PhD Cover Letter

A strong PhD cover letter is the document that connects your research background to the specific program or position you are applying for. Admissions committees and faculty search panels read dozens of letters per cycle, so yours needs to go beyond restating your CV. This guide covers what reviewers look for, how to write each section, and a full example you can adapt. For a broader overview of cover letter structure, see our how to write a cover letter guide, or explore the full range of roles in the education career area.

What admissions committees look for in a PhD cover letter

Reviewers evaluate PhD applicants on a well-defined set of criteria. Understanding these priorities helps you frame every paragraph around what matters most.

• Research focus and originality. Clearly articulate your dissertation topic, central argument, or research question. Vague descriptions signal a candidate who has not yet committed to a direction.
• Faculty fit. Name two or three faculty members whose work aligns with your interests and explain the connection. This is the most frequently cited reason for advancing a candidate to the interview stage.
• Methodological preparation. Reference the research methods you have trained in — quantitative, qualitative, archival, computational — and tie them to the work you plan to pursue.
• Publication and conference record. Peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference presentations, and working papers demonstrate that you produce scholarly output. List the most relevant ones.
• Funding and grant experience. Prior fellowship awards, research grants, or assistantships signal that you can secure external support and contribute to departmental competitiveness.
• Teaching experience. Many PhD programs expect candidates to teach. Briefly note any courses you have led, co-taught, or assisted with.

How to write a PhD cover letter that gets interviews

Open with your research identity, not a generic statement

Your first sentence should position you as a scholar with a clear intellectual focus. State your current institution or affiliation, your research area, and the specific program or role you are applying to. Avoid phrases like "I am excited to apply" — committees notice these immediately. If you have a notable publication or award, lead with it.

Demonstrate faculty fit with specificity

The faculty fit paragraph is where most PhD letters succeed or fail. Do not write a single generic sentence about a professor's broad area. Instead, reference a specific article, book, or ongoing project and explain how your work either extends, challenges, or complements theirs. Aim for two faculty members per letter. This approach is equally important when applying for postdoctoral positions, where demonstrating intellectual alignment with a mentor is the central criterion.

Address your methodology and research timeline

Committees want to know that you have a realistic plan. Describe the primary methodology you will use, the data or archives you need access to, and a rough timeline for completion. If you are applying for a funded position, mention how your project fits the lab's or department's current research agenda. Candidates applying for research assistant roles as a stepping stone to a PhD program should also address how their prior data collection or lab management experience informs their proposed methods.

Close with funding, teaching, and next steps

End by referencing any external funding you have received or plan to apply for, your availability to teach undergraduate courses in the department, and a direct expression of interest in joining the program. A specific closing — naming a departmental workshop, reading group, or resource you look forward to — reinforces your genuine commitment.

PhD cover letter example

Replace program names, research areas, and publications with your own experience.

Subject: Application for the PhD position

Dear Professor Chen, I am writing to apply for admission to the PhD program in Comparative Literature at Hartwell University, with a proposed start date of September 2026. My research examines postcolonial reconfigurations of the archive in Francophone West African fiction, with particular attention to how novelists from Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire engage material document culture as a form of historical counter-narrative. I hold an MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I completed a thesis on Boubacar Boris Diop and received the Departmental Excellence Award for graduate research. My interest in Hartwell is shaped by Professor Amara Diallo's recent monograph on the poetics of the document in Maryse Condé and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and by Professor Lena Hartmann's ongoing project on decolonial reading practices in European archives. My dissertation would bring these conversations into dialogue with questions of postcolonial memory law, an area I began exploring in a forthcoming article in Research in African Literatures, tentatively scheduled for the spring 2026 issue. Methodologically, I combine close reading with archival fieldwork. I have conducted two research trips to the Archives nationales du Sénégal and have training in French and Wolof, both necessary for my primary source work. As a recipient of the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship for three consecutive years, I have demonstrated an ability to secure external funding that I intend to continue as a PhD student. I have served as a teaching assistant for three undergraduate courses, including Introduction to World Literature and Postcolonial Theory, and I am eager to contribute to Hartwell's undergraduate curriculum in these areas. Thank you for your consideration. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my research aligns with the work being done in your department. Sincerely, [Your Name]

Before you send your application

Review your PhD cover letter against each point below before submitting your materials.

• You have named at least two faculty members and referenced a specific piece of their work, not just their general research area.
• Your research question or dissertation topic is stated in one or two clear, jargon-free sentences that a non-specialist committee member can follow.
• You have included at least one concrete indicator of scholarly output: a publication, a conference paper, a fellowship, or a thesis award.
• Your methodology and any required languages, archives, or datasets are briefly described.
• The letter is one page, proofread for accuracy of names, program titles, and institutional details, and saved as a PDF unless the program specifies otherwise.

FAQ

How long should a PhD cover letter be?

One page is the standard for most PhD program applications in the United States, typically 350 to 500 words. Some European programs or funded fellowship applications may request a longer research statement, but the cover letter itself should remain concise. For guidance on formatting and length, see our how to write a cover letter resource.

Should I write a different letter for each program?

Yes, and the faculty fit paragraph is the primary section that must change with each application. At minimum, update the faculty names, the specific works you reference, and any departmental resources or initiatives you mention. A letter that reads as generic is one of the most common reasons PhD applications are passed over at the first review stage.

What is the difference between a PhD cover letter and a statement of purpose?

A cover letter is shorter, more direct, and emphasizes your current scholarly identity and readiness for doctoral study. A statement of purpose provides a more extended account of your intellectual trajectory, research plan, and professional goals. Many programs require both, so avoid duplicating content word-for-word across the two documents.

How do I address a gap in my publication record?

Focus on the work you have in progress and explain why it has not yet been published — for example, a thesis chapter under revision or a paper under peer review. Frame any gap around the rigor of your methodology, your teaching record, or funding you have secured. Applicants transitioning from industry or other fields can consult the strategies outlined in our guides for research assistant and postdoctoral applicants for additional framing approaches.

Can I use the same cover letter for a postdoc application?

The structure is similar, but the emphasis shifts considerably. A postdoctoral cover letter typically requires a more detailed account of a specific research project, a publication plan, and how your work connects to the hosting institution's lab or group agenda. Use this letter as a starting point and expand the research description significantly. Browse our cover letter templates for formats suited to different academic career stages.