Statement of Purpose: Structural Engineering

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Name : Ahsanuddin Ahmed Program : M. S. in Civil Engineering Specialization: Structural Engineering I have always been driven by an urge to know the how and why of things, often letting curiosity gets the better of me. Learning has always spelled enjoyment for me, and when you enjoy doing something, it is no work at all. My long-term goal is to make a contribution to the Structural field, which is not only innovative but also constructive to the society. Through my M.

S program I wish to gain more knowledge and put my ideas and thoughts in to action. I get ecstatic when I realize that I am just two years away from fulfilling my childhood dream to pursue career in Civil Engineering. Being from the family of Engineer’s my inclination towards Engineering was obvious. I did not let a chance go to visit my grandfather’s project sites. With the time my desire for Building’s and Construction has spread roots deep in my heart. With this strong desire I topped Secondary school with 76. 67%.

I selected Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry as options for my post secondary course. An excellent combination of an extremely good faculty at Narayana Junior College and hard work from my side helped me to achieve 89. 3% in my 11th grade. My persistent hard work paid off and I secured 89. 6% in my post secondary school. Yet the job was not over I had to qualify with flying colors in Engineering Agricultural and Medicine Common Entrance Test( EAMCET) to secure a seat in a reputed college for my under graduation.

I ranked among the top 8% in EAMCET from over 200000 candidates that appeared for the examination. Finally I was granted admission in Muffakham Jah College of Engineering & Technology that is ranked among top ten colleges in my state; especially it is famous for its eminent faculty in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. In my first year of under graduation I was taught Engineering Mechanics, from the very first day the class took off, application of calculus to small engineering problems thrilled me.

In the next semesters I came across subjects such as Strength of Materials, in which I encountered a Bending Moment Diagram of a simple beam, in which to some extent I found answers to my childhood questions about buildings. In my 4th semester I was taught Theory of Structures that changed my mindset completely, previously in Strength of Materials I was just confined to calculate bending moments of various beam arrangements. But in Theory of Structures I was exposed to a broader view of Structures. I realized Civil Engineering is much more than reinforced concrete.

In one of my journeys by train I came across a through type truss bridge pned over kilometers, combination of beams that could hold trains over long ps of water fascinated me. At this point I had almost decided that structural engineering was the career for me. My interest in Structural Engineering propelled me to present a seminar on Structural Design of PETRONAS Towers, which was highly appreciated by my professors. While gathering information from various sources I was truly impressed by the innovative design of the structure, and then I realized the crucial role played by in a project.

Designing structures of a complexity that appeals to me requires “more tools in my toolbox. ” Those I can acquire only by continuing my education. To be competent and competitive I will need a master’s degree. An extremely distinguished faculty, a milieu replete with academic activity, and a graduate program, which blends high quality course work and research facilities at the cutting edge of every sub-field, are the factors, which motivated me to choose the University of Illinois at Chicago.

I’m aware that University of Illinois at Chicago demands an excellent academic record for their applicants, whereas my performance in some of my undergraduate semesters was average. My average performance was due to the fact that after exhaustive two years of rigorous hard work at my post secondary school I became a little bit casual about my academics and was overly indulged in sports from which I have been away since two years.

I have confidence that with a mix of guidance of the eminent faculty of University of Illinois at Chicago and hard work from my side I can emulate the results of my post secondary school. More over my dream to get the latest and practical oriented education propelled me to come out with an inspiring performance in GRE and TOEFL. Graduate education establishes an atmosphere of intellectual collegiality in which interaction among people with differing points of view is essential to learning.

Students must deal with subject matter at the leading edge of their disciplines, a territory characterized by different and opposing points of view. Ever since I made my decision to in USA and more specifically with Structural Engineering as my major field, I have looked excitedly towards University of Illinois at Chicago. Infact, after having a look at the tracks that are being offered, I was sure that University of Illinois at Chicago was definitely the place where I would like to develop and hone my skills.

The subjects offered by your university have fascinated me, especially Matrix Methods of Structural Analysis and Bridge Design. . The combination of eminent faculty duly experienced in research projects like Reinforcement for Concrete Bridge decks, Monitoring the state of repaired and Strengthened structures, Cracking in I-girders, and laboratories devoted for structural models, concrete structures and Research Facility for Explosion Resistant Design would provide me with learning opportunities that I have not yet experienced.

Hence, an opportunity to hone my “latent” skills is it technical, managerial or personal would be a dream come true. Structural engineering will allow me to pursue a career where I can be creatively involved in problem-solving and design functional structures, like the colossus reinforced Concrete structure and later a through type truss bridge that totally captivated me. A master’s degree will give me the up-to-date tools and knowledge to be competitive and competent. . Ahsanuddin Ahmed