Academic Cover Letter for Doctoral Students
The academic cover letter communicates your scholarly fit with the position, organization and department. The cover letter should be no longer than 2 pages and should expand on your most relevant accomplishments and situate your work in the context outlined by the position. It should also outline your
research agenda and future trajectory. All academic positions will require a cover letter and because the academic job market is so competitive, it has become common for search committees to ask just for a cover letter and CV. If this is the case you need to include paragraphs that provide information similar to teaching and research statements, highlighting what is not articulated on your CV. Some disciplines have a very specific format, so be sure to work with your department to align your cover letter with disciplinary standards. Avoid overly verbose or overly humble language.
Tips for condensing research and teaching statements into the academic cover letter:
- Your materials should create an overall picture of you as a scholar. This means that you should consider each document within the context of the other materials required.
- Begin by drafting longer statements about teaching (the teaching statement) and research (dissertation abstract, research statement).
- Pare down these statements for different lengths: one page, one paragraph.
- For the cover letter, take your one-paragraph versions of your teaching and research statements and edit them to market yourself as a scholar and teacher – how do you want the committee to perceive you? What’s the main take-away you want them to know about you?
- Because the materials required vary widely, keep in mind that the cover letter should be able to act as a standalone document – any other materials should expand and reinforce the cover letter.