Academic year 2017/2018

INFORMATICA UMANISTICA Degree Programme Profile

Basic Information

Qualification awarded

Master Degree in INFORMATICA UMANISTICA

Qualification Type/Level

EHEA Second cycle, EQF level 7

Number of Years/credits

2 years; 120 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-Time/Part-Time*

*All Degree Programmes are planned and organised for full-time students. It is possible, however (without special arrangements), to proceed through the course of study at one's own pace. This makes it possible, if necessary, to accommodate employment or other non-university activities or obligations.

Name of the Course Director and other contact information

President of the Degree Course Council:
Prof. ALESSIO MALIZIA
Email alessio.malizia@unipi.it

Department of FILOLOGIA, LETTERATURA E LINGUISTICA

Internationalization Coordinator (CAI):
Prof. Francesca Fedi
Email francesca.fedi@unipi.it

Language of Teaching

Italian

Admission Requirements

Formal Requirements

Italian First cycle qualification (Laurea) or foreign equivalent in the same or related subject area, with possible extra work if required competences are lacking.

Possible assessment prior knowledge and competences

Obligatory entrance exam for orientation purposes (non-selective).

Required knowledge and competences support programmes

Students whose curricula show lacuna may need to take extra first cycle course units before admission.

General Information

Programme Profile

The MA programme in Digital Humanities prepares students with background knowledge in Humanities and advanced knowledge in the theories, methods and tools for the digital processing of cultural assets.
Within this general framework students may specialize in the following key fields of the digital humanities:
- Language technologies
- Digital publishing
- Knowledge management
- Graphics, interactivity and virtual environments

Key Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Programme will be able to demonstrate:
- Basic knowledge in linguistics, philology, literature, history, philosophy, arts, cultural heritage, communication and education sciences;
- advanced knowledge in the theories, methods and tools for the digital processing of texts, images, audio and video as well as the ability to apply these tools to the humanities;
- the ability to approach problems of knowledge representation with appropriate methodologies and tools, to design and implement databases, digital archives, and ontologies;
- the ability to analyze large collections of texts, structured data, networks in order to extract knowledge, discover and visualize patterns and trends;
- knowledge of laws and regulations concerning digital objects and related technologies, including author’s rights and privacy laws;
- awareness of technical issues concerning computer security, privacy, digital rights management, preservation of digital supports;
- knowledge of the theories, methods and tools for the assessment and maintenance of authenticity of digital objects and their preservation;
- the ability to critically evaluate methodologies and technical solutions in relation to specific case studies and objectives, and in general to reflect critically on social, scientific or ethical issues related to the production and dissemination of culture in the digital era;
- the flexibility to renew their knowledge relying on sound research methodologies, critical evaluation of sources, the ability to understand and assess advances in technology;
- the ability to fluently use, in written and oral form, at least a language of the European Union, besides Italian, with reference to disciplinary lexicons.

Occupational Profile/s of Graduates

Graduates will qualify for high responsibility jobs in activities related to cultural industry and multimedia and communication centers, in the digital publishing sector, in the computer industry for the design and evaluation of multimedia production and human-computer interfaces, in activities related to the language technology industry and to knowledge management within organizations.

Access to further study

The Laurea Magistrale degree in Digital Humanities allows the graduate to compete for entry into a Third Cycle programme/doctoral school.

Assessment methods, examination regulations, and grading

Assessment is normally by means of an oral or written examination; in some cases there are intermediate exams during the course; other elements (participation in discussion, written or oral reports, commentary of texts etc. ) are foreseen in specific course units and are described in the Course Unit Profiles.
The grading system for the course units consists of 30 possible points, plus 'lode' (cum laude) in case of excellence. Marks are given by the lecturer based on the performance as ascertained in a public examination by a board of at least two teachers. The main exam sessions are held in June/July; September; and January; students may resit exams**. Actual grading curves differ in different degree programmes. The University of Pisa provides an ECTS Grading Table, which shows the actual distribution, of the examination and final grades among students for each degree programme, in order to facilitate the comparison with other grading systems. ---> Link to ECTS Grading Table
An overall mark is given on the occasion of the 'Final Exam', when a written research text is presented and discussed. The final overall mark is calculated based on the results of the marks obtained in the single course units and the final exam, and is based on 110 possible points, with the possible further mention of honours ("lode" or cum laude).

**The exam sessions are organised into sessions (the dates vary according to the Department and are published in the Department's academic calendar). In each session there are a certain number of 'appelli' [calls], or dates on which the examination for each course unit may be taken. The 'appelli' are fixed by the teacher. The students choose which of the appelli they wish to respond to. In most cases, it is obligatory to sign up before the specified date.

Requirements (regulations) to obtain the qualification

The final exam, which is worth 21 ECTS credits, involves the preparation and discussion of a written thesis report of about 150 pages on average, and must show that the candidate has acquired the ability to identify and utilize the relevant scholarly literature, to follow and document a sound methodology and to illustrate and motivate the innovative aspects of the project with respect to the state of the art.

Course structure diagram

Available courses, 2017/2018