Doing a PhD with me

Language models have developed their own ways of using language, and this model language behaviour is now meeting ours.

If you want to find out where model language behaviour comes from, and what it means for human language, a PhD in computational linguistics with me could be for you. This page answers the questions I am asked most often, so that you can judge the fit for yourself.

Already at FSU? You do not need to go through this page: see working with students and reach out directly.

In short (as of Autumn/Fall 2026)

Fall 2027: I am open to supervising a PhD student with a strong computational linguistics profile.
Funding: I do not have research assistant (RA) funding. Funding would come through the programme, is merit-based, and typically takes the form of a teaching assistantship. Once you are accepted, I will do my utmost to help you obtain research funding.
Fit: in my group, language is the object of study, so what matters most is a genuine interest in language itself.
Route: the PhD in Scientific Computing at Florida State University. To be considered for funding, apply by 15 January 2027.
Eligibility: US federal rules and Florida state rules currently restrict some applicants; please check below.
Before you write: please read If you write.

What you could work on, and what I look for

Anything in computational linguistics is a good fit: for example, large-scale tests of the uniform information density hypothesis, speech recognition, or computational work on varieties of Spanish. My own current line is model language behaviour and AI-associated language change; see my research and what I am working on now.

In my group, language is the object of study. I am looking for two things:

Your computational language work so far: ideally, you have some prior computational work on language.
Your computational language questions going forward: most importantly, what you would like to find out about language, in your own words.

Strong skills in machine learning or LLM engineering are valuable, and there is often overlap in methods. On their own, however, they are not a fit. If your work centres on computer vision, or on multimodal systems, model efficiency, or machine-learning evaluation where language plays no critical role, you will likely find better-matched, and often better-funded, positions elsewhere.

If you write

Please first judge the fit for yourself, using the points above. If you see a strong fit, email me at tjuzek@fsu.edu with:

the subject line PhD Fall 2027: Your Name;
a few sentences on your computational language work so far, with links where possible (if you are just getting started, for instance as an undergraduate, that is fine);
a few sentences on the language questions you would like to pursue;
your CV (PDF);
any specific question that this page does not answer.

I read every email, but I may not be able to reply to messages that this page already answers.

How to apply

The route is the PhD in Scientific Computing at Florida State University, with a research focus on computational linguistics. Admission decisions are made by the department.

Deadline for funding: complete applications received by 15 January 2027 are considered for the department’s assistantships and for university fellowships. Later deadlines exist, but only for any remaining funding. See the department’s application page.
Requirements, such as English-language tests: please check the application page and the department’s FAQ, as details change from time to time.
Advisor: the programme expects students to find a faculty member who agrees, informally, to serve as their advisor. If you fit the profile above, that is the point at which writing to me makes sense.

Eligibility, visas, and Florida rules

This is a common question, and the rules have changed several times recently. I cannot advise on individual cases; the official sources below are authoritative. As of September 2026:

FSU: the Graduate School’s international admissions page and the Center for Global Engagement’s immigration updates set out the university’s position, including English-language requirements and visa documents.
US federal rules: a presidential proclamation in force since 1 January 2026 suspends new student visas (F and J) for nationals of a number of countries; NAFSA keeps a summary with the list of countries. FSU’s international admissions page notes that visas will not be issued to affected applicants while the restriction is in place.
Florida state rules: under section 288.860 of the Florida Statutes, as applied by the Board of Governors and by FSU, the university needs additional approval before employing a graduate assistant who is domiciled in one of seven “countries of concern”: China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela. See FSU’s guidance. As assistantships are the main source of PhD funding, please check this early if it applies to you.