MA Cosmopolitan Digital Humanities Methods

Do humanities methods on digital traces from many meridians—not a campus special-collections fantasy.

Online only

18 months48 creditsEnglish (ES/PT/HI support hubs do not change the language of assessment unless a bilingual pathway is stated)

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MA Cosmopolitan Digital Humanities Methods

Overview

Digital humanities that assumes a fibre campus and an English-only archive is provincial. This MA starts with cosmopolitan constraints: sources in more than one language, timestamps that reveal whose evening counts as ‘live’, and the ethics of scraping a forum used by students who also call a Hindi or Spanish hub. You will learn methods—text, metadata, small-scale computation as literacy, not as a computer-science MSc—and you will write about them under identity-checked assessment. FollowLap University will not call you an archivist by statute and will not hang a UN heritage logo on your project. Seminars rotate. Low-bandwidth source work is a feature: not everyone can stream a 4K manuscript viewer. Method studios use small corpora done honestly, metadata literacy without a computer-science MSc, and visualisation without dashboard theatre. You will justify scraping limits, forum ethics, and subtitle files as sources. Bandwidth is a humanities problem when the only viewer is a 4K manuscript cinema. Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi may appear in the corpus; English remains the default assessment language unless a bilingual pathway is stated. No librarian or archivist licence is conferred. No heritage-agency logo will certify your project.

Thirty-six credits: cosmopolitan source criticism, methods, ethics and hubs, and a corpus capstone.

Who This Programme Is For

Humanities graduates entering digital methods
Cultural-sector staff working remotely with digital collections
Educators analysing multilingual online discourse
Researchers who need structured MA methods without a campus library myth

How you can study

Digital only

Study online

100% tuition-free online

Every programme can be completed fully online with zero tuition fees — study from anywhere in the world.

✦ Tuition: £0 / $0
✦ Course exams from $60 — 95% sponsorship rate
✦ Learn from anywhere · Live online seminars

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What You Will Learn

Build a rights-aware corpus across languages and timezones
Apply digital methods without claiming a computing MSc
Write source criticism that names clocks and platforms
Use hubs for access help without outsourcing interpretation
Refuse heritage-agency logos and fake campus collections

Curriculum

Module 1: Source criticism

Code	Course	Credits
FollowLap6701	Platforms, Clocks, and Whose Evening Counts Students name the methods used in this subject and apply one of them to a short case. The module is Platforms, Clocks, and Whose Evening Counts. Platforms, Clocks, and Whose Evening Counts: the core problem A worked case in Platforms, Clocks, and Whose Evening Counts Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6702	Multilingual Web and Subtitle Traces Students compare two cases and explain why the outcomes differed. The module is Multilingual Web and Subtitle Traces. Multilingual Web and Subtitle Traces: the core problem A worked case in Multilingual Web and Subtitle Traces Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6703	Student Forums as Sensitive Corpora Students produce a professional artefact, with sources and a review of its weaknesses. The module is Student Forums as Sensitive Corpora. Student Forums as Sensitive Corpora: the core problem A worked case in Student Forums as Sensitive Corpora Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6704	Bandwidth and Access to Digital Heritage Students complete a supervised project and defend the method and the result. The module is Bandwidth and Access to Digital Heritage. Bandwidth and Access to Digital Heritage: the core problem A worked case in Bandwidth and Access to Digital Heritage Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3

Module 2: Methods

Code	Course	Credits
FollowLap6705	Text and Metadata Literacy (Non-CS MSc) Students name the methods used in this subject and apply one of them to a short case. The module is Text and Metadata Literacy (Non-CS MSc). Text and Metadata Literacy (Non-CS MSc): the core problem A worked case in Text and Metadata Literacy (Non-CS MSc) Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6706	Small Corpora Done Honestly Students compare two cases and explain why the outcomes differed. The module is Small Corpora Done Honestly. Small Corpora Done Honestly: the core problem A worked case in Small Corpora Done Honestly Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6707	Visualisation without Dashboard Theatre Students produce a professional artefact, with sources and a review of its weaknesses. The module is Visualisation without Dashboard Theatre. Visualisation without Dashboard Theatre: the core problem A worked case in Visualisation without Dashboard Theatre Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6708	Identity-Checked Methods Exams Students complete a supervised project and defend the method and the result. The module is Identity-Checked Methods Exams. Identity-Checked Methods Exams: the core problem A worked case in Identity-Checked Methods Exams Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3

Module 3: Ethics

Code	Course	Credits
FollowLap6709	Scraping, Consent, and Hub-Adjacent Data Students name the methods used in this subject and apply one of them to a short case. The module is Scraping, Consent, and Hub-Adjacent Data. Scraping, Consent, and Hub-Adjacent Data: the core problem A worked case in Scraping, Consent, and Hub-Adjacent Data Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6710	ES/PT/HI Help versus Interpretation Students compare two cases and explain why the outcomes differed. The module is ES/PT/HI Help versus Interpretation. ES/PT/HI Help versus Interpretation: the core problem A worked case in ES/PT/HI Help versus Interpretation Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6711	No UN Heritage Emblems Students produce a professional artefact, with sources and a review of its weaknesses. The module is No UN Heritage Emblems. No UN Heritage Emblems: the core problem A worked case in No UN Heritage Emblems Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6712	Citation of Ephemeral Digital Work Students complete a supervised project and defend the method and the result. The module is Citation of Ephemeral Digital Work. Citation of Ephemeral Digital Work: the core problem A worked case in Citation of Ephemeral Digital Work Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3

Module 4: Capstone

Code	Course	Credits
FollowLap6713	Corpus Design Clinic Students name the methods used in this subject and apply one of them to a short case. The module is Corpus Design Clinic. Corpus Design Clinic: the core problem A worked case in Corpus Design Clinic Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6714	Writing for Humanities Markers Students compare two cases and explain why the outcomes differed. The module is Writing for Humanities Markers. Writing for Humanities Markers: the core problem A worked case in Writing for Humanities Markers Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6715	Public Humanities without Campus Cosplay Students produce a professional artefact, with sources and a review of its weaknesses. The module is Public Humanities without Campus Cosplay. Public Humanities without Campus Cosplay: the core problem A worked case in Public Humanities without Campus Cosplay Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3
FollowLap6716	Capstone: Cosmopolitan DH Methods Project Students complete a supervised project and defend the method and the result. The module is Capstone: Cosmopolitan DH Methods Project. Capstone: Cosmopolitan DH Methods Project: the core problem A worked case in Capstone: Cosmopolitan DH Methods Project Evidence, sources, and limits An assessed task a reviewer can mark	3

Career Paths

Digital humanities project coordinator
Cultural data analyst (academic award)
Online exhibitions or archive assistant (non-licensed)
Research methods tutor (humanities, digital)
Content and discourse analyst

Programme Highlights

No fake special collections
Timezone as metadata
Multilingual sources, English assessment default
Tuition-free online
Corpus capstone

Assessment

Modules are assessed through a published mix of coursework, applied projects, and examinations. Exam windows are announced in advance so students in other time zones are not forced into overnight sittings. Alternative arrangements are available where documented.

Admission requirements

Academic entry

Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution (minimum 2:2 / GPA 2.5/4.0 or equivalent national scale)
Identity document for remote identity-checked assessment enrolment
Humanities, languages, or cultural-sector background helpful; state digital sources of interest in the SoP

English language

English proficiency: IELTS 5.5, TOEFL 46, or equivalent (waived for prior English-medium study). Spanish, Portuguese, or Hindi support hubs do not replace the language of assessment unless the programme explicitly offers a bilingual assessment pathway.

Documents

Statement of Purpose (500 words minimum) stating goals, professional context, and fit
Two academic or professional references with verifiable contact details
CV or résumé covering education and relevant work
Official transcripts (digital copies accepted at application; certified copies before award)

Programme questions

How long is the MA Cosmopolitan Digital Humanities Methods?

The published duration is 18 months. Teaching language: English (ES/PT/HI support hubs do not change the language of assessment unless a bilingual pathway is stated). Actual time-to-complete depends on mode and any recognised prior learning.

Can I study this from my country?

This is a fully online award. You study from your country. No student visa and no campus relocation are required.

What does it cost?

Degree tuition for this award is published as £0 / tuition-free on the online pathway. Examination or administrative fees may apply at checkout — never an annual tuition invoice. Check the Fees page for any extras.

What are the entry requirements?

Requirements are grouped on this page (academic, English, documents). Equivalent qualifications are considered. English may be waived after prior English-medium study.

How is the programme assessed?

Assessment is typically a mix of coursework, projects, and examinations. Doctoral awards include a thesis or dissertation and an oral examination. Details sit in the programme specification and module outlines.

Will this award be recognised where I live?

Recognition of the award for local employment, professional licence, or ministry attestation is decided by your employer or regulator. FollowLap University publishes verification pages for certificates. We do not claim automatic equivalence in every country.

How do I apply?

Start an application on this website. Progress is saved from the first step. Admissions: admissions@followlap.com.

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