Program Overview

Digital Arts & Humanities

Course Fact File

• Code: MADAH
• Duration: 1 Year
• Teaching Mode: Full-time
• Qualifications: MA
• NFQ Level: Level 9
• Closing Date: Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.
• Non-EU Closing Date: Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.
• Start Date: 8 September 2025

Course Outline

Our MA in Digital Arts & Humanities encourages a multidisciplinary approach to the digital arts and humanities in a creative and scholarly atmosphere. Digital Humanities (DH) is a field that explores how the digital can enable innovation, but also, how technology is changing what it means for us to be human beings. Students and scholars working in the digital humanities utilise digital tools and methods to explore the arts and humanities, actively participating in building and experimenting in order to investigate society and culture.

In this course we ask the following questions:

• How do new technologies impact our lives?
• How do we as human beings imagine, develop and build digital tools to make our lives better?
• How do we use computers to study the arts and humanities?

We introduce you to the use of digital tools and methods in arts and humanities research, combining theory and practice. You will learn how information and communications technology (ICT) can be used to capture humanities data sources to frame research questions, collaborate on research using social networking tools, and present results, both in print and online.

The MA in Digital Arts & Humanities is a one-year full-time MA. Our delivery methods incorporate blended learning and face-to-face teaching in discussion-based seminars. Blended learning incorporates online forums and social networking tools and some modules will be offered wholly or partly as workshops.

Modules

• Part I (60 credits)
  • DH6003 Digital Humanities Institute (5 credits)
  • DH6013 Getting Started with Graduate Research and Generic Skills (5 credits)
  • DH6032 Communities of Practice in Digital Scholarship (10 credits)
  • DH6033 Conceptual Introduction to Digital Arts and Humanities (10 credits)
  • DH6034 Humanities and New Technologies: Tools and Methodologies (10 credits)
• Elective Modules (20 credits)
  • CS6102 Graphics for Interactive Media (5 credits)
  • CS6103 Audio and Sound Engineering (5 credits)
  • CS6104 Digital Video Capture and Packaging (5 credits)
  • CS6117 Audio Processing (5 credits)
  • DH6006 Teaching and Learning in Digital Humanities (5 credits)
  • DH6007 Models, Simulations and Games (5 credits)
  • DH6012 Contemporary Practices in Publishing and Editing (5 credits)
  • DH6014 Digital Skills for Research Postgraduates in the Humanities and Social Science (5 credits)
  • DH6018 History and Theory of Digital Arts (5 credits)
  • DH6026 Principles of Game Design (5 credits)
  • HA6026 Global Galleries: History, Theory and Practice (10 credits)
  • MU6031 Sound Studies and Musicology (5 credits)
• Part II (30 credits)
  • DH6035 Digital Arts & Humanities Dissertation (30 credits). A dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words plus a digital artefact must be submitted by a specified date.

Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Arts & Humanities

Students who pass at least 30 credits of taught modules (including DH6033) may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Arts & Humanities.

Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Arts & Humanities

Students who pass modules to the value of 60 credits in Part I may opt to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Arts & Humanities.

Academic Programme Catalogue

See the Academic Programme Catalogue where you can search for the complete and up-to-date content for this course. Note that the modules for all courses are subject to change from year to year. For complete descriptions of individual modules, see the Book of Modules.

Course Practicalities

Modules in the course require you to take a ‘hands-on’ approach, using the current generation of ICT tools. They also include assessments, testing your knowledge of both theory and practice of inquiry in the digital age. It is expected that you will create a digital research project in the course of your research. Assessment also includes individual and group work using a range of presentation styles including oral, online, shared text, video and audio work.

Connected Curriculum

Our learning approach reflects our commitment to the Connected Curriculum where we emphasise the connection between students, learning, research and leadership through our vision for a Connected University. Our staff are at the forefront of this integrative approach to learning and will support you in making meaningful connections within and between disciplines such as the humanities, cultures, and technology.

Why Choose This Course

The MA in Digital Arts & Humanities equipped me with a critical and creative lens for exploring how digital tools shape our culture, communication, and identity. The programme’s interdisciplinary approach fostered my ability to work across boundaries between the technical and the human, between theory and practice.

Skills and Careers Information

This course produces digitally-literate, interdisciplinary graduates who will be able to fill a variety of roles in the ‘knowledge economy’. Our graduates have pursued careers in a variety of settings, including IT, education, heritage, journalism, technical writing, publishing, galleries, design, and academia.

Requirements

The entry requirement is a Second Class Honours Grade I in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) or equivalent in any discipline.

Applicants who hold a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) will also be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) subject to the approval of the programme selection committee.

Students intending to take this course will need to be proficient users of common word processing software, and basic internet tools, have a basic grasp of spreadsheet and database software, and be willing, and keen to develop advanced user skills in those areas, and explore new technologies.

Fees and Costs

See our Postgraduate EU and Non-EU (International) Fee Schedule for the latest information.

How To Apply

1. Check dates
2. Gather documents
3. Apply online

Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this course. This will include the following:

• You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held.
• In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning, and professional training relevant to this course.
• Please describe your motivation and readiness for this course. (Min 500 words - Max 1000 words)