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Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary subject area that brings a range of computational, quantitative and other innovative and collaborative methods to the study of texts, images, histories, languages and cultures, while also being critical about methodology, disciplinarity and pedagogy.

Digital Humanities in the School of Advanced Study demonstrates the value of digital research to the wider humanities community and fulfils the School’s remit to promote and facilitate digitally enabled research across the disciplines. The School’s multidisciplinary DH team comprises academics with strong connections to subject areas including Classics, English, History and Modern Languages and Cultures, as well as researchers and practitioners with technical backgrounds.

Undertaking doctoral research in the digital humanities allows you to develop in-depth knowledge, while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.

With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words. 

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.

Subject Areas and Supervision

PhD students are based in the Digital Humanities Research Hub, which has strong connections with the Institutes in the School. Academic staff in the Hub has expertise in Classics, English, History and Modern Languages and Cultures. Students will also have the opportunity to work with technical experts and other digital humanities practitioners. It is also possible to secure co-supervision from a supervisor based elsewhere in the School who can offer additional disciplinary expertise.

All of the digital research in the School has a strong humanities focus and brings together technical expertise with a strong foundation in specific disciplinary approaches. Recent research in the Hub has included:
•    Humanities approaches to the archived web
•    Analysing COVID misinformation on social media
•    The transnational comparison of parliamentary proceedings
•    Computational text analysis of the 1921 Census records
•    The application of digital methods to papyrology
•    Digital resources in cultural heritage institutions
•    Multilingual analysis of contemporary news coverage using natural language processing

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal. A list of academic staff and their interests can be found below.

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Digital Humanities at the School of Advanced Study

Digital Humanities is an interdisciplinary subject area that brings a range of computational, quantitative and other innovative and collaborative methods to the study of texts, images, histories, languages and cultures, while also being critical about methodology, disciplinarity and pedagogy.

Digital Humanities in the School of Advanced Study demonstrates the value of digital research to the wider humanities community and fulfils the School’s remit to promote and facilitate digitally enabled research across the disciplines. The School’s multidisciplinary DH team comprises academics with strong connections to subject areas including Classics, English, History and Modern Languages and Cultures, as well as researchers and practitioners with technical backgrounds.
 

The School of Advanced Study

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

Course structure

Full-time study for the PhD degree entails three or a maximum of four years' independent research, culminating in the writing of a thesis of not more than 100,000 words. Part-time students complete the same programme in five, or a maximum of six years.

After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner, from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another British university.

There is no formal coursework, but you will be expected to participate in a weekly seminar on Work in Progress and to present a paper every year from their second year onwards. In your first year you are required to attend a weekly class on Techniques of Scholarship. You are also encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at the Institute during the academic year.

Distance Learning 

The School of Advanced Study will offer students with an appropriate topic and level of local resource the opportunity to undertake a PhD by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their own location. This option is available to UK, EU and international students on the same basis as our on-campus PhD programmes (three years full time, six years part time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus PhD programmes. Please note that not all institutes and supervisors offer this option, and that some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way.

If you would like to be considered for our Research Degree programme via Distance Learning, please download and fill out the Research Degrees by Distance Learning form, to attach to your online application.

Opportunities and facilities

The Digital Humanities Research Hub conducts cutting edge research and collaborates on a number of well-established digital projects. These include a number of online databases; directories; bibliographies; catalogues; and collections. The Hub also runs the Senate House MakerSpace, which provides facilities for 3D imaging and printing, digitisation, and computational experimentation.

The Hub hosts a lively intellectual environment that includes an active seminar series and visiting research fellows. Students are also welcome to participate in digitally-focused seminars hosted by other Institutes within the School. Members of the Hub are also active in digital humanities organisations including the UK-Ireland Digital Humanities Association.

The School of Advanced Study itself offers excellent resources for inter-disciplinary research by bringing together eight internationally renowned research institutes that support the promotion of research in the humanities. The Hub also has strong relationships with Senate House Library, which runs a number of digital programmes in addition to its range of historic library reading rooms and collections. 

The School offers a broad range of events, seminars and conferences that we encourage our research students to engage with. This includes opportunities to participate in the annual Being Human Festival, the flagship festival of the humanities in the United Kingdom.

Our research students can also take advantage of a varied and challenging research training programme, with general research skills training and research methodologies courses provided through the School and subject-specific training provided within the institutes.

How to apply

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal. Please speak first to Valerie James, manager, Central Academic Initiatives, School of Advanced Study. Your particular research interest may be able to be supported, even though it is not listed. A list of academic staff and their interests can be found here.

Before agreeing to accept you, the School will require you to submit a research proposal, so it is worthwhile having this drafted ahead of a formal application. Guidelines on drafting your research proposal.

Candidates will normally receive an initial response to their application within 28 working days. Those who have been formally interviewed will normally be informed within one week as to whether they are to be offered a place.

Note: in accordance with regulations research students will be registered for the MPhil degree in the first instance. Upgrading to PhD will be considered in the second year for full-time students and in the third or fourth year for part-time students.

Supervisors

Dr Christopher Ohge

Senior Lecturer in Digital Approaches to Literature
(On research leave through April 2024)

Dr Naomi Wells

Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages and Digital Humanities
Acting Director, Digital Humanities Research Hub

The School of Advanced Study is a unique environment in which to study the humanities.  The School strives to reflect the latest developments in thinking across the humanities disciplines it supports and to ensure that its programmes reflect this.   We are also aware that the needs of our students are constantly changing.  With that in mind, the School continually reviews the its programmes and, as part of that process, reserves the right to alter or discontinue them. 

We assure you that we carry out these exercises at no detriment to any enrolled students. Students enrolled on any programme that we discontinue will be able to complete that programme within a reasonable timeframe and with all the necessary resources at their disposal. The School will communicate any anticipated changes with students as early as possible.