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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 sits at the heart of computing, digital technologies and the humanities, and you’ll gain key technical experience enabling you to seek employment in this rapidly growing field. Taught at UCL, you’ll learn from renowned scholars and access unparalleled resources relevant to this discipline.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£15,100
£7,550
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£31,100
£15,550
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
5 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2024
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 05 Apr 2024

Applications closed

Applicants who do not require a visa: 16 Oct 2023 – 30 Aug 2024

Applications closed

Find similar courses still open

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 programme 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 current digital landscape is changing rapidly. We need skilled leaders with both innovative ideas and technological knowledge to shape the future of the humanities in a globally connected age. Our MSc Digital Humanities programme introduces talented students to a critical understanding of the digital sphere and gives them the technical skills they need to transform their aspirations into cutting-edge careers.

Integrating technology and humanities, we teach data visualisation, statistical analysis, web scrapping, network analysis, and social media content work, empowering students with a digital toolkit to carry out ground-breaking work in the digital humanities field. This prepares students to be frontline innovators in sectors such as AI, data research and design, social media, broadcast, museums, galleries, and the public sector.

This transformative degree seeks to revolutionise how we perceive, engage with, and invent within globally connected societies, cultures, and economies. Our programme advocates for digital humanities for social change, which contributes to an ethical, equitable and environmentally sustainable digital future. UCL has a proud heritage of disruptive thinking, a reputation for game-changing research and a unique multidisciplinary approach to problem solving, which shines throughout the programme. 

Who this course is for

The programme 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 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

This MSc is a truly interdisciplinary programme that offers students opportunities to capitalise on UCL's world-leading strengths in information studies, computer science, the arts and humanities, and social and historical studies.

Our expert academic staff work in industries such as media, broadcast, museums, governance, advocacy, and social justice. They invite our students to critically engage with data and digital transformation to empower them with the skills to actively participate in shaping inclusive, fair, and sustainable futures. Despite the promise of the ability of technology to connect us, we are still witnessing vast digital divides, online harms, and extensive power asymmetries in people’s ability to access and create information. Through this MSc students can unleash the potential of digital humanities to not only equip them with knowledge and technical skills but also inspire them to reimagine and become agents of better digital futures for all.

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

The foundation of your career

Our alumni have found employment in roles as diverse as web editor, chief operating officer, and senior digital marketing executive. Several have also progressed to fully-funded research degrees; others have further developed their technical skills and have been recruited as programmers and developers.

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 a unique skill set 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 the optional work placement module.

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

Teaching and learning

The programme 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 taught (pre-dissertation) phase of the programme, students spend 20-25% of their time in the classroom/lab with the remainder of their time taken up with groupwork and independent study. For the dissertation, the mode of delivery is independent study punctuated by regular one-to-one meetings with their supervisor.

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

Terms 1 and 2:

Full time students will undertake four compulsory modules, either Global Digital Humanities or Social Media, Platforms and Power, two optional modules, and a research dissertation.

The compulsory modules will introduce a range of issues involved in the rationale, selection, creation, evaluation, critique and use of digital resources in the humanities; explore the fundamental concepts of markup, website delivery and design, and issues involved in generating and delivering online content effectively and accessibly; examine the use of appropriate programming languages to introduce the fundamental principles of programming and scripting; and give you the opportunity to understand and engage in current debates in the digital humanities related to data-centric research, such as the ways in which patterns of societal privilege and prejudice may be embedded in the ways in which data are collected, processed and presented.

The technical compulsory modules are all at entry level; for students that already have demonstrable competencies in these areas, it may be possible, subject to the agreement of the Programme Director, to substitute modules from other UCL departments.

For the optional modules in Terms 1 and 2, there are usually a wide range of taught optional modules to choose from, subject to availability and timetabling.

Term 3:

This is primarily for coursework assignments. Students will also carry out the bulk of the research for their dissertation in Term 3 but will have been working on their proposal throughout the year. We ask students to include in their proposal outline thoughts about a dissertation area in which they may be interested, although this will evolve as the year progresses and students develop new skills and focus on their own areas of interest.

Part time students (two-year programme 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 programme 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

Digital Resources in the Humanities








Optional modules











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 programme in the context of a real-world consultancy, via the optional work placement module. The programme 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, British Library, the V&A, and the Natural History Museum.

Some of these collaborations have led to full time employment for our students at world leading institutions, such as the Natural History Museum and the V&A.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Digital Humanities MA and MSc

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Please join us for this online event where members of the Digital Humanities teaching team will provide information about the programme and the modules offered. There will be a short presentation, followed by a Q&A session, where you are welcome to ask any questions you may have about the programme, or studying at UCL in general.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £15,100 £7,550
Tuition fees (2024/25) £31,100 £15,550

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme 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

Students can undertake optional placements and these may incur travel costs within London. There may be optional visits to other institutions, incurring potential travel costs within London.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

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 programme of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper 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 programme
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your academic or professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • 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 programme.

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

Got questions? Get in touch

Information Studies
Information Studies

s.davenport@ucl.ac.uk

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