Dr. Mark Schmidt

Professor

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Biography

Mark Schmidt is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia. His research primarily focuses on optimization, machine learning, and their applications in various domains. Schmidt's significant contributions include work on large-scale machine learning, algorithms, and probabilistic reasoning, with numerous publications in top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS and ICML. He has received several notable fellowships, including the Dorothy Killam Fellowship and the Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship. Schmidt has an extensive background in academia, having held positions from Ph.D. student to Professor, and is actively involved in supervising graduate students and conducting tutorials on numerical optimization and machine learning topics. He serves as the Canada Research Chair for Large-Scale Machine Learning and has been recognized for his work with awards like the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship. Schmidt is also a Canada CIFAR AI Chair and was a senior fellow with CIFAR, exploring learning algorithms.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2024-01-01 — Present

University of British Columbia • Vancouver, BC, Canada

Teaching and conducting research in machine learning and optimization.

Associate Professor

2019-01-01 — 2024-01-01

University of British Columbia • Vancouver, BC, Canada

Conducting research and teaching courses in computer science.

Assistant Professor

2014-01-01 — 2019-01-01

University of British Columbia • Vancouver, BC, Canada

Taught courses and supervised graduate students in algorithms and machine learning.

Postdoc

2013-01-01 — 2014-01-01

Simon Fraser University • Burnaby, BC, Canada

Conducted research in natural language processing.

Postdoc

2011-01-01 — 2013-01-01

Ecole Normale Superieure • Paris, France

Worked on the INRIA SIERRA project related to machine learning.

Courses

CPSC 340: Machine Learning Data Mining CPSC 440: Advanced Machine Learning

Requirements for University of British Columbia

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6.5
Reading
Required:6.5
Writing
Required:6.5
Speaking
Required:6.5
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:21
Speaking
Required:21
Total
Required:100
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Philosophy or related field 3 credits in formal logic 6 credits at the upper level in history of philosophy 3 credits at the upper level in ethics or value theory 6 credits at the upper level in metaphysics, epistemology, or philosophy of science
Application Checklist
  • Online application form
  • Application fee
  • Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Writing sample (15-20 pages)
  • Statement of intent
  • Evidence of English language proficiency
Specialization Notes

Offers course-only and thesis routes. Focus areas include philosophy of science, mind, ethics, and Asian philosophy.