Master's of Data Science-Computational Linguistics' 5th Anniversary!
What is the Master’s of Data Science - Computational Linguistics (MDS-CL) Program? This joint venture between the Department of Linguistics and the Faculty of Science combines core Data Science courses with advanced Computational Linguistics and Natural Language Processing (NLP) courses, equipping graduates with the skills to turn language-related data into knowledge and to build AI that can interpret human language. See what it has accomplished so far, and where it’s headed next.
If you're interested in hearing about MDS-CL news, program information, and upcoming virtual information sessions, sign up for updates here!
Photo by Vanessa Ho, MDS Marketing Coordinator
"It's a really exciting time to be working in NLP. The field has been revolutionized multiple times in the past decade, and we are seeing great progress solving problems that were unfathomable in the past. I'm thrilled to be working with the MDS-CL as we prepare students to process, analyse, and model data that is increasing at an unprecedented rate." — Garrett Nicolai, MDS-CL Program Director
Capstone Project Highlight:
Cross-Lingual NER for Low-Resource Languages
Capstone Projects are a mentored group project based on real data and questions from a partner within or outside the university. Students formulate questions and design and execute a suitable analysis plan. The group works collaboratively to produce a project report, presentation, and possibly other products, such as a web application. Featured here is one example of a Capstone Project completed in 2021 that focuses on creating a cross-lingual Named Entity Recognition (NER) for low-resource languages.
Read about more Capstone Projects here.
Statistics
- 128 Students Graduated (162 This November)
- 25 Courses Each Year
- 5 New Faculty
- 88% of MDS-CL Alumni are Employed After 6 Months (4% in School) *Based on MDS Computational Linguistics alumni survey responses 6 months after graduation since the class of 2020
Alumni Profiles
— Michelle Yun, MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2023 —
“I was intrigued by the MDS Computational program because it offered me the chance to step out of my comfort zone and gain new skills in coding and working with data.”
Previous Degree: Bachelor's in Speech Science from the University of British Columbia
During her undergrad, Michelle took some graduate level classes in semantics and syntax where she was immediately interested in the way that language could be analyzed in a logical, mathematical way and wondered if there was a way to apply her background in theoretical linguistics to a technical field. This led Michelle to the MDS Computational Linguistics program. Read Michelle's Story.
— Oksana Kurylo, MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2022 —
Photo by Vanessa Ho, MDS Marketing Coordinator
"I chose MDS Computational Linguistics as it offered a unique combination of data science and NLP courses. Also, a significant role in selecting MDS Computational Linguistics was the capstone project, where you can work on a real business problem with a company."
Previous Degree: Masters of Applied Linguistics from Lviv Polytechnic National University
Before joining the MDS Computational Linguistics program, Oksana worked as a Computational Linguist and Natural Language Processing Researcher at several start-ups in her native Ukraine. It was while doing her first master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the Lviv Polytechnic National University, Oksana took a course on Computational Linguistics by Andriy Romanyuk, which opened a new world of Natural Language Processing for her. Outside of MDS Computational Linguistics, Oksana enjoys travelling. Read Oksana's Story.
— Juan Roesel, MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2021 —
"While several resources on the Internet can help people get the knowledge and skills needed to become a Data Scientist or NLP engineer, I think the structure of the MDS-CL program and the quality of the teaching staff take the learning experience to a higher level."
Previous Degree: Masters in International Relations, Field Of Study Development Economics and International Development, Hult International Business School
Before joining the MDS-CL program, Juan was working full-time running his consulting firm Helelab, which specialized in delivering and deploying digital solutions that leverage analytics, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and web development. As Juan was taking on more technical projects and learned new concepts, he realized that he was just barely scratching the surface of the data science universe, which led him to apply to the MDS-CL program. Outside of the MDS-CL program, Juan enjoys hiking, sailing, and mountain biking. Read Juan's Story.
— Toshiko Shibano, MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2020 —
“If you are like me and enjoy devising solutions to real world problems, have a desire to transfer knowledge and skills from a previous job to the digitized world, or are passionate about language, this program is worth the money and time.”
Previous Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of British Columbia
Prior to the MDS Computational Linguistics program, Toshiko ran a translation business in Japan, which specialized in financial accounting and her clientele included major international audit firms, listed companies, and multinational corporations. Toshiko picked up programming to automate routine processes so that she could spend more time on translation. After handing over her business, Toshiko moved to Canada and pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Read Toshiko's Story.
If you're interested in hearing about MDS-CL news, program information, and upcoming virtual information sessions, sign up for updates here!
See more at https://masterdatascience.ubc.ca/programs/computational-linguistics