Students with a background in accounting or related quantitative subjects, such as commerce, computing, business studies, economics, engineering and finance can apply for MS in Accounting and Finance. Here, the SOP accounting and finance plays a crucial role in application to some of the top accounting schools like MIT, Cambridge, etc.
This is because these schools assess capabilities like critical thinking and creativity through writing samples along with problem-solving aptitude, evident from your portfolios. Similarly, other key capabilities can be highlighted and substantiated through your SOP for accounting and finance.
Planning to write an effective SOP for MS in Accounting and Finance? Let’s discuss that at length and understand the intricate facets of a good Accounting and Finance SOP sample.
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How to Draft a Statement of Purpose for Accounting and Finance?
To start writing your statement of purpose for accounting and finance, brainstorm, free-write sample SOP for accounting and finance, and collect your thoughts. Your SOP should be a dive into relevant life experiences, academic, and professional background (if applicable), career goals, co-curricular activities, volunteering/community involvement, and more.
So, refer to the effective guidelines given below to draft a sample SOP for accounting and finance.
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Introduction
What motivated you to choose accounting and finance as your interest? What is the strongest experience that led you to choose this field? For example, I hail from a family of business managers as my mother is a qualified chartered accountant, and my father is an experienced investment banker. Since my childhood, I have seen the discussions related to business accounts and functioning of the tremendous international companies between my parents. This increased my interest in the Accounting and Finance domain.
- Begin your introduction with an attention-grabbing experience that is evocative of your journey into the field.
- Alternatively, you can also begin with a research problem statement that you consider exploring in your MS in Accounting and Finance course.
- This is because some programs directly seek an statement of purpose for accounting and finance that is more of a research proposal than otherwise.
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For example, The University of MIT — clearly instructs applicants to devise the statement of purpose accounting and finance in the form of short answers and questions. For Example: Q1. Please discuss your past academic and professional experiences and accomplishments that will help you succeed in the Master of Finance program. Include achievements in finance, maths, statistics, and computer sciences, as applicable. Q2. Tell us about your short-term and long-term professional goals. How will our MF degree help you achieve these goals? Q3. What personal qualities will enable you to contribute to the advancement of our mission? |
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Second Paragraph
You can build on the onset of interest in accounting and finance by discussing relevant academic and life experiences that have augmented it. How has each of these experiences pivoted your enthusiasm, streamlined it, or transformed it?
- Here, you can discuss relevant undergraduate experiences or courses in which you developed a particular interest. For example, “My problem-solving and critical thinking are two skills that are intrinsically interwoven in this subject.”
- Touch upon 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 discuss interesting projects you have worked on or relevant co-curricular experiences worth sharing. Make sure that your experiences align with your interest in the course you’re applying for.
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For instance, if you are applying for an MS in Accounting and Finance, your project must showcase your accounting and business skills. You can also present various internships related to the course. |
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Third Paragraph
Have you faced any setbacks in your academics? If you just made the cut or have lesser scores, you can mention that here.
- Have you faced other unique challenges or setbacks that have redefined your perspectives or interests?
- How did you overcome these challenges and what is/are the positive outcomes of these experiences?
- It’s essential to reflect on the lessons from these experiences to underscore your resilience.
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Fourth Paragraph
You can discuss extracurriculars in this paragraph. Remember that universities are interested to know more than just academics. So, go ahead and speak about your hobbies, social work, volunteering, etc, here. You can also discuss workshops or certifications which you have taken to upgrade your skills.
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However, it’s very important to not make the SOP an embellished version of your resume. |
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Fifth Paragraph
If you have work experience, add it here. If you do not have work experience, you can also discuss your internship experiences, reflecting on your specific learnings and take-aways. Identify a knowledge gap and the need for you to go for MS in Accounting and Finance.
- How has the work experience/s influenced your career goals? Why do you wish to go for an MS in accounting and finance now?
- Define your short-term and long-term goals.
- How will the MS in accounting and finance program from a specific accounting school help you achieve these goals?
- How does the program align with your areas of interest?
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Universities with MS in Accounting and Finance like to assess your conviction in applying to their programs. Justify your reasons for the choice of the school and the program. Make an effort to understand the values of the school and devise this paragraph accordingly. |
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Conclusion
Lastly, your conclusion needs to be equally engaging as your introduction.
- What capabilities equip you to contribute 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 the graduate community?
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Sign off with your expectations from the program and how you look forward to receiving, assimilating, and contributing to new knowledge at the university. |
Suggested: Sample SOP for Undergraduate Courses
Now you know how to draft a statement of purpose accounting and finance. However, to avoid any mistakes, let’s check the do’s and dont’s as well!
Do’s and Don'ts for a MS in Accounting and Finance SOP
Your statement of purpose accounting and finance should be truthful, concise, engaging, and well-written. Remember that every experience that you present should be coherent and well connected. This leaves no space for grey areas. Follow these Dos and Don’ts in your SOP accounting and finance:
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Maintain a positive tone throughout the SOP? |
✅ |
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Should you include your name in your MS in Accounting and Finance SOP? |
❌ |
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Can you write your SOP at the last minute? |
❌ |
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Is it imperative to stick to the word limit? |
✅ |
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Can you opt for a friendly tone while writing MS in Accounting and Finance? |
❌ |
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Should you strictly adhere to the given SOP format? |
✅ |
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Should you include your work experience in your SOP? |
✅ |
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Should you be honest about your strengths and weaknesses? |
✅ |
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Can you be extremely direct or casual? |
❌ |
Skills to Include in Your MS SOP for Accounting and Finance
Your sample statement of purpose for accounting and finance should be in-depth and research-intensive. Design is a creative and fascinating field of study. From UX/UI design, motion graphics, digital entrepreneurship, animation, to advertising, filmmaking, gaming, and academia, the career opportunities after MS are diverse.
Therefore, your statement of purpose accounting and finance should portray these skills to make it unique and appealing:
- Creativity
- Research aptitude
- Critical thinking
- Problem solving
- Academic/research writing skills
- Proficiency in MS Excel
- Management Experience
- Knowlege of digital tools
Suggested: Common mistakes in Writing SOPs and Application Essay
In addition to these skills, let’s check out the SOP requirements of top accounting and finance universities.
SOP Requirements of Top Universities for Accounting and Finance
Most universities have similar SOP requirements as part of their respective applications. We’ve shortlisted a few top universities for MS in Accounting and Finance and their requirements below:
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
If you are applying for MS in Accounting and Finance at MIT, follow these guidelines. Furthermore, note that the SOP accounting and finance requirements for other universities in US are same.
- What are your reasons for applying to the course?
- What would be your short and long term goals. Please discuss your past academic/professional experiences and accomplishments that will help you succeed in the Master of Finance program. Include achievements in finance, maths, statistics, and computer sciences, as applicable.
- Your SOP must focus on ideas along with extensive background/personal information and should be forward-thinking in vision.
- Specify the evidence of motivation for the proposed area of study.
- Lastly, applications to specialisations within Accounts and Finance have specific prompts which need to be addressed in the SOP.
2. The University of Cambridge
Along with strong academic background, The University of Cambridge is looking for applicants who can demonstrate the following aspects.
- A mindset ready to question and challenge the status quo.
- Impact in the student’s careers and organisations to date.
- A minimum of two years work experience.
Note that the Cambridge MAcc programme is an innovative global leadership programme for professionals offering cutting-edge curriculum and career mentorship. However, it is not a CPA, CA, or ACCA prep programme and is not suitable for graduates without work experience.
Offers are made on a rolling basis. Therefore, share your SOP application as early as possible because some bursaries and scholarships have advanced closing dates.
3. London School of Economics
The London School of Economics expect students to not panic about the length of their statement of academic purpose or research proposal. However, the statement of academic purpose should be typed and no longer than two sides of A4 paper. There is no fixed word limit, but they expect it to be less than 1,000 - 1,500 words.
Now you know the SOP requirements of the top accounting and finance universities.
We understand writing an SOP can be daunting. But don’t worry, Yocket is here to help you understand the nuances and draft a succinct SOP in terms of format and guidelines. The writing style for most countries remains the same. However, in case of program-specific requirements, you can re-engineer the original draft as per above-mentioned requirements.
Still, if you need expert advice, reach out to Yocket counsellors for a free 15-minute consultation.
