An innovative training
- Core courses to gain a good command of digital technologies and computational methods for research.
- A specialization in the methods specific to the field of each student (e.g., natural language processing, digital philology, network analysis, etc.).
- Research seminars, as well as professionalization courses, will be offered to students. The master’s seminar will give second year students the opportunity to present their research to the first year students.
- A research project and dissertation: in their first year, the students will realize a project of data structuring and analysis. In their second year, they will have to demonstrate, through a research project, their skills in humanities and digital methods, while being advised by two supervisors, a specialist of their field and a digital humanities tutor. This dissertation will have to put digital technologies at the service of research in the humanities.
First year
During the first year, students will follow core courses in digital humanities, as well as a major in their field (history, philology, literature, archeology, social sciences, etc.):
- 40 ECTS for a major in one of the partner schools
- 20 ECTS in digital humanities: introduction to DH; computer science basics; data modeling and structuring (XML, databases); quantitative methods; master’s seminar
During the first year, students will have to conduct a small research project, integrating the student’s major with computational methods.
Second year
During the second year, students will follow core courses, as well as optional courses and seminars, that will allow them to build a specialization in the methods specific to their fields. A master’s seminar will provide the opportunity for second year students to present their research to first year students.
Students will write and defend a research thesis, under the direction of two advisors, one in their field and one in digital humanities. The thesis will have to put digital technologies at the service of research in the humanities.
An internship in a research centre (maximum duration of 2 months) will allow the students to grasp the collective and collaborative nature of research.
Year 1
In their first year, students will take a core curriculum in the digital humanities, in addition to courses in their specialisation (history, philology, literature, archaeology, social sciences, etc.).
Digital Humanities core curriculum (every Friday during both semesters) – 20 ECTS
Semester 1
Introduction to the Digital Humanities – 20 hours, 3 ECTS
This course introduces students to the digital humanities in their epistemological and practical dimensions, and specifically provides an introduction to Web formats (data and metadata), image processing, as well as big data and text mining. It also includes an initiation on data collection and their modelling.
IT Fundamentals – 18 hours, 3 ECTS
This unit makes it possible to discover, on the one hand, the fundamentals of the Linux operating system, text modes, Web networks and servers and, on the other hand, programming, the latter thanks to an introduction on algorithmics punctuated with exercises. It also proposes a preliminary approach to text mining through the utilisation of regular expressions.
Master’s Research Seminar – 6 hours, 1 ECTS
This seminar, which extends over the programme’s four semesters, makes it possible for first-year students to discover the most up-to-date research in the field of digital humanities, specifically those conducted by more advanced students. For students in their second year, it also provides the opportunity to compare their experiences and ideas, and initiate them to presenting their work.
Semester 2
Data Modelling and Structuring – 12 hours + 12 hours, 4 ECTS
This unit proposes an introduction to two data structuring methods that are often used in the digital humanities, XML metalanguage, which specifically makes it possible to structure textual data, and relational databases.
Introduction to XML
Introduction to databases
Quantitative Methods in Human and Social Sciences – 12 hours, 2 ECTS
This unit proposes an introduction to quantitative methods for non-specialists, by going back over fundamental concepts (variables, distributions), as well as the presentation of several methods (descriptive, univariate and bivariate statistics, statistic tests). It addresses the question of data specificities in the human sciences, their collection and modelling, as well as their analysis (strategies, management of incomplete data, etc.) An overview of the different types of research subjects involving quantitative processing will be presented, as well as the collaborative chains that these methods imply.
Master’s Research Seminar (continued) – 6 hours, 1 ECTS
Conception and Development of a Digital Humanities Project: Introduction to Research– 12 hours, 6 ECTS
This tutoring unit makes it possible for each student to get started in applying the methods and tools of digital humanities to their research questions and dissertation. It is evaluated through the production of a short applied work (data modelling and analysis) that will be eventually integrated into the dissertation.
Specialty Courses – 40 ECTS
A total of 40 credits amongst the Human and Social Science courses available in partner establishments (see appendix)
At the end of year 1 of the Master’s programme, students will need to turn in a detailed dissertation proposal, including the implementation of a digital humanities process.
Year 2
Year 2 of the Master’s degree programme is based on a core curriculum, making it possible to delve deeper into the initiation received during the first year (algorithmics, data modelling and structuring, utilisation and mining of structured data, quantitative methods), while the optional courses and seminars make it possible for each student to further their specialisation in the methods specific to their field of interest. Students also take several research seminars, as well as a supplementary professionalisation unit. A Master’s seminar gives second-year students the opportunity to present their work to first-year students.
The second year is validated in part through the writing and defence of a research dissertation, supervised by a director in the student’s specialty as well as by a tutor for the digital aspects. The dissertation must implement digital technologies (structured data, algorithms, quantitative methods, etc.) at the service of research procedures.
Internship – 3 ECTS
During their second year, all students must sign up for an internship in a research laboratory, of no more than two months, validated through a short report. This internship will take place either through alternating education or continuing education, and can take place during the summer prior to the start of classes or following the submission of the dissertation. This internship can be substituted by international mobility or a research trip abroad, or can be combined with the preparation for the research dissertation, subject to the fact that the internship takes place in the research director’s laboratory.
Dissertation – 30 ECTS
In order to obtain their diploma, students must write and defend a research dissertation, implementing their disciplinary and digital expertise, which will be supervised by a research director from the establishment where they are enrolled, as well as by a specialist in digital humanities. The dissertation must implement digital technologies (structured data, algorithms, quantitative methods, etc.) at the service of its research subject, and be supplemented with technical files.
Semester 3
Fundamental courses
Algorithmics and Programming for the Humanities– 24 hours + 12 hours, 3 ECTS
Introduction to Python Programming
This unit’s objective is to provide basic knowledge in computer programming. It goes over the fundamentals of algorithmics, implemented around a commonly used language in the human and social sciences, Python.
Introduction to the Analysis and Visualisation of Data with R Statistical Software (12 hours)
This course is dedicated to learning about data analysis and visualisation using texts (literary or other). The techniques taught will make it possible for students to import data resulting from corpuses of digital texts accessible, for example, via the Internet, as well as organise and analyse it in order to extract quantitative information.
Data Modelling and Structuring – 24 hours, 3 ECTS
This unit is designed to delve deeper into questions regarding data modelling and structuring addressed in the unit of the same name during the students’ first year. The course lets students choose a specialisation, either XML technologies or databases.
XML and XML/TEI Structuring
This course studies software concepts, norms and tools that make it possible to structure data and documents, thereby making it possible to utilise primary documents above and beyond their reporting and description. XML and XML modelling (DTD, patterns) and the implementation of the XML/TEI format in scholarly publications will be studied. An introduction to XML data processing is also provided (XPath, XSLT 1).
Databases
This course presents data structuring through relational or graph databases. The theoretical and practical workings of these databases, SQL query language and My SQL RDBMS will be studied, as well as linked data technologies (RDF, SPARQL).
Utilisation and Mining of Structured Data – 24 hours, 3 ECTS
This unit provides in-depth knowledge regarding the tools making it possible to utilise structured data. It gives students the possibility to delve deeper into their specialisation through one of the existing technologies.
XML Data Utilisation – XSLT, XQuery
This unit is dedicated to the study of XSLT – a powerful programming language making it possible to transform XML documents – as well as XML databases and XQuery query language, in order to examine and utilise the corpus of XML documents.
Database Utilisation and Examination
This unit makes it possible to deepen one’s knowledge regarding query languages that make it possible to examine structured data (SQL, SPARQL), as well as software languages (PHP) and tools (Dataiku) that make it possible to search, utilise and transform it as well as search and refine data that is only slightly structured in nature.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
This unit proposes an introduction to machine learning concepts and tools, specifically deep learning.
Quantitative Methods and Mathematical Modelling in the Human and Social Sciences – 24 hours, 3 ECTS
This multi- and cross-disciplinary course focuses on a palette of quantitative methods for data analysis and mathematic modelling: multi-varied analysis; econometrical methods; multi-agent modelling; dynamic modelling (population dynamics), game theories, etc.
The concepts and techniques will be systematically illustrated with practical case studies from the human and social sciences. The course will require strong student involvement: implementation of methods on real data, critical reading of articles. The course will be validated through a personal work based on a scientific article.
Foreign language (student’s choice) – 12 hours, 1 ECTS
Research Seminars
Master’s Research Seminar – 6 hours, 1 ECTS
Research Director’s Seminar – 26 hours, 2 ECTS
To be chosen among the seminars proposed by the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, the Ecole Nationale des Chartes or Ecole Normale Supérieure.
Open Seminars – 26 hours, 2 ECTS
To be chosen among the seminars proposed by the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, the Ecole Nationale des Chartes or Ecole Normale Supérieure.
See appendix B, a non-exhaustive list of research seminars open to 2nd-year Master’s degree students.
Professionalisation Courses
IT Project Management– 12 hours, 2 ECTS
This course provides an introduction to managing development projects (Agile methods, good practices, tests) and managerial tools (specifications, quality control, Gantt chart, Pert, etc.).
Semester 4
The fourth semester, which proposes an in-depth look at the students’ specialisations through specialisation options and research seminars, is mainly dedicated to writing a research dissertation. A short observation internship in a research laboratory rounds out the programme.
Specialisation Options
Students pick two options from among the following choices.
Natural Processing of Language and Semantic Analysis – 24 hours, 2 ECTS
The purpose of this course is to demonstrate how the natural processing of languages can be useful under the framework of digital humanities. The classes will be mostly practical in nature: a large portion will be dedicated to presenting the tools and student involvement in simple manipulations. However the theoretical foundations of this subject matter will not be forgotten. First and foremost, this course is for those interested in corpus linguistics and analysis, however, experts in literary and/or stylistic analysis, philological, historical or religious analysis are also welcome, inasmuch as the quantification of the phenomena observed can also interest these fields of research. The data (corpus) examined will be determined in accordance with the objectives of the class and the participants’ interests. However, various corpuses will be taken into consideration: both contemporary corpuses as well as ancient ones (for example, a medieval French corpus), as well as both literary and human science corpuses.
Digital Philology – 24 hours, 2 ECTS
This course is meant for all those who would like to acquire the fundamental basics of digital philology as well as discovering the practical and theoretical ins and outs of the constitution and analysis of textual corpuses in ancient and medieval languages.
Through the presentation of different questions specific to the production of computer-assisted data, their modelling (specifically, electronic publication and XML/TEI structuring) and their utilisation (quantitative analysis), it will successively address four main issues: the materiality of manuscripts (codicological data structuring and analysis), their graphic texts and systems (OCR manuscripts, publications for palaeographical purposes, quantitative palaeography), their variants (encoding the critical apparatus and representation of the textual variance) and the analysis of textual traditions or genealogies (stemmatology), as well as the dating, localisation and attribution of texts (stylometry).
It is recommended that the following courses be taken prior to this course, but they are not mandatory: Data modelling and structuring; XML and XML/TEI structuring and the Utilisation and mining of structured data; XML data utilisation or Machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Processing and Analysis of Spatialised Information – 24 hours, 2 ECTS
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their online development (web mapping) seem like a concrete way to get researchers to work together. The geographical location links researchers together from different disciplines (geographers, archaeologists, historians, sociologists, anthropologists, IT specialists, etc.). A GIS entails the implementation of new research rationales. In order to be fully operational, they cannot be dissociated from the actors, who dialogue, negotiate and adapt the technical cultures and solutions that are specific to them. Examining the implementation methods for these geo-historical frames of reference make it possible to update collective guiding principles and specify the elements that are the basis of these new research practices and the concrete expressions of these new interdisciplinary forms. This seminar is proposed as a place to discuss the different experiments conducted in geomatics at EHESS and other institutions. It will be combined with an introductory training on GIS making it possible to acquire the foundations for manipulating geomatic tools and the analysis of cartographical data and aerial imaging.
Automatic Image Processing – 24 hours, 2 ECTS
This unit will present the tools and concepts useful for automatic image processing, from elementary operations (sampling and quantification, greyscale transformation, binarisation), to the detection of contours, regions or morphological operators. Each class will give result in a practical assignment: a programming exercise applied to images.
Network Analysis – 24 hours, 2 ECTS
This unit presents the concepts and tools necessary for the analysis of relational and social media data from historical, sociological and ethnological perspectives.
Research Seminar
Master’s Research Seminar – 6 hours, 1 ECTS
Research Director’s Seminar – 26 hours, 2 ECTS
To be chosen among the seminars proposed by the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, the Ecole Nationale des Chartes or Ecole Normale Supérieure.
Appendix: non-exhaustive list of courses and seminars open to Master’s students
Subject to the agreement of the student’s professor and approval by the admissions committee.
École Pratique des Hautes Etudes
See the list of open conferences in the field of human sciences (https://www.ephe.fr/formations/conferences), subject to the agreement of the student’s professor.
Ecole Nationale des Chartes
See the seminars taught by professors from the Ecole des Chartes, available for consultation here: http://www.chartes.psl.eu/fr/recherche/bundle/cours.
École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales
See the list of classes, https://enseignements-2018.ehess.fr/2018/master/Parcours.
École Normale Supérieure
Artlas Seminar (transnational history of the arts), dir. Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel (all year, twice a month on Thursday afternoons at the ENS), and a week of training in the spatial humanities (June 2018; PSL, NYU Paris and Abu Dhabi).