I am writing as Deputy Programme Director for the Digital Humanities programme at UCL, to tell you

about some proposed changes to the way in which the programme is structured.

Since the programme started, we have offered it as a MA/MSc course, with students able to make a
choice as to which award they would receive, as long as certain criteria were met. From the coming
2020/21 session, we want to change this offering to two separate programmes: an MA Digital
Humanities programme, and a separate MSc Digital Humanities programme. Offer holders for the
MA/MSc will be able to choose to register in either programme.

As part of this restructuring, we propose making some changes to the core modules. Up until this
year, the MA/MSc has had five core and three optional modules. With the change to the separate
programmes, we will extend the number of core modules to six, and reduce the number of optional
modules to two. The MA and MSc will both retain the existing set of five core modules, and will each
add a separate additional core module.

For the MA programme, you will take an additional core module: Advanced Topics in Digital
Humanities. The module is utterly humanistic in conception and delivery. It introduces students to
the crucial social, cultural, political and data-driven debates that are influencing what digital
humanities is now and what it might become in the future. Topics that will be covered may include:
postcolonial digital humanities; feminist digital humanities; digital ethics; algorithmic criticism;
theories of modelling in digital humanities; theories of making in the digital humanities;
interdisciplinarity and digital humanities. This student-centred module will be taught as a research-
led, problem-based seminar.

For the MSc programme, the additional core module will be: Data Visualization and GIS. This module
will give students experience in carrying out a variety of forms of data analysis and exploration, and
the opportunity to produce a range of graphs and maps using the programming language R which is
widely used in many disciplines, and thus a useful transferable skill. Students will also gain
knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of different graphical techniques, and building
on these will focus on a critical approach to visualization and to data literacy. Why has a particular
technique been used? How might it inform or mislead the viewer? What assumptions have been
made in the data collection? Do such assumptions reflect societally embedded structures of
prejudice and privilege?

Whichever programme students register for, they will have the opportunity to take the other
additional module as one of their optional choices.

Having two separate programmes will emphasise different approaches to Digital Humanities,
underlined by the new core modules. We think that these are exciting changes to the programme,
and look forward to welcoming you all to UCL in the autumn.

If you have any questions about the changes or would like any further information, please contact
Sarah Davenport (Digital Humanities Programme Administrator): s.davenport@ucl.ac.uk