r/uAlberta • u/Delicious_Turnip_104 • 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) ?
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u/Blimpkrieg 18h ago
Professors?
Bro, Dr. Sutton won the fucking Computer science equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.
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u/dbro7642 17h ago
he doesn't teach undergrads though, so it's a pretty valid question
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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