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Digital Humanities MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Develop skills in computational techniques and digital methodologies that can positively impact the cultural sector. The Digital Humanities MSc provides humanities students with tangible digital skills and tools for engaging with emerging digital technologies such as AI. Taught at UCL, you’ll learn from renowned scholars and industry figures, with access to unparalleled resources relevant to this discipline. You'll be guided in thinking about how to apply technologies within the cultural sector and the arts and humanities research landscape and you’ll gain key technical experience enabling you to seek employment in this rapidly growing field.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 31 Jul 2026

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant humanities or computing discipline from a UK university, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this course is: Level 3

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The course offers hands-on training in key computational tools and digital methods—such as data analysis, web development, digitisation, and AI literacy—while engaging with the broader social, ethical, and theoretical questions surrounding technology’s impact on society. You will be encouraged to explore how algorithms, platforms, and digital infrastructures shape cultural heritage, research practices, and public discourse. 
 
Taught on UCL’s Bloomsbury campus, the course provides access to world-leading scholars, industry professionals, and exceptional digital resources. Through seminars, collaborative projects, and an optional industry placement, students gain insight into real-world applications of digital humanities and develop the confidence to apply digital tools in innovative and meaningful ways. 
 
Whether you're coming from a humanities or computing background, the MSc in Digital Humanities will help you build concrete digital capabilities while fostering critical thinking. You'll graduate equipped to contribute to emerging fields such as digital archiving, cultural data analysis, digital strategy, user experience design, and technology-enhanced research in both academic and commercial settings. 

Who this course is for

The course is suitable for students with an undergraduate degree in a wide variety of subjects. It allows students with a background in the humanities to acquire the necessary skills in digital technologies and enables those with a more technical background to understand the implications of transforming humanities sources into data. It is as suitable for those seeking continuous professional development (CPD) as for those who hope to gain a postgraduate degree and enter the job market or to pursue further study.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

The MSc in Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary course designed for students who want to develop technical and critical expertise at the intersection of technology, culture, and research. As digital technologies continue to transform how we produce, access, and interpret knowledge, this course equips students with the practical skills and analytical frameworks needed to thrive in both cultural and technological sectors.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Digital Humanities (both MA and MSc) graduates have found employment in industry sectors as diverse as: IT, technology & communications, publishing, journalism, translation and PR. They work with employers including the BBC, Deloitte LLP and the National Gallery.*

Others may choose to progress to fully-funded research degrees; others may further develop their technical skills with a view to becoming programmers and developers.

*Graduate Outcomes Survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts.

Employability

The cultural heritage and information sectors are increasingly aware of the need to provide, manage and analyse digital material and projects, with institutions and museums investing heavily in online content. As activities like digital content creation, dissemination and analysis are undertaken by an ever-broader range of actors in media and communication, cultural heritage, the governmental and NGO sector, and digital agencies and companies, the digital proposition is being widely taken up.

Our graduates develop tangible skills and are well placed for a career not only in the fast-growing digital sector, but also in public and private-sector research, development, digital strategy and foresight. As well as discipline-specific skills, we have a strong commitment to integrative learning, the development of research skills and the necessity of critically evaluating material and techniques from a wide variety of sources. In addition, we encourage you to challenge your assumptions and be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Communication skills are developed through class and seminar discussion with students taking an active role. Team working and networking are equally important and fostered by collaborative learning and the sharing of thoughts and ideas.

Networking

Students have the opportunity to network with industry professionals via invited speakers and industry professionals, as well as through the optional work experience module.

UCL Careers also offers a range of services, providing access to skills development, recruitment and networking events.

Teaching and learning

The course is delivered through a combination of seminars, class discussions, practical computer lab sessions, presentations, workshops, and more. Term 3 is spent working on the dissertation, and having meetings with dissertation supervisors.

A 15-credit module is equivalent to 150 hours of study and a 30-credit module is equivalent to 300 hours. This includes contact time, private study and the undertaking of coursework assignments.

Assessment is through a mixture of essays, practical projects, programming exercises, written technical examinations, and group projects, depending on the options chosen.

In the First and Second Term, full-time students can typically expect between 10 and 15 contact hours per teaching week, depending on module choice, through a mixture of lectures, seminars, and practical sessions. In the Third Term and the summer period students will be completing their own dissertation research, keeping regular contact with their dissertation supervisors.

Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments. This equates to approximately 25-30 hours of self-directed study per week across all three terms.

A Postgraduate Diploma, six core modules (90 credits), two optional modules (30 credits), full-time nine months or flexible study up to 5 years is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate, four from any of the available modules (60 credits), full-time fifteen weeks or flexible study up to two years is offered.

Modules

Students take a Research Methods module which is taught over two terms and acts as the spine of the course, preparing them methodologically for their third-term dissertation project. In addition to this, MSc Digital Humanities students take three further core modules in term one (Digital Humanities Research Methods, Introduction to Programming and Scripting and Internet Technologies), and can select one more module: Social Media, Platforms and Power and Global Digital Humanities. 

In term two, students take two core modules, Data Visualisation and GIS and Digital Humanities Research Methods and two optional modules. Options include Introduction to Digitisation and Ethical and Responsible Digital Humanities, plus a variety of modules led by other PGT course within and beyond the Department of Information Studies. 

The dissertation is a major piece of work taken under the academic guidance of a supervisor.  

Part-time students (two-year course of study) will undertake four compulsory modules, either Global Digital Humanities or Social Media, Platforms and Power, two optional modules, and a research dissertation. They will usually take four taught modules each year and the dissertation in the Second and Final Year, and they must take all eight taught modules (compulsory and optional) by the end of their studies. There is no fixed order in which the taught modules should be taken and we are happy to allow as much flexibility as possible.

Modular/flexible students (two- to five-year course of study) will undertake four compulsory modules, either Global Digital Humanities or Social Media, Platforms and Power, two optional modules and a research dissertation. They can take the eight taught modules, compulsory and optional, in any order they wish (apart from modules with prerequisites) and must make sure they have completed all eight by the end of their studies. The dissertation should be submitted in the Final Year of study.

Compulsory modules







Optional modules

Affective Interaction









Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Digital Humanities. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Digital Humanities. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Digital Humanities.

Placement

Students have the opportunity to apply the research skills and critical understanding of digital industries and technologies taught across the course in the context of a real-world work experience project, organised by the department via an optional module. The course operates in collaboration with external organisations, including broadcasters, streaming services, galleries, libraries, museums, performing arts centres, big tech, publishing, content creation, charities, historic sites, social media, marketing, social enterprise, tourism, and education. Previous students have had the opportunity to work with organisations such as the British Museum, the British Library, the V&A, and the Natural History Museum.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a £350 deposit will be charged.

For modular/flexible offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a £500 deposit will be charged.

There is no fee deposit required for PG Dip and PG Cert applicants.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Students can undertake optional placements and these may incur some travel costs within London. There may be optional visits to other institutions, incurring potential travel costs within London. These will vary on a case-by-case basis.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study digital humanities at graduate level
  • what you can bring to this course
  • what particularly attracts you to this course
  • how your academic or professional background meets the demands of this course
  • what your plans are academically or professionally after this degree
  • an initial outline of an area that you may want to focus on for your dissertation

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate your suitability for the course.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Information Studies
Information Studies

dis.pgadmin@ucl.ac.uk

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