Computational Linguistics - Bachelor's program

My current position as a research associate at the Institute for Natural Language Processing builds on my studies, and I conduct research on specific aspects of language analysis. In addition, I have a part-time job as a Speech Scientist at a start-up developing a spoken dialog system for applications in the healthcare sector. This role requires much of the knowledge gained during my study program, particularly in speech recognition and language analysis.

What fascinated me about studying Natural Language Processing was the dynamic intersection of computer science and linguistics, where I acquired knowledge in programming, mathematics, linguistics, philosophy, data science, and machine learning/artificial intelligence. I also particularly appreciated the close-knit student community, with direct contact with the instructors, and the small group sizes, which allow students from diverse backgrounds and different countries to study together.

Studying natural language processing offers not only an excellent scientific education but also the opportunity to gain initial experience in the software field through small practical projects. The program provides a solid introduction to the field of Natural Language Processing, allowing students to advance their training as data engineers, data scientists, or software developers through internships alongside their studies.

This study program can be structured very flexibly due to its high modularity. It can be structured with a focus more towards linguistics or technology, research, or entirely practical with regard to software development in industry. I found it helpful to take courses in computer science and software development alongside my studies. Thus, when I began my career, I already had the essential foundations in software development, coupled with specialized knowledge in machine learning and NLP, which certainly helped me to stand out from other applicants.