I know nothing about creative writing, but in general an SOP for, shall we say, "academic" (not the right word, I know) subjects contains the following, in some order:
1. what you want to research (specifically; this can change once you're in the program, but for a PhD it should be pretty focused)
2. why you want to research that*, and why you are qualified to (not just a rehash of your resume and transcript)
3. why you want to study it at this particular program (this is the "fit paragraph" that everyone talks about--what professor(s) do you want to work with, what resources does the school have that will help your project, etc)
4. what you want to do with your [name of degree] - for an academic PhD program in the humanities, you should almost ALWAYS say 'research and teach'; programs want to be able to brag about the % of students who get jobs in academia, and you won't be doing yourself any favors by saying straight off, "I will lower that percentage" (public history and the like being exceptions) (other people may disagree with this, but I stand by it)
5. if absolutely necessary, explain any holes in your record or why your lack of a specific qualification doesn't matter
* In general, this means from undergraduate onwards; it's not a great idea to talk about your childhood visits to the aquarium or how you've *always* wanted to study something (unless maybe you're applying to study neo-Platonism and you want to emphasize that you're on board with the preexistence of the soul and the return to the origin...).
Hi all. I posted this on the communications board, too, but I am also looking in English/interdisciplinary studies. Do you have any thoughts about strong digital rhetoric/media-focused Ph.D. programs?
Does anyone know of any communications Ph.D. programs that focus on interdisciplinarity and digital media? I've got Northwestern, Brown, Clemson, and NC State on my list so far. Thanks!
