PHD Information Systems & Technology, IST, Saudi

From my earliest years I loved puzzles and games involving the application of logic. It was a delight, at school, to discover that my skills had an application in computing. From my first lesson in the subject, I was ‘hooked’, it was work but it was also fun, an elusive combination to many in the world. I feel extremely fortunate to be in a position to be submitting this application to undertake further study in a subject that I love and that has the potential to do so much good in the world. My goals are to complete a Ph.D. at XXXX and then to become a successful researcher and university teacher in Saudi Arabia, discovering new applications for technology and sharing my enthusiasm for my subject with new generations of students.

My mother never learnt to read but she was very intelligent and so I knew from an early age that some people do not fulfill their potential merely because they are not offered the opportunity to learn. With this fact in mind, I set up a computer lab called Hawaiian Hope for use by homeless people as an elective project towards my Master’s degree. I designed and built the lab, installed the computers and defined its policies. I was sure that some of the clients would discover a love of, and facility for, technology; develop marketable skills and go on to change their self image and their lives, and, to my great joy, this has been the case.  No matter how far I go in life, little will compare with the satisfaction that this project has given me.

My father had a small farm in Saudi Arabia and, because of this, he was keen for me to study an agricultural subject and so, as a dutiful son, my bachelor degree was in Agricultural Economics. However I was always determined to pursue a future in technology and was eventually the proud and grateful recipient of a highly competitive scholarship from the Saudi Arabian government that enabled me to study English and to pursue a Master’s in Information Systems at XXXX University. I thoroughly enjoyed the Master’s program in Hawaii and excelled within it, obtaining straight A’s in my last semester of the program. My passion for IST arises because it is a subject in which my characteristics and natural skills find their most useful application. My success within the Master’s program will attest to the fact that I possess a high order of analytical skills, highly developed intellectual curiosity together with the intelligence and diligence that will enable me to profit from a doctoral program and to enhance the prestigious reputation of the University. I am particularly interested in undertaking research that will enable the disabled to lead fuller lives and specifically in the areas of intelligent systems and e-health.

The availability of research labs in my areas of particular interest initially attracted me to XXXX. However I am also attracted by what I have read of the excellence of the faculty, the diversity of the student body, the flexibility of the programs and the university’s reputation for providing challenging and supportive instruction. I have very carefully considered many of the programs available to me and conclude that Claremont’s is by far the best fit for my purposes. 

Unlike many of those seeking to join a doctoral program, I do have fairly substantial professional experiences that have made me a more rounded individual than I might otherwise have been at this stage in my life. Amongst the most valuable things that I have learned in my working life are: effective team working, leadership, motivation, problem solving and the application of independent action and initiative. I am sure that these skills will have wide application within the program. My business background has also provided a commercial awareness. I know that there is always a ‘bottom line’ and that any effort should result in a worthwhile and measurable result. I can also provide an assurance that I have stayed abreast of developments in IST since concluding my formal studies for my Master’s degree through wide reading and contact with faculty members.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to study in the US and have happily studied, worked and socialized with people of many cultural and social backgrounds during my time here. I am curious about other people’s lives, I love to share information about my own country and culture and look forward to exchanging such information during the program. I get on well with others and have a well developed sense of humor!

I know that there will be many well qualified applicants for the doctoral program. However I am an exceptional candidate. My background confirms that I am a diligent, intelligent person with substantial experience of team working and leadership and I excelled in my Master’s degree program in this subject. My main recommendation is a passion for IST and for acquiring the highest level of skills and knowledge in the subject to enable me to improve the lives of many.