25 Jun 2014

Danube University: DATA STUDIES - Post-Graduate Program

BIG DATA is no longer a buzzword but increasingly surging into our professional life. Even though exposure of surveillance, data mining, and data theft are negatively connotated, the realm of Data Studies analysis offers Big Data unforeseen possibilities and potential to influence our social and economic environment.

To fill this knowledge demand, the Department for Image Science at DanubeU will start in Nov 2014 a new low-residency Master's in DATA STUDIES, bringing together an international faculty comprised of experts in the field.

==> POST-GRADUATE - (Masters of Science, 120 ECTS, 5-semester) (Academic Expert, 60 ECTS, 3-semester (Certified Program, 30 ECTS, 2-3 semester)

==> MODULARIZED – Created to accommodate the needs of working professionals, the modularized low-residency program conveys the core skills of contemporary digital science over seven intensive 4-6 day modules, held in Austria.

==> BRAIN TRUST – The international Data Studies faculty brings together the best experts in the field: David M. BERRY (London), Axel BRUNS (Brisbane), Carolin GERLITZ (Amsterdam), Lev MANOVICH (New York), Warren SACK (Santa Cruz), Regine BUSCHAUER (Basel), Theo RÖHLE (Braunschweig), Annika RICHTERICH (Maastricht), Jean BURGESS ( Brisbane), Shintaro MIYAZAKI (Basel), Ramón REICHERT (Vienna) and Oliver GRAU (DanubeU).

==> WHY - There have been a series of data rushes in the past decade – one brought about by companies producing big amounts of data, one by the ubiquity of online communication and social media, in particular (YouTube, Google Earth, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, FeedBurner and Facebook), another is the challenge posed to our society and democracy by current data surveillance practices and finally by the adoption within the social sciences and digital humanities of analytical software-based tools. Big Data is the big challenge of our time in computing and humanities. It generates value from very large data sets, which cannot be analyzed with traditional computing techniques.

==> CONTENT - The new post-graduate course DATA STUDIES responds to the increasing demand for competencies on the bridge between cultural and computer science. It conveys to students comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge about the systematic application of computer-assisted and data-based processes with digital resources. The transdisciplinary aligned spectrum of the curriculum brings various methodological approaches together and offers an overview of knowledge fields in DIGITAL HUMANITIES, DIGITAL LITERACY, DIGITAL METHODS, COMPUTER PHILOLOGY, VISUAL CULTURE, DATA CRITICISM, HISTORICAL COMPUTER SCIENCE, COMPUTER LINGUISTICS, CULTURE & MEDIA HISTORY, POPULARIZATION & VISUALIZATION OF COMPLEX DATA STRUCTURES, DATA PRIVACY LAWS, INFORMATION MANAGEMENT and THEORIES OF DIGITAL MEDIA IN THE HUMANITIES & CULTURAL SCIENCES. In the fields of intermediation, collections and marketing of data, the LEGAL and ECONOMIC aspects are specifically tailored to play important roles.

==> DANUBE UNIVERSITY - located 70km from Vienna in the UNESCO world heritage Wachau region, Danube University is the only public university in Europe specializing in advanced continuing education by offering low-residency degree programs for working professionals and life-long learners. The University's Center for Image Science is housed in the Göttweig Monastery, a 14th century building remodeled to fit the needs of modern media arts research in singular surroundings.

==> START – 18. November 2014

==> STUDENTS – Data Studies coursework is held in English and German. Acceptance into the program requires either a Bachelor's degree (or higher), or equivalent relevant work experience. Students have backgrounds such as Journalists, Engineers, Developers, Digital Humanities, Digital Curators, Librarians, Archivists, Media Scientists, Historians, Cultural Scientists, Art Historians, Technical Scientists, and Data Managers. The program's low-residency enables conventional students and working professionals to study while maintaining and building their careers.

==> MODULES – Data Literacy (18-23 Nov.2014); Digital Methods (12-17 Jan.2015); Visual Culture (01-06 May.2015); Cultural & Medial History (09-15 Sept.2015); Data Criticism (24-29 Nov.2015); Seminars on Data Privacy Law, Practical Project, Information Management and Data Analysis (05-08 Feb.2016); Scientific Theory, Research Methods and Master's Thesis Seminar (05-08 May.2016)

==> APPLICATION (digital) - application form, a letter of motivation, copies of previous degree(s), copy of passport and a Europass CV. An application interview is required, which may be conducted in person or through internet videoconferencing.

www.donau-uni.ac.at/datastudies
www.facebook.com/datastudies