Application

This page informs you on the application process for the 2-year Master's program Linguistic Data Science (M.A.) at RUB if you want to apply for the first semester (each winter term).

If you are looking to enroll in a higher semester, please read the general information on this topic, and consider that for acceptance you have to fulfill the same requirements as listed below and in addition show that you have passed courses equivalent to the first semester(s) of our program.

Application Deadlines

The program starts each year with the winter term (October). Your application for the next winter semester can be send to us from June to July if you are an international student, or from June until October (see next column for restrictions!) if you are a German student.

If your application is accepted, you will be invited for the mandatory interview with the academic advisor shortly after - keep an eye on your emails. The earlier you apply, the earlier this interview can take place.

We recommend application as soon as the process is open for your group to make sure that you can organize your visa as soon as possible as well.

If you are a German student and/or have your Bachelor's degree from a German university, you can apply for the winter term 2023/24 directly with us by sending all the required documents (see below) to application-lds@rub.de any time until the middle of October.

Please note that if your application arrives after September, 1st, we cannot guarantee that we can arrange for the mandatory consultation with the advisory office in time for regular enrollment. Late enrollment may result in late fees.

If you are an international student, i.e. you neither have German citizenship nor a Bachelor's from a German university, note that you can apply for the winter term 2023/24 from the beginning of June and always only before July 15th. Your application has to be organized by the Admission Office.

Note that you should take care of your visa as soon as possible. Knowing you might not be here on time in the first weeks we offer online courses in our base modules - this does not apply to courses from the Supplementary Module. If you cannot be in Germany on time, you will have to put in extra work during following semesters or expect a longer duration for your studies.
To complete the first semester, you need to be here in January 24 the latest. Note that you cannot put your acceptance on hold for a later year.

Components of your application

Details on the requirements

  • CP-requirements: Either 60 CP in Linguistics and 15 CP in Mathematics/Statistics or Computer Science, or 15 CP in Linguistics and 60 CP in Mathematics/Statistics or Computer Science.
  • In exceptional cases, the admission comittee can allow a problem with the conditions to be healed by taking additional classes after the beginning of your studies with us. In this case, you will be informed about the success of your application under individual restraints.
  • You can prove your English language skills for example with your Abitur-Zeugnis, the Diploma Supplement of the English-language Bachelor's you took, a TOEFL-test result (internet based from 87 points/ computer based from 227 points, we do not accept "MyBest Scores"), or an IELTS (levels 9 – 6).
  • Note that you don't have to prove German knowledge (if this is requested in your application process, just upload the English certificate and/or a file with a note about this)
  • The two-page-description should be one of your academic career so far in relation to Linguistic Data Science. If you do not add this, your application will not be considered. Important: This cannot simply be a CV. Write a text that is about 2 pages long and explains how your academic career up to date results in your interest in Linguistic Data Science. Note that the program is Linguistic Data Science, neither just Data Science nor a Programming course for NLP. Your text should detail why and how you are interested in Linguistics in connection with Data Science, especially if your degree shows only one of these topics. (We don't need praise of the university or program.)
  • You do not have to show us your results from the self-assessment in detail (they are for your reflection only), we just need the confirmation code.

If you have questions about any of these requirements, please contact the academic advisory office.

Overview

Your application should consist of the following documents. Please save each as a pdf with your name and the content in the file's name:

  • two pages describing your academic career so far
  • degree certificate (German or English)
  • Transcript of Records showing that you fulfill the CP-requirements
  • a document proving your proficiency in English
  • the confirmation page you saw after concluding the self-assessment-test.

Application process

In general, your application follows these steps:

  1. You apply within the deadlines as an international student online (as an international student) or as a German student by sending an email to application-lds@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
  2. Your application is checked for completeness (if something is missing you might receive a reminder).
  3. A complete application is decided on by the board. If you fulfill the requirements stated above, you will be admitted.
  4. You receive confirmation of your admission by email. With this, you also receive an invitation for the mandatory counseling session.
  5. After you had the mandatory counseling session, the academic advisory office sends you confirmation on participation (if you applied via the online portal, it will also be uploaded here).
  6. Now you fulfill all requirements for online enrollment.
  7. After enrollment, you can register for the internal Moodle course for Linguistic Data Science. Here you can meet your fellow students and find more information.
  8. At the beginning of your next term, you start with your courses (generally the second or third week of October).

After successful application

After you applied successfully, you also receive an email from the academic advisory office (Fachstudienberatung) to agree on the time for a mandatory consultation session. During this, you will discuss the requirements posed on you for full admission, your initial goals for a focus and any other questions you might have.

Find more information here:
On the consultation session