What is the difference between the early and regular deadline?
Applicants who apply by the early deadline (December 4th) will have their applications reviewed in December. Applicants who apply by the regular deadline (January 31st) will expect to hear back in the spring.
Can I apply for the program while taking the prerequisite course?
It is important that the admissions committee is able to assess a student’s ability to succeed in the program prerequisite areas. We recommend completing prerequisite coursework before MDS-CL admissions close. However, if an applicant has one or two prerequisite courses that are still in progress, we typically request that they provide an interim mark or a letter from the course instructor attesting to their success in the course.
Is it more important to have a background in linguistics, statistics or math?
It is important for students to have a strong foundational knowledge in all the prerequisite topics, but as this program specializes in computational linguistics, applicants with a strong background in linguistics are highly regarded.
Do I need experience in Natural Languages to succeed in the program?
The MDS-CL program focuses exclusively on work with language data for the second half of the program. We recommend that students have experience formally studying natural languages (ie. topics in Syntax/Semantics/Morphology/Phonetics/Grammar) in order to understand the underlying linguistic principles used in the program. This can be done by taking theoretical Linguistic coursework, or theoretical coursework in a specific language (ie. English/Spanish/Hindi). The particular language that you study to learn about these language frameworks is flexible.
What is the minimum language requirement?
The program minimum requirements listed on the Graduate School website are what is needed to apply for the MDS-CL program. The requirement on the MDS-CL website is the score that is recommended to have to apply for our program.
Preferred applicants will have met the recommended MDS-CL score.
Do you offer any scholarships?
Although not guaranteed, our program offers scholarships. All applicants will automatically be considered for the scholarships they are eligible for, hence there is no separate application. Scholarships will be announced once all applications have been reviewed. You can read more about the different scholarships offered and other financial aids here.
Can I work while I’m in the MDS-CL program?
Although taking a part-time job during the program is not restricted, our program’s course schedule typically requires our students to be on campus all day on weekdays for lecture and lab attendance, and there is coursework to be completed outside of lecture and lab times. As such, trying to combine the program with a part-time work commitment is strongly discouraged.
What are the hiring prospects upon graduation from the MDS-CL program?
Students from the program frequently go into data science and computational linguistics positions. However, we have alumni who now work in various roles across many fields. You can find our alumni statistics here.
Do I need to be in contact with a supervisor before applying in the program?
The MDS-CL program is a professional course-based program that handles admissions centrally. Students do not have supervisors during the program, and do not need to find a supervisor before applying. If you are interested in a thesis-based graduate program to work with a supervisor, you can look at other graduate programs offered at UBC here.
If I have taken similar courses in my previous degree can I get transfer credits?
No, the MDS program is a cohort based program. All our courses are developed specifically for the program and build on each other. As such, all students start the program together, take the same courses in the same order and graduate as a cohort.
What is the difference between MDS and MDS – Computational Linguistics?
Offered at the Vancouver campus, the Computational Linguistic program is a degree tailored to those with a passion for language and data. Over 10 months, the program combines foundational data science courses with advanced computational linguistics courses—equipping graduates with the skills to turn language-related data into knowledge and to build AI that can interpret human language. While the MDS-CL program specializes on language data, the MDS-V and MDS-O programs cover data science more broadly. You can find out about these programs here.
Am I able to take this program online?
The MDS programs are exclusively offered in-person. These programs are professional 10-month master’s programs offered on the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. They give you access to key experts with the field of arts (linguistics), computer science, and statistics. The programs provide strong connections with industry partners in public and private sectors, start-ups, and leading tech companies to facilitate a wider range of networking/career opportunities. The in-person delivery of the program also allows students to create close connections with other members in their cohort.