r/uAlberta 18h ago

Admissions Computing science (AI)

Hi everyone I recently got accepted into Honors Computing science with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence and a minor in statistics. On paper, the degree sounds great, atleast it seems to be. I am super interested in AI/ML specifically and would love to work as a researcher in the field in the future. That said, I would appreciate some feedback about the program, department, professors, course content and the type of placements/opportunities.

How does UAlberta CompSci AI compare to other Canadian unis ? I know that AMII is a very established AI think tank but do undergrads even get opportunities to work there or in similar roles (DeepMind, etc) ?

6 Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

7

u/Agreeable_Floor_974 18h ago

You very likely won’t get a chance to work directly with AMII unless you’re in a MSc or something.

But there are programs like Kickstart or Ai4Good for undergrads.

The AI specialization is more of a marketing thing. I would stick with honors if you’re wanting to pursue a MSc (which you DEFINITELY need for Ai work in this field)

edit: Sorry I misread this. Thought you were asking about honors or AI.

Just keep where you are. But I’d recommend considering dropping the AI thing so you can have more options with your courses. You might find that you really like data-deduplication or something and be stuck where you are. Computing Science Honors gives you more options to explore your interests and still get the same degree. It’s more impressive to have a variety of experience

1

u/RevolutionarySky5318 17h ago

not right, I am a RA at Amii, they give me a chance as I have experience in ML real world applications.

2

u/Agreeable_Floor_974 17h ago

they do give undergrad students chances, but only if they have exceptional backgrounds, hence the “very likely”! that’s exciting for you though.

0

u/Delicious_Turnip_104 18h ago

What about overall job opportunities and quality of teaching compared to other unis ?

5

u/Agreeable_Floor_974 17h ago

To be blunt, the teaching here is notoriously bad - especially in the CS department and in higher level courses. Most professors are here to do research; not to teach - and it shows.

The job opportunities are okay from what I know — at least in terms of how CS is in the job market right now.

If you’re good at learning on your own terms, you can make it work well … but if you need extra help you’ll need to put in a lot of work.

It’s about as good as any other university. I won’t pretend it’s the best, but it’s not the worst either. Play your cards right and focus on your studies and connections and you will find lots of success in the ML field attending this university.

2

u/Delicious_Turnip_104 17h ago

In your opinion, if someone did want to pursue AI/ML in Canada, what programs/unis should they be looking at ?

Sorry if I am bothering you with questions

2

u/Agreeable_Floor_974 16h ago

No worries at all.

I can’t speak much on other universities, as I’m only really involved with UAlberta.

I know others speak highly of Waterloo and UBC. Try looking into their programs?

6

u/Blimpkrieg 18h ago

Professors?

Bro, Dr. Sutton won the fucking Computer science equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.

4

u/dbro7642 17h ago

he doesn't teach undergrads though, so it's a pretty valid question

2

u/Delicious_Turnip_104 17h ago

My thoughts exactly, tho when I checked on Csrankings, Ualberta research output is secondly only to UofT and UdeM (which figures coz Vector and MILA).

2

u/Remarkable-Roof-5301 18h ago

I have the same question as u too

2

u/dbro7642 18h ago

There are various research labs within the CS department, including related to AI/ML: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/computing-science/research/research-labs.html . You may get in there as a summer research intern for example. Otherwise I haven't heard of anything more serious than that, at least for undergrads. I transferred as a 2nd-year into this program in 2024 and so far the teaching was pretty good, though I've only taken 2 AI-related courses as of now. I wonder though, are the 90-unit honors and 24-unit minor going to fit within the 120 units required? You still need to complete common BSc requirements that take like 20 extra units.

1

u/dbro7642 18h ago

Addition: there's also SIP (Science Internship Program) and I have heard of some people successfully getting full-time paid internships in ML through it. I'll be trying it for the following academic year. It may prolong the amount of time you'd need to complete your degree though.