Need Help : Letter of Motivation for Urban Planning Programme at Politecnico di Milano

Hello!

I am applying M.Sc in Urban Planning and Policy Design at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Can someone please review my letter of motivation and help me improve and enhance its content?

Dear Ma’am/ Sir,

I would like to express my keen interest in pursuing master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy Design at Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi), and want to assure you of my suitability for the programme.

After working on a wide range of projects on different scales, from assessing public housing for urban poor as my bachelor’s thesis to contributing in two metropolitan regional plans in last five years of my academic and professional journey as a Spatial Planner, it has become evident to me that there is a tremendous unmet requirement of Urban Planners with great leadership qualities and technical expertise in India, where it is time to start tackling the root causes of urban and regional issues, rather than continuing the myopic approach of addressing their effects.

While working as an Urban Planner for over a year for Bhubaneswar Smart City Project under the National Smart City Mission, I had had the opportunity to work with the eminent Regional Planner, XXXXXX, who absolutely changed my perception toward the urban dynamics, and directed my attention to the imminent catastrophe of climate change, and the urgency of resilient infrastructure, good governance, and use of technology in combating it. This experience helped me decide that I must gain expertise in this domain only from one of the global leaders with an active stance in addressing climate change through a sustainable and integrated development approach.

PoliMi’s master’s programme in Urban Planning and Policy Design is precisely the course that aligns with my career goals of working extensively on sustainable urban and regional development in India, and eventually diving in policy formulation. Its unique curriculum that consists courses like Policy Analysis, Smart Cities and Urban Simulation are some unconventional subjects which I would be unable to find in Indian planning universities. Moreover, the master's thesis in final semester under the excellent guidance of the faculty in this programme would prove to be crucial for me in strengthening my foundation for my future career plans.

Lastly, needless to say, PoliMi's world class reputation, its approach of translating academic research into practical exercises, and its rich and diverse culture have been few of the most promising factors for me to explore and experience international exposure in my field. Also, having been from a financially humble background, PoliMi's wide array of scholarship options for students like me have been a major motivation to aspire of an ambitious journey of studying in the developed world.

In conclusion, with my strong academic and professional background in urban planning and development sector, and a proficiency in planning theories, tool and techniques, I am confident that I can bring a good amount of energy, depth and innovation to the programme, and emerge with much enhanced capabilities for my future professional endeavours.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to your positive response.

Sincerely,

XXXX