Digital Humanities Certificate

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This transcripted certificate offers masters or doctoral students that intend to practice in an academic environment, museum, or other cultural institution the opportunity to acquire practical knowledge of digital tools and methodologies and to become competent in conducting digital practice activities. The Digital Humanities Certificate provides a basic introduction to the development and application of information technology in the context of research and practice in the humanities. The certificate provides students with the skills, applied and theoretical, that are necessary to apply computational techniques to complex research problems as well as practical tasks in the humanities. The certificate program is open to students from any graduate degree program at Texas A&M University and the plan of study comprises 12 hours of coursework including 3 hours of independent study. At least one course must be outside the student’s home department.

Organization

[top] Participating Units

The Digital Humanities Certificate is a collaborative effort of TAMU Libraries, College of Liberal Arts, College of Engineering, and College of Education and Human Development.

[top] Advisory Committee

The Digital Humanities Advisory Committee provides interdisciplinary oversight of the certificate, reviewing changes in policies, procedures, and curriculum and advising Dr. Eduardo Urbina, the certificate coordinator. The advisory committee comprises representatives from the participating units, i.e., two representatives appointed by the library and two representatives appointed by each college offering a course on the approved course list. The committee members serve staggered three-year terms. As coordinator, Dr. Urbina serves as an ex officio member of the advisory committee.

[top] Administration

The certificate is administered by one of the participating, degree-granting units. Administrative responsibility is vested in Dr. Urbina who is be a member of the graduate faculty of the Department of Hispanic Studies. Dr. Urbina is responsible for day-to-day operations of the certificate including the following functions:

  • Certificate planning and development
  • Marketing and outreach
  • Oversight of Web site development for the certificate
  • Representation of the certificate to committees and other entities and groups
  • Prospective student advising
  • Approval of plans of study
  • Consultation with certificate students and their advisors
  • Confirmation of future availability of courses needed by the certificate’s students
  • Enrollment monitoring
  • Certificate evaluation
  • Review of certificate status for the advisory committee.

Upon the student’s submission of an application for award of the certificate, Dr. Urbina determines whether the requirements of the certificate have been met, and initiates the appropriate procedures for its award.

Eduardo Urbina
Director of the College of Liberal Arts Digital Humanities Program

301A Academic Building
4238 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843

Office: +1.979.845.0464
E-mail: <>

[top] Policies and Procedures

[top] Eligibility

Any graduate student enrolled in good standing in a Texas A&M University masters or doctoral program is eligible to apply for acceptance to the Digital Humanities Certificate.

[top] Application and Acceptance

A student makes application by submitting a plan of study to Dr. Urbina. The plan of study will comprise 12 hours of coursework including 3 hours of independent study. The student may select courses from the approved course list or request approval from Dr. Urbina to include other courses. At least one course must be outside the student’s home department. The plan of study is developed with the guidance of the student’s advisor (or co-advisors from separate departments) and Dr. Urbina. An independent study project proposal is to be included as part of the plan of study.

Varied and wide-ranging projects are acceptable for the independent study project including research on computer-aided textual resources, the digital expression of an archival collection, the development of software for humanities research projects, or directed readings in relevant subject areas. The independent study project may be conducted in collaboration with a non-profit museum or other appropriate cultural institution.

Depending on the nature of the project, the student’s independent study project is directed by a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts, College of Engineering, College of Education and Human Development, TAMU Libraries, or other appropriate college or combination.

[top] Certificate Requirements

Successful completion of the certificate coursework and the independent study project in the student’s approved plan of study constitutes completion of the requirements for award of the Digital Humanities Certificate. Successful course completion requires the award of a minimum grade of B. The student provides a report on the independent study to Dr. Urbina, who makes the report available to the advisory committee for informational purposes. Independent study reports are archived and made accessible on the certificate Web site.

[top] Award of Certificate

On the student’s application for award of the certificate, Dr. Urbina confirms that the student has successfully completed the certificate requirements. If the requirements have been met, Dr. Urbina notifies the registrar through the Dean of Graduate Studies of the student’s college.

Eduardo Urbina
Director of the College of Liberal Arts Digital Humanities Program

301A Academic Building
4238 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843

Office: +1.979.845.0464
E-mail: <>

[top] Approved Courses

The Course List lists those courses approved for inclusion in the Digital Humanities Certificate plan of study.