Digital Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that introduces students to the approaches and mindsets they need to engage in digital work within and across disciplines. The minor provides students with curricular opportunities to develop the technical, analytic, and improvisational skills crucial to digital work. The minor invites students to explore questions closely linked to the Ursinus Quest, such as: “What should matter to us in an increasingly and inequitably digitized world?”, “how can disciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches help us understand the digital world?”, and “what will I do to build and be a member of more equitable digital communities?”. With a focus on ethics and collaboration, the minor prepares students to be productive, engaged citizens in an increasingly digital world.

Requirements for Minors

To complete a minor in Digital Studies, students must complete 16–20 credits, distributed as follows:

• DIGS-200
  
  
• One course that provides practical knowledge of and experience with the skills necessary for success in digital environments: ART-107, 208; CS-170Q, 173, 174; DATA/STAT-150; DATA-201; ENVS-244; IDS-110, 301; MCS-210, 225, 327; MUS-226; STAT-141Q, 142; special topics courses as appropriate (two – four credits)
  
  
• One applied course that situates digital tools and theories within a disciplinary focus: BIO-425W, 428W; BIO/BCMB-429; BIO/NEUR-435W; ENVS-003, 004, 005, 006, 338; 200W; HIST/GWSS-375; MCS-208, 220, 318, 319, 335, 358, 363; POL-300, 358, 359, 452; SOC-255, 258; special topics courses as appropriate (four credits)
  
  
• One applied, project-based course: AMST-200; ART-120; CS-375; DATA-301; DIGS-250, ENGL-250 (Podcasting Literature); ENVS-332, 366; HIST/ENGL-212; HIST/MUS-203; MCS-250; PSYC/MCS-268; special topics courses as appropriate (four credits)
  
  
• An additional applied experience, such as a second, project-based course or an XLP in digital studies: This may or may not be credit-bearing. It may include an approved internship; an independent study or honors in Digital Studies; participation in the Digital Spark program; at least one year of work as a Digital Liberal Arts fellow or a digitization assistant; or an approved Summer Fellows experience (zero – four credits);
  
  
• A reflective activity: To complete the minor, students will complete a reflection to be reviewed by Program Coordinator(s) and/or supporting faculty. This is required for students who wish to use the minor to fulfill the LINQ requirement (zero credits).

To complete the minor, students should take courses from at least three disciplines.