Fellowship to provide full tuition for up to 10 CA students to study Natural Language Processing at UC Santa Cruz

three students smile while sitting at desks with laptops
Students in the Natural Language Processing masters program, located at the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus, receive a unique graduate education in generative AI, machine learning, and natural language processing. (photo by Carolyn Lagattuta)
Up to 10 California-residents will receive full scholarships to pursue a Masters of Science in Natural Language Processing (NLP) for the 2025-26 academic year, thanks to the 2025 NLP fellowship program supported by the University of California and UC Santa Cruz. 

The NLP masters program is a professional masters program offered by the department of Computer Science and Engineering at the UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus. The program provides a unique graduate education in generative AI, machine learning, and natural language processing in conjunction with mentorship and collaborative project experience with industry partners in the region.

In 2025, the NLP program will celebrate the graduation of its fifth cohort of students. The 2025 NLP fellowships aim to increase UC’s support of California students with demonstrated financial need and provide opportunities to Californians who aspire to careers in generative AI.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer these generous fellowships to outstanding computer scientists in California, offering them a world-class education in AI in the heart of Silicon Valley,” said Ian Lane, director of the UC Santa Cruz NLP program and associate dean for Silicon Valley engagement. 

The program emphasizes a deep understanding of the fundamentals of NLP and a strong proficiency in the practical skills needed for successful careers in generative AI. Since the program’s launch in 2020, 90% of students have found employment in NLP and NLP-adjacent industries within six months of graduation. 

There will be two application deadlines for the NLP-MS program this year: February 3 and April 16 (primarily for California residents). Learn more about applying at this link.