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Ph.D. in Language Technologies

Language is one of the most commonplace facets of our everyday lives, but managing and allowing these complex systems to interact is no easy task. By enrolling the dual degree Ph.D. Program in Language Technologies, students will be part of a branch of Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science, the Language Technologies Institute that has been a world leader in the areas of speech processing, language processing, information retrieval, machine translation, machine learning and bio-informatics since its inception.

For more information please contact us at apply[at]cmuportugal.org

Focusing primarily on machine translation, speech processing, and information retrieval, the Language Technologies Institute, within the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, offers the dual degree Ph.D. Program in Language Technologies, together with:

Objectives

Students participating in the dual-degree program will spend their first year in Portugal, followed by two years in Pittsburgh to complete their coursework. They will complete a maximum of eight courses with a proper balance of focus areas (linguistics, computer science, statistical/learning and task orientation). After that, they will return to Portugal for their last two years, pursuing research and completing their dissertation.

Program

Students jointly enrolled in the LTI Ph.D. program usually spend their first two years at Carnegie Mellon taking classes in linguistics, computer science, statistical learning and task orientation. After completing the majority of their academic requirements, students then return to Portugal for the next three years to conduct extensive research, ultimately leading to a dissertation topic that will be publicly defended. One adviser from each institution co-supervises their student’s progress and helps to define their final thesis topic.

Course Structure

The course structure requirements and contents at CMU are available at the Languages Technologies Institute website. 

Supervision

The thesis will be co-advised by at least two co-advisers, one from CMU and one from a Portuguese partner University

Type of Degree

The student will be awarded with a dual degree Ph.D conferred by CMU and another by the Portuguese partner University. During the Ph.D., the student should comply with the regulations of both Universities.

 

Duration

5 years (full-time), with up to 2 years at CMU and up to 3 years at a Portuguese University.

Scholarships and tuition

The Ph.D. students enrolled in the dual degree Ph.D. program will receive financial support through an FCT - CMU Portugal Fellowship (includes tuition fees and a monthly stipend).

Application requirements

The dual degree Ph.D. program uses the School of Computer Science online application for admissions.
You must submit the following documents with your application:
• CV (pdf.)
• A statement of purpose — a concise one- or two-page essay describing your primary research interests, related experiences and objective in pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional
• English proficiency: If your native language is not English or you have not graduated from a U.S. university, you must submit a TOEFL or IELTS test. Duolingo tests are also accepted in case you are unable to to test for TOEFL or IELTS
• Transcripts from each college and/or university you attended, even if no degree was granted (pdf.)
• Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which are from faculty or recent employers