As a historian with a passion for linguistics, I’m taking a non-traditional path to pursue a Master’s in Computational Linguistics (CL). My background may not be the typical CS or linguistics degree, but I’ve been working hard to bridge the gap. I’ve taken certified courses in math for machine learning, NLP, calculus, and statistics, and even completed a specialization in Python from the University of Michigan. I’m also building a GitHub project that showcases my research skills, including annotating a corpus, classic ML, reporting metrics, error analysis, and ablations. I recently reached out to the admissions advisors at Saarland and Tubingen, two universities with highly respected MA in CL programs. They told me that while my certificates don’t count towards the specific credit requirements, they do demonstrate my interest and motivation. They suggested I focus on crafting a strong motivation letter and project description to increase my chances of admission. I know I have a steep learning curve ahead of me, but I’m determined to succeed. My question is, do I have a real chance of getting accepted into one of these programs? Can my non-traditional background and self-taught skills be enough to make up for my lack of formal education in CS or linguistics? I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar situation or has advice to share.
