Computational Cultural Studies Curriculum

Curriculum – Computational Cultural Studies Ph.D.

To receive a Ph.D. in Computational Cultural Studies (CCS), a student must do the following:

• Complete 291 units of graduate coursework
  This includes 72 units typically transferred from an M.A. program, plus 219 units of doctoral coursework.
• Fulfill core course requirements
  These include:
  - Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies
  - Theory and Design of Writing Instruction
  - Computational Humanities Practicum
  - Teaching Writing Practicum
  - Directed Reading Course to prepare for the Qualifying Exam
• Take one course in each of two historical periods
  - One course focused on literature and culture before 1900
  - One course focused on literature and culture after 1900
• Satisfy computational coursework requirements
  - One approved computation-focused course offered by the English Department (e.g., Coding for Humanists, Methods in Humanities Analytics, Digital Rhetorics)
  - One approved computation-focused course from another CMU department (e.g., Interdisciplinary NLP, Statistical Learning for Non-Statistics Graduate Students, AI for Humanities)
• Pass the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination
  This examination, taken at the beginning of the third year, includes both written and oral components.
• Complete four elective courses
  Chosen in consultation with advisors, these electives support the student’s research agenda and career goals.
• Teach undergraduate courses in English
  Teaching is an integral part of the program, and students gain experience through a sequence of practicum courses and mentored instruction.
• Write and defend a doctoral dissertation
  The dissertation should represent original research in literary and cultural studies and make innovative use of computational methods.