Master’s degree in Computational Linguistics (CL)
The field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) has revolutionized industries by enabling advanced generative AI technologies and fostering innovations like real-time translation, intelligent assistants, and automated content creation. UPCité’s master’s program in Computational Linguistics equips students with theoretical and practical skills in NLP, preparing them for careers in industry or research through interdisciplinary training in computer science, data science, linguistics, and AI.
On this page you will find the detailed curriculum as well as links to places where key information can be found.
Curriculum
Block 1: Fundamentals of Natural Language Processing
The following 4 courses are all mandatory:
- Formal Languages and Parsing (3 credits)
- Machine Learning for NLP: the Fundamentals (6 credits)
- Numerical methods for NLP (3 credits)
- Introduction to Computational Linguistics (3 credits)
Block 2: Fundamentals of Computer Science and Data Science
The following two courses are both mandatory:
- Introduction to Algorithms and Complexity (3 credits)
- Python for Data Analysis (3 credits)
Block 3: Fundamentals of linguistics 1
Students have to take the following mandatory course:
- General linguistics (3 credits)
In addition, they have to pick two out of the following list of courses:
- Phonetics (3 credits)
- Phonology (3 credits)
- Morphology (3 credits)
- Syntax (3 credits)
- Semantics (3 credits)
- Linguistic typology (3 credits)
Block 1: NLP and its application
The following 4 courses are all mandatory:
- Computational Semantics (6 credits)
- Graph Algorithms (3 credits)
- Theory and Practice of Large Language Models (6 credits)
- Statistics for Textual Data (3 credits)
Block 2: Fundamentals of Computer Science and Data Science 2
The following courses is mandatory:
- Professional skills in data science and NLP (3 credits)
Block 3: Broadening 1
Students have to pick two courses from the following list:
- Phonological Analysis (3 credits)
- Experimental Phonology (3 credits)
- Theoretical Morphology (3 credits)
- Constraint-based Syntax (3 credits)
- Topics in Minimalist Syntax (3 credits)
- Semantic Analysis (3 credits)
- Pragmatics (3 credits)
- Transversal course at Université Paris Cité
- Other course offered at U. Paris Cité or elsewhere.
Block 4: Preparation for professional insertion
- Optional internship (no credits)
- Project in NLP (3 credits)
Block 1: Advanced Topics in NLP
The following 4 courses are all mandatory:
- Current Topics in NLP and society (3 credits)
- Multilingual NLP and Machine Translation (3 credits)
- Advanced topics in NLP (3 credits)
- Computational language modeling and cognition (6 credits)
Block 2: Specialization Program in Data Science and Computer Science
The following courses are all mandatory:
- Broadening in data science and NLP 1 : RAG; AI agents (3 credits)
- Broadening in data science and NLP 2 : Privacy in NLP; Alignment (3 credits)
- Broadening in data science and NLP 3 : Language acquisition (3 credits)
Block 3: Broadening in linguistics 2
Students have to pick two out of the following list of courses:
- Advanced Morphology (3 credits)
- Topics in Semantics and Pragmatics (3 credits)
- Advanced Syntax: Theory and Research (3 credits)
- Experimental Syntax (3 credits)
- History and Epistemology of Linguistic Sciences (3 credits)
- Signal Processing and Computational Methods for Speech (3 credits)
- Topics in Chinese Linguisitics (3 credits)
- Topics in Phonological Theories (3 credits)
- Topics in Prosody
- Transversal course at Université Paris Cité
- Other course offered at U. Paris Cité or elsewhere.
- The last semester is entirely dedicated to an internship, which may be:
- a research internship, conducted within a research lab, and leading to the writing of a thesis; or
- an internship in a company, leading to the writing of a final report.
- In both situations:
- The duration should be at least 4 months. 6 months are recommended.
- The work will end with a live defence in front of an ad-hoc committee consisting of professors in computational linguistics.
- The choice of an internship has to be agreed to by the year coordinator, who will also be the academic supervisor (“enseignant référent”) mentioned in the internship contract.
- For the students doing a research internship within the UFR de Linguistique (i.e. either within the LLF or HTL laboratories) the mandatory template are available on the PGSL Moodle page
Links
- More information for prospective students
- Prerequisites for students aiming to register for the program
- Course and examination schedules
- Information on internships
- Other student information from the linguistic department