The Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate

About the Certificate Program    Top ⤴

Digital humanities is an interdisciplinary field that uses cutting-edge technology, advanced computing, and public engagement (especially via social media) to investigate questions in the humanities and to intervene in contemporary culture.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program allows graduate and post-baccalaureate students to gain scholarly credentials in the digital humanities, while engaging in multiple opportunities to learn about a vibrant and rapidly expanding field. Students can also take part in the development of established and new faculty projects and use innovative digital methods to pursue their own research questions.

Work in the digital humanities can take a variety of forms, including:

  • the development of digital archives
  • the use of geo-spatial technologies
  • the application data mining and machine learning techniques
  • 3D modeling of historical buildings and artifacts
  • tool building and software development for humanities research
  • the development of games, interactive environments, and media systems with a humanistic focus

Nebraska is an international leader in the field of digital humanities with faculty in the departments of Anthropology, Art, Art History & Design, Classics & Religious Studies, English, History, Modern Languages, and the University Libraries. The university is also home to the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, an internationally recognized site for digital humanities research.

Questions about the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program should be directed to the Digital Humanities Program Coordinator Adrian Wisnicki. Please also visit the university's main digital humanities program page.

Application to the Certificate Program    Top ⤴

The Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program is open to graduate students currently enrolled in Nebraska's graduate degree programs and is also available as a standalone (non-degree) post-baccalaureate certification.

To apply to the certificate program, students should visit the dedicated section of the the university's website, then select the Application for Admission. Students may apply for the certificate program while, during, or after taking the required courses; there are no restrictions on the specific semester in which students apply and are admitted, with one exception: You should apply for the certificate when you begin DH courses but, at minimum, must apply at least one semester in advance of the one in which you plan to graduate and/or receive the certificate. In other words, you cannot apply to the certificate program in the same semester in which you plan to graduate.

However, application to certificate program must be done at least one semester in advance of the semester in which students plan to graduate. This is necessary because students will indicate that they have completed the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate during the process of applying for graduation. Additionally, students cannot apply to receive the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate without first applying for admission to the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program.

All students – including those already enrolled in a graduate program at the university – must complete the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program application form. When applying, please note the following:

1) Students who are already enrolled in a University of Nebraska graduate program should first contact the Digital Humanities Program Coordinator Adrian Wisnicki to confirm their intent to apply. Once the Program Coordinator has confirmed, students should only complete the form minimally by clicking on the "Graduate Certification" drop-down menu, then choosing "English [or relevant discipline], DH Certification." The students will not need to provide any other paperwork; for CV and personal statement, they should just provide a page that says, "I am already enrolled in a degree program at UNL and do no need to complete this item"; for the recommenders, they should complete the fields but inform the individuals listed that they do not need to reply to letter request. The applicants do need to pay the $50 fee, but will have also received instructions from the Program Coordinator about how they will be reimbursed for this fee.

2) Students who are not already enrolled in a University of Nebraska graduate program should should first contact the Digital Humanities Program Coordinator Adrian Wisnicki to confirm their intent to apply. Once the Program Coordinator has confirmed, students should complete the form in full by clicking on the "Graduate Certification" drop-down menu, then choosing "English [or relevant discipline], DH Certification." These applicants will then need to complete all required paperwork (CV, personal statement, list of recommenders) and pay the $50 application fee.

Requirements for the Certificate Program    Top ⤴

Students need to complete 12 credit hours of relevant coursework to receive the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate. UNL Graduate Studies lists the courses in a dedicated section. In some cases, students may also substitute courses taken at the University of Nebraska or elsewhere for the required ones.

Upcoming Graduate Courses    Top ⤴

Every year Nebraska faculty working in the digital humanities offer a variety of exciting graduate courses. The graduate courses currently scheduled for the 2019-2020 academic year are as follows:

Fall 2023

  • Digital Heritage Tools (ANTH 3/886, TR 11:00-12:15) – Heather Richards-Rissetto
  • Digital History (HIST 970, R 4:00-6:20) – Katrina Jagodinsky
  • Readings in Digital Humanities (HIST 946, M 2:30-5:10) – Carrie Heitman

Spring 2024

  • Advanced Topics in Digital Humanities: Programming and Software Engineering (ENGL 4/877,  TR 2:00-3:15) – Steve Ramsay [currently listed incorrectly as ENGL 279]

To learn more about the individual courses listed above, including specific content and schedules, please contact the faculty members teaching them.

Substituting Courses Required by the Certificate Program    Top ⤴

On occasion, students may substitute a relevant course or transfer credits to help fulfill the requirements for of the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program. Before proceeding, please discuss any such substitution(s) with the Digital Humanities Program Coordinator Adrian Wisnicki. To complete the substitution process, please fill out the relevant course waiver form, then have it approved by the Program Coordinator.

Completing the Certificate Program    Top ⤴

Once you have completed (or will soon be starting the last semester in which you will complete) the requirements for the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program, please contact Digital Humanities Program Coordinator Adrian Wisnicki and provide the following information:

  • Your NUID number
  • A list of completed courses (including corresponding course numbers and semesters of enrollment)

Using this information, the Program Coordinator will confirm that the requirements are complete (or will be completed by the end of the relevant semester) and inform the Office of Graduate Studies. As appropriate, you should also apply for graduation and to receive your Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate (same single process for graduation and to receive the certificate). In doing so, please take note of the following important points:

  • Students must file a graduation application early in the semester in which they intend to graduate. The specific dates for submitting the graduation application are listed on the Registrar's website, but they will usually be in January for a May completion, May for an August completion, and August for a December completion.
  • The Digital Humanities Program Coordinator must be informed of your completing the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program requirements a few days prior to graduation application deadlines listed on the Registrar's website. This advance notice will ensure that the Digital Humanities Program Coordinator has time to inform the Office of Graduate Studies about your completion of the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate Program requirements.
  • During the process of completing the graduation application, you must check the relevant box to receive the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate. The cost for applying for the Digital Humanities Graduate Certificate is $25 and is additional to the $25 required to apply for the degree.

Mailing List for the Certificate Program    Top ⤴

Communication between faculty working in the digital humanities, including the Digital Humanities Program Coordinator Adrian Wisnicki, and students enrolled in the Digital Humanities Certificate Program is managed via a dedicated Digital Humanities Program module in Canvas. Students who complete the application for the certificate program will be added to the Canvas module by the Program Coordinator and will receive an invitation via email. Students should accept this invitation when they receive it and confirm that they can see the "Digital Humanities Program" module in Canvas; there is nothing else that needs to be done. If students do not receive an invitation to the Canvas module within a week or two of completing the application, they should email the Program Coordinator. [Note: Previously communication was conducted through the DHCertificate listserv, but that listserv is no longer being used so students should not sign up for it.]