Master of Science in Natural Language Processing Trier University

Automation is bringing about profound changes in all areas of social and professional life, including science. Core technologies driving this revolution are artificial intelligence and natural language processing. The MSc in “Natural Language Processing” (NLP) enables you to shape these changes. It is interdisciplinary, and it deals with digitally-mediated language – from written texts to audiovisual and social media. NLP is an MSc programme that provides a specialisation in artificial intelligence, specifically in machine learning and semantic technologies, as well as methods for the analysis, management and generation of text and media. It is interdisciplinary, combining linguistics with artificial intelligence, with a wide range of electives such as Digital Humanities and Digital Libraries. In addition to theoretical foundations, courses on mathematics and computer science, the programme imparts problem-solving and practical competence.

For whom is NLP?

Do you have a Bachelor’s degree from a computer science, data science, communication science, linguistics, or artificial intelligence-related course of studies? Are you interested in digital media and communication, especially in how textual content can be managed, analysed and generated using computational methods?

Do you want...

• to automatically access, analyse and understand large amounts of textual and multimodal content and make it usable for humans and machines?
• to use the latest digital methods from artificial intelligence, knowledge graphs, machine learning and deep learning?
• a course of study that teaches practical skills and involves working with real data?
• to work in an application-oriented manner in interdisciplinary, international teams?

What is taught in NLP?

The MSc in NLP with a focus on artificial intelligence and computational linguistics provides skills that are in high demand in the job market:

Interdisciplinarity: Understanding of technical methods of artificial intelligence for interdisciplinary analysis and generation of language and media as well as annotation of documents and their content integration beyond document collections

Practicality: Ability to develop, implement and use computer science methods using software libraries, and to experimentally and theoretically evaluate these methods in various language and media-based application scenarios

Reflectability: Ability to evaluate methods and their use in relation to industry, society, politics and science
The programme is particularly suitable for those interested in language, communication and media as well as in technical and scientific methods.

Research orientation: The understanding and skills of the graduates go beyond well-established applications towards researching new methods and conducting novel experiments.

The Master's programme covers the following module types:

• Compulsory modules:
  • Introductory courses as well as propaedeutic courses
• Elective modules covering topics in artificial intelligence & machine learning, computational linguistics & natural language processing, digital humanities and data science
• Research case studies
• Master's thesis

Non-EU citizens:

• 15 January 2027 for the summer semester 2027 (admission also valid for the winter semester 2027/28)
• 31 May 2027 for the winter semester 2027/28 (admission also valid for the summer semester 2028)

German citizens, EU citizens, and applicants with a BA or MA degree from a German university:

• 15 March 2027 for the summer semester 2027 (admission also valid for the winter semester 2027/28)
• 15 September 2027 for the winter semester 2027/28 (admission also valid for the summer semester 2028)

Recommended start of the programme: winter semester

Applicants to the MSc in Natural Language Processing programme must fulfil the following requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in one of the following subjects:
  • computational linguistics (minimum grade 2.5)
  • linguistics, communication or media science (minimum grade 2.3) with:
    • at least 20 Credits in classes related to Computer Science 
  • computer science (minimum grade 2.3) with:
    • at least 20 Credits in classes related to linguistics, media or communication science
• Furthermore, applicants have to prove their English proficiency according to the current regulations of Trier University. (Information can be found on the university website.)

A detailed checklist for potential applicants can be found on the programme website and here: https://www.uni-trier.de/en/studies/application-admission/application-english-taught-master-programmes. Please consult this checklist and the programme website first before sending e-mails to the contact person, as this will typically already answer most of your questions. Please refrain from sending e-mails regarding your eligibility for the programme to the contact person, as the decision is made by the examination board. You can find the current examination regulations on the programme website. Since the examination regulation is a legal document, it is only available in German.

Trier University does not charge tuition fees. Students only have to pay a semester contribution of approx. 380 EUR for the first semester and 360 EUR from the second semester onwards. This includes the "Deutschlandticket", which covers public transport and local trains all over Germany. The contribution also benefits Trier Student Services and the student union. It also enables students to buy meals at reduced prices at the university's canteens.

Students should expect expenses of approx. 1,000 EUR per month. For instance, monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (in a student's dormitory or a room in a shared flat) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market). A meal in the student cafeteria costs approx. 3.50 to 5 EUR.

Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland enjoy unrestricted access to the German labour market. International students from other countries are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year.

The Career Service of Trier University and the "Agentur für Arbeit" provide an online database for student jobs. Job offers can also be found on the website of the "Bundesagentur für Arbeit": https://jobboerse.arbeitsagentur.de.

Additionally, some temporary student jobs can be found on the university's bulletin boards. However, many job offers will require at least some knowledge of German.

Trier University offers some funding opportunities for international students in the final stage of their degree programmes (maximum duration: six months). However, there are no funding opportunities within the university for the whole course of study or the first three semesters of the programme.

Trier University’s career service offers a broad range of advisory services, seminars and events to assist students with planning their career: www.career-service.uni-trier.de

Accommodation is available in student halls of residence through the Student Services Office (Studierendenwerk Trier: http://www.studiwerk.de) or on the private market (for more information: www.study-in-trier.de). Monthly housing costs are approx. 290 to 400 EUR (for a basic dorm room with a shared bathroom) and 450 to 650 EUR (for a single apartment on the private market).

With an open eye for the individual and society...

... we create innovation.

... we share knowledge.

... we bridge borders.

Trier University was founded in 1473, and it reopened in 1970 as a modern campus university. Built on a high plateau overlooking the Moselle River and surrounded by luscious green nature, it is said to be one of Germany's most beautiful campuses. Faculty and departmental buildings are connected by bridges and grouped around the forum and the central library.
Trier University has a strong focus on the humanities, social sciences, and economics, but it is also steadily strengthening its information science and environmental science programmes. There are six faculties that together cover more than 30 subject areas. Many research projects are interdisciplinary in nature and embedded in global networks.
With its roughly 1,200 employees and 10,500 students (including about 19% international students), Trier University embraces contrast: young yet true to tradition, internationally oriented yet regionally rooted, and at the geographic edge of Germany but in the heart of Europe.

http://www.uni-trier.de

Mission statement: https://www.uni-trier.de/en/university/about-trier-university/translate-to-englisch-leitbild

Trier is situated in the western part of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the Moselle Valley. The city is proud of its rich history, which is reflected in its museums and its many historical sites. Thanks to its landmarks, the Porta Nigra, the Trier Cathedral, and other significant architectural monuments, Germany's oldest city was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
Today's cityscape is a fusion of history and modern lifestyle, not least characterised by a vibrant student life. With bars, cafés, and a colourful range of cultural offerings and festivals, Trier is a tourist attraction with international appeal and a beautiful place for the city's 110,000 residents to live.
The city's economy is characterised by a few major enterprises and many medium-sized businesses. Trier is in the heart of Europe, as evidenced by its proximity to Luxembourg, which is an important financial centre and the site of several EU institutions, as well as its proximity to France and Belgium. Nine twin towns and cities across Europe, Asia, and the USA attest to Trier's international orientation.

http://www.trier.de