Capitalize on NLP’s Explosive Growth: Earn Your MS Today
According to a recent Statista report, the global Natural Language Processing market size is predicted to grow almost 12 times larger by 2030 than it was in 2020, with the largest market size located in the US at approximately $13 billion in 2025.
The NLP MS program at UCSC provides students with the skills and in-depth knowledge of NLP algorithms, technologies, and applications that are in high demand in this rapidly growing field. Our program goes beyond the classroom by supplying students with industry-relevant projects for the kind of real-world experience that is essential for a successful career in NLP.
We’ve got you covered
Industry Experience
Our students benefit from working on an industry-sponsored Capstone project through the duration of the program. Collaborating in teams of 3-5 with guidance from a mentor, students are able to gain the invaluable real-world experience essential for a successful career in NLP. Discover more about our NLP Capstone projects on our Capstone Experience page.
Dedicated Career Support
Building a successful career needs more than just a graduate degree and a great resume. Your success depends on your approach to the process, how you see yourself, and how you respond to challenges. Dedicated Career Engagement staff at the Silicon Valley Campus, along with access to our Career Center help you pinpoint where you want to go and how to get there. Sign up to attend professional development panels, engage in one-one-one career coaching with our experts on such topics as resume and LinkedIn profile building, personality and skill-based interview prep, and so much more. We are your one-stop shop to launching your GenAI career.
Graduates from our program have gone on to roles such as:
- Data engineer
- Software engineer
- Machine learning engineer
- Applied scientist
- NLP engineer
- Computational linguist
… in industry leading organizations including:
- Amazon
- American Express
- Astrata
- Quantcast
- Megagon Labs
- Raybeam
- Sephora
- Shipt
- Techcyte
- The Washington Post
- Zoom
A Look at Jobs in NLP
Silicon Valley employs a large number of people with experience and expertise in Natural Language Processing. Job search sites like LinkedIn list several thousand openings for natural language processing related jobs.
Check out these employment websites for information about career opportunities in NLP:
Jobs are regularly advertised by companies such as Amazon, Google, IBM, Verizon, YouTube, Bosch, Yahoo, Intel, Nuance, Facebook, and Apple among others. The typical position requires a combination of skills in NLP along with computer science and data science. This demand for M.S. students with expertise in NLP is highly likely to grow in the next decade.
Optional Practical Training (OPT) for International Students
International students graduating from the NLP M.S. program who are in valid F-1 status are eligible for OPT. Graduates of the NLP M.S. program are also eligible for the OPT STEM Extension. The CIP code for NLP is 11.0102, which is the same as Artificial Intelligence, as listed on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. OPT-related questions should be directed to the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Office at istudent@ucsc.edu.
Resources for Current Students
In addition to individualized academic support provided by the NLP Program Team and faculty, UCSC offers a variety of career support services for NLP graduates.
Through the UCSC Career Center, students can:
- Meet with a Career Coach to explore career goals and develop job search strategies
- Participate in workshops, fairs, on-campus interviews, conferences and more
- Access resources to help refine application materials, network effectively and prepare for job interviews
The Career Center also provides resources for UCSC alumni as well. To learn more, visit the Career Center’s website.
Handshake
Our online portal, Handshake helps you search for employment opportunities, register for upcoming networking events, workshops and fairs with employers, make a career coaching appointment or browse job opportunities from vetted employers based on your interests.
Career coaching
Our team of peer coaches and professional staff can help you develop job search strategies, answer your questions, discuss options, and identify job opportunities. They’ll advise on how best to make contact and build relationships with potential employers.
Experience
Your capstone project will give you an insight into current NLP challenges. You’ll have the opportunity find out more about the field, current growth areas and advances. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet a range of experts working in a range of contexts with different organizations.
Work experience on your resume really helps you stand out to employers. Your capstone project will grow your knowledge, build your expertise and develop your aspirations.
Essentials
Our careers consultants provide essential skills support that focuses on the crucial skills you need to get hired. This includes everything from writing a winning CV, crafting an excellent cover letter or playing to your strengths at interview.
Professional development opportunities
As an NLP MS student, you’ll have access to a variety of professional development workshops, resources, and support services. Each quarter, we’ll highlight workshops and networking events that current students can attend online, at the UCSC Silicon Valley Campus, or at the UC Santa Cruz Main Campus. Check out the Career Center’s calendar on Handshake for more professional development opportunities.
Review more professional development opportunities for UCSC graduate students on the Graduate Divisions’s events page.