Digital Studies Minor

Coordinator: Johannes Burgers
Phone: (540) 568-6110
Email: burgerjh@jmu.edu

This cross-disciplinary minor allows students to gain hands-on experience with powerful digital technologies and study the implications of these technologies with a community of thinkers. Courses are welcoming to students of all academic backgrounds and technical skills. Students use digital methods to open up new perspectives in the humanities and social sciences; explore how the digital impacts our everyday lives and local and global communities; and enrich their future careers through experience and practice within the digital landscape. The Digital Studies minor is open to all JMU undergraduate students.

The minor requires successful completion of 18 credit hours, including the Foundations in Digital Studies course. Students may take no more than 6 credit hours from a single discipline. Up to 6 credits from the student’s major can double count for the Digital Studies minor.

Other courses outside of this list may be counted towards the minor with the approval of the minor steering committee on a semester-by-semester basis. A maximum of two courses (6 credit hours) can count in this way. Courses must be approved before the student enrolls.

Required Core Course: 3 Credit Hours

DS 101. Foundations in Digital Studies Credits: 3.00

Electives by Academic Unit: 15 Credit Hours

Students may take no more than 6 credit hours from a single discipline.

School of Communication Studies

SCOM 313. Topics in Communication Studies Credits: 1.00 - 3.00 ¹ (when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)
SCOM 318. Practicum in Communication Studies Credits: 1.00 - 6.00 (when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)

Department of English

ENG 221. Literature/Culture/Ideas [C2L] Credits: 3.00 (when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)
ENG 302. Special Topics in Literature and Language Credits: 3.00 (Print and Digital Literary Publishing)
ENG 307. Literature and Ideas Credits: 3.00 (Literature and Ideas: Fuzzy Cartographies)
ENG 348. Studies in Linguistics and the English Language Credits: 3.00 (when topic appropriate) (Studies in Linguistics and the English Language)
ENG 412. Special Topic Seminar Credits: 3.00 (Video Game Studies)
ENG 417. Advanced Studies in Linguistics and the English Language Credits: 3.00 (when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)
ENG 420. Advanced Studies in Theory and Cultural Studies Credits: 3.00 (when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)

Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures

SPAN 446. Special Topics in Spanish Literature Credits: 3.00 ¹ (Spanish Civil War Through Literature and Film)

Department of History

HIST 302. Plazas, Protests and Processions: An Urban History of the Americas Credits: 3.00
HIST 362. American Material Religion Credits: 3.00
HIST 407. Digital History Credits: 3.00
HIST 438. Workshop in Public and Local History Credits: 3.00 ¹

Department of Justice Studies

JUST 301. Advanced Level Special Topics in Justice Studies Credits: 3.00 ¹ (when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)
JUST 339. Mapping Justice Credits: 3.00 ¹
JUST 365. Justice in Literature, Film and Art Credits: 3.00 ¹

School of Media Arts and Design

SMAD 327. User-Centered Research and Usability Evaluation Credits: 3.00 ¹

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

ANTH 302. The Archaeology of Empires and Rebels Credits: 3.00
SOCI 328. Digital Inequality Credits: 3.00

School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication

WRTC 312. Studies in Literacy Credits: 3.00 ¹(when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)
WRTC 332. Creative Approaches to Digital Storytelling Credits: 3.00 ¹
WRTC 412. Content Strategy Credits: 3.00 ¹
WRTC 426. Special Topics in Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication Credits: 3.00 ¹(when topic appropriate; must be approved by the Digital Studies minor advisor before registering)
WRTC 447. Interaction Design Credits: 3.00 ¹
WRTC 450. Digital Rhetoric Credits: 3.00 ¹

Total: 18 Credit Hours

Footnote

¹ Course has a prerequisite, which can be waived on a student-by-student basis.