Class of 2026

Master of Data Science in Computational Linguistics Student Profile

Freya Kan

"[MDS Computational Linguistics] teaches underlying concepts in depth, from neural networks to LLMs and AI agents. At a time when familiarity with AI is becoming a requirement across many industries, this knowledge is extremely valuable."

Previous Degree: Bachelor’s in Language Interpretation and Translation from Hong Kong Baptist University
Program: MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2026

As much as I love languages, I also have a keen interest in a wide range of subjects, from engineering to philosophy and astronomy to economics. When ChatGPT took the world by storm in 2022, I naturally became interested in language technology ...

Read more about Freya Kan
Master of Data Science in Computational Linguistics Student Profile

Saumi Rahnamay

"This program gives you access to a lot of technical knowledge and jargon that one would likely struggle to acquire doing their own research. This field moves really fast, so having access to people who are knowledgeable enough to give you the fundamentals while also covering some recent trends is really hard to get anywhere else."

Previous Degree: Bachelor’s of Philosophy, Minor in Social Data Analytics from Simon Fraser University
Program: MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2026

On the Social Data Analytics side of my degree, I had a course on computational text analysis, which served as a primer for many of the concepts I would explore in more detail during the MDS Computational Linguistics program. Stuff like ...

Read more about Saumi Rahnamay
Master of Data Science in Computational Linguistics Student Profile

Kara Leier

"The professors do a fantastic job of keeping up to date with the current times and topics. Many of our classes were adapted to the current AI environment and discourse"

Previous Degree: Bachelor of Arts Honours, Linguistics and a Bachelor of Science 3-year in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan
Program: MDS Computational Linguistics, Class of 2026

I was inspired by a unit in my Grade 11 English class where we read the play Pygmalion and watched the film adaptation My Fair Lady. I was looking for extra classes in my first year of Computer Science ...

Read more about Kara Leier
Victoria Farkas

Victoria Farkas

"MDS is definitely great for students who don’t have the traditional technical degree backgrounds. While it is important to have a grasp on the fundamentals before beginning, the program does a great job of structuring the content with an understanding that the first block or so may be spent catching some people up to speed before moving into the more advanced topics. "

Previous Degree: Bachelor of Science in the Behavioural Neuroscience stream from the University of British Columbia
Program: MDS Vancouver, Class of 2026

In my third year of undergrad, I joined a datathon just to give it a try, and I ended up really enjoying the technical challenges. The datathon helped me realize I could combine my domain knowledge with technical know-how to work in a career that ...

Read more about Victoria Farkas
Master of Data Science Vancouver Student Profile

Michael Oyatsi

“As a 10-month accelerated program …. I have the opportunity for a hands-on learning experience in a short period to aid my professional career pivot.”

Previous Degree: Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering from the University of British Columbia
Program: MDS Vancouver, Class of 2026

The interest in the field of data science was borne out of my desire to pursue a career that is technical in nature and requires analytical skills to derive insights that inform business decisions.

About Michael Oyatsi
Prior to joining the MDS Vancouver program, Michael ...

Read more about Michael Oyatsi
Master of Data Science Vancouver Student Profile

Lavanya Gupta

“UBC MDS stood out for how deliberately it is structured. The curriculum strikes a balance between statistical foundations and practical application, and the capstone project, where you work on a real problem with an actual industry partner, was a big draw.”

Previous Degree: Bachelor’s of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology
Program: MDS Vancouver, Class of 2026

During my time at Ericsson, I worked on the technical side of project management and naturally found myself drawn toward the data. I kept looking for patterns and trying to make sense of numbers that were often treated as background noise. Over ...

Read more about Lavanya Gupta
Subscribe to Class of 2026