Motivation Letter for Master's Degree

I am planning to apply for a Master's Program in the Netherlands soon and I have just finished writing my motivation letter. I have shown it to my English teacher and she will make her corrections but I would also like to have more opinions on it.
I think it needs a lot of improving and it's too long!!
Please speak the truth!
Dear Sirs,

I am writing in order to express my interest in applying for the Drug Innovation Master Programme.

My name is ********** and I am a student at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of *******, expecting to graduate in April or May 2012 (The exact graduation date will be announced in early April). The faculty of Pharmacy offers a 5-year Diploma of 300 ECTS. My current Grade Point Average is 6.91 (out of 10), considered as Very Good according to the grading system of the University of ********. I have one course of 6 ECTS pending and will take the exam in February.

My spoken and written English are equivalent to this of an expert user. I hold the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE-Cambridge ESOL) and I am planning to take the IELTS exam on 18 February. My Diploma Thesis, consisted of approximately 7000 words, is in English proving that I am very familiar with both daily-used and scientific English. I also speak Spanish and Italian at basic level and have acquired DELE Nivel B2 in Spanish. My computer skills are at a high level since I often use Word Processing, Spreadsheets and Powerpoint and hold the ECDL diploma. More information about my skills can be found in my CV.

Since my high school years I have been fascinated by science research; especially by the application of Biology and Chemistry on everyday life and the human body. For these reasons I applied for the faculty of Pharmacy in ******. Throughout my studies, I realized that the initial interest had evolved into a passion for understanding the function of the human body systems and the mechanisms with which chemical substances can influence human physiology. My contact with courses such as Physiology, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, gave me the chance to study more extensively about the mechanisms of disease, the correlation between structure and action and the drug-specific properties as determinants of the pharmacological response. A lot of courses were combined with laboratory training, which helped me understand the principles more deeply and enhanced my interest in lab research even outside my faculty’s curriculum.

Motivated by this enthusiasm, I undertook a lab skills training in immunohistochemistry at the Pathoanatomical laboratory of the ******* University Hospital. Throughout the training I became familiar with the principles of immunohistochemistry, practiced staining, manual in situ hybridization and evaluated the results together with my supervisor.

Moreover, I attended the 2nd Parkinson’s disease summerschool held by the Medical Faculty of ****, in which I collaborated with students from multiple disciplines in order to study the pathology, diagnosis and medication for Parkinson’s disease. It was a great opportunity to explore known and unknown facts about the disease, work in a team, develop my presentation skills and come up with a research project proposal. This experience revealed my interest in neurological disorders and CNS fuction.

The most valuable experience I gained during my academic studies was the completion of a laboratory-based Diploma Thesis at the Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology at the ******* University of *****. During 5 months I participated in the research projects of the laboratory, which involved the effect of Corticosterone on the HPA axis of CORT-nursed rodents and the determination of the hormone levels in fecal samples with enzyme immunoassay, thus creating a non-invasive method of evaluating stress. My diploma thesis examined the application and interpretation of this method and was titled ‘*********’. Some of the procedures I practiced were hormone extraction and determination with Corticosterone ELISA Kit on fecal samples, collection and examination of vaginal smears from rats, as well as tests associated with Behaviour and Cognition, such as Stress-inducing techniques, the Elevated Plus Maze test and the Open field test.

After this experience it became clear to me that I would pursue a career in research by focusing on a more specific area, but at the same time bring my erudition about all aspects of Drug discovery up to higher standards. I am looking for a Master’s Program based on research, which will offer me hands-on experience to pursue a PhD in Pharmacology of the CNS and neurodegenerative diseases. The reseach performed in the laboratory of Psychopharmacology appeals to me the most and it would be a priceless opportunity to work in one of its research groups in order to conduct a project.

I consider the ******(The university I am applying for) to be one of the best universities in the world with excellent research facilities. The main reason I decided to apply for the Drug Innovation Master’s Program is because it is research-oriented and ‘tailor-made’. I believe that, especially in science, it is essential to evolve one’s knowledge through laboratory practice in order to gain a deeper thought on all the principles and learn by repetition and problem solving. The program is ideal thanks to the variety of the research laboratories and the option of conducting two separate research projects. It is extremely appealing to have the chance to collaborate with some of the best professionals in the field of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences; people who are open-minded and enthusiastic and from whom I can derive knowledge and share my ideas with.

The Netherlands is certainly a country which provides all the necessary qualities one can hope for in life. I choose specifically the Netherlands to continue my studies because of its high quality education, healthy and stable economy, the possibility of employment and generally the quality of life.

In this environment I will find all the motivation I need to use the best of my abilities, be committed in achieving my goals as well as find a place where I can mingle smoothly, build up to all the valuable experience I have gained so far and create ideas in collaboration with other professionals. I believe that these characteristics will flexibly fit me in a research group and gradually lead me from solely learning to actually contributing to objectives of the team I will work in.

I sincerely hope that you think my application to be worthy of your consideration, and that I will have the opportunity to begin the Master’s Program in September. I will be happy to supply you with any further information you may require.

I thank you for your kind attention and look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,

*********************