Digital and Public Humanities
Digital and Public Humanities
Project-centered curriculum across nine humanities and STEM disciplines
The Digital and Public Humanities minor integrates technology fields with the humanities. With the support of a Humanities Connections grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), this 15-credit minor combines coursework from the humanities, art, computer science, business, communication studies, environmental science, and others.
The Digital and Public Humanities minor prepares students to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by technology. It will integrate project-based, experiential learning within nine academic specialties, and show students how humanities research engages with and influences the world.
You’ll Graduate with More
By integrating humanistic perspectives with technological and scientific approaches, graduates become more employable to a wider cross-section of industries. Humanities students will gain practical experience in digital technologies, data collection and curation, public humanities methodologies, and project management—all skills that are in-demand for numerous careers. For students studying science, math, and business, this minor will help develop skills in rhetoric and written analysis, while applying their analytical abilities to new content areas.
Leading the Way
As of 2019, only 42 undergraduate digital humanities minor programs existed at institutions across the United States; only half of which were available at liberal arts colleges like SMC. Saint Mary’s newly launched program will become one of just a handful of programs in the country that explicitly pairs the digital with the public humanities.
By integrating humanistic perspectives in these areas of study, Saint Mary’s graduates become more employable to a wider cross-section of industries
Fieldwork in the Community
Recent project work has also helped faculty develop relationships with partners in South Bend and other nearby communities. Several existing and new partners are participating in the planning of project work that contribute to the DPH minor, including the Civil Rights Heritage Center, IU South Bend, South Bend Civic Theatre; St. Joseph County Public Library; Elkhart County Historical Museum; and the Michiana Jewish Historical Society.
Student and Faculty Research Project Summaries
Regulatory vs. Voluntary Industry Approaches in ‘Conflicts of Interest Disclosure’ Systems across Borders The Affordable Care Act Section 6002, also known as the Sunshine Act, requires pharmaceutical companies to disclose payments to physicians which are then publicly available on the Open Payments (OP) system website. The OP is meant to provide transparency on financial ties with pharmaceutical companies which previous research has shown can affect the design, conduct, and reporting of clinical trials of drug treatments [1]. Since 2015, a similar system has been in place under the auspices of Medicines Australia (MA), Australia’s research-based pharmaceutical industry association. MA requires member countries to report payments provided to individual clinicians. Latest Stories from Digital and Public Humanities
Related Areas of Study
About the National Endowment for the Humanities
The project, Community Networks and Narratives: Launching a Digital and Public Humanities Minor, has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.