lacking research experience

[Guest criminologist]

I want to write a SOP for a phd program I am interested in.  The problem is I lack research experience. I hadn't been considering grad school while in college, so I did not do a Honors thesis. My other credentials are good though. is it possible to still write a good statement without having research experience? would I need to explain my lack of experience?

[Alex E.]

you don't need honers thesis to get into graduate school. What people have been telling me is not to focus on weakness in personal statement; instead stress your strength. You can try to look for research opportunities now, which still show your passion and enthusiasm 

[ConGrUenCy]

Even if you try now but can't get research experience before submitting your application, should you mention that you tried but couldn't get it or just not mention it at all? Will lack of it make it impossible to get into a phd program?

[MikKar]

Research experience does help though. I won't say it's impossible but it reduces the chances of getting in a PhD program. Perhaps you can try doing a Masters first ? Or do you really really want to do a PhD ?

[Guest criminologist]

Thanks for the replies. I am in a terminal Master of Science program ( same field) right now, although it is a MS it is more professionally focused than research so not sure if that will help much. 

 

I know what my research interests are though. just not sure how to write about it and show how I got interested in wanting to do a PHD because of lack of experience. Should I  write about the relevant senior level courses I took in undergrad and the research papers I wrote in those?

 

Also if I have very high GPA and GRE  do you think it will more offset lack of research experience and a strong purpose statement

[Guest |||]

Write what you can pertaining to the research process.  Discuss your interests, relevant studies you know of, potential methodology you would be interested in pursuing.

 

You want them to know that while you might lack research experience, you are aware of what it means to conduct research.

[rising_star]

I would not talk about why it is that you don't have research experience. Instead, I would focus on the experience you do have. Have you written research papers for classes, analyzed data sets, collected either quantitative or qualitative data (for class, for an internship, as part of your job)? Have you taken courses on either qualitative or quantitative research, statistics, research methods, etc.? If so, then write about those things as having given you insight into and preparation for doing more in-depth research at the doctoral level.

[Guest criminologist]

I have taken several research methods and quantitative methods courses in undergrad and masters. I've also written research papers/propsals and lit reviews in topics in my field for upper level courses, and I have done a one semester internship where I had to do research in my field. It involved collecting secondary data for descriptive research and I had a short article published. I guess I could write about those things. only concern is how to connect experiences to my research interests since at the time I was not considering grad school did not really focus in any particular areas. thanks for the replies. 

Edited May 2, 2013 by gz390

[Cookie]

I have taken several research methods and quantitative methods courses in undergrad and masters. I've also written research papers/propsals and lit reviews in topics in my field for upper level courses, and I have done a one semester internship where I had to do research in my field. It involved collecting secondary data for descriptive research and I had a short article published. I guess I could write about those things. only concern is how to connect experiences to my research interests since at the time I was not considering grad school did not really focus in any particular areas. thanks for the replies. 

 

gz390, focus on the positive aspects of your application.  It looks like you DO have research experience, just not a lot.  Your SOP should deliberate how your own research experience and coursework are relevant to graduate studies, and you know what it takes to do productive and meaningful research. 

 

I would say go ahead apply if other aspects (GPA, GRE, LoRs) are good.  Good luck!

 

Edit: Ditto what NicolasCage said!

Edited May 2, 2013 by heartshapedcookie

[Angua]

Write what you can pertaining to the research process.  Discuss your interests, relevant studies you know of, potential methodology you would be interested in pursuing.

 

You want them to know that while you might lack research experience, you are aware of what it means to conduct research.

 

I agree.

 

Also, it sounds to me like you're envisioning discussing papers or projects at length and specifically in your SoP -- that's not really necessary.  You can write a really effective SoP that focuses on the areas you want to pursue in grad school and the questions you want to ask.  You should make brief reference to your experience with these areas, if applicable, but you don't need to go into a lot of detail about what you've done unless it's directly relevant to what you hope to continue doing.  Focus on what you want to research and how you want to research it.

 

Having said all that, the lack of research itself may limit you a bit -- I don't think it's a killer, and I think you can write an effective SoP without it, but it will be a weakness in your application.  Just be prepared for that weakness, and consider back-up plans that include more research experience.  Maybe research assistant positions or paid internships in your field?