MASTER'S DEGREE IN DIGITAL HUMANITIES: METHODS AND GOOD PRACTICES

There is a growing amount of digital content related to the humanities, which makes it necessary to select the best quality and most appropriate to the research main aim using scientific methods and accumulating habits related to best practices. All this will allow solving problems with initiative and creativity both in a professional and research environment.

This master's degree responds to the current situation and, above all, to the demand to promote humanistic education that integrates different technologies that favor their immersion in the digital world. Thus, the contents that are acquired will allow students to start in research or in the profession of digital humanist and in the transfer of the knowledge acquired using them.

The number of credits of the Master is 60, with 31 of them being compulsory and 20 optional. The offer is organized with 23 subjects, 6 compulsory, 4 optional with general content and another 12 optional subjects linked to disciplines. The master's degree is taught in Spanish, but basic knowledge of English is required, especially for complementary documentation.

It is an inter-faculty master's degree in which participates about 40 professors from 13 departments of the faculties of Geography and History, Philology, Philosophy and ETSI of Computer Science of the UNED. Its aim objectives are:

(i) to implement knowledge, resources and digital techniques useful for the profession and research of humanists,

(ii) to optimise and enrich the professional, research and transfer results to be achieved,

(iii) to offer a new vision of the humanities that involves a change in research methods and activities for the analysis of the results, their impact and visibility.

The aim is to provide researchers and professionals with competencies in digital humanities, through training in resources and tools useful for research, transfer and profession, enabling them to pursue doctoral studies, improve professional and transfer skills specialised in this field in the context of the search for sustainability.

More information at masterhumanidadesdigitales.uned.es (https://blogs.uned.es/mohd/)

Objectives and skills

The main objective of this master’s degree is to train graduates from various degrees in humanities and social sciences disciplines in methods, activities and good practices of Digital Humanities (DH) by learning basic aspects of applications and digital resources that can be useful in their future research.or work projects.

It seeks to educate students in fundamental processes for DH. Training in how to extract and generate knowledge with innovative methods and activities linked to the digital treatment and interpretation of humanistic data and always applying good practices is essential. It is also intended that students can adopt a reflective and critical, humanistic attitude about their own practice.

This master's degree is intended and designed for graduates in humanities or social sciences disciplines, who do not need to have a previous deep computer knowledge beyond a minimum that is usually given by daily experience in the use of technology. The intention is to show the possibilities offered by digital technologies in this multidisciplinary field when addressing projects and research. The technology is available through web applications and programs. To use them, it is necessary to become familiar with their algorithms, functions and theoretical-practical foundations, based on previous activities and real projects. For example, some statistical models, data mining or, more specifically, the extraction of terminology in multimedia texts or not, the construction of domain ontologies, personalized analysis of document collections, etc. will be presented.

The master's degree also aims to cover the theoretical dimension and the main concepts of DH, as well as the different processes that can be carried out in a digital humanistic project. For this reason, the compulsory subjects cover the process of accessing and extracting data, analysis and management of the data, as well as its subsequent visualization and its publication and dissemination, with a cross-cutting programming subject and complemented with optional subjects that address more specific topics, such as big data, geo-positioning, or the semantic web, among others.

The presentation of the contents of the subjects will be carried out with a theoretical-practical approach based on successful cases of projects in DH. In addition, the practical approach of the degree will be focused on professional practice, and the design and development of projects of special interest to students.

CORE COMPETENCIES

CC6 - Possess and understand knowledge that provides a basis or opportunity to be original in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context.

CC7 - That students know how to apply acquired knowledge and problem-solving skills in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their area of study.

CC8 - That students are able to integrate knowledge and face the complexity of making judgments based on information that, being incomplete or limited, includes reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.

CC9 - That students know how to communicate their conclusions and the ultimate knowledge and reasons that support them to specialized and non-specialized audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.

CC10 - That students acquire the learning skills that will enable them to continue studying in a way that will be largely self-directed or autonomous.

GENERAL COMPETENCIES

GC1 - Manage the work in multidisciplinary teams dedicated to the field of digital humanities efficiently, addressing potential conflicts in a constructive manner.

GC2 - Know and identify new techniques and digital tools for use in professional practice and research in the field of digital humanities.

GC3 - Describe and apply technologies for the management and organization of information and documentation in the field of digital humanities.

SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

SC1 - To critically analyze the participation of the humanities in the digitized society in order to promote its dissemination.

SC2 - To know the current regulations and good practices regarding the authorship, use, reproduction and dissemination of digital objects in the field of digital humanities in order to know how to apply them.

SC3 - Analyze and formalize information with digital tools in the field of digital humanities.

SC4 - Knowing different ways of managing digital heritage of interest to the humanities.

SC5 - Develop original and innovative applications or projects in the field of digital humanities of a professional and research nature.

SC6 - Design and carry out an original work in the field of digital humanities.

SC7 - Apply digital technologies in the treatment and preservation of data of different types in the field of digital humanities.

SC8 - Know and know how to apply different techniques and types of representation of digital data and the result of their analysis, in the field of digital humanities.

SC9 - Use databases, archives and online documentary centers for consultation and application to an original and own analysis in the field of digital humanities.

SC10 - To exploit textual corpora (structured or unstructured) of interest to the humanities.

SC11 - Knowing the fundamentals of logical reasoning for the development and exploration of ontologies and computable models in the field of digital humanities.

SC12 - Apply information storage and search techniques for its analysis and visualization in maps and the integration of contents in different use cases related to digital humanities.

SC13 - Present and defend to an expert audience a work or project in the field of digital humanities.

Digital Humanities (DH) are a field of knowledge that arises from the need to incorporate knowledge, resources and digital techniques in the profession and research of humanists. The systematic use of these technologies allows to enrich humanistic research and even to achieve results that are not possible using traditional means. Thus, the DHs represent a change not only in research methods and activities, but also in the analysis of the results and in their impact and visibility.

The official Master in Digital Humanities: Methods and Good Practices (MOHD, Spanish acronym) by UNED has the aim of offering graduates in humanistic and social fields a quality training that (1) enable them in their training as researchers, (2) allows them, where appropriate, to pursue doctoral studies, and (3) improve professional skills, providing them with specialized and useful knowledge and digital skills in current professions in the sector.

Graduates of this UNED master's degree will be able to devise, plan and put into practice projects that will serve as the basis for their future research or professional work. In addition, they will acquire specialized skills to face socio-cultural changes due to continuous technological evolution and will be able to take advantage of new resources to better perform their professional activity.

Finally, among the proposed master’s competencies are those that facilitate professional and personal performance in accordance with sustainability, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their associate targets. From the beginning of the organization of the master's degree, capacities related to quantitative approximations based on data are incorporated, although not only, with the access and extraction of data, its processing and exploitation. The subjects on data visualization include approaches and resources oriented towards teaching and research initiation. Several optional subjects address very current and challenging topics in the DH and will allow the student to specialize in specific topics.

General access requirements:

The requirements for access to master's studies are regulated in Royal Decree (RD) 1393/2007, of October 29, which establishes the organization of official university education, which was modified by RD 861/2010, of July 2. Article 16 establishes the following:

1. To access official master’s degree courses, it will be necessary to be in possession of an official Spanish university degree or another issued by a higher education institution belonging to another State that is a member of the European Higher Education Area that authorizes it for access to master’s degree courses.

2. Likewise, graduates from educational systems outside the European Higher Education Area may access without the need for their degrees homologation, after verification by the University that they accredit a level of training equivalent to the corresponding official Spanish university degrees. and they entitle the holder to access postgraduate studies in the country issuing the degree. Access by this route will not imply, in any case, the homologation of the previous degree held by the interested party, nor its recognition for other purposes than that to attend the master’s degree courses.

Specific access requirements to the master's degree:

The master's degree has been configured considering primarily a type of student body: students with a humanistic degree training who wish to learn methods and good practices for digitally processing information. The training that the student will acquire will allow them to start research on the basis of solid theoretical and methodological foundations in DH. Thus, this master's degree guarantees a specialized and specific qualification in various fields of the humanities.

Given the nature of the Master's degree, priority for registering will be given to students who hold one of the following qualifications:

- Bachelor’s degrees in Philology or Literary Studies, Theory of Literature and Comparative Literature or other related fields.

- Bachelor's degrees in History, History of Art, Geography, Archeology or similar.

- Bachelor's degrees in Philosophy, Anthropology or other related.

. Degrees in Translation and Interpreting, Humanities, or other related fields.

- Bachelor's degrees in the area of Library Science and Documentation.

The master's degree will also be open to graduates or graduates in any other specialty, although with a different scale depending on the origin of the student.

Leveling courses are not foreseen since the master's degree is eminently methodological, so it cannot replace basic a humanistic training. It is understood that if someone from another branch of knowledge takes it, it will be for their interest in its application to other disciplines.

Admission criteria

Each academic year the master's degree will admit a maximum of 50 newly enrolled students. Once the enrollment applications have been received, if the number exceeds the offer of places, priority will be given to candidates who hold the degrees considered as priority in the Access Requirements section.

If the number of applications from students with this profile exceeds the number of places offered, a selection will be made based on the following scale:

1. By academic record (up to a maximum of 4 points). To this end, it is necessary that the personal academic certification provided by the student specifically state the average grade for the degree. If this information is missing, it will be considered, in accordance with the provisions of the Governing Council of the UNED of June 26, 2012, that the global average grade will be 1.00 -in application of RD 1497/1987- or 5.00 -if RD 1125/2003 applies.

2. Teaching, research or professional experience, especially that related to the master's degree (up to a maximum of 3 points).

3. Other university academic qualifications, especially those related to the master's degree (up to a maximum of 2 points).

4. Other merits related to the specialty (up to a maximum of 1 point).

If the offer of places is not exhausted with these students with qualifications considered a priority, the possibility of enrolling students with other academic profiles would be opened; For this purpose, a selection would be made based on the following scale:

1. Academic degree (up to a maximum of 5 points). Graduates and graduates in careers belonging to the branch of Social Sciences and Informatics will be scored with the maximum: up to 5 points; to graduates and graduates in careers that do not belong to the branch of Social Sciences or Computer Science: up to 1 point.

2. By academic record (up to a maximum of 3 points). To this end, it is necessary that the personal academic certification provided by the student specifically state the average grade for the degree. If this mention is lacking, it will be considered, in accordance with the provisions of the UNED Governing Council on June 26, 2012, that the overall average grade will be 1.00 -in application of RD 1497/1987- or of 5.00 -if RD 1125/2003 applies-.

3. Teaching, research or professional experience only related to the master's degree (up to a maximum of 1 point).

4. Other merits: up to 1 point. These merits will consist of:

1. Knowledge of English: preference will be given to those who have an intermediate and/or advanced knowledge of English. Knowledge of languages must be demonstrated through the presentation of an official diploma.

2. Knowledge in distance learning: official or own university degrees (of more than 10 credits) carried out in the distance learning modality and accredited by means of a degree or personal academic certification.

For registration, applicants will provide the following supporting documentation: Curriculum Vitae, which must contain points 1 to 4 of the scale (Admission Criteria); Official Academic Certification of the Access Degree with the average grade; Title of access to the master's degree (front and back).

The lack of supporting documentation regarding any of the alleged merits will mean that they will not be evaluated in the corresponding criterion. The Commission may request any original or certified document that it deems necessary to prove any of the alleged merits.

Each edition of the master will admit a maximum of 50 newly enrolled students.

CURRICULUM

This degree is presented with six basic and methodological subjects that are compulsory because they provide useful tools for students in the rest of the optional subjects and in their subsequent work or research.

At the same time, an attempt is made to promote as much as possible the optionality with a wide range of subjects (4 of a general nature and 12 linked to discipline) to ensure that students shape their curriculum according to their needs and interests. Thus, the master's degree that we propose here consists of a postgraduate course that will provide in-depth basic training to later address more specifically the fields of main interest of the students.

To obtain the master's degree, the student must pass 60 credits. In this proposal, the Final Master's Project (TFM) has 9 credits because it is understood that students have already familiarized themselves with and practiced with the basic tools and techniques presented in the compulsory subjects, which, together with the knowledge acquired with the optional subjects selected, and under the direction of one of the professors, will allow them to successfully face the problem posed.

OFFER:

• Compulsory credits: 31 (5 subjects de 5 credits y one of 6)
• Elective credits: 20 (16 subjects of 4 credits)
• Compulsory Master`s thesis: 9 credits

The student must configure his studies full-time or part-time, in several years. In this second case, it is advisable to enroll only in those compulsory and optional subjects that are of interest to you and that maintain the relationships established in each subject. To do this, it is important to read the guides for all subjects and, if applicable, ask the teachers available for this during the enrollment period established by the UNED. In case of studying the master's part-time, it is advisable not to enroll in the master’s degree subject until the second year.

For all the semester subjects, it is indicated: semester (1^st or 2^nd), character (Compulsory, Elective), number of ECTS and title.

• (1st, OB, 5) DH Publishing, Science Communication and Dissemination
• (1st, OB, 6) Introduction to Digital Humanities
• (1st, OB, 5) Digital Competencies and Programming for Humanists
• (1st, OB, 5) Data Analysis for Digital Humanities Research
• (1st, OB, 5) Access and Data Mining for DH Research
• (2nd, OP, 4) Geopositioning and Geographic Information Systems
• (2nd, OP, 4) Applied Statistics
• (2nd, OP, 4) Databases and Big Data
• (2nd, OB, 5) Data Visualization
• (2nd, OP, 4) Computer Vision for the Digital Humanities
• (2nd, OP, 4) Processing of Alphanumeric Information of a Chronological Nature
• (2nd, OP, 4) Information Retrieval and Data Mining
• (2nd, OP, 4) Tools and Resources for the Study of Linguistic Variation and Linguistic Varieties
• (2nd, OP, 4) Ethics and Digital Environments
• (2nd, OP, 4) Digital Edition (XML-TEI)
• (2nd, OP, 4) 3D Reconstruction, Visualisation and Printing
• (2nd, OP, 4) Specialised Discourse and Linguistic Technologies
• (2nd, OP, 4) Design and Exploitation of Oral Corpora for Linguistic Research
• (2nd, OP, 4) Spatial Data: Handling and Publication
• (2nd, OP, 4) Audiovisual and Digital Anthropology
• (2nd, OP, 4) Applied Stylometry
• (2nd, OP, 4) Semantic Web and Intelligent Systems for DH
• (OB, 9) master’s thesis

• RD 822/2021, de 28 de septiembre, Organización de las Enseñanzas Universitarias
• Normas y criterios generales de reconocimiento y transferencia de créditos para los másteres.
• Normas de permanencia en estudios conducentes a títulos oficiales de la Universidad Nacional de Educación A Distancia.
• Regulación de los trabajos de fin de master en las enseñanzas conducente al título oficial de master de la UNED.

Master’s degree documentation

In accordance with current legislation, all universities must submit their official degrees to a process of verification, monitoring and accreditation to the ANECA (National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain).

In the case of the UNED, the Council of Universities receives the degree report and sends it to ANECA for its evaluation and issuance of the Verification Report. If the report is favorable, the Council of Universities issues the Verification Resolution, and the Ministry of Education submits to the Government the proposal for the official nature of the degree, orders its inclusion in the Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees (RUCT) and its subsequent publication in the Official State Gazette.

Official master's degrees must renew their accreditation within six years from the date on which the degree was first offered or the previous accreditation was renewed, in order to check whether the results obtained are adequate to guarantee the continuity of the degree. If they are adequate, the Council of Universities issues a Resolution of accreditation of the degree.

These resolutions and reports are recorded in the Registry of Universities, Centers and Degrees (RUCT, Spanish acronym, https://www.educacion.gob.es/ruct/home).

Documents (in Spanish)

• Title memory
• ANECA verification report
• Verification resolution
• Inscripción del Título en el Registro de Universidades, Centros y Títulos

Practical work

The title aims to cover the theoretical dimension and the main concepts of DH, as well as the different processes that can be carried out in a digital humanistic project. Thus, each subject can include the development of work of a practical nature. The possibility of carrying out external practices has not been contemplated. It is recommended to always review the subject guide, and the specific indications in the virtual classroom, which include all the specifications and points for the correct development of the same, as well as its form of qualification.

Likewise, obtaining the title entails the completion of a master's thesis of 9 credits. This work must be defended before a court designated for that purpose. Students must keep this final project in mind from the beginning of their studies, so that the assignments of the subjects serve as a starting point for their completion. It is recommended to review from the beginning the guide and the virtual classroom of the master’s degree subject, where you can find all the necessary instructions.

Internal quality guarantee system of the master’s degree

The UNED has an Internal Quality Assurance System (SGIC-U, Spanish acronym) that covers all its official undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees, as well as the services it offers, whose design was certified by ANECA (certificado por la ANECA, in Spanish).

The SGIC-U (Spanish acronym) contemplates all the necessary processes to ensure the quality of its teaching staff, resources and services for students: access, admission and reception, external practices, mobility programs, academic guidance and labor insertion, monitoring and evaluation of the training results, attention to suggestions and complaints and the adequacy of support personnel, among others.

Those responsible for the SGIC are: The Coordination Commission, The Center's Quality, Assurance Commission, The Dean or Management Team, The UNED Quality Assurance Commission

Through the Statistical Portal (Portal estadístico, in Spanish), UNED provides information to the entire university community both on the results of the training and on the satisfaction results of the different groups involved.

Coordinating committee of the master’s degree

The Coordination Commission will ensure the quality of the master's degree. Its composition is as follows:

• President: Dean of the Faculty of Geography and History, Sagrario Aznar

• Coordinator of the master: Ana García Serrano

• Master's secretary: Maria Luisa de Lázaro

• Member of the Administration and Services Staff linked to the academic management of the degree.

• A representative of students enrolled in the title.

Master’s professional attributions

The Spanish ministry does not recognize professional attributions to this master’s degree. Therefore, this master does not have professional attributions recognized by the Spanish ministry.