Master of Arts in Digital Studies

A grade of C (2.0) or higher in the Autumn core courses (DIGS 30001, 30002, and 30003) is a requirement for continuing in the M.A. program because these courses are prerequisites for subsequent required courses in the Winter and Spring. Students who have previously passed a college-level course in computer programming or statistics with a grade of B (3.0) or higher may petition the Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction for an exemption from taking DIGS 30001 and/or DIGS 30002, allowing them to take one or two additional elective courses.

Two-Year Specialized M.A. with Thesis Project

Students in the two-year research-intensive version of the master’s program take courses full-time on the University of Chicago campus for two consecutive academic years. In their first year, they take the same six core courses as the students doing a one-year M.A. (described above) and three courses prescribed for their area of specialization. In their second year, they take additional courses prescribed for their area of specialization and do a thesis project in that area under the supervision of a faculty advisor. The tuition fee is reduced by 50 percent in the second year.

The proposed area of specialization must be indicated at the time of application to the two-year M.A. program. Four areas of specialization are currently available and are listed below. A specialization in Digital Ethics and Public Discourse is planned for the future.

Applicants to the two-year specialized M.A. who are not admitted to that program will be automatically considered for the one-year M.A. and may be offered admission to the latter.

Click the links below for more information on the areas of specialization:

• • Artificial Intelligence and Language
  • Digital Art and Archaeology
  • Digital Media and Extended Reality
  • Digital Texts and Culture

Thesis Project

In their second year, students will do a thesis project under the guidance of a thesis advisor who is a University of Chicago faculty member, instructional professor, or lecturer. The thesis advisor may or may not be someone whose own research entails computational methods. The Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction of the Forum for Digital Culture will work with students to select a feasible topic and find a suitable advisor. Training and advice concerning the computational methods used in the thesis project will be provided by the staff of the Forum for Digital Culture.

The thesis must have a software component as well as a written component. In the written component, the student will explain the computational aspects of the project and reflect critically on the methods being used with reference to the historical development of these methods and the assumptions underlying them and with reference to current debates in digital humanities. The length of the written component of the thesis may vary, depending on the subject matter and the expectations of the thesis advisor, but it will be at least 25 pages and no more than 50 pages of text (double-spaced 12-point Times New Roman with one-inch margins), not counting illustrations and bibliographic references.

Students must submit to the Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction a thesis proposal form signed by the thesis advisor no later than the end of Week 6 of the Spring Quarter of their first year. This form will contain the thesis title and abstract and a schedule for regular consultation with the faculty advisor and the Forum staff, who will help the student with the technical aspects of the project.

The completed thesis project (both the software component and the written component) must be submitted to the thesis advisor and the Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction no later than the end of Week 6 in the Spring Quarter of the student’s second year in the program.

Summer Internship

Students doing a two-year M.A. are eligible for a paid internship to work part-time on campus in the summer between their first and second year under the supervision of a member of the staff of the Forum for Digital Culture. They are also expected to begin work on the software component of their thesis projects during that summer.

Admission Requirements and Minimum Grades

No previous background in computer programming is required and students are admitted from a wide variety of undergraduate majors. However, to be admitted to the program, the student will normally have passed at least one college-level course in mathematics or statistics with a grade of B (3.0) or higher.

Students will apply for either the one-year M.A. or the two-year research-intensive M.A., which requires a thesis project and a specialization in a particular area. Admission to the two-year M.A. will take into account the applicant’s prior training and aptitude for the area of specialization specified in the application. However, an undergraduate major in the chosen area of specialization is not required.

While in the M.A. program, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 (B-). If they fall below this average, they will be placed on academic probation and if their grades do not improve, they may be withdrawn from the program.

In addition, a grade of C (2.0) or higher in the initial courses in computer programming (DIGS 30001) and statistics (DIGS 30002) is a requirement for continuing in the M.A. program. These courses are prerequisites for subsequent core courses required to complete the program. Students who fail to obtain a grade of C (2.0) in either of these courses in the Autumn Quarter will be placed on academic probation and must then either (1) request a leave of absence, if they plan to return in the Autumn of the following year to re-take the course or courses in which they failed to obtain the required grade, or (2) withdraw from the program entirely.

Why UChicago?

As one of the world’s great intellectual destinations, the University of Chicago empowers students and scholars to ask big questions, break disciplinary boundaries, and challenge conventional thinking in virtually every field.