What can I do with my Digital Humanities degree?

What jobs could I apply for?

A Digital Humanities MA provides you with the qualifications for a wide variety of jobs - some of which you may not even know exist!

Academic Researcher

Prospects Academic Researcher job profile

“Academic researchers carry out original, high-level research that generates new knowledge and progresses current understanding”

The conventional route of progression is to complete an MA degree, followed by a PhD, then apply for a lectureship. Most lecturer posts attract high numbers of applicants, so a person with a PhD will often apply for a job as a research associate on an academic project first in order to gain further experience (the sorts of projects that the DHI also works on).

Our MA programmes are a good basis for transitioning to a PhD that involves digital humanities, digital heritage, and digital culture.

Archivist

Prospects Archivist job profile

“Archivists acquire, manage and maintain documents and other materials that have historical and cultural importance for individuals, organisations and nations”

Both our MA programmes are relevant to this job. However, the module Introduction to Cultural Data is particularly relevant because most modern archives require experts who understand digitisation, metadata, data models, data standards, cataloguing and data analysis.

Arts Administrator

Prospects Arts Administrator job profile

“Arts administrators play an important part in the development of new projects, making arrangements for tours and events and taking on marketing and planning responsibilities”

The module Introduction to Digital Culture is relevant to this job by giving you a strong understanding of how the arts are expressed in digital culture, including trends, issues and challenges. The module Managing Digital Projects will show that you also have a solid grounding in project planning and management.

Business Analyst

Prospects Business Analyst job profile

“Business analysts help an organisation achieve its goals by analysing data, assessing processes and systems, creating solutions and planning for the future”

Business analysts are needed in all sectors, including sectors concerned with heritage, culture, media and communication. So both MA programmes are valuable here. In particular, the module Introduction to Cultural Data should assist with the data collection and analysis aspects of the role, whilst Managing Digital Projects will give you a grounding in project planning and management.

The key to this job, which can eventually command a high salary, is to start junior and gain practical experience.

Data Analyst

Prospects Data Analyst job profile

“Data analysts translate numbers and data into information that can be used to solve problems or track business. They use data analysis to produce accessible graphs, charts, tables and reports”

Don’t be put off by the suggestion that you need to be a mathematician. Whereas most data analysts will focus on statistical data (the simple stuff!), our MA programmes teach you how to analyse non-statistical data, such as human language (social media content, for example).

The modules Introduction to Cultural Data and Designing Cultural Data Products are particularly relevant to this job, giving you a grounding in fundamental concepts about data and how to analyse it, including AI approaches. The module Designing Cultural Data Products gives you insights into how information systems are designed, and the module Language Analysis enables you to focus on the problems of understanding human language data.

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Data Scientist

Prospects Data Scientist job profile

“Data scientists turn raw data into meaningful information that organisations can use to improve their businesses”

Both our MA programmes are relevant to this job. The module Introduction to Cultural Data gives you a solid grounding in how to create, extract, analyse and interpret different types of data. And the module Introduction to Digital Culture teaches you about the cultural context of data – its use, societal value and challenges. Together, these modules equip you to make best use of data within a specific business context, especially when combined with the modules Managing Digital Projects and Language Analysis.

Digital Marketer

Prospects Digital Marketer job profile

“Digital marketers use a variety of digital marketing methods to communicate with customers and promote sales and activities”

The module Introduction to Digital Culture gives you a solid understanding of what digital culture is and how it works as a socio-cultural phenomenon – all valuable skills for a digital marketer who is trying to persuade end-users! The module Introduction to Cultural Data adds to this, especially our seminars on data visualisation and social media analysis. Finally, your understanding of how visual and interactive design works is going to help you too (the module Designing Cultural Data Products).

Exhibition Designer

Prospects Exhibition Designer job profile

“As an exhibition designer, you'll work on large commercial public exhibitions, showcase events, trade shows and conferences for trade, industry or education, or on cultural exhibitions for museums, libraries and galleries”

Similar to the job Digital Marketer, all our modules are relevant here. Exhibition design increasingly uses digital and hybrid approaches, in addition to the use of digital approaches for outreach and marketing. The module Managing Digital Projects will complement this, showing that you know how to plan and manage a project on this scale.

Game Designer

Prospects Game Designer job profile 

“As a game designer, you'll bring ideas, build prototypes, create interactive narration and develop the game's mechanics”

Video games need software developers, artists, animators etc. But they also need people who can design the game concept. This is a role that our MA programmes provide some grounding for, especially the modules Designing Cultural Data Products and Managing Digital Projects. However, a further qualification or work experience in game design is likely to be needed if this was not part of your undergraduate degree.

Information Officer

Prospects Information Officer job profile

“Information officers collect, manage and develop information and resources to ensure they are easily accessible to staff and clients”

The modules Introduction to Cultural Data and Managing Digital Projects are directly relevant to this job. However, the module Introduction to Digital Culture strengthens your profile because it shows that you also understand the cultural contexts and challenges of digital data and information (security, privacy, ethics etc). Lots of sectors require information officers, including media, publishing, academia, and cultural heritage.

IT Consultant

Prospects IT Consultant job profile

“Your role as an IT consultant is to work in partnership with clients, advising them how to use information technology in order to meet their business objectives or overcome problems”

IT Consultant is a very broad job title and relevant to all sectors and industries, including media and communications, cultural heritage, the arts, publishing, marketing etc. An IT Consultant provides expert advice to solve an IT problem within an organisation, but it does not necessarily require technical skills such as programming or database management to identify and solve an IT problem. All our modules are relevant, but you would need to focus your consultancy career on a particular topic, technology, sector or problem type.

Lexicographer

Prospects Lexicographer job profile

“Lexicographers have a fascination for words and how their meanings develop and change over time. The work involves writing, compiling and editing dictionaries for print and online publication”

All our modules are relevant to this job, especially Introduction to Digital Culture and Language Analysis because they give you insights into human language, including how to analyse and interpret it, and within the context of digital culture.

Market Researcher

Prospects Market Researcher job profile

“Market researchers collect and analyse data and information to help their clients make informed political, social and economic decisions”

Both our MA programmes and all our modules are relevant to this job. Irrespective of the industry or sector (which can include cultural heritage, media and communication etc), you can draw on your understanding of culture and society within a digital context (Introduction to Digital Culture) and how to collect, analyse and interpret research data in all its forms (Introduction to Cultural Data). The module Managing Digital Projects also equips you to plan and manage market research projects, as well as how to execute them within the context of larger projects.

Marketing Executive 

Prospects Marketing Executive job profile

“Marketing executives drive profit and promote products and services through coordinated marketing campaigns”

Most marketing is digital today, using social media, websites, or streaming media services. The module Introduction to Digital Culture gives you a solid understanding of what digital culture is and how it works as a socio-cultural phenomenon – all valuable skills for a digital marketer who is trying to persuade end-users! The module Introduction to Cultural Data adds to this, especially our seminars on data visualisation and social media analysis.

Media Planner

Prospects Media Planner job profile

“Media planners identify which media platforms will best advertise their clients' brands or products to their target audience”

Similar to the Marketing Executive and Digital Marketer job roles. Our modules should set you apart from the other applicants, especially when combined with a first degree in a related subject such as journalism, broadcasting, marketing, advertising and English.

Multimedia Specialist

Prospects Multimedia Specialist job profile

“Media planners identify which media platforms will best advertise their clients' brands or products to their target audience”

This is a job that requires more hands-on experience and practical skills with technology, but it is less technical than a software developer. It is largely focussed on conceptual design, content creation, and the use of authoring platforms. You might struggle against other competing applicants if you do not have specific practical skills, depending on the precise requirements of the job you are applying for. However, if your first degree or subsequent training involves developing practical skills (graphic design, photography, film making etc), our MA courses become a strong addition.

In particular, any job role that involves concept development, planning, managing and overseeing the delivery of multimedia content will benefit from the modules Managing Digital Projects and Designing Cultural Data Products (see the job Project Manager). You can also evidence your skills in your e-Portfolio.

Museum Education Officer

Prospects Museum Education Officer job profile

“As a museum education officer, you'll create and deliver a varied, dynamic and informative programme of museum education to adults and children”

Similar to the job Exhibition Designer, museum education now places a heavy emphasis on digital media methods and concepts in order to engage its audiences in all age groups, in addition to traditional approaches. All modules on our MA programmes, combined with an arts or humanities degree, will equip you for this job. In particular, the module Managing Digital Projects should set you apart from other graduates.

Product Designer

Prospects Product Designer job profile

“Product designers improve the usability of everyday items by creating new designs and enhancing existing ones”

Product design is present in all industries and sectors, including digital media, communication and technology. The role will be common in technology SMEs (small-to-medium sized enterprises), especially businesses that build systems, apps, and websites on behalf of larger clients.

The modules Designing Cultural Data Products and Managing Digital Projects, as well as your e-Portfolio, are very relevant here. Ideally you will also have relevant practical design skills as well, acquired through formal training or previous work experience.   

Project Manager

Prospects Project Manager job profile

“Project managers plan and coordinate projects, from inception to delivery; managing resources, budget and people to achieve a desired outcome”

In a media, communication and technology setting (in any industry and sector), a Project Manager usually has overall responsibility for the delivery of a project. It is usually a role with larger overall responsibilities than a Product Manager, but it will be less ‘hands on’ with the client and development team. Whereas a Product Manager might be closely involved in the conception and design of a product, working with the client and development team to ensure that user requirements are met, a Project Manager will usually delegate these roles to a specialist (a product manager) and is concerned with higher-level objectives.

The module Managing Digital Projects, combined with our other modules, is very relevant here because it gives you a solid knowledge and understanding of key project planning and management methods and concepts. 

If you intend to pursue a career in project management, it is worth supplementing your MA with an industry-recognised project management training course such as PRINCE2.

Social Media Manager

Prospects Social Media Manager job profile

“Social media managers lead an organisation's social media strategy in order to boost visibility and customer and client engagement”

Both our MA programmes are highly relevant here, especially the module Introduction to Digital Culture, which teaches you about the cultural aspects of social media and social media users, and the module Introduction to Cultural Data, which teaches you how to analyse and interpret social media data.  When combined with the module Managing Digital projects, you will be equipped to design, plan, deliver and analyse social media campaigns in any market.

Software Tester

Prospects Software Tester job profile

“As a software tester, you'll be involved in the quality assurance stage of software development and deployment”

Don’t be put off by the idea that you will need a degree in Computer Science or Engineering in order to be a software tester. Our module, Designing Cultural Data Products, steps you through the process of creating digital products and shows you how to test them. Most digital products are designed for human users, and so a knowledge of how people behave as digital actors is essential for a type of testing called usability testing. As the module Managing Digital Projects shows, usability testing plays an important part in Agile software development and goes hand in hand with user requirements gathering.

UX Researcher

Prospects UX Researcher job profile

“Your role as a UX researcher will be to deliver the best possible experience for the users of a website, making the website as straightforward to use as possible”

Specialists in user experience (UX) are common roles in companies that develop websites, apps and video games. The role also becomes important in the cultural heritage sector where the use of digital interactive installations is becoming common. A UX Researcher needs to understand the fundamental principles of digital content (Introduction to Cultural Data), the cultures and behaviours of end-users (Introduction to Digital Culture), the principles and methods of UX design (Designing Cultural Data Products), and how all of this is brought together and delivered within the context of a larger project, as part of a larger team (Managing Digital Projects).

Web Content Manager

Prospects Web Content Manager job profiles

“Web content managers ensure that the content of a website is well-structured, easy to find and meets the needs of its users”

The majority of websites use content management systems such as WordPress, so this role requires no technical knowledge. Instead, an understanding of what digital content is, how best to create it for different audiences, and how it can be used for its intended effect are important skills. For larger, more complex websites, an ability to plan and manage content creation by a larger team is also key. As such, both our MA programmes will equip you for this job role. Additional qualities valued by an employer will include excellent writing skills (research, precis, comprehension, spelling and grammar), and superb attention to consistency and detail. For smaller organisations in which a Web Content Manager has a more hands-on role, it is also an advantage to have some familiarity with graphics editing software (such as Adobe Photoshop).

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