Master in Digital Humanities

Digital Humanities pairs a rigorous technical education with a deeper understanding of user experience, cultural and social contexts, and real-world application of AI and digital tools.

Our society is shaped with data primarily produced, consumed, and curated by people – from cultural and social media to historical and urban data. As data proliferate and play an ever-growing role in our lives, a human-centric and interdisciplinary approach to technology is the most powerful method we have for fostering creativity, asking relevant questions and ultimately making the best possible decisions for our future. The Digital Humanities Master program combines a strong interdisciplinary foundation with flexibility through electives, while small to mid-size classes and team projects allow for close interaction among students and professors.

Graduates gain the analytical and technical skills needed to excel in critical positions across sectors, including: private industry, academic research, culture and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), civil society, start-ups, NGOs, humanitarian sector and more. 

Program structure

The program consists of two main components: the Master’s cycle (90 ECTS), followed by a Master’s project (30 ECTS), totaling 120 ECTS.

Notes:

• Master’s cycle (90 ECTS): This includes at least 3 semesters of coursework (typically 30 ECTS per semester) with a maximum duration of 6 semesters. All semesters in the Master’s cycle must be completed at EPFL.
  • Up to 15 ECTS from unlisted courses, that is, courses not included in the digital humanities study plan, may be used to partially fulfill the Group 2 requirement.
• Internship requirement: A mandatory industry internship must be completed, either as an 8-week summer internship or as a 6-month internship during a full semester. The internship may also be combined with the Master’s project at the end of the Master’s cycle.
• Master’s project (30 ECTS) for a duration of 18 weeks (including 1 week of vacation) if completed at EPFL, or 26 weeks (including 1 week of vacation) if completed in industry or at another university in Switzerland or abroad. If the project is carried out at EPFL or another university, students must have completed and validated either an 8-week or 6-month internship in industry beforehand.

Key points

Current students can also download this study guide for easy reference about their studies.

Important Update: Reform of the MSc in Digital Humanities (Starting Autumn 2026)

The new structure applies exclusively to students beginning the program Autumn 2026 or later.

Students who started the program before Autumn 2026 must follow the DH 2026–27 Transitory Study Plan, which preserves the study plan, course groups, and credit requirements that were in effect at the time of their admission. The revised program structure introduced in Autumn 2026 does not apply retroactively.

The applicable study plans are therefore:

• Study plan for students starting in Autumn 2026 → Study plan DH 2026-27 reform [PDF]
• Study plan for students who started before Autumn 2026 → Study plan DH 2026-27 transitory [PDF]

Useful links