Graduate Certificate in Textual and Digital Studies

MA and PhD students in any program at the UW can earn a Graduate Certificate in Textual and Digital Studies.

The certificate is based on completion of 16 total credits. These include:

  • Two courses chosen from the list of core electives for 2026-2027 (Note that courses taken in a cross-listed section at the 400 or 500 level can also count towards the TDS Graduate Certificate):
    • Autumn 2026
      • TXTDS 401 — Text Technologies: Prospects of World Literature
      • TXTDS 401 — Text Technologies: Maps and Narrative Cartographies
      • TXTDS 413 — Texts, Data and Computation
      • TXTDS 503 — Archives, Data, and Databases
      • TXTDS 503 — Archives, Data, and Databases: Digital and Data Humanities (Offered with English 504)
    • Winter 2027
      • TXTDS 401 C — Text Technologies: The Middle East Illustrated. Visual and Verbal Storytelling in Graphic Novels (offered with MELC 596)
      • TXTDS 413 — Texts, Data and Computation (Offered with DXArts 481)
      • TXTDS 413 — Texts, Data and Computation (Offered with ENGL 413)
      • LIS 508 — The History of Recorded Information
      • LIS 529 — Digital Humanities Librarianship
    • Spring 2027
      • TXTDS 401 — Text Technologies: Books Before Print in East Asia (Offered with HSTAS 465 and ASIAN 498)
      • TXTDS 401 — Text Technologies: Books Before Print in East Asia. (Offered with HSTAS 465 and ASIAN 498)
      • TXTDS 402 — Book Arts: Art History of the Book. (offered with ART H 422)
      • TXTDS 501 — Text Technologies: Ancient Media
      • TXTDS 504 — Texts, Publics and Publication: Digital Editing and Publishing (Offered with TXTDS 404)

  • One open elective, to be chosen in consultation with the student’s TDS advisor. This course will ideally integrate the student’s TDS interests with work in his/her home department.
  • Capstone (1 credit). The capstone culminates with a 15-minute presentation that builds on and unifies the work done in TDS courses and demonstrates a connection with the student’s primary program and graduate work. This presentation takes place in spring quarter in a capstone colloquium that meets once or twice in May/June, depending on the numbers of students.
G. Spratt, Circulating Library,
American Antiquarian Society

Important note: As of July 2022, there is no longer a limit to overlapping credits between the graduate certificate and MA degree. For more information, see the Graduate School Memo 43: Graduate Certificates.

Admission: Interested students should apply using this form (UW ID required). The prerequisite for admission to the TDS Graduate Certificate is good academic standing in a master’s or doctoral program at UW. Please contact either Jeffrey Todd Knight (jtknight@uw.edu) or Geoffrey Turnovsky (gt2@uw.edu) with any questions about your eligibility or other aspects of the program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students are encouraged to apply for admission before beginning their coursework.