Graduate Certificate in Digital Public Humanities

Study the Digital Humanities Online

This fully online graduate certificate trains students to use digital tools that are in increasingly high demand in humanities careers.  The coursework will provide students with the opportunity to use these tools to create digital projects that will enhance their professional portfolios.  Following their coursework, students will apply the skills they’ve acquired in an internship with the Smithsonian Institution.  The internships will be coordinated remotely, allowing students to work from any location.

This program is the product of collaboration between George Mason University’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media (RRCHNM) and the Smithsonian Institution.  RRCHNM is widely recognized as one of the leading digital humanities center in the world and has been creating software and digital projects for over twenty years.

The coursework for the program consists of three courses designed specifically for the students in this program.  The professors are full-time faculty in Mason’s Department of History and Art History, which has one of the top graduate programs in the country in the field of digital humanities. 

The program is intended for anyone seeking a career as a humanities professional, or for those who already have such careers but are wanting to develop their digital skills.  Graduates of the program have found jobs as teachers, librarians, editors, archivists, and college professors. 

The program is part-time and fully online, so that students can complete it while working full-time or pursuing a graduate degree elsewhere.  Students move through the program as a cohort, taking three credits at a time over two years. 

Why choose George Mason?

• This two year, fully online program was created by Mason’s Department of History and Art History and the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media in collaboration with Smithsonian Associates.
• Gain professional experience through an internship with the Smithsonian Institution, focused on applying skills learned from coursework. Internships will be coordinated remotely, allowing you to work from your location.
• Learn from leading digital humanities scholars at the forefront of presenting and preserving history through digital media and technology at Mason’s Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media.
• Acquire the skills and credentials to advance in a variety of careers, including education, museum and archival work, librarianship, journalism, and publishing.
• Combine theory and practice to develop skills in digital curation, writing, and content strategy, enhancing your professional portfolio through digital coursework.
• Learn digital research and presentation skills, including text mining, topic modeling, data visualization, and mapping.
• Network with fellow students, historians, and public history professionals from around the world, exploring innovative and effective ways to advance teaching and learning in the humanities through digital tools.
• As all required courses for this graduate certificate are available entirely online, you will have the ability to create a flexible academic schedule that fits your needs.
• Tuition: $735/credit (15 credits in program).

HBCU-NMAAHC Scholarship Program

George Mason University, in partnership with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, will be offering two full scholarships for students from HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities).  The scholarships will pay all tuition costs for the program and will provide a paid internship with NMAAHC. 

Candidates for the scholarships must either have at least three years of professional experience in a field related to public history (including librarian/archival work) or have completed two semesters in an M.A. or PhD program in a humanities field.

Those who wish to be considered for the HBCU-NMAAHC scholarship should fill out the HBCU-NMAAHC Scholarship Information Form and upload the form to the “Optional Documents” section of the Smithsonian-Mason Graduate Certificate in Digital Public Humanities application.

For questions about the scholarship application process, please contact Dr. Brian Platt (bplatt1@gmu.edu).