Program Overview
The full-time, 12-month MA in Digital Cultures from University College Cork equips students with the knowledge, skills, and critical awareness necessary for the digital age. Through theoretical engagement and practical application, the program explores the impact of digital technologies on culture, power, and identity. Graduates are prepared with the understanding, tools, and abilities essential for careers in education, heritage, the cultural economy, and digital content creation and management.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The MA in Digital Cultures is a full-time, 12-month online program delivered entirely through distance learning. It explores the digital moment, developing knowledge, skills, and critical awareness through theoretical engagement and critical practice. The program aims to equip participants with the practical skills needed to thrive in the digital age while examining the impact of digital technologies on culture, power, and identity in society. It fosters new literacies of consumption, production, and creativity essential in the contemporary world and invites students to consider the moral, ethical, social, cultural, political, and economic implications of digital technology on humanity. The MA in Digital Cultures prepares graduates to understand transformations in society, identity, and culture and to develop digital skills necessary to provide innovative and creative leadership in the digital age. It encourages transdisciplinary engagement that is creatively enriching for students within a scholarly atmosphere.
Outline:
The MA in Digital Cultures is a full-time course running for 12 months. Students take modules to the value of 90 credits in two parts:
Part I (60 credits):
- DH6022 Communities of Practice in Digital Scholarship (10 credits): This module examines the role of communities of practice in digital scholarship, focusing on collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of digital research projects.
- DH6024 Humanities and New Technologies: Tools and Methodologies (10 credits): This module introduces students to a range of digital tools and methodologies used in humanities research, including data analysis, visualization, and digital storytelling.
- Elective Modules (choose 20 credits):
- DH6006 Teaching and Learning in Digital Humanities (5 credits): This module explores the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning within the humanities.
- DH6007 Models, Simulations, and Games (5 credits): This module examines the use of models, simulations, and games in digital humanities research and practice.
- DH6012 Contemporary Practices in Publishing and Editing (5 credits): This module explores contemporary practices in digital publishing and editing, including online platforms, open access, and digital preservation.
- DH6026 Principles of Game Design (5 credits): This module introduces students to the principles of game design, exploring the use of games in digital humanities research and education.
Part II:
- DH6029 Digital Cultures Dissertation (30 credits): Students undertake an independent research project culminating in a dissertation that explores a topic related to digital cultures.
Exit Awards:
- Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Cultures (NFQ Level 9, Minor Award): Students who pass at least 30 credits of taught modules (to include DH6023) may opt to exit the program and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Cultures.
- Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Cultures (NFQ Level 9, Major Award): Students who successfully complete Part I may opt to exit the program and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Cultures.
Assessment:
The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods, including:
- Essays: Students will write essays to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and theories.
- Research Projects: Students will undertake research projects that involve the use of digital tools and methodologies.
- Presentations: Students will present their research findings to their peers and faculty.
- Digital Artefacts: Students will create digital artefacts, such as websites, videos, or interactive maps, to showcase their skills and knowledge.
- Dissertation: Students will write a dissertation that demonstrates their ability to conduct independent research and contribute to the field of digital cultures.
Teaching:
The MA in Digital Cultures is delivered online using University College Cork's learning management system, as well as a range of other digital tools that reinforce and provide experience in online collaboration and team building. Online delivery of the course also offers online, synchronous, face-to-face tutorials to support the other online material accessed by students. The teaching team includes faculty from the Department of Digital Arts & Humanities:
- Dr Mike Cosgrave
- Dr Shawn Day
- Dr Máirín MacCarron
- Dr Orla Murphy
- Dr Pedro Nilsson-Fernández
- Dr James O'Sullivan
- Dr Stephen Roddy
- Ann Riordan – Senior Executive Assistant
Careers:
The UCC MA in Digital Cultures will equip graduates with a range of tools and methods to provide the digital element now essential for careers in:
- Education: Teaching and curriculum development in digital environments.
- Heritage: Digital preservation, curation, and outreach for museums, archives, and cultural institutions.
- Cultural Economy: Digital content creation, management, and marketing for arts and cultural organizations.
- Digital Content Creation and Management: Developing and managing digital content for websites, social media, and other platforms.
- Web Content Creation, Editing, and Management: Creating, editing, and managing web content for various organizations and industries.
- Storytelling: Using digital tools to create engaging and impactful narratives across various domains. Digital Cultures is a field that equips practitioners with the conceptual awareness to apply digital tools to research problems in the Arts, Humanities, and related fields. It produces digitally literate interdisciplinary graduates ready to fill a variety of roles in the knowledge economy.
Other:
The program is provided by a diverse and internationally recognized team experienced in teaching, development, and research in the digital arts and humanities at every level from undergraduate to PhD. This experience has been demonstrated and delivered using blended and online learning tools to foster student-centered, research-based learning. The program encourages international engagement and participation.