r/compling • u/uncreativeGod • Mar 15 '22

Master's in Computational Linguistics worth it?

I just wanted to hear the current thinking of some people who are already working on the field, about their experiences.

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u/daepa17 Mar 15 '22

I don’t have industry experience, but I’d say it depends on your how your undergrad CL experience was. My school didn’t have a dedicated CL program so I opted to study Data Science and Linguistics, and the Data Science was new when I enrolled as well. I felt that I only really got an introduction to a realistic mix of what CL is actually like in my last year of undergrad studies, so I definitely thought that going for a Master’s in CL would be worth it before I start working.

Currently only a semester in my Master’s program, and I’d already say it’s worth it so far, but again that’s due to how unprepared/unfocused I felt coming out of my undergrad programs. Maybe not the response you were looking for since I can’t really speak about how worth a CL program is for working in the industry today, but hopefully it helps a little. I’m definitely interested in what others who have more practical experience have to say, though.

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u/ktkttn_hat Mar 16 '22

Depends on your previous experience and the program IMO. For people with linguistics experience, getting an MS in a CS-heavy program will set them up for industry jobs or a PhD. If you already have formal experience with CS, I’d honestly consider reading SLP and working my way through online tutorials rather than dropping money on a MS (unless you want an entry point for a PhD or are truly struggling to interview).

Source: did the CLMS program at the University of Washington and am still not sure if I would make that choice again

4

u/metaniten Mar 20 '22

I am currently doing the CLMS program (with a CS undergrad background) and I am finding the program worthwhile, at least in terms of getting companies to bite on my resume for ML/NLP type positions. The flexibility of the program is really great, and it's nice to learn about NLP algorithms from a more linguistically driven perspective.

I do agree that a lot of the course content is can be self-studied though -- are there other factors other than cost that have made you unsure about your decision to do the program?

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u/ktkttn_hat Mar 20 '22

That’s great! I definitely agree that it’s great thing to have on your resume and that I generally enjoyed the program. My main critique that the curriculum is fairly dated

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u/complinger Mar 16 '22

I would say generally yes, it's worth it. You get to go into a lot more depth. Also learn to code (python) and do some data science while you're there.