Rochester Institute of Technology

What you'll study

This programme blends humanities theory with practical training in digital tools and methods for working with texts and cultural materials. Core topics typically include:

• Introduction to Digital Humanities — survey of the field, fundamental concepts and project case studies.
• Textual Studies and Editing — manuscript traditions, critical editions, editorial principles and scholarly markup.
• Text Encoding and Markup (TEI) — XML/TEI encoding for representing texts and metadata for digital scholarly editions.
• Programming for Humanists — introductory scripting (commonly Python or JavaScript) for text processing and automation.
• Text Mining and Digital Analysis — corpus linguistics, topic modelling, natural language processing methods applied to literary and historical texts.
• Databases and Digital Archives — relational and non-relational data models, metadata standards, digitisation workflows and preservation basics.
• Data Visualisation and Storytelling — visual approaches to representing textual and cultural data, interactive web-based presentation.
• Geospatial Humanities — GIS methods for mapping historical and literary data.
• Project Design and Management — planning, ethics, user-centred design, accessibility and sustainability for digital projects.
• Electives and Special Topics — examples include digital exhibition design, game studies for cultural heritage, or advanced computational linguistics.

Study typically combines lectures, hands-on lab work in computing and digital media facilities, seminars in literary and historical methods, and project-based capstone work. Students are encouraged to build a public-facing digital portfolio of projects such as annotated editions, interactive exhibits or data-driven research dashboards.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a high-school diploma or equivalent and a strong academic record with coursework in English, history or related humanities subjects. Demonstrable interest or experience in computing, media production or research methods is advantageous but not always required. Typical application materials include transcripts, a personal statement explaining interest in the field and, where available, a writing sample or project portfolio showing analytical or digital work.

RIT considers standardised tests according to its admissions policy; international applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through recognised tests or approved institutional pathways. Mature applicants with relevant professional experience and evidence of readiness for university study are also encouraged to apply.

Career prospects

Graduates gain versatile skills that suit roles across cultural heritage, publishing, archives, libraries and technology sectors. Common career paths include:

• Digital archivist or digital collections specialist in libraries and museums.
• Digital project manager or developer for scholarly publishing and cultural heritage organisations.
• Data curator, research data manager or metadata specialist.
• Content strategist, UX designer or web producer for cultural institutions.
• Research assistant or analyst using computational text methods in academia, think tanks or industry.

Many graduates also progress to postgraduate study in digital humanities, library and information science, archival studies or related fields. Practical experience from labs, internships or co-operative placements can be decisive for entry into professional roles.

Why study at Rochester Institute of Technology

RIT is known for its applied, technology-focused approach to education and strong connections between humanities and computing disciplines. Students benefit from interdisciplinary teaching that brings together faculty with expertise in literature, archival practice, computing and data science.

Key advantages include access to specialised resources such as RIT Libraries’ collections and archives, opportunities to work with the Cary Graphic Arts Collection and other library holdings, and hands-on labs for digital media and data visualisation. RIT’s emphasis on experiential learning—through cooperative education, internships and project-based courses—helps students build a portfolio of real-world digital humanities projects and professional contacts.

The university’s career services and industry partnerships support transition into employment or graduate study, while on-campus facilities and cross-college collaboration create opportunities for interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of text, culture and technology.