Statement of Purpose

	I would like to apply for the Master of Science in Civil Engineering program in the area of Structures at your university. During my undergraduate studies at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, we covered a range of civil engineering subjects. However, the ones that I enjoyed the most and excelled in were those in the area of structures such as theory of structures, structural concrete design, structural steel design, and structural dynamics. Also, I took my electives in the available courses related to structures such as computer methods in structural analysis and advanced foundation design. Additionally, my graduation “capstone” project involves structural design of a ribbed steel arch bridge over Dubai Creek. The scope of the project includes hand calculations for the analysis and design, as well as software modeling using SAP2000.

	I hope to do the Masters degree in the area of Structural Engineering since I would like to increase my background in this area. Besides, I would like to get the Masters degree as a first step to achieve my main goal, which is a PhD. in the area of bridge engineering. Ultimately, I would like to become a professor specializing in structural engineering and I would like to give back to my home country in terms of education.
	Having considered many universities to apply to for my Masters Degree, the University of California -  Berkeley seems to offer the most interesting program for my particular skills, interest and needs. Moreover, Prof. Jamal Abdalla, Berkeley graduate,  highly recommended the civil engineering department at your university to me.
	As a dedicated student at the American University of Sharjah who has maintained a GPA above 3.50 / 4.0, I feel the Masters program at the University of California -  Berkeley would be a challenging, yet highly rewarding program for me.