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Digital Humanities Undergraduate Certificate Program

Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary field of study that applies technological tools and computational methods to the study of cultural, historical, and literary objects. An undergraduate certificate in DH allows students to explore interesting and complex humanistic problems through the application of technology and, at the same time, assess our technological society using humanistic methods of reading, critique, analysis, and nuance. In this program, students will be introduced to digital inquiry and critical practice and explore the ways that the digital transforms knowledge acquisition and production across the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Students will engage readings and activities that will help them form substantive perspectives on the digital’s formulation and practice through digital technologies and tools. This program offers an exciting opportunity for students to combine interests in technology, computer and data science, and engineering with the focused study of history, philosophy, literature, music, and the arts. Furthermore, the combination of a liberal arts and technological education has proven to be attractive to employers seeking creative solutions for technical problems. 

 

Admission Requirements

  • Must be an undergraduate student at Purdue University or Purdue Global.

  • 15 total credit hours


Required Courses

6 hours: 

  • IDIS 20100 - Introduction to Digital Humanities:  This is an interdisciplinary foundational course that combines theory and practice to teach students in and about digitally mediated culture. Accordingly, this course fosters a critical understanding of the digital and its implication for the development of a technologically driven society. Students will be introduced to digital inquiry and critical practice and explore the ways that the digital transforms knowledge acquisition and production across the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Students will engage in readings and activities that help them form substantive perspectives on the digital’s formulation and practice through digital technologies and tools. Students will also experiment with digital methods and tools by building a digital project. This course places an emphasis on engaged learning through online and in-class discussion, digital activities, and collaborative work.

  • IDIS 49000 - Directed Reading in Interdisciplinary Studies - Capstone: Reading under the direction of the instructor in a particular field of study. Permission of instructor required. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer.

 

9 hours: (Choose three courses) 

Culture & Society

  • ANTH 21000 - Technology And Culture: This course explores the social dimensions of technology from the perspective of ancient, modern, and post-modern society. Topics include the origins of particular technologies; processes of technical development and dissemination; the politics of everyday artifacts; virtual identities; and technologies of the body. Suggested courses (not pre-requisite): ANTH 10000, ANTH 20100 and/or ANTH 20500. Typically offered Fall Spring

  • COM 25100 - Communication, Information, And Society: This course provides an introduction to information and communication technologies, including media and computer-related technologies. Basic information and technical literacy skills are developed, while discussing fundamental concepts of mediated communication in 21st century contexts. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer

  • STAT 11300 - Statistics And Society: Introduction to statistical ideas and their impact on public policy and the sciences. Sample surveys, design of experiments, measurement, analysis of data, simulating probabilities, concepts of inference. Application to current issues and controversies. Not available for credit toward graduation in the School of Science. Typically offered Summer Fall Spring.

Digital Literacy

  • CNIT 13600 - Personal Computing Technology and Applications: This course provides an intermediate coverage of PC technology and problem solving. Topics include computer hardware, operations and ethics, and operating systems and environments. Students will gain hands-on skills with applications such as desktop and file management; word processing; spreadsheets; presentation graphics; electronic mail; personal information management; and internet browsing, searching, and publishing. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer

  • CS 10100 - Digital Literacy: Survey of the digital world, computers as multi-purpose machines, digital information, definition of programming, computers everywhere (the Internet of things), computers that perform simultaneous computations, how apps work, data storage and searching, databases, digital audio, graphics, video, computer networks and the Internet, the World Wide Web and Internet sharing services, network and Internet performance, real-time services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, security, and privacy. CS students may take course for elective credit only. Typically offered Spring

  • CS 23500 - Introduction to Organizational Computing: People and organizations, decision-making, information systems, telecommunications, desktop systems, integration tools, collaboration and groupware, multimedia, authoring multimedia documents, emerging technologies. May not be taken for credit by Computer Science majors. Typically offered Summer Fall Spring.

 

Programming

  • CNIT 10500 - Introduction to C Programming: This course is an introduction to computer programming using the “C” language. The emphasis is on structured programming principles, and understanding the basic concepts that apply to engineering problems. Among topics covered in this course are: problem solving using top down design, using flowcharts to explain the program logic, selection structure, repetition structure, bitwise operations, arrays, pointers, strings, passing arguments, and sequential files. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer. 

  • CNIT 17500 - Visual Programming: This course introduces event-driven application development and programming using a visual programming environment. Topics include problem solving and program design, control structures, objects and events, user interface construction, documentation, and program testing. Credit may be established in only one of: CPT 15500 or CPT 17500 or CPT 25000. PC literacy required. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer.

Visualization

  • AD 22000 - Computers in Art: Introduction to computer graphics concepts and the electronic image as a fine art form. Emphasis is placed on personal expression, using the computer as a two-dimensional art tool. Typically offered Fall Spring.

  • AD 26700 - Digital Media I: Photography and Digital Imaging: An introductory course in the creative generation and digital enhancement of photo-related imagery. Emphasis is on the development of technical and critical thinking skills, as well as fostering an awareness of pertinent theoretical issues in digital age. Typically offered Spring. 

  • COM 26100 - Introduction to Digital Video Production: Basic production principles and practices. Emphasis on preplanning and conceptualizing skills in addition to practical production techniques. Required for admission to all television production courses. Permission of department required. Typically offered Fall Spring.

  • FVS 33700- Editing I: The course introduces students to the principles of film and video editing. Projects, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises expose students to the technical and artistic aspects of the editing process. Film & Video Studies and Film & Theatre Productions majors have priority. Typically offered Fall Spring.

Request Information

For more information regarding the digital humanities undergraduate certificate, please contact: 

Josh Dexter-Wiens  

Advisor: Digital Humanities
Email: jdexter@purdue.edu