Masters Degrees (Computational Linguistics)

Are you interested in working with cutting-edge technology at the forefront of language processing?

This course is run by a leading research group at the University of Wolverhampton. As a Master's student, you will be part of our Research Institute of Information and Language Processing (RIILP) (http://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/riilp---research-institute-in-information-and-lan/), an independent, research-driven University unit specialising in Linguistics and Natural Language Processing.

What will I learn?

Computational Linguistics (sometimes called Natural Language Processing) is the use of computers to study language. On the course, you will be able to study:
• How to use Python and the well-established NLTK library to process natural language texts;
• How to analyse real language usage;
• How to automatically translate text using computer programs;
• The use of computers to study features of language;
• Translation tools such as translation memory systems;
• Computer techniques for automatically classifying natural language texts;
• Understand how Siri, Amazon Echo and Google Home etc. work;
• How to design an experiment that will thoroughly test your research questions.

You will be mentored through this programme by experienced and leading academics from the field. Join our research group today (http://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/riilp---research-institute-in-information-and-lan/) to become part of this team of leading researchers and academics and create your path to a career in computers and language!

What modules will I study?

When studied full-time, this course comprises of three semesters worth 60 credits each. Three modules will be studied in semesters one and two. During the third semester, students will undertake their research project and complete a 15,000 word dissertation on any aspect of Computational Linguistics.

The course covers all aspects of Computational Linguistics in line with current and leading work in research and industry, and is divided into the following taught modules:
1. Computer programming in Python
2. Corpus Linguistics in R
3. Machine translation and other natural language processing applications
4. Computational Linguistics
5. Translation tools for professional translators
6. Machine learning for language processing
7. Research methods and professional skills

Translation Tools for Professional Translators is an elective module that may be chosen in the Second Semester to replace another taught module for those students who are interested in pursuing careers in Translation.

Opportunities

- You will be taught by leading researchers in the field: our teaching staff at the Research Institute of Information and Language Processing (RIILP) (http://www.wlv.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/riilp---research-institute-in-information-and-lan/) are engaged in high-quality research, as evidenced by the latest RAE 2008 and REF 2014 results.
- We offer an exciting programme of invited lectures and research seminars, attended by both students and staff;
- The institute has a wide network of contacts in academia and in the industry from which you will be able to benefit;
- Find out about Dr. Vinita Nahar’s (past group member) innovative research into technology to detect Cyberbullying online http://www.itv.com/news/central/topic/cyber-bulling/.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments will include writing assignments on given topics, reports on practical work carried out in the class, portfolios, projects, oral presentations, and tests. The culmination of the study programme will be your 15,000-word dissertation, which will allow you to carry out an in-depth study of a chosen topic within the areas of corpus linguistics, language teaching, lexicography, or translation.

What skills will I gain?

The practical sessions include working with tools and software and developing programs based on the material taught in the lectures, allowing you to apply the technical skills you are learning. Some of the tasks are group based, feeding into the collaboration aspect of blended learning which enhances team-working skills, and some are done individually. Through portfolio building, you will be able to share your learning with other students. You will also be able to enhance your employability by sharing your online portfolio with prospective employers. Some assessments will require you to present your work to the rest of the class, enabling you to develop your presentation skills, which are useful in both academia and industry. Other transferable skills are the abilities to structure your thoughts, present your ideas clearly in writing and prepare texts for a wider audience. You will acquire these skills through assessed report and essay writing, and most of all through writing your dissertation.

Career path

Graduates of this course will be well-placed to continue their academic/research careers by applying for PhD positions within RIILP or at other leading centres for language and information processing. This degree will also enable graduates to access research and development positions within the language processing and human language technology industries, as well as in related areas such as translation, software development and information and communication technologies, depending on their specific module choices and dissertation topic. It should be noted that computer programming is a skill that is increasingly sought after by many companies from technological backgrounds and skills gained from this course will place graduates in a good position to take up such posts. Past graduates from this course have also gone on to successful careers specifically within the computer programming industry.

Student comments

"This course allowed me to see all the potential of Natural Language Processing - my favourite topic was Corpus Linguistics."

"I would recommend this course to people interested in linguistics or languages in general to show them that linguistics can also be paired with Computer Science and to those interested in Computer Science, for it could show them a new application to Computer Science."

"I would recommend this course to the individuals who seek to increase their knowledge of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. People who want to understand how, say, SIRI works, should join this course."

"Thanks to this course, I know what I want to do in the future; I want to be a Professor of Corpus Linguistics. I have several opportunities for a PhD in the US. I also learnt how to use a few programming languages, which is of great importance nowadays if one wants to find a job."

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Applied Linguistics is for teachers who are at the beginning of their careers and those who have more experience but would like to develop, deepen and enhance their knowledge, skills and practice.

The programme covers the areas of linguistics that inform classroom practice (such as syntax, morphology, semantics, pragmatics and phonetics), raising awareness of these fields and applying them to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

Practical teaching opportunities are a feature of the programme, including teaching to your peer group and international students from other programmes. There is also the opportunity to visit a local language college and observe classes.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/357/applied-linguistics-and-teaching-english-to-speakers-of-other-languages-tesol

About the Department of English Language and Linguistics

English Language and Linguistics (ELL), founded in 2010, is the newest department of the School of European Culture and Languages (SECL). ELL is a dynamic and growing department with a vibrant research culture. We specialise in experimental and theoretical linguistics. In particular, our interests focus on quantitative and experimental research in speech and language processing, variation and acquisition, but also cover formal areas such as syntax, as well as literary stylistics. In addition to English and its varieties, our staff work in French, German, Greek, Romani, Korean, Spanish and Russian.

Staff and postgraduates are members of the Centre for Language and Linguistic Studies (CLLS), a research centre that seeks to promote interdisciplinary linguistic research. We also have links with research networks outside Kent, and are involved with national and international academic associations including the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, the British Association of Academic Phoneticians, the Linguistic Society of America, the Association for French Language Studies and the Poetics and Linguistics Association.

Course structure

The programme starts with three linguistics modules (Sounds, Structure and Meaning) and a module on language awareness for teachers (Language Awareness and Analysis) so that you have a firm grasp of the linguistic bases of language teaching and how to apply them to the classroom.

In the spring term the focus is on how languages are learned (Second Language Acquisition), how you can improve classroom technique (The Practice of TESOL), plan for your students’ needs (Course and Syllabus Design) and provide them with materials which will be interesting, effective and motivating (Materials Evaluation and Development).

The dissertation will be an opportunity to plan and develop a piece of empirical research which can be of direct relevance to your current or planned teaching situation.

Assessment

Modules are typically assessed by a 3-4,000-word essay, but assessment patterns can include practical/experimental work, report and proposal writing, critiques, problem solving and seminar presentations. You also complete a 12-15,000-word research dissertation on a topic agreed with your supervisor.

Programme aims

- Provide TESOL practitioners with advanced knowledge of linguistics related to language pedagogy, informed by research and scholarship, which will enhance, develop and inform their understanding of language learning and classroom practice.

- To produce graduates who will contribute locally, nationally and internationally to the TESOL community.

- To prepare students to be more effective in the TESOL classroom.

- To provide students with teaching and training which is informed by research, scholarship, practice and experience.

Research areas

Alongside our research centre below, we also have links with research networks outside Kent, and are involved with national and international academic associations including the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, the British Association of Academic Phoneticians, the Linguistic Society of America, the Association for French Language Studies and the Poetics and Linguistics Association.

- Linguistics Lab

The newly established Linguistics Lab is currently housed in Rutherford College and has facilities for research in acoustics, sociophonetics and speech and language processing. English Language and Linguistics (ELL) members also have access to the School of European Culture and Language (SECL) recording studio and multimedia labs which can be used both for research and teaching.

- Centre for Language and Linguistics

English Language and Linguistics is the main contributor to the Centre for Language and Linguistics. Founded in 2007, the Centre promotes interdisciplinary collaboration in linguistic research and teaching. Membership embraces not just the members of English Language and Linguistics but also other SECL members with an interest in the study of language, as well as researchers in philosophy, computing, psychology and anthropology, reflecting the many and varied routes by which individuals come to a love of language and an interest in the various disciplines and subdisciplines of linguistics.

Careers

Postgraduate work in English Language and Linguistics prepares you for a range of careers where an in-depth understanding of how language functions is essential. These include speech and language theory, audiology, teaching, publishing, advertising, journalism, public relations, company training, broadcasting, forensic and computational work, and the civil or diplomatic services.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Qualify for the 21st century with a Master of Applied Linguistics. As globalisation expands, so does the demand for people with intercultural communication skills to reach wide audiences. Applied linguistics is one of the fastest-growing fields of study in the humanities. The course offers a competitive advantage to language teachers, interpreters, editors and other people working with language in increasingly multilingual and multicultural societies, such as Australia. Two specialisations are available: General applied linguistics and Teaching world Englishes for international communication. Our program ranked No. 17 in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2014.

The Master of Applied Linguistics broadens your knowledge of how language works in the context of globalisation, with opportunities for research and internships. Applied linguistics has become widely recognised for its ability to solve language-related problems at both the micro and macro levels.

Our multilingual and multicultural classes stimulate lively discussion about the differences between languages and language-learning experiences, and how these relate to the theories and issues covered in the unit. Classes are taught by leading scholars in their field. Monash is renowned for its expertise in Japanese applied linguistics, as well as Australian and Austronesian languages.

Applied linguistics at Monash has an international reputation for producing top graduates, particularly in the areas of Japanese applied linguistics, English as an international language, and the study of multilingualism more broadly. Graduates work in mono- and multi-lingual settings, with careers as language teachers, language-education and assessment experts, speech pathologists, interpreters and translators. They work in industries where language and communication are crucial; for example, in the health areas of speech therapy and speech pathology, or in the engineering or computational fields related to language and speech technology, such as speech recognition and synthesis.

Visit the website http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/applied-linguistics-a6001?domestic=true

Overview

Please select a specialisation for more details:

- General applied linguistics
The General applied linguistics specialisation offers an overview of the many areas of applied linguistics, giving you a strong understanding of language structure and use across a variety of languages.

In the core units, you explore the sounds and grammar of Australian English and how these differ from other English varieties and languages. You also learn how we use language differently according to context and how language varies between different social groups. In elective units, you specialise in areas such as literacy, second-language acquisition or language and identity.

- Teaching world Englishes for international communication
By looking at the significance of intercultural communication, the Teaching world Englishes for international communication specialisation gives you a new perspective on the use of English in today's globalised world, in both academic and professional contexts. You will examine the theory and practice of teaching English as an international language. You will also come to understand the implications of the global spread of English and the development of world Englishes.

Course Structure

The course is structured in three parts. Part A. Foundations for advanced applied linguistics studies, Part B. Core Master's study and Part C. Advanced expertise. All students complete Part B. Depending upon prior qualifications, you may receive credit for Part A or Part C or a combination of the two.

[Note that if you are eligible for credit for prior studies you may elect not to receive the credit.]

PART A. Foundations for advanced applied linguistics
These studies will provide an orientation to the field of applied linguistics at graduate level. They are intended for students whose previous qualification is not in a cognate field.

PART B. Core Master's study
These studies draw on best practices within the broad realm of applied linguistics practice and research. You will gain a critical understanding of theoretical and practical issues relating to applied linguistics, including second/foreign language acquisition, language teaching, language contact and intercultural communication. Your study will focus on your choice either of Applied linguistics or Teaching world Englishes for international communication.

PART C. Advanced expertise
The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. You have two options.

The first option is a program of coursework study where you select the units to suit your own interests.

The second option is a 24 point research thesis. Students wishing to use this Masters course as a pathway to a higher degree by research should take this second option.

Students admitted to the course, who have a recognised honours degree in a discipline cognate to applied linguistics, will receive credit for Part C, however, should they wish to complete a 24 point research project as part of the course they should consult with the course coordinator.

For more information visit the faculty website - http://www.study.monash/media/links/faculty-websites/arts

Find out how to apply here - http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2016/applied-linguistics-a6001?domestic=true#making-the-application

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The MA in Linguistics at Kent offers an excellent opportunity to explore the broad spectrum of linguistics and its sub-disciplines.

The programme is designed for graduates with a background in language and related areas (for example, English, Modern or Classical Languages, Linguistics, Psychology, Anthropology), looking to explore the theory and methodology of linguistics in-depth, from the study of sound (phonetics and phonology) to the study of words (morphology), sentences (syntax) and meaning (semantics and pragmatics). It draws upon the considerable expertise of staff in the Department of English Language & Linguistics.

Students choose four modules each in the Autumn and Spring terms, including core modules on Sounds, Structure, and Meaning, supplemented with options on, for example, psycholinguistics, language acquisition, language learning and teaching, sociolinguistics and stylistics, which allow students to develop areas of interest, and engage with aspects of their chosen discipline which are informed by the latest research and scholarship. They then complete a research dissertation of up to 15,000 words over the summer.

The programme is ideal for those with a keen interest in language in the broadest sense, and a willingness to explore theories of language critically. The programme also offers a smooth transition to doctoral work for those who wish to pursue their studies further.

About the Department of English Language and Linguistics

English Language and Linguistics (ELL), founded in 2010, is the newest department of the School of European Culture and Languages (SECL). ELL is a dynamic and growing department with a vibrant research culture. We specialise in experimental and theoretical linguistics. In particular, our interests focus on quantitative and experimental research in speech and language processing, variation and acquisition, but also cover formal areas such as syntax, as well as literary stylistics. In addition to English and its varieties, our staff work in French, German, Greek, Romani, Korean, Spanish and Russian.

Staff and postgraduates are members of the Centre for Language and Linguistic Studies (CLLS), a research centre that seeks to promote interdisciplinary linguistic research. We also have links with research networks outside Kent, and are involved with national and international academic associations including the Linguistics Association of Great Britain, the British Association of Academic Phoneticians, the Linguistic Society of America, the Association for French Language Studies and the Poetics and Linguistics Association.

We welcome applications from students interested in MA and PhD research. Please see our staff and research pages for more information on the topics staff are able to supervise.

National ratings

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, modern languages and linguistics was ranked 3rd for research quality, 3rd for research output and in the top 20 for research intensity, research impact and research power in the UK.

Our submission was the highest ranked nationally to include modern languages – a testament to our position as the UK’s European university. An impressive 100% of our research was judged to be of international quality and the School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of world-leading research.

Course structure

The programme comprises eight 15-credit modules.

The four core modules, Sounds, Meaning, Structure and Research Skills, provide you with a solid grounding in linguistic theory and methodology, while a range of optional modules either develop themes covered in the core module, or explore the relationship between language and other disciplines, such as literature (stylistics), the mind (psycholinguistics), and society (sociolinguistics).

Teaching in the MA in Linguistics takes the form of lectures, tutor-led and student-led seminars and tutorials, as well as problem-based workshops allowing students to engage with linguistic data and theory. You also have the opportunity to attend subject-related conferences and talks by visiting speakers.

You can study the programme on a 12-month full-time or a 24-month part-time basis.

Visit the website: https://www.kent.ac.uk/secl/ell/postgraduate/taught-linguistics.html

Assessment

Assessment consists of a combination of written coursework, practical/experimental work (where appropriate) and seminar presentations.

On successful completion of the taught modules, students write a 15,000-word research dissertation (included in their final grade) on a topic agreed with their supervisor.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

- enable you to obtain a postgraduate qualification (MA) in one year, and provide a smooth transition to doctoral work if you wish to pursue your studies further
- develop your critical awareness of research methodologies in linguistics
- offer a learning experience which is informed by the latest research and scholarship, and which requires you to engage with aspects of the discipline at the frontiers of knowledge
- provide further development of critical, analytical and other transferable skills acquired at first degree level.

Careers

Postgraduate work in English Language and Linguistics prepares you for a range of careers where an in-depth understanding of how language functions is essential. These include speech and language theory, audiology, teaching, publishing, advertising, journalism, public relations, company training, broadcasting, forensic and computational work, and the civil or diplomatic services.

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The Linguistics MA is a flexible programme which aims to explore the breadth and the depth of linguistics. It builds on the widest range of teaching and research expertise, covering all aspects of theoretical and descriptive linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, discourse and conversation analysis, typology, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics and psycholinguistics, computational and corpus linguistics, field linguistics, and the documentation and description of endangered languages. The academic staff teaching on the programme work on various practical applications of linguistics (e.g. language codification and language policy, institutional language, language in the community) and have expertise in a wide range of languages, including English and its varieties, Germanic, Latin and Romance, Russian, Polish, Kurdish and other Iranian languages, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, and several languages spoken in the Americas (e.g. Huave, Quechua, Ulwa), Australia (e.g. Jamingjung), and beyond.
All students receive a solid foundation for linguistic study in three core modules (of which at least two are compulsory):
Grammatical Theory
Semantics and Pragmatics
Phonetics and Phonology
The remainder of the programme allows the students to make the most of what the staff have to offer. Students can either take a variety of course units in different areas including the new Forensic Linguistics unit, or specialise in one of the following pathways: Phonetics and Phonology, Sociolinguistics, Syntax and Semantics, Typology or Romani Linguistics.

Aims

The course aims to give students a grounding in breadth and depth in Linguistics, by exploring the central features of linguistic theory: its history, objectives, principal theoretical frameworks, methodologies, contested areas and uncontested results. Students will gain experience of excellence in teaching and learning at an advanced level, in an environment where they will benefit from the fact that the School is also home to world-leading research in Linguistics.

Teaching and learning

Teaching takes on a variety of forms. Core course units and other MA specific course units are typically taught as seminars, in a small group, combining lectures with discussion. Many of them have practical tutorials as well which will help students prepare for individual research projects. Directed Readings involve individual or small group meetings during which pre-set readings on a particular topic are discussed. The enhanced Level 3 undergraduate course units combine lectures or seminars, depending on the aim of the course unit, with more optional tutorials. The aim across all teaching forms is to create the opportunity for intensive scholarly work, with areas of focus determined by the participants and their individual interests, which can be investigated in considerable depth.

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Research profile

The Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation (IANC) is a world-leading institute dedicated to the theoretical and empirical study of adaptive processes in both artificial and biological systems. We are one of the UK’s largest and most prestigious academic teams in these fields.

We foster world-class interdisciplinary and collaborative research bringing together a range of disciplines.

Our research falls into three areas:

• machine learning
• computational neuroscience
• computational biology

In machine learning we develop probabilistic methods that find patterns and structure in data, and apply them to scientific and technological problems. Applications include areas as diverse as astronomy, health sciences and computing.

In computational neuroscience and neuroinformatics we study how the brain processes information, and analyse and interpret data from neuroscientific experiments

The focus in the computational biology area is to develop computational strategies to store, analyse and model a variety of biological data (from protein measurements to insect behavioural data).

Training and support

You carry out your research within a research group under the guidance of a supervisor. You will be expected to attend seminars and meetings of relevant research groups and may also attend lectures that are relevant to your research topic. Periodic reviews of your progress will be conducted to assist with research planning.

A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development in a wide range of topics, from writing and presentation skills to entrepreneurship and career strategies.

The School of Informatics holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students of all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.

• Athena SWAN

Facilities

The award-winning Informatics Forum is an international research facility for computing and related areas. It houses more than 400 research staff and students, providing office, meeting and social spaces.

It also contains two robotics labs, an instrumented multimedia room, eye-tracking and motion capture systems, and a full recording studio amongst other research facilities. Its spectacular atrium plays host to many events, from industry showcases and student hackathons to major research conferences.

Nearby teaching facilities include computer and teaching labs with more than 250 machines, 24-hour access to IT facilities for students, and comprehensive support provided by dedicated computing staff.

Among our entrepreneurial initiatives is Informatics Ventures, set up in 2008 to support globally ambitious software companies in Scotland and nurture a technology cluster to rival Boston, Pittsburgh, Kyoto and Silicon Valley.

Career opportunities

The research you will undertake at IANC is perfectly suited to a career in academia, where you’ll be able to use your knowledge to advance this important field. Some graduates take their skills into commercial research posts, and find success in creating systems that can be used in everyday applications.

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Programme description

This programme will develop your understanding of how knowledge of language changes as people acquire or lose language at various points in their lifespan.

It is designed primarily for graduates with a background related to linguistics and/or psychology who wish to develop their knowledge of current research on language acquisition (first, second, bilingual, and impaired) and language change from a cognitive perspective and from the point of view of current linguistic theories.

Joining a vibrant research community of developmental linguists, you will have the opportunity to carry out advanced research to try to answer questions related to the area of language development and bilingualism, such as ‘how do children learn language?’ or ‘what happens when we forget a language?’

You will benefit from the programme's strengths in:

scope (with equal emphasis on first and second language acquisition and bilingualism)
interdisciplinary teaching (staff drawn from linguistics, psychology and informatics)
skill-oriented training (through methodology courses, lab sessions and project work)

Programme structure

This programme comprises two semesters of taught courses, followed by a dissertation.

Compulsory courses

Introduction to Phonology and Phonetics
Introduction to Syntax
First Language Acquisition
Second Language Acquisition
Psychology of Language Learning
Univariate Statistics and Methodology Using R

Option courses may include:

Sentence Comprehension
Discourse Comprehension
Language Production
Origins and Evolution of Language
Simulating Language
Child Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
Language Behaviours, Brains and Cognition: Data and Theories
Language Behaviours, Brains and Cognition: Principles and Approaches
Experimental Pragmatics
Developmental Language Disorders
Research Methods in Developmental Linguistics
Language Evolution in the Lab
Computational Phonology
Advanced Topics in Phonetics: Speech Production and Perception

Career opportunities

This programme will provide you with the specialised skills you need to perform research in language learning and development. It will also serve as a solid basis for doctoral study.

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Programme description

This programme will develop your understanding of how knowledge of language changes as people acquire or lose language at various points in their lifespan.

It is designed primarily for graduates with a background related to linguistics and/or psychology who wish to develop their knowledge of current research on language acquisition (first, second, bilingual, and impaired) and language change from a cognitive perspective and from the point of view of current linguistic theories.

Joining a vibrant research community of developmental linguists, you will have the opportunity to carry out advanced research to try to answer questions related to the area of language development and bilingualism, such as ‘how do children learn language?’ or ‘what happens when we forget a language?’

You will benefit from the programme's strengths in:

• scope (with equal emphasis on first and second language acquisition and bilingualism)
• interdisciplinary teaching (staff drawn from linguistics, psychology and informatics)
• skill-oriented training (through methodology courses, lab sessions and project work)

Programme structure

This programme comprises two semesters of taught courses, followed by a dissertation.

Compulsory courses

• Introduction to Phonology and Phonetics
• Introduction to Syntax
• First Language Acquisition
• Second Language Acquisition
• Psychology of Language Learning
• Univariate Statistics and Methodology Using R

Option courses may include:

• Sentence Comprehension
• Discourse Comprehension
• Language Production
• Origins and Evolution of Language
• Simulating Language
• Child Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
• Language Behaviours, Brains and Cognition: Data and Theories
• Language Behaviours, Brains and Cognition: Principles and Approaches
• Experimental Pragmatics
• Developmental Language Disorders
• Research Methods in Developmental Linguistics
• Language Evolution in the Lab
• Computational Phonology
• Advanced Topics in Phonetics: Speech Production and Perception

Career opportunities

This programme will provide you with the specialised skills you need to perform research in language learning and development. It will also serve as a solid basis for doctoral study.

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The Linguistics MA allows you to study phonology and syntax alongside a pathway of your choice in English Language, Language Acquisition or European Languages. The course, characterised by its flexibility, equips you with the research skills necessary to undertake independent study in linguistics.

The common subjects the course covers include theoretical and general linguistics, descriptive linguistics (whether focusing on English or on other languages), applied linguistics, and combinations of these specialisms. By choosing one of the pathways, you will be able to focus on your area of specific interest.

By the end of the course you will understand and engage with ideas at the forefront of linguistic research and address linguistic questions and problems currently being debated.

Delivery

During two 12-week semesters you will study six modules delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops and field work. These are supplemented by academic events and invited international specialists. You work closely with your supervisor on a 15,000 –18,000-word dissertation.

Pathway

The Linguistics MA has three specialist pathways leading to different awards:
-MA Linguistics: English Language
-MA Linguistics: Language Acquisition
-MA Linguistics: European Languages

The pathways allow you to focus on your area of particular interest, which could range from lexical innovation, sociolinguistics, computational linguistics, child language acquisition, psycholinguistics, or topics relating to French, German and Spanish. Whichever pathway you choose, you gain:
-Research skills necessary for independent study in linguistics and English language
-Critical engagement with current work in the subject area
-Confidence to address linguistic questions and participate in current theoretical debates
-Advanced knowledge of a range of issues in the subject area
-Mastery of the methods and skills required to obtain and interpret relevant research data

All pathways involve selecting modules covering the two central linguistic disciplines of phonology and syntax.

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This programme is a specialization of the MA degree in Communication and Information Sciences.

As a student of Information Science, you learn to transfer data into accessible and intelligible information. You will do research in the domain of language, text and computer-mediated communication.

In this programme, you will analyse information and communication processes between individuals and within organizations. One question is crucial: what options do new technological developments offer to improve information and communication processes?

The Master's programme builds on the knowledge, insights and skills that you have acquired in your Bachelor's degree. You will learn to carry out research independently and handle information in a professional manner. In addition to courses, you will do an internship. You will finish the degree with an independent research project and a Master's thesis.

All courses are taught in English. Deficiency programs are partly taught in Dutch.

Job perspectives

As a graduate, you can work as a web developer, software-engineer, IT-consultant, application developer, researcher or teacher. You have a wide choice of places to work: it goes without saying that you could find a function in a large IT firm, but virtually any other company or organization with an IT department has a need for Information Science specialists. It is also possible to start your own company or become a researcher.

Our former students work in large information technology companies or in information technology departments of companies and governments. Some of them successfully started their own company. Others began an international academic career and have obtained a PhD degree.

Job examples

- Computational linguist
- Information analyst
- Software developer
- Web designer
- IT Consultant
- IT Manager
- Researcher in natural language processing

As student of Information Science you will develop a solid theoretical and practical foundation for carrying out this kind of research. The knowledge you will gain matches well with current job requirements for researchers in the field of Information Science.

Research in Information Science concentrates in Groningen on development, use and evaluation of language and web technology. Good examples are automated search and analysis of information in traditional and new media, dialectology, corpus annotation,gamification, and syntactic and semantic analysis of text. This research is coordinated by the Computational Linguistics group of the Center for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG).

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In the two-year Research Master's specialization Language and Cognition (MA Linguistics), you will study patterns of language and speech and the way our brain employs and organizes them. The programme offers a unique combination of n euro- and psycholinguistics, theoretical linguistics, developmental linguistics, computational linguistics, and communication science.

The programme is meant for talented students who aspire to do research in the field of Linguistics. After finishing the degree, you will have acquired essential research skills and fundamental knowledge of linguistic analysis, language development, and language processing. In addition, you will be able to study language at different levels, such as words, sentences, meaning and interaction.

The programme is linked to the excellent, multidisciplinary research carried out at the Centre for Language and Cognition Groningen (CLCG) and the Groningen Research School for Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (BCN).

After finishing the programme you receive a Master of Arts degree in Linguistics.

Why in Groningen?

- Intensive supervision by high-quality researchers in small groups
- A challenging multidisciplinary approach
- Partial Talent Grants and Research Assistantships

Job perspectives

After graduation, you are well prepared for a career in research. In fact, this programme is an ideal stepping stone to a PhD position at a university. You can conduct research in Linguistics, such as Neuro- or Clinical Linguistics, Language Development or Theoretical Linguistics. Other options are Speech Technology, and Communication and Computer Linguistics.

Job examples

- Research oriented career in Linguistics

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The MPhil is offered by the Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (DTAL) within the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages as a full-time period of research and introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge.

The course aims:

(a) to provide students with necessary background in linguistic theory and related topics at intermediate and advanced level using a range of approaches and methodologies;

(b) to give students the opportunity to acquire expertise in their specific research interests in part by offering the opportunity of specialisation through pathways in the linguistics of particular languages (e.g. English, Romance, Celtic etc.);

(c) to provide foundations for continuation to PhD research;

(d) to offer the opportunity to participate in research culture within and beyond the Faculty, by attending and contributing to graduate seminars and reading groups;

(e) to develop the research skills required to conduct independent study such as
- formulating a realistic research proposal, with suitably delineated aims, objectives, methods, scope and expected outcome;
- preparing written work based on the proposal;
- selecting and mastering suitable research methods;
- collecting relevant bibliography;
- using computer databases and corpora;
- using relevant software, including statistical packages where appropriate;
- presenting well-argued academic material to the wider research community.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/mmalmptal

Learning Outcomes

Students completing the MPhil in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics:
(a) will be aware of the nature of linguistic theories, and how theories relate to models, description, analysis, and explanation

(b) will have gained, in at least four areas of linguistics, a solid foundation, including:
- familiarity with one or more models in each area
- an appreciation of the fact that there can be alternative analyses of given data, and of how to evaluate the alternatives
- where relevant, an awareness of the relation between linguistic models and the mind
- where relevant, an understanding of the relation between linguistic models and their application

(c) will have become familiar with a variety of research skills relevant to research in linguistics

(d) will have developed the strategies needed to present linguistic data, arguments, interpretations, and conclusions both in writing and in oral presentation

(e) will have built up in-depth knowledge of at least one area of linguistics to the point where original research questions can be defined and pursued independently

(f) will have had experience in research sufficient to facilitate the transition to doctoral research

(g) will have acquired both the breadth and the depth of knowledge in linguistics that will prepare them for jobs in linguistics in the future.

Format

The MPhil programme is structured progressively to form a bridge between undergraduate study and possible further research. Its balance changes through the year so that in the first two months (Michaelmas Term - October to December) there is instruction through lectures, whilst by the last three months students are carrying out independent research full-time.

All students are required to follow a course in 'Research Methods' and a statistics course to acquire skills needed for research and 'transferable' skills. Beyond that, each student will follow his or her own 'Study Plan', which allows the individual interests, needs, and strengths of the student to be met. At the start of the course the student, with advice if needed from the Director of the MPhil and subject specialists, draws up a Study Plan for the Michaelmas and Lent Terms (October to March) which is approved by the Department. This will include the selection of a minimum of four introductory taught courses to be followed in Michaelmas, and participation in a minimum of two research seminars in Lent Term. Usually the Lent Term seminars chosen build on courses which have been followed in Michaelmas.

The course structure allows great flexibility in combining areas and approaches. It provides for tailored combinations of work in any of the areas of theoretical, applied, and descriptive linguistics, ranging for instance from formal semantics to experimental phonetics and phonology, from language acquisition to computational linguistics, and from Welsh syntax to the history of linguistics in France. A piece of work may have as its focus the development of an argument in linguistic theory, the description of some aspect of a language or its use, the psycholinguistic testing of alternative linguistic analyses, the application of linguistic theory to the history of a language or languages, the acoustic description of sound systems, and so on. The various pieces of work may relate to any language or combination of languages subject to adequate advice and facilities being available for the topic in question. Some students may wish to specialise and opt for a 'Pathway' relating to a particular language or language family.

The thesis demands independent study under the guidance of the supervisor and will involve a substantial piece of original research. A proposed title and summary for the 20,000 word thesis, formulated in discussion with the supervisor, must be submitted in mid-February, and this will be subject to approval by the Department of Linguistics, the supervisor, and the Faculty's Degree Committee. Because seminars finish at the end of Lent term, students can then devote themselves full time to research for the thesis during the Easter vacation and the Easter Term (April to June). The thesis is submitted on the seventh Friday of Easter Full Term, and about two to three weeks later there may be an oral examination on the thesis at the discretion of the examiners.

Continuing

For those applying to continue from the MPhil to PhD, the minimum academic standard is normally a distinction on the MPhil.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

There are no specific funding opportunities advertised for this course. For information on more general funding opportunities, please follow the link below.

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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Our modern world is witnessing a growth of online data in a variety of forms, including web documents, blogs, social networks, digital libraries and medical records. Much of this data contains valuable information, such as emerging opinions in social networks, search trends from search engines, consumer purchase behaviour, and patterns that emerge from these huge data sources.

The sheer volume of this information means that traditional stand-alone applications are no longer suitable to process and analyse this data. Our course equips you with the knowledge to contribute to this rapidly emerging area.

We give you hands-on experience with various types of large-scale data and information handling, and start by providing you with a solid understanding of the underlying technologies, in particular cloud computing and high-performance computing. You explore areas including:
-Mobile and social application programming
-Human-computer interaction
-Computer vision
-Computer networking
-Computer security

You also obtain practical knowledge of processing textual data on a large scale in order to turn this data into meaningful information, and have the chance to work on projects that are derived from actual industry needs proposed by our industrial partners.

We are ranked Top 10 in the UK in the 2015 Academic Ranking of World Universities, with more than two-thirds of our research rated ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent (REF 2014).

This degree is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).This accreditation is increasingly sought by employers, and provides the first stage towards eventual professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

Our expert staff

Today’s computer scientists are creative people who are focused and committed, yet restless and experimental. We are home to many of the world’s top scientists, and our staff are driven by creativity and imagination as well as technical excellence. We are conducting world-leading research in areas such as evolutionary computation, brain-computer interfacing, intelligent inhabited environments and financial forecasting.

Specialist staff working on data analytics include:
-Dr Luca Citi – machine learning, learning from biological signals and data (EEG, etc)
-Dr Adrian Clark – automatic construction of vision systems using machine learning and evaluation of algorithms, data visualisation and augmented reality
-Professor Maria Fasli – analysis of structured/unstructured data, machine learning, adaptation, semantic information extraction, ontologies, data exploration, recommendation technologies
-Professor John Gan – machine learning for data modelling and analysis, dimensionality reduction and feature selection in high-dimensional data space
-Dr Udo Kruschwitz – natural language processing, analysis textual/unstructured data, information retrieval
-Professor Massimo Poesio – cognitive science of language, text mining, computational linguistics
-Professor Edward Tsang – applied AI, constraint satisfaction, computational finance and economics, agent-based simulations

Specialist facilities

We are one of the largest and best resourced computer science and electronic engineering schools in the UK. Our work is supported by extensive networked computer facilities and software aids, together with a wide range of test and instrumentation equipment.
-We have six laboratories that are exclusively for computer science and electronic engineering students. Three are open 24/7, and you have free access to the labs except when there is a scheduled practical class in progress
-All computers run either Windows 7 or are dual boot with Linux
-Software includes Java, Prolog, C++, Perl, Mysql, Matlab, DB2, Microsoft Office, Visual Studio, and Project
-Students have access to CAD tools and simulators for chip design (Xilinx) and computer networks (OPNET)
-We also have specialist facilities for research into areas including non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, intelligent environments, robotics, optoelectronics, video, RF and MW, printed circuit milling, and semiconductors

Your future

Demand for skilled graduates in the areas of big data and data science is growing rapidly in both the public and private sector, and there is a predicted shortage of data scientists with the skills to understand and make commercial decisions based on the analysis of big data.

Our recent graduates have progressed to a variety of senior positions in industry and academia. Some of the companies and organisations where our former graduates are now employed include:
-Electronic Data Systems
-Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
-Bank of Mexico
-Visa International
-Hyperknowledge (Cambridge)
-Hellenic Air Force
-ICSS (Beijing)
-United Microelectronic Corporation (Taiwan)

We also work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

Postgraduate study is the chance to take your education to the next level. The combination of compulsory and optional modules means our courses help you develop extensive knowledge in your chosen discipline, whilst providing plenty of freedom to pursue your own interests. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field, therefore to ensure your course is as relevant and up-to-date as possible your core module structure may be subject to change.

Big Data and Text Analytics - MSc
-MSc Project and Dissertation
-Information Retrieval
-Cloud Technologies and Systems (optional)
-Group Project
-High Performance Computing
-Machine Learning and Data Mining
-Natural Language Engineering
-Professional Practice and Research Methodology
-Text Analytics
-Advanced Web Technologies (optional)
-Data Science and Decision Making (optional)
-Big-Data for Computational Finance (optional)
-Computer Security (optional)
-Computer Vision (optional)
-Creating and Growing a New Business Venture (optional)
-Mobile & Social Application Programming (optional)

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Research profile

Strongly interdisciplinary in nature, the Institute for Language, Cognition and Communication (ILCC) is dedicated to both basic and applied research in the computational study of language, communication, and cognition, in both humans and machines.

As technology focuses increasingly on language-based communication tools, research into the automation of language processing has become vital. ILCC offers you the broadest research scope in the UK, and a strong computational focus.

Our primary areas of research are:

• natural language processing and computational linguistics
• spoken language processing
• dialogue and multimodal interaction
• information extraction, retrieval, and presentation
• computational theories of human cognition
• educational and assistive technology
• visualisation

Much of our research is applied to software development, in areas as diverse as social media, assisted living, gaming and education.

You may find yourself working closely with other departments of the University, particularly the School of Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences.

Many of our researchers are involved in two cross-disciplinary research centres:

Centre for Speech Technology Research (CSTR)

The Centre for Speech Technology Research (CSTR) is an interdisciplinary research centre linking Informatics and Linguistics. Founded in 1984, it is now one of the world's largest concentrations of researchers working in the field of language and speech processing.

CSTR is concerned with research in all areas of speech technology including speech recognition, synthesis, signal processing, acoustic phonetics, information access, multi-modal interaction and dialogue systems.

The Centre is home to state-of-the-art research facilities including specialised speech and language-orientated computer labs, a digital recording studio, perception labs and a meeting room instrumented with multiple synchronised video cameras and microphones. There is also access to high-performance computer clusters, the University storage area network, a specialist library, and many speech and language databases.

• Centre for Speech Technology Research

Human Communication Research Centre

The Human Communication Research Centre (HCRC) is an interdisciplinary research centre at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow that brings together theories and methods from several formal and experimental disciplines to understand better how this happens.

We focus on spoken and written language; we also study communication in other visual, graphical and computer-based media.

• Human Communication Research Centre

Training and support

You carry out your research within a research group under the guidance of a supervisor. You will be expected to attend seminars and meetings of relevant research groups and may also attend lectures that are relevant to your research topic. Periodic reviews of your progress will be conducted to assist with research planning.

A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development in a wide range of topics, from writing and presentation skills to entrepreneurship and career strategies.

The School of Informatics holds a Silver Athena SWAN award, in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students of all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.

• Athena SWAN

Facilities

The award-winning Informatics Forum is an international research facility for computing and related areas. It houses more than 400 research staff and students, providing office, meeting and social spaces.

It also contains two robotics labs, an instrumented multimedia room, eye-tracking and motion capture systems, and a full recording studio amongst other research facilities. Its spectacular atrium plays host to many events, from industry showcases and student hackathons to major research conferences.

Nearby teaching facilities include computer and teaching labs with more than 250 machines, 24-hour access to IT facilities for students, and comprehensive support provided by dedicated computing staff.

Among our entrepreneurial initiatives is Informatics Ventures, set up to support globally ambitious software companies in Scotland and nurture a technology cluster to rival Boston, Pittsburgh, Kyoto and Silicon Valley.

Career opportunities

While many of our graduates pursue an academic career, others find their skills are highly sought after in the technology industry. A number of our students serve internships with large UK and international software developers, while others take up positions with major social media companies.

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Some time ago the Wall Street Journal wrote: "Why Software is Eating the World".
This refers to the fact, that software systems are revolutionizing all business processes and models, enable completely new applications and shape how we live. A revolution is underway! – A revolution triggered and shaped through computer science and the applications for which it provides the basis. Do you want to be part of this revolution, shaping computer science and through it the world? Then the Master’s Program Applied Computer Sciences is what you are looking for!

The study program Applied Computer Science (ACS) will help you to gain a deeper understanding of computer science and will enable you actively contribute to the progress of computer science in a wide range of fields. Building on the fundamentals obtained during a Bachelor’s program in ACS or a related program, students learn to develop large, complex and novel software. You will be able to specialize in different fields like software development, information systems, machine learning, etc. You will be able to choose your specialization from elective courses for a significant part of their studies. In addition you will obtain knowledge in the fields of business administration and information management.

Core Modules

* Machine Learning
* Software-Architectures
* Distributed Learning Systems
* Media Informatics
* Marketing / Logistics
* Business Modeling
* Computational linguistics
* Knowledge Management and E-Learning

Application and Admission

The program starts at University of Hildesheim twice a year: in April and in October. For details on how to apply please visit our website https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/en/studium/bewerbung/bewerbung/.
Please note that this is a german language based program. Thus, you need proof of German language capabilities as a prerequisite for enrollment.

International Applicants

If you live outside of Germany and need additional information about college and study fees, entry requirements beyond the ones stated below, accommodation or the application procedure: Please visit our International Office at https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/en/io/.

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