20.264 MA programmes in the digital humanities and digital culture

               Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 20, No. 264.
       Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
  www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/cch/research/publications/humanist.html
                        www.princeton.edu/humanist/
                     Submit to: humanist_at_princeton.edu

         Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:21:53 +0100
         From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk>
         Subject: MA programmes at the CCH in London

MA programmes in the Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's
College London

Applications are invited for the MA programmes of the Centre for
Computing in the Humanities at King's College London. Currently two
programmes are on offer and are described below. For further information
on these programmes, see
www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/humanities/cch/pg/programmes/. For information on
funding, see www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/humanities/schoff/grad/. Application
may be made online, at
www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/humanities/schoff/grad/humap.html.

Applicants are likely to be interviewed by telephone if not in person.
Note that results from prior degrees and, for non-native speakers, from
the standard tests for competence in English are taken very seriously.
Strong letters of recommendation are as important as one would suspect.
Applicants should pay close attention to the personal statement of
interests, showing a close match between these and the objectives of the
programme for which they are applying.

Note that the courses of each programme, with the exception of its core-
course, are available to students enrolled in the other programme.

Further enquiries may be made to Sarah Davenport, the programme
administrator, sarah.davenport_at_kcl.ac.uk.

MA IN DIGITAL HUMANITIES

The MA in Digital Humanities assists students to develop the analytical
and practical skills that will enable them to understand and apply
computing to the source materials and problems of the humanities. Its
subject matter comprises formal methods and techniques and the
consequences and implications of applying them. Instruction includes
lectures on theoretical topics, demonstrations, and practical classes
and exercises.

A representative selection of case-studies drawn from a number of
disciplinary areas is used to exemplify analysis of typical problems and
the combination of technical means needed to approach them successfully.
Because of the range and depth of these problems, the programme is able
to equip students not only for further research at the doctoral level
but also for work in museums, libraries, business and the public
services.

At the core of the programme is the meeting between the formal rigour of
computational methods and the imaginative diversity of cultural
expression. The programme emphasizes in theory and practice the
consistency and explicitness that the computer requires while
highlighting in each case-study the kinds of knowledge which inevitably
escape these rigorous demands. By creating structured models out of the
irregular and disparate data of the humanities, the student learns to
judge when the application of computing may lead to useful or
interesting results and also to learn how the analytical and practical
processes can throw new light on the object of study. By combining the
divergent perspectives of computing and the humanities, the student
encounters in a concrete way the question of how we know what we know.
This question is developed throughout as an essential tool for better
critical thinking.

MA IN DIGITAL CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

The aim of the MA in Digital Culture and Technology is to develop
participants' understanding of the role and consequences of digital
technologies in contemporary culture, broadly interpreted to include
such areas of activity as performing arts, telecommunications,
information technology, philosophy, law and education. The programme is
conceived as fundamentally interdisciplinary, drawing for its teaching
on four academic Schools: Humanities; Law; Physical Sciences &
Engineering; and Social Science & Public Policy. It is aimed at a
diverse range of participants, offering technological insights to those
with non-technical backgrounds, and cultural perspectives to those who
have not thought about digital culture in a systematic way.

The central focus of the programme is the interrelatedness of technology
and culture in contemporary society. The principal educational aims are
to develop and enhance participants' awareness and understanding of a
range of subjects relevant to digital culture and technology. These
include the following:

-- information and communication technologies that shape contemporary
society; developments in contemporary cultural expression, specifically
as these are driven, mediated or influenced by digital technologies;
-- the role of these technologies in the study of culture and cultural
artefacts from the past;
-- how digital technologies are shaping society more generally, e.g.
social intercourse, social structures, government, international
politics, education and law;
-- current critical and theoretical debates around digital culture and
the role of technology in cultural life;
-- the ethical, moral and philosophical issues that arise from the role
and impact of technology in cultural and social life.

Overall, the programme aims to develop and enhance the critical and
analytical skills of participants in forming their own assessments of
digital technologies and their impact in society and culture.

-----

Dr Willard McCarty | Reader in Humanities Computing | Centre for
Computing in the Humanities | King's College London | Kay House, 7
Arundel Street | London WC2R 3DX | U.K. | +44 (0)20 7848-2784 fax:
-2980 || willard.mccarty_at_kcl.ac.uk www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/wlm/
Received on Thu Oct 19 2006 - 04:18:30 EDT