Do not stress over it. Although it is an important part of your application, the SOP should be a direct reflection of you.
• Find the deeper meaning behind the events of your life and pen them down.
• Give a strong reason as to why you chose the particular school and course.
• Be specific in the timeline of events.
• Use a formal but conversational tone.
• Accept your mistakes and explain how you are willing to act on improving. Use action items.
• Give yourself enough time to write the SOP and edit it constantly. 
• Proofread, edit, re-edit and then edit it again! There is always room for improvement, remember that.

Also Read: SOP for Scholarship

Statement of Purpose Samples

Here are some good examples of well structured SOPs that you can refer to while writing your own.

“ A successful career in Business Management requires adequate knowledge to utilise the strengths and weaknesses of an individual. In my undergraduate degree, I majored in economics and psychology because I believe that understanding these two fields is important for leading a successful business. I want to increase my experiences and knowledge further by pursuing an Executive MBA, which will equip me with advanced skills that are necessary to achieve my career goals.

As I have carried out various leadership positions, I have learned how to efficiently work in teams and pursue the specified goals. In my previous company, ABC, I successfully implemented the strength-cum-weakness finder software which helped us assign projects to the groups based on the mapped data. As employees got allotted tasks as per their efficiency, it resulted in a 30% net gain for the company over the following year. I believe that a successful business leader understands the importance of strategically utilizing a company’s resources to ensure the maximum potential and development of the company. Further, the pivotal thing I learned about myself by taking up leadership roles is that teamwork is a crucial element of successfully achieving an organisation’s objectives. An Executive MBA will help me furnish my leadership skills imparting me with the knowledge of hierarchical structures and how to work with other leaders of different domains in an effective manner.

Studying for an Executive MBA, I plan to take charge of multiple team projects throughout the duration of the degree so that I can polish my teamwork skills. I aspire to work under industry leaders and attain global exposure. Pursuing this degree from your institution, I aim to gain professional as well as personal skills that can help me soar through my career journey. ”

I had a keen interest in Biology since childhood. I was eager to learn about the living organisms around my surroundings and how they function. I took this interest forward and decided to pursue my higher education in biology. When I was first introduced to the field of biotechnology, I was mesmerized by what technology can do to improve the life of any living organism. This inspired me to look at various research programmes in biotechnology and how we are moving towards a phase where technology can alter even the basic fragments of any living organism and change the course of life an organism goes through. I observed the various research patterns that have been taking place in the agricultural industry with the advent of GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) giving birth to the Green Revolution. This was only one potential achievement in the extensive list of achievements that biotechnology was progressing towards. I worked with a reputed biotech firm which gave me an insight into how fast-paced the research in biotechnology is. The firm gave me the necessary exposure leading me to decide that I want to pursue MS in Biotechnology. My ambition to work in this field lies essentially in bringing changes in the lifestyle of people in a way that I can research and extensively study the required positive steps towards climate change. My goal is to achieve a sustainable lifestyle for every individual. The exposure that your esteemed institution will give me in the field of research will help me achieve this goal by working at a reputed platform

• Sample SOP for Australian Student Visa
• SOP for MIM
• SOP Samples for MS
• SOP for MS in Data Science
• SOP for Business Analytics
• Sample SOP for MS in CS
• SOP for PG Diploma in Canada
• SOP for MBA: Essentials to Mention & Samples
• SOP for Australia

Here is the basic format for USA, Canada, UK and Australia:

If you are planning to study abroad and want to write a good and outstanding statement of purpose for the university that you are targeting, then here are some of the common mistakes that you can avoid from the very beginning while writing an SOP:

• Writing the SOP at the last moment without any plan of action or a roadmap
• Writing a weak and vague introduction and conclusion 
• Using informal language, slangs, short forms in your SOP
• Exceeding the word limit and not reaching the correct word limit at all
• Making your SOP excessively flashy and flattery

If you are eligible for any college-specific scholarships, then during the application process you will be required to write a separate essay/SOP. Either you will be given an essay prompt/question along with a word limit or they would simply ask for an SOP stating the reasons why you think you deserve this scholarship and/or what makes you unique from the rest of the candidates? Thus, a generic SOP is different from a scholarship SOP.

Must Read: LOR: Types, Format, Sample and Tip s

A Letter of Motivation is a letter directly addressed to the admission committee/department faculty explaining your objectives, motivation and goals related to the course. The SOP is not addressed to any specific person or department, it is drafted in an essay format, whereas, the motivational letter is always addressed to a professor or department under whose guidance you will be studying.

Also Read: How to Write a Motivation Letter?

Very much similar to an SOP, Personal Statements are an on-page essay where you write about your motivation, inspiration, goals, and achievements. Personal Statements usually have a more intimate tone than SOP as it talks about the highlighted incidents of your life. Another crucial difference between an SOP and a Personal Statement is that an SOP is addressed to no one in particular, while a Personal Statement is addressed to a professor or department under who you choose to study.

Relevant Reads:

Only your LORs need to be attested by your college or company. An SOP need not be attested/self-attested until and unless specified by the university. If you take a LOR from your college professor/school teacher or a Principal/Dean, then that LOR needs to be signed by the recommender along with the college/school stamp and letterhead. Similarly, for professional LORs, they need to be signed by their respective recommenders on the company’s letterhead and company stamp.

Once you have finalised your SOP draft, give it a double-check for grammatical and formatting mistakes. Your next step should be to analyse and critique your essay. Look at your SOP through the eyes of the Adcom and see what you find lacking. For more effective inputs, you can show your drafts to your friends and family and see how they react to them. Accordingly, you can make some changes but do not overdo it or deviate from the format. Lastly, check for spacing errors and save the final SOP which you will be using for the application process.

You should avoid mentioning any low marks or shortcomings about yourself in any of the application documents, including SOP. There are very few universities that ask you about your gap year. For them, you can mention the reason for the gap between your studies. Generally, no university asks about low grades during your study period as your selection depends on various criteria like exam scores, student profile, financials, and so on. Thus, it is advised against mentioning any flaws or low marks.

Hence, we hope that now you are geared up with all the quintessential tips to start carving out your SOP. If you still have doubts or need further professional guidance, you can always reach out to our Leverage Edu experts and we’ll assist you throughout the admission process, be it selecting a suitable course and university or drafting impressive SOPs and LORs. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session. Further, also follow us on  Instagram ,  Youtube ,  LinkedIn ,  Quora   and  Facebook   for more educational content.

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I was really impressed and happy with the informations I was able to get reading through your well documented page.

I am really impressed reading through your sample and guides in writing an SOP.I was able to put mine together and I have submitted awaiting feedback from the Admissions office. Thanks so much.

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Standard 1. Defining Institutional Purposes and Ensuring Educational Objectives

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The institution defines its purposes and establishes educational objectives aligned with those purposes. The institution has a clear and explicit sense of its essential values and character, its distinctive elements, its place in both the higher education community and society, and its contribution to the public good. It functions with integrity, transparency, and autonomy.

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8

The institution’s formally approved statements of purpose are appropriate for an institution of higher education and clearly define its essential values and character and ways in which it contributes to the public good.

The Stanford University Founding Grant (1885) outlines the founding principles of the university. (A digitized version of the original copy of the grant is available here .)  The grant describes the “Nature, Object, and Purposes of the Institution” in these terms (p. 4):

Its nature, that of a university with such seminaries of learning as shall make it of the highest grade, including mechanical institutes, museums, galleries of art, laboratories, and conservatories, together with all things necessary for the study of agriculture in all its branches, and for mechanical training, and the studies and exercises directed to the cultivation and enlargement of the mind; Its object, to qualify its students for personal success, and direct usefulness in life; And its purposes, to promote the public welfare by exercising an influence in behalf of humanity and civilization, teaching the blessings of liberty regulated by law, and inculcating love and reverence for the great principles of government as derived from the inalienable rights of man to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Each of Stanford's seven schools has its own mission statement. 

• Doerr School for Sustainability  
• Graduate School of Business
• Graduate School of Education
• School of Humanities and Sciences
• School of Engineering
• School of Medicine
• Stanford Law School

(The Doerr School of Sustainability was founded September 1, 2022 and includes the previous School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences as well as a number of other departments and institutes.)

In addition, many academic programs publish their mission statements in the Bulletin or on departmental websites. Below are a few examples.

• Chemical Engineering
• Human Biology
• Political Science

Stanford has developed a vision for the university based on recommendations that emerged from a campus-wide strategic planning process that ended in May 2019. These recommendations have been distilled and integrated into the Long-Range Vision , which will guide the university’s priorities over the coming years.

The Planning and Policy Board of the Faculty Senate is charged with articulating the academic vision and mission for the university and to opine on broad academic policy issues for consideration by the faculty. The board's charge document can be found in the Senate and Committee Handbook (p. 37).

CFR 1.2  

Educational objectives are widely recognized throughout the institution, are consistent with stated purposes, and are demonstrably achieved. The institution regularly generates, evaluates, and makes public data about student achievement, including measures of retention and graduation, and evidence of student learning outcomes.

The current statement of the university’s educational goals for its undergraduate students, “The Aims of a Stanford Education”, were articulated in the 2012 SUES report (pp. 11-13). These aims draw directly upon the founders’ vision of an education “to qualify its students for personal success, and direct usefulness in life.” As the SUES authors write, “Today, more than a century later, we still subscribe to that goal. But we also hope for more. We want our students not simply to succeed but to flourish; we want them to live not only usefully but also creatively, responsibly, and reflectively.”

This vision of a liberal education at Stanford was recently renewed in the form of two reforms to the First-Year Experience and the Future of the Major which emerged through extensive faculty discussion and debate in the recent Long Range Vision process. The reports of the design teams express an updated vision of the education goals of the core courses that undergird the undergraduate degree and the major where students develop disciplinary depth.

• “All of our graduates should be prepared to think for themselves, question and reform social conventions, and revise their own assumptions when confronted with new evidence. They should recognize that every community, from the smallest club to the largest nation, needs engaged citizens who can distinguish between self-interest and the common good. Accordingly, they need to know how to discover, and how to debate, what is in the common good. Finally, they should have enough experience and knowledge about the world to appreciate that different people live different lives, and that what is good for Palo Alto may not be good for Pittsburgh or Peshawar.” ( First-Year Design Team Report , p. 7).
• “The major should provide students with a depth experience within some field, which supports development of a sophisticated understanding of some problems in the field together with general cognitive and practical skills suitable for work in that field… In addition, the student should develop a field-specific grasp of how to learn in the discipline, suitable to support a “growth mindset” toward the field. It is important, both for the substantive support of the student’s depth understanding and for the development of confidence and a sense of expertise, that the student attain significant mastery in some subfield(s) within the major. Finally, students should gain real experience thinking for themselves with the tools of the discipline, so as to develop independence of thought, problem solving creativity, and active mastery of technique and knowledge within the field.” ( Future of the Major report, pp. 12-13)

The educational goals for each of Stanford’s doctoral degrees are available in the Stanford Bulletin . Additional goals vary according to the discipline and are set locally by faculty in departments and programs.

Public information on student achievement is posted on our accreditation website. These include completion rates for undergraduate, professional and doctoral degree students, samples of reports to assess student learning in the undergraduate majors written by faculty, and students' self-reported learning outcomes from the senior exit survey. 

Undergraduate and graduate student completion rates as well as doctoral time-to-degree statistics are also regularly published on the Data and Findings dashboards page of the IR&DS website. Aggregate data on Ph.D. students' self-reported skill development, part of the Ph.D. Exit Survey, is also published on this page. Additionally, the Common Data Set also provides information to the community about undergraduate student retention and completion.

Faculty in departments and schools develop learning objectives for their degree programs that are shared in the Stanford Bulletin (examples below). The Bulletin also contains degree requirements for each program. Degree requirements for MBA , JD and the MD program in the School of Medicine are also contained in separate school handbooks.

• Physics (BS)
• Philosophy (BA)
• International Policy (MA)
• Computer Science (PhD)

At the course level, feedback through the course evaluation system provides faculty with one mechanism for evaluating learning through student input. Questions on these evaluation forms can be customized by instructors to align with course learning outcomes (see CFR 2.5 ).

CFR 1.3  

The institution publicly states its commitment to academic freedom for faculty, staff, and students, and acts accordingly. This commitment affirms that those in the academy are free to share their convictions and responsible conclusions with their colleagues and students in their teaching and in their writing.

Stanford’s current statement on academic freedom was adopted by the Faculty Senate in 1974 (it is published in the Faculty Handbook and the Research Policy Handbook ). It begins:

“Stanford University's central functions of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship depend upon an atmosphere in which freedom of inquiry, thought, expression, publication and peaceable assembly are given the fullest protection. Expression of the widest range of viewpoints should be encouraged, free from institutional orthodoxy and from internal or external coercion. Further, the holding of appointments at Stanford University should in no way affect the faculty members' rights assured by the Constitution of the United States….” 

The university's commitment to principles of free expression of ideas are reinforced in messages to the campus community made by the president, provost, and others in the senior leadership. Some are linked below. For instance, in a message to campus in November 2017, the president and provost, recognizing the challenges free expression of ideas can bring in a diverse community, reflect on "how we at Stanford can advance both our unwavering commitment to the free expression of ideas and our equally steadfast goal of an inclusive community."

• Advancing free speech and inclusion (November 2017)
• Expression and inclusion, part 2 (February 2018)
• Faculty senate symposium on academic freedom (SenD#7585, November 2018)
• Remarks on our campus climate for discussing divergent views (May 2021)
• Remarks on speech that limits others’ speech (June 2021)
• Statement from Stanford president and Humanities & Sciences dean (November 2021)

Resources for students and staff explaining how various policies affect free speech (including around events and campus protests) are available on Stanford's Free Speech website. The Office of Community Standards publishes information with guidance and policies on student conduct as it relates to speech. In 2021, the university updated its process to respond to harmful identity-based speech to create the Protected Identity Harm (PIH) Reporting process. The PIH Reporting process, intakes information through a reporting mechanism to 1) help students who have been affected by these incidents and 2) collect data. It is not a judicial or investigative process.

CFR 1.4  

Consistent with its purposes and character, the institution demonstrates an appropriate response to the increasing diversity in society through its policies, its educational and co-curricular programs, and its administrative and organizational practices.

The university’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion is articulated in the provost’s diversity statement . As the provost writes, “Institutions that are truly inclusive and embrace and advance diversity everywhere – in every program, every school and every area of operation – will be the most successful.” The statement clearly articulates why these values are important to us and lays out the goals of our vision for a diverse and inclusive Stanford.

• Diversity is critical to our research and educational missions. Our diversity ensures our strength as an intellectual community. In today’s world, diversity represents the key to excellence and achievement.
• The future is diverse. We believe that Stanford’s future preeminence requires that we enthusiastically embrace our diverse future now. .
• Social justice. We must continue to evolve and become a better and more inclusive institution in our pursuit of the values we hold dear. 

Regular updates and newsletters, such as this message in June 2020 by the president following the murder of George Floyd, express continued emphasis on diversity. Other updates can be found on the IDEAL website's news page .

A key component of Stanford's long-range vision, the IDEAL Initiative (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access in a Learning Environment) includes a wide-ranging set of institutional objectives focused on areas of recruitment, research, education and engagement. The IDEAL Initiative is the university’s institution-wide, comprehensive framework for strengthening the diversity of our campus and delivering on our commitment to enable all members of our community to thrive and be able to participate in all the educational opportunities available at Stanford. (Progress on the IDEAL Initiative is the focus of Theme 2 of our 2023 institutional report to WSCUC.) 

To improve transparency and measure progress, in 2019 the IDEAL dashboards were developed. These display detailed information of the demographic composition of faculty, students and staff at Stanford. The data are scheduled to be updated every year at the end of fall quarter. Furthermore, in 2021, the university undertook a campus-wide survey of the community. The 2021 IDEAL DEI Survey received 14,907 responses (36% of the community) and included questions on diversity, inclusion and belonging, microaggressions and experiences with harassing and discriminatory behaviors, and their impact. The findings of the survey were shared with the community in the 2021-22 academic year. 

A number of central offices are responsible for advancing equity and inclusion on campus. 

• The office of Institutional Equity and Access , led by Patrick Dunkley, Vice Provost for Institutional Equity, Access, and Community, is committed to ensuring that Stanford is a safe and just environment. Institutional Equity and Access comprises the office of Diversity and Access , the Ombuds , and the SHARE (Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Education) Title IX office. 
• The Vice Provost for Student Affairs includes the Office of Accessible Education and the Protected Identity Harm Reporting system that are managed by the Dean of Students , and a number of offices under the Associate Vice Provost for Inclusion, Community and Integrative Learning that support student equity, inclusion and belonging (see also CFR 2.11 ).
• The office of Faculty Development, Diversity and Engagement oversees a number of diversity programs and support for recruiting diverse faculty, and many other resources to support faculty and departments to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. 

Theme 2 of our 2023 institutional report to WSCUC discusses many DEIB efforts at length and documents initiatives throughout the campus in table 4 (pages 49-50). There are many programs and efforts to support IDEAL goals across the university. These are collected and periodically updated on the IDEAL website's resources page and the Diversity Works website, including:

• IDEAL Graduate Recruitment Portal (resources for planning for improving diversity; promising practices; and enrollment and admission data dashboard)
• EDGE (Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education) Doctoral Fellowship Program (supports diversity in graduate recruitment and mentoring).
• DARE: (Diversifying Academia, Recruiting Excellence) (awards two-year fellowships to advanced doctoral students who want to prepare for academic careers and whose presence will help diversify the professoriate). 
• Diversity in Graduate Education
• Graduate Admissions - Policy Statements
• Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures Handbook: Section 2.5 Commitment to Graduate Student Diversity
• Anti-Bias Resources for faculty
• CREATEngagement (toolkit for fostering a positive department climate for faculty members)
• Building on Excellence (a guide for inclusive practices for faculty searches)
• IDEAL Learning Journey (an educational program for staff and leadership to promote a more inclusive work culture and environment)
• VPUE Diversity Outreach
• School of Humanities and Sciences Diversity Programs
• School of Engineering Diversity Programs

CFR 1.5  

Even when supported by or affiliated with political, corporate, or religious organizations, the institution has education as its primary purpose and operates as an academic institution with appropriate autonomy.

Stanford University is a trust with corporate powers under the laws of the State of California. The university is a tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Under the provisions of the Founding Grant , the Board of Trustees (with a maximum membership of 38) is custodian of the endowment and all the properties of Stanford University. The board administers the invested funds, sets the annual budget and determines policies for operation and control of the university. Among the powers given to the trustees by the Founding Grant is the power to appoint a president. The board delegates broad authority to the president to operate the university and to the faculty on certain academic matters. The current membership of the board is maintained on the Board of Trustees website . (See also CFR 3.10 .)

Stanford has been non-denominational from its founding as described in the Founding Grant (p. 21). A number of policies related to political activities, conflict of interest and academic integrity are linked below.

• Code of Conduct (Administrative Guide)
• Political, Campaign and Lobbying Activities (Administrative Guide)
• Academic and Business Relationships With Third Parties (Administrative Guide)
• Staff Policy on Conflict of Commitment and Interest (Administrative Guide)
• Unrelated Business Activity (Administrative Guide)
• Conflicts of Commitment and Interest (Research Policy Handbook)
• Academic Integrity and Undue Foreign Interference (Research Policy Handbook)

CFR 1.6  

The institution truthfully represents its academic goals, programs, services, and costs to students and to the larger public. The institution demonstrates that its academic programs can be completed in a timely fashion. The institution treats students fairly and equitably through established policies and procedures addressing student conduct, grievances, human subjects in research, disability, and financial matters, including refunds and financial aid.

The Stanford Bulletin is the most comprehensive source of information on academic programs. The Student Services website houses all policies of relevance to students. Described there are the university’s Honor Code and Fundamental Standard , stating our expectations for student honesty and integrity; the grievance processes, both academic and non-academic ; ADA Section 504 grievance procedures; and conditions under which students can receive full or partial refunds for tuition, housing and other fees, as well as a myriad of other policies. 

The Financial Aid Office provides tools for undergraduate students and their families to determine estimated costs and budgeting for their study. The Graduate Admissions website similarly shares estimated expenses to help graduate degree applicants and admitted students anticipate the costs of their study. (See also CFR 2.12 )

Two offices are responsible for providing support and oversight of disability resources. The Office of Accessible Education is the support arm providing academic resources to students with disabilities. The Office of Diversity and Access provides non-academic services to students, faculty and staff and also manages the appeal process for students who wish to bring concerns forth under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, the Office of Digital Accessibility  oversees compliance with the university's electronic accessibility policy for all university websites and IT systems.

The university’s Research Compliance Office is responsible for oversight of Human Subjects Research at Stanford. This office promulgates policy and manages the IRB process with regard to such activity. Policies related to human subjects in research are published in the Research Policy Handbook.

CFR 1.7  

The institution exhibits integrity and transparency in its operations, as demonstrated by the adoption and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures, sound business practices, timely and fair responses to complaints and grievances, and regular evaluation of its performance in these areas. The institution’s finances are regularly audited by qualified independent auditors.

As noted earlier, all administrative policies are outlined in the university’s Administrative Guide , which includes the university's Code of Conduct . 

The university has grievance policies for students, staff, and faculty linked below.

• Student Academic Grievance Procedure (Student Services)
• Statement on Faculty Appeal Procedures (Faculty Handbook)
• Academic Staff Appeals Procedure (Academic Staff and Other Teaching Staff Handbook)
• Grievance Resolution Procedure for Postdoctoral Scholars (Research Policy Handbook)
• Staff Grievance Policy (Administrative Guide)

The services of the  Ombuds  are available to all members of the Stanford community.

The Office of Ethics and Compliance (within the Office of the Chief Risk Officer ) monitors a confidential hotline where any member of the community can report concerns about conflict of interest, workplace misconduct, financial irregularities, and other issues. The Office is also responsible for monitoring the university’s Code of Conduct and overseeing an institution-wide ethics and compliance program, which is designed to meet the federal government’s expectations for effective compliance programs as articulated in chapter 8 of the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The university’s finances are regularly audited by independent auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, who also serve as independent auditors for many peer institutions. The audited financial statements are submitted to WSCUC in our annual reports. Additionally, the university’s Board of Trustees has a standing committee on Audit, Compliance and Risk (ACR) whose main purpose is to assist the Board in its risk, financial, audit, compliance, and other oversight responsibilities. The ACR Committee reviews the effectiveness of:

• The financial reporting process and integrity of the university’s consolidated financial statements and internal controls;
• The reporting and qualifications, independence, and performance of the university’s independent auditors;
• The university’s internal audit and ethics and compliance functions; and
• The university’s enterprise risk management (ERM) activities.

The university’s Internal Audit Department (within the Office of the Chief Risk Officer) regularly evaluates the university’s adoption and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures, sound business practices, and timely and fair responses to complaints and grievances. 

The university’s Cabinet regularly receives and discusses information about enterprise risks. An ERM, Ethics, and Compliance Steering Committee meets quarterly to provide guidance to the programs mentioned above

CFR 1.8  

The institution is committed to honest and open communication with the Accrediting Commission, to undertaking the accreditation review process with seriousness and candor, to informing the Commission promptly of any matter that could materially affect the accreditation status of the institution, and to abiding by Commission policies and procedures, including all substantive change policies 

We routinely submit our annual report and comply with all WSCUC policies. By making publicly available this review of the standards on our website , we demonstrate our commitment to comply with the WSCUC standards and to openness and transparency in our communications with the commission.

Initial Thoughts

Perspectives & resources, as a new teacher, what do you need to know about managing student behavior.

• Page 1: Creating a Classroom Behavior Management Plan
• Page 2: Cultural Considerations and Behavior

How do you develop an effective behavior management plan?

Page 3: statement of purpose.

• Page 4: Rules
• Page 5: Procedures
• Page 6: Positive Consequences
• Page 7: Negative Consequences
• Page 8: Crisis Plan
• Page 9: Action Plan
• Page 10: References & Additional Resources
• Page 11: Credits

Andrew Kwok discusses how a teacher can create a statement of purpose that is culturally respectful and responsive. Next, KaMalcris Cottrell describes her classroom’s statement of purpose.

Andrew Kwok, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture Texas A&M University

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View Transcript

KaMalcris Cottrell School Behavior Support

(time: 1:16)

/wp-content/uploads/module_media/beh2_elem_media/audio/beh2_p03_cottrell.mp3

Transcript: Andrew Kwok, PhD

In terms of a statement of purpose, all teachers should think about what they want to accomplish in the classroom, but they also need to consider what the students and the parents and others, the actual constituents of the classroom, want to accomplish as well. And there should just be a merging of those goals and objectives, as opposed to having the teacher create something and assuming that one box fits all students. Being able to allow space for it to incorporate the individuals that it’s working with will allow it to be more respectful and responsive, as opposed to creating a definitive statement that does not allow for the flexibility of those who it is currently teaching.

Transcript: KaMalcris Cottrell

My classroom statement of purpose aligns with our school-wide statement of purpose. It gives us our expectations for the day from the student side and from the teacher side. And this mission statement covers our four Be’s: respectful, responsible, ready, and safe. There are the things that we’re saying we’re going to be every single day. And with this in place, I also incorporate myself into this. I tell the students, I will be respectful, I will be safe, I will be responsible, and I’ll be ready. So when you come to my group, I’m going to be ready for you, and we’re going to be responsible, and we’re going to work on the skills that we need to work on. And I think this is important because this is throughout our entire school. So even when we come together as an entire school body, everyone knows what the four Be’s are. So if we say, “I will be ready,” students start to check themselves. Oh, am I ready? Am I sitting safely? Is my voice off? Am I paying attention? Are my eyes on the speaker? So just the four cue words. But I think it also covers individual work in the classroom. It covers group work in the classroom. It also covers outside of the classroom.

Checking in with Ms. Amry

Our classroom is a safe, positive place where everyone works together, is creative, and is respectful. All students will participate in learning and do their very best.

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Research Shows

A statement of purpose (or mission statement) is an important tool for shaping practice and communicating core school or classroom values. When stated in a clear, succinct, and positive way, this statement serves as a foundation for developing a classroom behavior management plan and cohesively ties the components of the plan together. (Algozzine, Audette, Marr, & Algozzine, 2005; Stemler, Bebell, & Sonnabend, 2011)

Click here to develop your own statement of purpose .

Note: If your school has a school-wide statement of purpose or mission statement, be sure your classroom statement aligns with it.

Cornell Financial Aid

Search cornell financial aid, identity/statement of educational purpose.

As part of Federal Student Aid, some students are selected for verification. This isn't an indication that anything is wrong with your application, it is just a requirement that selected students have for Federal Student Aid. The federal verification process can include verification of your identity and a requirement that you attest to your educational purpose. If you see this requirement on your  Cornell financial aid to do list  you must provide information to our office to confirm your eligibility for Federal Student Aid. This can be completed in person or through mailing a notarized form with a copy of the identification you presented to the notary to our office.

How to Complete the Requirement in Person:

Please visit the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment and bring an unexpired valid government-issued photo ID. We will provide you with a form to fill out at our front desk. A list of valid government-issued IDs can be found at the bottom of this page.

How to Complete the Requirement with a Notary:

If you are unable to come to our office in person, you may complete the Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose in the presence of a notary public and mail the original document to our office with a copy of your unexpired valid government-issued photo ID. Please use the address listed on the form below, and be sure to include a copy of the ID you presented to the notary. You may also drop off the document and ID copy at our office.

Select the proper form for your aid year:

• 2023-2024  Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose (with notary)
• 2022-2023  Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose (with notary)

If the notary statement appears on a separate page than the Statement of Educational Purpose, there must be a clear indication that the Statement of Educational Purpose was the document notarized.

If choosing to complete the document with a notary public, the notary public must be an approved U.S. Notary Public. We are unable to accept documents that are completed with the use of a foreign equivalent of a notary public. In these instances, students may be able to visit a U.S. embassy or consulate that is close to the student's or study abroad location to see if a U.S. notary service is available.

Information on Acceptable Identification:

A valid unexpired government-issued photo identification (photo ID) can include, but is not limited to, the following:

• U.S. Passport;
• Driver’s license;
• Non-driver’s identification card;
• Other state-issued ID;
• Permanent Resident Card or Resident Alien Card (I-551, can be photocopied for Title IV purposes);
• Certificate of Naturalization if it contains a recognizable photo (even though it does not have an expiration date);
• Inmate ID from a government facility (even if it does not have an expiration date); or
• State-issued voter ID (even if it does not have an expiration date).

If you have any questions about acceptable identification, or anything else about this requirement please contact our office and we will assist you.

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Center for Teaching

Teaching statements.

Print Version

• What is a teaching statement?
• What purposes does the teaching statement serve?
• What does a teaching statement include?

General Guidelines

• Reflection questions to help get you started
• Exercises to help get you started
• Evaluating your teaching statement
• Further resources

What is a Teaching Statement?

A Teaching Statement is a purposeful and reflective essay about the author’s teaching beliefs and practices. It is an individual narrative that includes not only one’s beliefs about the teaching and learning process, but also concrete examples of the ways in which he or she enacts these beliefs in the classroom. At its best, a Teaching Statement gives a clear and unique portrait of the author as a teacher, avoiding generic or empty philosophical statements about teaching.

What Purposes does the Teaching Statement Serve?

The Teaching Statement can be used for personal, professional, or pedagogical purposes. While Teaching Statements are becoming an increasingly important part of the hiring and tenure processes, they are also effective exercises in helping one clearly and coherently conceptualize his or her approaches to and experiences of teaching and learning. As Nancy Van Note Chism, Professor Emerita of Education at IUPUI observes, “The act of taking time to consider one’s goals, actions, and vision provides an opportunity for development that can be personally and professionally enriching. Reviewing and revising former statements of teaching philosophy can help teachers to reflect on their growth and renew their dedication to the goals and values that they hold.”

What does a Teaching Statement Include?

A Teaching Statement can address any or all of the following:

• Your conception of how learning occurs
• A description of how your teaching facilitates student learning
• A reflection of why you teach the way you do
• The goals you have for yourself and for your students
• How your teaching enacts your beliefs and goals
• What, for you , constitutes evidence of student learning
• The ways in which you create an inclusive learning environment
• Your interests in new techniques, activities, and types of learning

“If at all possible, your statement should enable the reader to imagine you in the classroom, teaching. You want to include sufficient information for picturing not only you in the process of teaching, but also your class in the process of learning.” – Helen G. Grundman, Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement

• Make your Teaching Statement brief and well written . While Teaching Statements are probably longer at the tenure level (i.e. 3-5 pages or more), for hiring purposes they are typically 1-2 pages in length.
• Use narrative , first-person approach. This allows the Teaching Statement to be both personal and reflective.
• Be sincere and unique. Avoid clichés, especially ones about how much passion you have for teaching.
• Make it specific rather than abstract. Ground your ideas in 1-2 concrete examples , whether experienced or anticipated. This will help the reader to better visualize you in the classroom.
• Be discipline specific . Do not ignore your research. Explain how you advance your field through teaching.
• Avoid jargon and technical terms, as they can be off-putting to some readers. Try not to simply repeat what is in your CV. Teaching Statements are not exhaustive documents and should be used to complement other materials for the hiring or tenure processes.
• Be humble . Mention students in an enthusiastic, not condescending way, and illustrate your willingness to learn from your students and colleagues.
• Revise . Teaching is an evolving, reflective process, and Teaching Statements can be adapted and changed as necessary.

Reflection Questions To Help You Get You Started:*

• Why do you teach the way you do?
• What should students expect of you as a teacher?
• What is a method of teaching you rely on frequently? Why don’t you use a different method?
• What do you want students to learn? How do you know your goals for students are being met?
• What should your students be able to know or do as a result of taking your class?
• How can your teaching facilitate student learning?
• How do you as a teacher create an engaging or enriching learning environment?
• What specific activities or exercises do you use to engage your students? What do you want your students to learn from these activities?
• How has your thinking about teaching changed over time? Why?

* These questions and exercises are meant to be tools to help you begin reflecting on your beliefs and ideas as a teacher. No single Teaching Statement can contain the answers to all or most of these inquiries and activities.

Exercises to Help You Get You Started:*

• The Teaching Portfolio , including a section on teaching statements, Duquesne University Center for Teaching Excellence. This website includes five effective exercises to help you begin the writing process
• Teaching Goals Inventory , by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross and their book Classroom Assessment Techniques . This “quiz” helps you to identify or create your teaching and learning goals.

Evaluating Your Teaching Statement

Writing A Statement Of Teaching Philosophy For The Academic Job Search (opens as a PDF), The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan.

This report includes a useful rubric for evaluating teaching philosophy statements. The design of the rubric was informed by experience with hundreds of teaching philosophies, as well as surveys of search committees on what they considered successful and unsuccessful components of job applicants’ teaching philosophies.

Further Resources:

General information on and guidelines for writing teaching statements.

• Writing a Philosophy of Teaching Statement , Faculty and TA Development at The Ohio State University. This site provides an in-depth guide to teaching statements, including the definition of and purposes for a teaching statement, general formatting suggestions, and a self-reflective guide to writing a teaching statement.
• Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement , Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Iowa State University. This document looks at four major components of a teaching statement, which have been divided into questions—specifically, to what end? By what means? To what degree? And why? Each question is sufficiently elaborated, offering a sort of scaffolding for preparing one’s own teaching statement.
• Writing a Meaningful Statement of Teaching Philosophy , McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University. This website offers strategies for preparing and formatting your teaching statement.

Articles about Teaching Statements

• Grundman, Helen (2006). Writing a Teaching Philosophy Statement (opens as a PDF), Notices of the AMS , Vol. 53, No. 11, p. 1329.
• Montell, Gabriela (2003). How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy , from the Chronicle Manage Your Career section of the Chronicle of Higher Education .
• Montell, Gabriela (2003). What’s Your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter? , from the Chronicle Manage Your Career section of the Chronicle of Higher Education .

Teaching Guides

• Online Course Development Resources
• Principles & Frameworks
• Pedagogies & Strategies
• Reflecting & Assessing
• Challenges & Opportunities
• Populations & Contexts

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Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of education is the branch of applied or practical philosophy concerned with the nature and aims of education and the philosophical problems arising from educational theory and practice. Because that practice is ubiquitous in and across human societies, its social and individual manifestations so varied, and its influence so profound, the subject is wide-ranging, involving issues in ethics and social/political philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and language, and other areas of philosophy. Because it looks both inward to the parent discipline and outward to educational practice and the social, legal, and institutional contexts in which it takes place, philosophy of education concerns itself with both sides of the traditional theory/practice divide. Its subject matter includes both basic philosophical issues (e.g., the nature of the knowledge worth teaching, the character of educational equality and justice, etc.) and problems concerning specific educational policies and practices (e.g., the desirability of standardized curricula and testing, the social, economic, legal and moral dimensions of specific funding arrangements, the justification of curriculum decisions, etc.). In all this the philosopher of education prizes conceptual clarity, argumentative rigor, the fair-minded consideration of the interests of all involved in or affected by educational efforts and arrangements, and informed and well-reasoned valuation of educational aims and interventions.

Philosophy of education has a long and distinguished history in the Western philosophical tradition, from Socrates’ battles with the sophists to the present day. Many of the most distinguished figures in that tradition incorporated educational concerns into their broader philosophical agendas (Curren 2000, 2018; Rorty 1998). While that history is not the focus here, it is worth noting that the ideals of reasoned inquiry championed by Socrates and his descendants have long informed the view that education should foster in all students, to the extent possible, the disposition to seek reasons and the ability to evaluate them cogently, and to be guided by their evaluations in matters of belief, action and judgment. This view, that education centrally involves the fostering of reason or rationality, has with varying articulations and qualifications been embraced by most of those historical figures; it continues to be defended by contemporary philosophers of education as well (Scheffler 1973 [1989]; Siegel 1988, 1997, 2007, 2017). As with any philosophical thesis it is controversial; some dimensions of the controversy are explored below.

This entry is a selective survey of important contemporary work in Anglophone philosophy of education; it does not treat in detail recent scholarship outside that context.

1. Problems in Delineating the Field

2. analytic philosophy of education and its influence, 3.1 the content of the curriculum and the aims and functions of schooling, 3.2 social, political and moral philosophy, 3.3 social epistemology, virtue epistemology, and the epistemology of education, 3.4 philosophical disputes concerning empirical education research, 4. concluding remarks, other internet resources, related entries.

The inward/outward looking nature of the field of philosophy of education alluded to above makes the task of delineating the field, of giving an over-all picture of the intellectual landscape, somewhat complicated (for a detailed account of this topography, see Phillips 1985, 2010). Suffice it to say that some philosophers, as well as focusing inward on the abstract philosophical issues that concern them, are drawn outwards to discuss or comment on issues that are more commonly regarded as falling within the purview of professional educators, educational researchers, policy-makers and the like. (An example is Michael Scriven, who in his early career was a prominent philosopher of science; later he became a central figure in the development of the field of evaluation of educational and social programs. See Scriven 1991a, 1991b.) At the same time, there are professionals in the educational or closely related spheres who are drawn to discuss one or another of the philosophical issues that they encounter in the course of their work. (An example here is the behaviorist psychologist B.F. Skinner, the central figure in the development of operant conditioning and programmed learning, who in works such as Walden Two (1948) and Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1972) grappled—albeit controversially—with major philosophical issues that were related to his work.)

What makes the field even more amorphous is the existence of works on educational topics, written by well-regarded philosophers who have made major contributions to their discipline; these educational reflections have little or no philosophical content, illustrating the truth that philosophers do not always write philosophy. However, despite this, works in this genre have often been treated as contributions to philosophy of education. (Examples include John Locke’s Some Thoughts Concerning Education [1693] and Bertrand Russell’s rollicking pieces written primarily to raise funds to support a progressive school he ran with his wife. (See Park 1965.)

Finally, as indicated earlier, the domain of education is vast, the issues it raises are almost overwhelmingly numerous and are of great complexity, and the social significance of the field is second to none. These features make the phenomena and problems of education of great interest to a wide range of socially-concerned intellectuals, who bring with them their own favored conceptual frameworks—concepts, theories and ideologies, methods of analysis and argumentation, metaphysical and other assumptions, and the like. It is not surprising that scholars who work in this broad genre also find a home in the field of philosophy of education.

As a result of these various factors, the significant intellectual and social trends of the past few centuries, together with the significant developments in philosophy, all have had an impact on the content of arguments and methods of argumentation in philosophy of education—Marxism, psycho-analysis, existentialism, phenomenology, positivism, post-modernism, pragmatism, neo-liberalism, the several waves of feminism, analytic philosophy in both its ordinary language and more formal guises, are merely the tip of the iceberg.

Conceptual analysis, careful assessment of arguments, the rooting out of ambiguity, the drawing of clarifying distinctions—all of which are at least part of the philosophical toolkit—have been respected activities within philosophy from the dawn of the field. No doubt it somewhat over-simplifies the complex path of intellectual history to suggest that what happened in the twentieth century—early on, in the home discipline itself, and with a lag of a decade or more in philosophy of education—is that philosophical analysis came to be viewed by some scholars as being the major philosophical activity (or set of activities), or even as being the only viable or reputable activity. In any case, as they gained prominence and for a time hegemonic influence during the rise of analytic philosophy early in the twentieth century analytic techniques came to dominate philosophy of education in the middle third of that century (Curren, Robertson, & Hager 2003).

The pioneering work in the modern period entirely in an analytic mode was the short monograph by C.D. Hardie, Truth and Fallacy in Educational Theory (1941; reissued in 1962). In his Introduction, Hardie (who had studied with C.D. Broad and I.A. Richards) made it clear that he was putting all his eggs into the ordinary-language-analysis basket:

The Cambridge analytical school, led by Moore, Broad and Wittgenstein, has attempted so to analyse propositions that it will always be apparent whether the disagreement between philosophers is one concerning matters of fact, or is one concerning the use of words, or is, as is frequently the case, a purely emotive one. It is time, I think, that a similar attitude became common in the field of educational theory. (Hardie 1962: xix)

About a decade after the end of the Second World War the floodgates opened and a stream of work in the analytic mode appeared; the following is merely a sample. D. J. O’Connor published An Introduction to Philosophy of Education (1957) in which, among other things, he argued that the word “theory” as it is used in educational contexts is merely a courtesy title, for educational theories are nothing like what bear this title in the natural sciences. Israel Scheffler, who became the paramount philosopher of education in North America, produced a number of important works including The Language of Education (1960), which contained clarifying and influential analyses of definitions (he distinguished reportive, stipulative, and programmatic types) and the logic of slogans (often these are literally meaningless, and, he argued, should be seen as truncated arguments), Conditions of Knowledge (1965), still the best introduction to the epistemological side of philosophy of education, and Reason and Teaching (1973 [1989]), which in a wide-ranging and influential series of essays makes the case for regarding the fostering of rationality/critical thinking as a fundamental educational ideal (cf. Siegel 2016). B. O. Smith and R. H. Ennis edited the volume Language and Concepts in Education (1961); and R.D. Archambault edited Philosophical Analysis and Education (1965), consisting of essays by a number of prominent British writers, most notably R. S. Peters (whose status in Britain paralleled that of Scheffler in the United States), Paul Hirst, and John Wilson. Topics covered in the Archambault volume were typical of those that became the “bread and butter” of analytic philosophy of education (APE) throughout the English-speaking world—education as a process of initiation, liberal education, the nature of knowledge, types of teaching, and instruction versus indoctrination.

Among the most influential products of APE was the analysis developed by Hirst and Peters (1970) and Peters (1973) of the concept of education itself. Using as a touchstone “normal English usage,” it was concluded that a person who has been educated (rather than instructed or indoctrinated) has been (i) changed for the better; (ii) this change has involved the acquisition of knowledge and intellectual skills and the development of understanding; and (iii) the person has come to care for, or be committed to, the domains of knowledge and skill into which he or she has been initiated. The method used by Hirst and Peters comes across clearly in their handling of the analogy with the concept of “reform”, one they sometimes drew upon for expository purposes. A criminal who has been reformed has changed for the better, and has developed a commitment to the new mode of life (if one or other of these conditions does not hold, a speaker of standard English would not say the criminal has been reformed). Clearly the analogy with reform breaks down with respect to the knowledge and understanding conditions. Elsewhere Peters developed the fruitful notion of “education as initiation”.

The concept of indoctrination was also of great interest to analytic philosophers of education, for, it was argued, getting clear about precisely what constitutes indoctrination also would serve to clarify the border that demarcates it from acceptable educational processes. Thus, whether or not an instructional episode was a case of indoctrination was determined by the content taught, the intention of the instructor, the methods of instruction used, the outcomes of the instruction, or by some combination of these. Adherents of the different analyses used the same general type of argument to make their case, namely, appeal to normal and aberrant usage. Unfortunately, ordinary language analysis did not lead to unanimity of opinion about where this border was located, and rival analyses of the concept were put forward (Snook 1972). The danger of restricting analysis to ordinary language (“normal English usage”) was recognized early on by Scheffler, whose preferred view of analysis emphasized

first, its greater sophistication as regards language, and the interpenetration of language and inquiry, second, its attempt to follow the modern example of the sciences in empirical spirit, in rigor, in attention to detail, in respect for alternatives, and in objectivity of method, and third, its use of techniques of symbolic logic brought to full development only in the last fifty years… It is…this union of scientific spirit and logical method applied toward the clarification of basic ideas that characterizes current analytic philosophy [and that ought to characterize analytic philosophy of education]. (Scheffler 1973 [1989: 9–10])

After a period of dominance, for a number of important reasons the influence of APE went into decline. First, there were growing criticisms that the work of analytic philosophers of education had become focused upon minutiae and in the main was bereft of practical import. (It is worth noting that a 1966 article in Time , reprinted in Lucas 1969, had put forward the same criticism of mainstream philosophy.) Second, in the early 1970’s radical students in Britain accused Peters’ brand of linguistic analysis of conservatism, and of tacitly giving support to “traditional values”—they raised the issue of whose English usage was being analyzed?

Third, criticisms of language analysis in mainstream philosophy had been mounting for some time, and finally after a lag of many years were reaching the attention of philosophers of education; there even had been a surprising degree of interest on the part of the general reading public in the United Kingdom as early as 1959, when Gilbert Ryle, editor of the journal Mind , refused to commission a review of Ernest Gellner’s Words and Things (1959)—a detailed and quite acerbic critique of Wittgenstein’s philosophy and its espousal of ordinary language analysis. (Ryle argued that Gellner’s book was too insulting, a view that drew Bertrand Russell into the fray on Gellner’s side—in the daily press, no less; Russell produced a list of insulting remarks drawn from the work of great philosophers of the past. See Mehta 1963.)

Richard Peters had been given warning that all was not well with APE at a conference in Canada in 1966; after delivering a paper on “The aims of education: A conceptual inquiry” that was based on ordinary language analysis, a philosopher in the audience (William Dray) asked Peters “ whose concepts do we analyze?” Dray went on to suggest that different people, and different groups within society, have different concepts of education. Five years before the radical students raised the same issue, Dray pointed to the possibility that what Peters had presented under the guise of a “logical analysis” was nothing but the favored usage of a certain class of persons—a class that Peters happened to identify with (see Peters 1973, where to the editor’s credit the interaction with Dray is reprinted).

Fourth, during the decade of the seventies when these various critiques of analytic philosophy were in the process of eroding its luster, a spate of translations from the Continent stimulated some philosophers of education in Britain and North America to set out in new directions, and to adopt a new style of writing and argumentation. Key works by Gadamer, Foucault and Derrida appeared in English, and these were followed in 1984 by Lyotard’s The Postmodern Condition . The classic works of Heidegger and Husserl also found new admirers; and feminist philosophers of education were finding their voices—Maxine Greene published a number of pieces in the 1970s and 1980s, including The Dialectic of Freedom (1988); the influential book by Nel Noddings, Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics and Moral Education , appeared the same year as the work by Lyotard, followed a year later by Jane Roland Martin’s Reclaiming a Conversation . In more recent years all these trends have continued. APE was and is no longer the center of interest, although, as indicated below, it still retains its voice.

3. Areas of Contemporary Activity

As was stressed at the outset, the field of education is huge and contains within it a virtually inexhaustible number of issues that are of philosophical interest. To attempt comprehensive coverage of how philosophers of education have been working within this thicket would be a quixotic task for a large single volume and is out of the question for a solitary encyclopedia entry. Nevertheless, a valiant attempt to give an overview was made in A Companion to the Philosophy of Education (Curren 2003), which contains more than six-hundred pages divided into forty-five chapters each of which surveys a subfield of work. The following random selection of chapter topics gives a sense of the enormous scope of the field: Sex education, special education, science education, aesthetic education, theories of teaching and learning, religious education, knowledge, truth and learning, cultivating reason, the measurement of learning, multicultural education, education and the politics of identity, education and standards of living, motivation and classroom management, feminism, critical theory, postmodernism, romanticism, the purposes of universities, affirmative action in higher education, and professional education. The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Education (Siegel 2009) contains a similarly broad range of articles on (among other things) the epistemic and moral aims of education, liberal education and its imminent demise, thinking and reasoning, fallibilism and fallibility, indoctrination, authenticity, the development of rationality, Socratic teaching, educating the imagination, caring and empathy in moral education, the limits of moral education, the cultivation of character, values education, curriculum and the value of knowledge, education and democracy, art and education, science education and religious toleration, constructivism and scientific methods, multicultural education, prejudice, authority and the interests of children, and on pragmatist, feminist, and postmodernist approaches to philosophy of education.

Given this enormous range, there is no non-arbitrary way to select a small number of topics for further discussion, nor can the topics that are chosen be pursued in great depth. The choice of those below has been made with an eye to highlighting contemporary work that makes solid contact with and contributes to important discussions in general philosophy and/or the academic educational and educational research communities.

The issue of what should be taught to students at all levels of education—the issue of curriculum content—obviously is a fundamental one, and it is an extraordinarily difficult one with which to grapple. In tackling it, care needs to be taken to distinguish between education and schooling—for although education can occur in schools, so can mis-education, and many other things can take place there that are educationally orthogonal (such as the provision of free or subsidized lunches and the development of social networks); and it also must be recognized that education can occur in the home, in libraries and museums, in churches and clubs, in solitary interaction with the public media, and the like.

In developing a curriculum (whether in a specific subject area, or more broadly as the whole range of offerings in an educational institution or system), a number of difficult decisions need to be made. Issues such as the proper ordering or sequencing of topics in the chosen subject, the time to be allocated to each topic, the lab work or excursions or projects that are appropriate for particular topics, can all be regarded as technical issues best resolved either by educationists who have a depth of experience with the target age group or by experts in the psychology of learning and the like. But there are deeper issues, ones concerning the validity of the justifications that have been given for including/excluding particular subjects or topics in the offerings of formal educational institutions. (Why should evolution or creation “science” be included, or excluded, as a topic within the standard high school subject Biology? Is the justification that is given for teaching Economics in some schools coherent and convincing? Do the justifications for including/excluding materials on birth control, patriotism, the Holocaust or wartime atrocities in the curriculum in some school districts stand up to critical scrutiny?)

The different justifications for particular items of curriculum content that have been put forward by philosophers and others since Plato’s pioneering efforts all draw, explicitly or implicitly, upon the positions that the respective theorists hold about at least three sets of issues.

First, what are the aims and/or functions of education (aims and functions are not necessarily the same)? Many aims have been proposed; a short list includes the production of knowledge and knowledgeable students, the fostering of curiosity and inquisitiveness, the enhancement of understanding, the enlargement of the imagination, the civilizing of students, the fostering of rationality and/or autonomy, and the development in students of care, concern and associated dispositions and attitudes (see Siegel 2007 for a longer list). The justifications offered for all such aims have been controversial, and alternative justifications of a single proposed aim can provoke philosophical controversy. Consider the aim of autonomy. Aristotle asked, what constitutes the good life and/or human flourishing, such that education should foster these (Curren 2013)? These two formulations are related, for it is arguable that our educational institutions should aim to equip individuals to pursue this good life—although this is not obvious, both because it is not clear that there is one conception of the good or flourishing life that is the good or flourishing life for everyone, and it is not clear that this is a question that should be settled in advance rather than determined by students for themselves. Thus, for example, if our view of human flourishing includes the capacity to think and act autonomously, then the case can be made that educational institutions—and their curricula—should aim to prepare, or help to prepare, autonomous individuals. A rival justification of the aim of autonomy, associated with Kant, champions the educational fostering of autonomy not on the basis of its contribution to human flourishing, but rather the obligation to treat students with respect as persons (Scheffler 1973 [1989]; Siegel 1988). Still others urge the fostering of autonomy on the basis of students’ fundamental interests, in ways that draw upon both Aristotelian and Kantian conceptual resources (Brighouse 2005, 2009). It is also possible to reject the fostering of autonomy as an educational aim (Hand 2006).

Assuming that the aim can be justified, how students should be helped to become autonomous or develop a conception of the good life and pursue it is of course not immediately obvious, and much philosophical ink has been spilled on the general question of how best to determine curriculum content. One influential line of argument was developed by Paul Hirst, who argued that knowledge is essential for developing and then pursuing a conception of the good life, and because logical analysis shows, he argued, that there are seven basic forms of knowledge, the case can be made that the function of the curriculum is to introduce students to each of these forms (Hirst 1965; see Phillips 1987: ch. 11). Another, suggested by Scheffler, is that curriculum content should be selected so as “to help the learner attain maximum self-sufficiency as economically as possible.” The relevant sorts of economy include those of resources, teacher effort, student effort, and the generalizability or transfer value of content, while the self-sufficiency in question includes

self-awareness, imaginative weighing of alternative courses of action, understanding of other people’s choices and ways of life, decisiveness without rigidity, emancipation from stereotyped ways of thinking and perceiving…empathy… intuition, criticism and independent judgment. (Scheffler 1973 [1989: 123–5])

Both impose important constraints on the curricular content to be taught.

Second, is it justifiable to treat the curriculum of an educational institution as a vehicle for furthering the socio-political interests and goals of a dominant group, or any particular group, including one’s own; and relatedly, is it justifiable to design the curriculum so that it serves as an instrument of control or of social engineering? In the closing decades of the twentieth century there were numerous discussions of curriculum theory, particularly from Marxist and postmodern perspectives, that offered the sobering analysis that in many educational systems, including those in Western democracies, the curriculum did indeed reflect and serve the interests of powerful cultural elites. What to do about this situation (if it is indeed the situation of contemporary educational institutions) is far from clear and is the focus of much work at the interface of philosophy of education and social/political philosophy, some of which is discussed in the next section. A closely related question is this: ought educational institutions be designed to further pre-determined social ends, or rather to enable students to competently evaluate all such ends? Scheffler argued that we should opt for the latter: we must

surrender the idea of shaping or molding the mind of the pupil. The function of education…is rather to liberate the mind, strengthen its critical powers, [and] inform it with knowledge and the capacity for independent inquiry. (Scheffler 1973 [1989: 139])

Third, should educational programs at the elementary and secondary levels be made up of a number of disparate offerings, so that individuals with different interests and abilities and affinities for learning can pursue curricula that are suitable? Or should every student pursue the same curriculum as far as each is able?—a curriculum, it should be noted, that in past cases nearly always was based on the needs or interests of those students who were academically inclined or were destined for elite social roles. Mortimer Adler and others in the late twentieth century sometimes used the aphorism “the best education for the best is the best education for all.”

The thinking here can be explicated in terms of the analogy of an out-of-control virulent disease, for which there is only one type of medicine available; taking a large dose of this medicine is extremely beneficial, and the hope is that taking only a little—while less effective—is better than taking none at all. Medically, this is dubious, while the educational version—forcing students to work, until they exit the system, on topics that do not interest them and for which they have no facility or motivation—has even less merit. (For a critique of Adler and his Paideia Proposal , see Noddings 2015.) It is interesting to compare the modern “one curriculum track for all” position with Plato’s system outlined in the Republic , according to which all students—and importantly this included girls—set out on the same course of study. Over time, as they moved up the educational ladder it would become obvious that some had reached the limit imposed upon them by nature, and they would be directed off into appropriate social roles in which they would find fulfillment, for their abilities would match the demands of these roles. Those who continued on with their education would eventually become members of the ruling class of Guardians.

The publication of John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice in 1971 was the most notable event in the history of political philosophy over the last century. The book spurred a period of ferment in political philosophy that included, among other things, new research on educationally fundamental themes. The principles of justice in educational distribution have perhaps been the dominant theme in this literature, and Rawls’s influence on its development has been pervasive.

Rawls’s theory of justice made so-called “fair equality of opportunity” one of its constitutive principles. Fair equality of opportunity entailed that the distribution of education would not put the children of those who currently occupied coveted social positions at any competitive advantage over other, equally talented and motivated children seeking the qualifications for those positions (Rawls 1971: 72–75). Its purpose was to prevent socio-economic differences from hardening into social castes that were perpetuated across generations. One obvious criticism of fair equality of opportunity is that it does not prohibit an educational distribution that lavished resources on the most talented children while offering minimal opportunities to others. So long as untalented students from wealthy families were assigned opportunities no better than those available to their untalented peers among the poor, no breach of the principle would occur. Even the most moderate egalitarians might find such a distributive regime to be intuitively repugnant.

Repugnance might be mitigated somewhat by the ways in which the overall structure of Rawls’s conception of justice protects the interests of those who fare badly in educational competition. All citizens must enjoy the same basic liberties, and equal liberty always has moral priority over equal opportunity: the former can never be compromised to advance the latter. Further, inequality in the distribution of income and wealth are permitted only to the degree that it serves the interests of the least advantaged group in society. But even with these qualifications, fair equality of opportunity is arguably less than really fair to anyone. The fact that their education should secure ends other than access to the most selective social positions—ends such as artistic appreciation, the kind of self-knowledge that humanistic study can furnish, or civic virtue—is deemed irrelevant according to Rawls’s principle. But surely it is relevant, given that a principle of educational justice must be responsive to the full range of educationally important goods.

Suppose we revise our account of the goods included in educational distribution so that aesthetic appreciation, say, and the necessary understanding and virtue for conscientious citizenship count for just as much as job-related skills. An interesting implication of doing so is that the rationale for requiring equality under any just distribution becomes decreasingly clear. That is because job-related skills are positional whereas the other educational goods are not (Hollis 1982). If you and I both aspire to a career in business management for which we are equally qualified, any increase in your job-related skills is a corresponding disadvantage to me unless I can catch up. Positional goods have a competitive structure by definition, though the ends of civic or aesthetic education do not fit that structure. If you and I aspire to be good citizens and are equal in civic understanding and virtue, an advance in your civic education is no disadvantage to me. On the contrary, it is easier to be a good citizen the better other citizens learn to be. At the very least, so far as non-positional goods figure in our conception of what counts as a good education, the moral stakes of inequality are thereby lowered.

In fact, an emerging alternative to fair equality of opportunity is a principle that stipulates some benchmark of adequacy in achievement or opportunity as the relevant standard of distribution. But it is misleading to represent this as a contrast between egalitarian and sufficientarian conceptions. Philosophically serious interpretations of adequacy derive from the ideal of equal citizenship (Satz 2007; Anderson 2007). Then again, fair equality of opportunity in Rawls’s theory is derived from a more fundamental ideal of equality among citizens. This was arguably true in A Theory of Justice but it is certainly true in his later work (Dworkin 1977: 150–183; Rawls 1993). So, both Rawls’s principle and the emerging alternative share an egalitarian foundation. The debate between adherents of equal opportunity and those misnamed as sufficientarians is certainly not over (e.g., Brighouse & Swift 2009; Jacobs 2010; Warnick 2015). Further progress will likely hinge on explicating the most compelling conception of the egalitarian foundation from which distributive principles are to be inferred. Another Rawls-inspired alternative is that a “prioritarian” distribution of achievement or opportunity might turn out to be the best principle we can come up with—i.e., one that favors the interests of the least advantaged students (Schouten 2012).

The publication of Rawls’s Political Liberalism in 1993 signaled a decisive turning point in his thinking about justice. In his earlier book, the theory of justice had been presented as if it were universally valid. But Rawls had come to think that any theory of justice presented as such was open to reasonable rejection. A more circumspect approach to justification would seek grounds for justice as fairness in an overlapping consensus between the many reasonable values and doctrines that thrive in a democratic political culture. Rawls argued that such a culture is informed by a shared ideal of free and equal citizenship that provided a new, distinctively democratic framework for justifying a conception of justice. The shift to political liberalism involved little revision on Rawls’s part to the content of the principles he favored. But the salience it gave to questions about citizenship in the fabric of liberal political theory had important educational implications. How was the ideal of free and equal citizenship to be instantiated in education in a way that accommodated the range of reasonable values and doctrines encompassed in an overlapping consensus? Political Liberalism has inspired a range of answers to that question (cf. Callan 1997; Clayton 2006; Bull 2008).

Other philosophers besides Rawls in the 1990s took up a cluster of questions about civic education, and not always from a liberal perspective. Alasdair Macintyre’s After Virtue (1984) strongly influenced the development of communitarian political theory which, as its very name might suggest, argued that the cultivation of community could preempt many of the problems with conflicting individual rights at the core of liberalism. As a full-standing alternative to liberalism, communitarianism might have little to recommend it. But it was a spur for liberal philosophers to think about how communities could be built and sustained to support the more familiar projects of liberal politics (e.g., Strike 2010). Furthermore, its arguments often converged with those advanced by feminist exponents of the ethic of care (Noddings 1984; Gilligan 1982). Noddings’ work is particularly notable because she inferred a cogent and radical agenda for the reform of schools from her conception of care (Noddings 1992).

One persistent controversy in citizenship theory has been about whether patriotism is correctly deemed a virtue, given our obligations to those who are not our fellow citizens in an increasingly interdependent world and the sordid history of xenophobia with which modern nation states are associated. The controversy is partly about what we should teach in our schools and is commonly discussed by philosophers in that context (Galston 1991; Ben-Porath 2006; Callan 2006; Miller 2007; Curren & Dorn 2018). The controversy is related to a deeper and more pervasive question about how morally or intellectually taxing the best conception of our citizenship should be. The more taxing it is, the more constraining its derivative conception of civic education will be. Contemporary political philosophers offer divergent arguments about these matters. For example, Gutmann and Thompson claim that citizens of diverse democracies need to “understand the diverse ways of life of their fellow citizens” (Gutmann & Thompson 1996: 66). The need arises from the obligation of reciprocity which they (like Rawls) believe to be integral to citizenship. Because I must seek to cooperate with others politically on terms that make sense from their moral perspective as well as my own, I must be ready to enter that perspective imaginatively so as to grasp its distinctive content. Many such perspectives prosper in liberal democracies, and so the task of reciprocal understanding is necessarily onerous. Still, our actions qua deliberative citizen must be grounded in such reciprocity if political cooperation on terms acceptable to us as (diversely) morally motivated citizens is to be possible at all. This is tantamount to an imperative to think autonomously inside the role of citizen because I cannot close-mindedly resist critical consideration of moral views alien to my own without flouting my responsibilities as a deliberative citizen.

Civic education does not exhaust the domain of moral education, even though the more robust conceptions of equal citizenship have far-reaching implications for just relations in civil society and the family. The study of moral education has traditionally taken its bearings from normative ethics rather than political philosophy, and this is largely true of work undertaken in recent decades. The major development here has been the revival of virtue ethics as an alternative to the deontological and consequentialist theories that dominated discussion for much of the twentieth century.

The defining idea of virtue ethics is that our criterion of moral right and wrong must derive from a conception of how the ideally virtuous agent would distinguish between the two. Virtue ethics is thus an alternative to both consequentialism and deontology which locate the relevant criterion in producing good consequences or meeting the requirements of moral duty respectively. The debate about the comparative merits of these theories is not resolved, but from an educational perspective that may be less important than it has sometimes seemed to antagonists in the debate. To be sure, adjudicating between rival theories in normative ethics might shed light on how best to construe the process of moral education, and philosophical reflection on the process might help us to adjudicate between the theories. There has been extensive work on habituation and virtue, largely inspired by Aristotle (Burnyeat 1980; Peters 1981). But whether this does anything to establish the superiority of virtue ethics over its competitors is far from obvious. Other aspects of moral education—in particular, the paired processes of role-modelling and identification—deserve much more scrutiny than they have received (Audi 2017; Kristjánsson 2015, 2017).

Related to the issues concerning the aims and functions of education and schooling rehearsed above are those involving the specifically epistemic aims of education and attendant issues treated by social and virtue epistemologists. (The papers collected in Kotzee 2013 and Baehr 2016 highlight the current and growing interactions among social epistemologists, virtue epistemologists, and philosophers of education.)

There is, first, a lively debate concerning putative epistemic aims. Alvin Goldman argues that truth (or knowledge understood in the “weak” sense of true belief) is the fundamental epistemic aim of education (Goldman 1999). Others, including the majority of historically significant philosophers of education, hold that critical thinking or rationality and rational belief (or knowledge in the “strong” sense that includes justification) is the basic epistemic educational aim (Bailin & Siegel 2003; Scheffler 1965, 1973 [1989]; Siegel 1988, 1997, 2005, 2017). Catherine Z. Elgin (1999a,b) and Duncan Pritchard (2013, 2016; Carter & Pritchard 2017) have independently urged that understanding is the basic aim. Pritchard’s view combines understanding with intellectual virtue ; Jason Baehr (2011) systematically defends the fostering of the intellectual virtues as the fundamental epistemic aim of education. This cluster of views continues to engender ongoing discussion and debate. (Its complex literature is collected in Carter and Kotzee 2015, summarized in Siegel 2018, and helpfully analyzed in Watson 2016.)

A further controversy concerns the places of testimony and trust in the classroom: In what circumstances if any ought students to trust their teachers’ pronouncements, and why? Here the epistemology of education is informed by social epistemology, specifically the epistemology of testimony; the familiar reductionism/anti-reductionism controversy there is applicable to students and teachers. Anti-reductionists, who regard testimony as a basic source of justification, may with equanimity approve of students’ taking their teachers’ word at face value and believing what they say; reductionists may balk. Does teacher testimony itself constitute good reason for student belief?

The correct answer here seems clearly enough to be “it depends”. For very young children who have yet to acquire or develop the ability to subject teacher declarations to critical scrutiny, there seems to be little alternative to accepting what their teachers tell them. For older and more cognitively sophisticated students there seem to be more options: they can assess them for plausibility, compare them with other opinions, assess the teachers’ proffered reasons, subject them to independent evaluation, etc. Regarding “the teacher says that p ” as itself a good reason to believe it appears moreover to contravene the widely shared conviction that an important educational aim is helping students to become able to evaluate candidate beliefs for themselves and believe accordingly. That said, all sides agree that sometimes believers, including students, have good reasons simply to trust what others tell them. There is thus more work to do here by both social epistemologists and philosophers of education (for further discussion see Goldberg 2013; Siegel 2005, 2018).

A further cluster of questions, of long-standing interest to philosophers of education, concerns indoctrination : How if at all does it differ from legitimate teaching? Is it inevitable, and if so is it not always necessarily bad? First, what is it? As we saw earlier, extant analyses focus on the aims or intentions of the indoctrinator, the methods employed, or the content transmitted. If the indoctrination is successful, all have the result that students/victims either don’t, won’t, or can’t subject the indoctrinated material to proper epistemic evaluation. In this way it produces both belief that is evidentially unsupported or contravened and uncritical dispositions to believe. It might seem obvious that indoctrination, so understood, is educationally undesirable. But it equally seems that very young children, at least, have no alternative but to believe sans evidence; they have yet to acquire the dispositions to seek and evaluate evidence, or the abilities to recognize evidence or evaluate it. Thus we seem driven to the views that indoctrination is both unavoidable and yet bad and to be avoided. It is not obvious how this conundrum is best handled. One option is to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable indoctrination. Another is to distinguish between indoctrination (which is always bad) and non-indoctrinating belief inculcation, the latter being such that students are taught some things without reasons (the alphabet, the numbers, how to read and count, etc.), but in such a way that critical evaluation of all such material (and everything else) is prized and fostered (Siegel 1988: ch. 5). In the end the distinctions required by the two options might be extensionally equivalent (Siegel 2018).

Education, it is generally granted, fosters belief : in the typical propositional case, Smith teaches Jones that p , and if all goes well Jones learns it and comes to believe it. Education also has the task of fostering open-mindedness and an appreciation of our fallibility : All the theorists mentioned thus far, especially those in the critical thinking and intellectual virtue camps, urge their importance. But these two might seem at odds. If Jones (fully) believes that p , can she also be open-minded about it? Can she believe, for example, that earthquakes are caused by the movements of tectonic plates, while also believing that perhaps they aren’t? This cluster of italicized notions requires careful handling; it is helpfully discussed by Jonathan Adler (2002, 2003), who recommends regarding the latter two as meta-attitudes concerning one’s first-order beliefs rather than lessened degrees of belief or commitments to those beliefs.

Other traditional epistemological worries that impinge upon the epistemology of education concern (a) absolutism , pluralism and relativism with respect to knowledge, truth and justification as these relate to what is taught, (b) the character and status of group epistemologies and the prospects for understanding such epistemic goods “universalistically” in the face of “particularist” challenges, (c) the relation between “knowledge-how” and “knowledge-that” and their respective places in the curriculum, (d) concerns raised by multiculturalism and the inclusion/exclusion of marginalized perspectives in curriculum content and the classroom, and (e) further issues concerning teaching and learning. (There is more here than can be briefly summarized; for more references and systematic treatment cf. Bailin & Siegel 2003; Carter & Kotzee 2015; Cleverley & Phillips 1986; Robertson 2009; Siegel 2004, 2017; and Watson 2016.)

The educational research enterprise has been criticized for a century or more by politicians, policymakers, administrators, curriculum developers, teachers, philosophers of education, and by researchers themselves—but the criticisms have been contradictory. Charges of being “too ivory tower and theory-oriented” are found alongside “too focused on practice and too atheoretical”; but in light of the views of John Dewey and William James that the function of theory is to guide intelligent practice and problem-solving, it is becoming more fashionable to hold that the “theory v. practice” dichotomy is a false one. (For an illuminating account of the historical development of educational research and its tribulations, see Lagemann 2000.)

A similar trend can be discerned with respect to the long warfare between two rival groups of research methods—on one hand quantitative/statistical approaches to research, and on the other hand the qualitative/ethnographic family. (The choice of labels here is not entirely risk-free, for they have been contested; furthermore the first approach is quite often associated with “experimental” studies, and the latter with “case studies”, but this is an over-simplification.) For several decades these two rival methodological camps were treated by researchers and a few philosophers of education as being rival paradigms (Kuhn’s ideas, albeit in a very loose form, have been influential in the field of educational research), and the dispute between them was commonly referred to as “the paradigm wars”. In essence the issue at stake was epistemological: members of the quantitative/experimental camp believed that only their methods could lead to well-warranted knowledge claims, especially about the causal factors at play in educational phenomena, and on the whole they regarded qualitative methods as lacking in rigor; on the other hand the adherents of qualitative/ethnographic approaches held that the other camp was too “positivistic” and was operating with an inadequate view of causation in human affairs—one that ignored the role of motives and reasons, possession of relevant background knowledge, awareness of cultural norms, and the like. Few if any commentators in the “paradigm wars” suggested that there was anything prohibiting the use of both approaches in the one research program—provided that if both were used, they were used only sequentially or in parallel, for they were underwritten by different epistemologies and hence could not be blended together. But recently the trend has been towards rapprochement, towards the view that the two methodological families are, in fact, compatible and are not at all like paradigms in the Kuhnian sense(s) of the term; the melding of the two approaches is often called “mixed methods research”, and it is growing in popularity. (For more detailed discussion of these “wars” see Howe 2003 and Phillips 2009.)

The most lively contemporary debates about education research, however, were set in motion around the turn of the millennium when the US Federal Government moved in the direction of funding only rigorously scientific educational research—the kind that could establish causal factors which could then guide the development of practically effective policies. (It was held that such a causal knowledge base was available for medical decision-making.) The definition of “rigorously scientific”, however, was decided by politicians and not by the research community, and it was given in terms of the use of a specific research method—the net effect being that the only research projects to receive Federal funding were those that carried out randomized controlled experiments or field trials (RFTs). It has become common over the last decade to refer to the RFT as the “gold standard” methodology.

The National Research Council (NRC)—an arm of the US National Academies of Science—issued a report, influenced by postpostivistic philosophy of science (NRC 2002), that argued that this criterion was far too narrow. Numerous essays have appeared subsequently that point out how the “gold standard” account of scientific rigor distorts the history of science, how the complex nature of the relation between evidence and policy-making has been distorted and made to appear overly simple (for instance the role of value-judgments in linking empirical findings to policy directives is often overlooked), and qualitative researchers have insisted upon the scientific nature of their work. Nevertheless, and possibly because it tried to be balanced and supported the use of RFTs in some research contexts, the NRC report has been the subject of symposia in four journals, where it has been supported by a few and attacked from a variety of philosophical fronts: Its authors were positivists, they erroneously believed that educational inquiry could be value neutral and that it could ignore the ways in which the exercise of power constrains the research process, they misunderstood the nature of educational phenomena, and so on. This cluster of issues continues to be debated by educational researchers and by philosophers of education and of science, and often involves basic topics in philosophy of science: the constitution of warranting evidence, the nature of theories and of confirmation and explanation, etc. Nancy Cartwright’s important recent work on causation, evidence, and evidence-based policy adds layers of both philosophical sophistication and real world practical analysis to the central issues just discussed (Cartwright & Hardie 2012, Cartwright 2013; cf. Kvernbekk 2015 for an overview of the controversies regarding evidence in the education and philosophy of education literatures).

As stressed earlier, it is impossible to do justice to the whole field of philosophy of education in a single encyclopedia entry. Different countries around the world have their own intellectual traditions and their own ways of institutionalizing philosophy of education in the academic universe, and no discussion of any of this appears in the present essay. But even in the Anglo-American world there is such a diversity of approaches that any author attempting to produce a synoptic account will quickly run into the borders of his or her competence. Clearly this has happened in the present case.

Fortunately, in the last thirty years or so resources have become available that significantly alleviate these problems. There has been a flood of encyclopedia entries, both on the field as a whole and also on many specific topics not well-covered in the present essay (see, as a sample, Burbules 1994; Chambliss 1996b; Curren 1998, 2018; Phillips 1985, 2010; Siegel 2007; Smeyers 1994), two “Encyclopedias” (Chambliss 1996a; Phillips 2014), a “Guide” (Blake, Smeyers, Smith, & Standish 2003), a “Companion” (Curren 2003), two “Handbooks” (Siegel 2009; Bailey, Barrow, Carr, & McCarthy 2010), a comprehensive anthology (Curren 2007), a dictionary of key concepts in the field (Winch & Gingell 1999), and a good textbook or two (Carr 2003; Noddings 2015). In addition there are numerous volumes both of reprinted selections and of specially commissioned essays on specific topics, some of which were given short shrift here (for another sampling see A. Rorty 1998, Stone 1994), and several international journals, including Theory and Research in Education , Journal of Philosophy of Education , Educational Theory , Studies in Philosophy and Education , and Educational Philosophy and Theory . Thus there is more than enough material available to keep the interested reader busy.

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autonomy: personal | Dewey, John | feminist philosophy, interventions: ethics | feminist philosophy, interventions: liberal feminism | feminist philosophy, interventions: political philosophy | feminist philosophy, topics: perspectives on autonomy | feminist philosophy, topics: perspectives on disability | Foucault, Michel | Gadamer, Hans-Georg | liberalism | Locke, John | Lyotard, Jean François | -->ordinary language --> | Plato | postmodernism | Rawls, John | rights: of children | Rousseau, Jean Jacques

Acknowledgments

The authors and editors would like to thank Randall Curren for sending a number of constructive suggestions for the Summer 2018 update of this entry.

Copyright © 2018 by Harvey Siegel D.C. Phillips Eamonn Callan

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