Computational Cultural Studies Curriculum
The first doctoral program of its kind, Carnegie Mellon’s Ph.D. in Computational Cultural Studies (CCS) trains students to combine historical, theoretical, and cultural scholarship with computational methodologies.
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.