The digital humanities integrated learning major combines the traditional strengths of the humanities with attention to digital and information technology. It enables students to extend their study of the humanities to digital culture, as both a tool in service of the humanities and an object of humanistic study. Study in the ILM will apply the traditional skills of the humanities (contextualization, historicization, critical and rhetorical thinking) to understand digital culture while also learning how digital technologies can enable us to explore key questions in the humanities.

The digital humanities major is an “integrated learning major” (or ILM). An ILM is interdisciplinary in nature, requires fewer hours than a traditional, stand-alone major, and must be paired with another major. This structure allows students to engage in interdisciplinary study without sacrificing the sustained focus and expertise that is typical of a traditional major. The digital humanities ILM is open as a second major to students in the college of Arts & Sciences who already have an A&S major. It consists of three core classes, a technical skills requirement, two electives, and a capstone.

All Digital Humanities ILM students will complete a capstone project during the spring semester of their senior year. Students will work with a faculty advisor who serves as mentor and Capstone supervisor. The supervising faculty member works with the student to design the Capstone project and make sure resources are available to complete it. The Capstone gives the student practical, hands-on experience and the chance to become more proficient with a specific way of engaging with the digital humanities. The Capstone supervisor helps the student ensure that these goals are met and prepares the student for the public presentation at semester’s end.

Examples of the type of approaches that might be taken with capstone projects include:

• Computationally driven analysis of a literary text, genre, or work of art and culture
• Digital remediation of cultural text or artifact
• Seminar paper exploring some aspect of digital history or culture
• A multimodal civic advocacy project