Help with Motivation letter

Hey all! I am applying for a Research Master and just finished my first draft of a motivation letter. I wouldbe thankful if you could read over it and provide me with some feedback.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter to express my serious interest in the Research Master program Fundamental Neuroscience starting in September 2014. Currently I am finalizing my Bachelor study Psychology at your university.

The broad variety of courses as part of the Bachelor study helped me to evaluate my competence and appreciation for the different fields of the discipline. An affinity for neurobiology developed at the early stages of my study and I found the idea of conducting research in this field intriguing. Opposed to many approaches to research that I found to be rather abstract, fundamental research pinpoints psychological processes to essential underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. This idea and the prospect of practical and laboratory training fascinates me and I am highly driven to follow the master program.

Classes focusing on biological basics of psychology like Body and Behavior or Psychopharmacology I followed with great motivation, which is also reflected on my grade list. Through practical and theoretical training followed during my bachelor I picked up a knowledge of neuroanatomy and familiarity with various analytical tools of brain function such as fMRI and EEG.

Also I highly benefit from international experience that I accumulated by working in the United States and studying here in the Netherlands as they shaped me into a flexible person that is able to quickly learn in a new context.

After being part of a group research project that investigated the effect of personality traits on learning self-monitoring I learned how to apply the principles and methods of research on a practical level. Scientific and critical writing I mastered through several writing classes before and during my psychology study, resulting among others in a literature review thesis that will be published in the Maastricht Student Journal Of Psychology and Neuroscience. This thesis investigated the positive and negative effects of psilocybin on humans, based on experimental studies.

Following a master graduation I hope to pursue a doctorate and work in a preclinical research setting. I aspire to be involved in the groundwork investigation for pharmacological treatment options of neurological or neurodegenerative diseases with special interest in epilepsy. Fundamental Neuroscience is a program that would give me the expertise and practical experience necessary for such a career.

The competitive nature and the specificity of this Research Master make it an ideal choice for me and I am confident to follow the program with great ambition. Aware of the challenge and workload as part of the program I nevertheless consider myself as a suited and motivated candidate.

Thanking you in advance for considering my application, I look forward to a favorable response.

Sincerely,