What is the StV? What does it do (for me)?
StV is the short form of the word “Studienvertretung” which means student representative group. That means, we are a group of students studying Digital Humanities who act as an interface between the students, the lecturers as well as the faculty.
This means that we are there to help you with your problems studying but we also see connecting the students with each other as one of our main focuses! For this, we are always open for your cooperation, as DigiMinds is a grassroot representative group where everybody is welcome to join!
How do I apply for the Master’s Programme Digital Humanities?
This depends on whether you have studied at the University of Vienna or at a different university beforehand. All the basic information on the programme and the admission process can be found here.
How does u:space work?
U:space is the main orientational page for all students of University of Vienna. This is the place where you can apply for admission to the programme, register and deregister for courses, receive grades, certificates or even pay your student fees! A general introduction of the website is offered by the University. After admission you will receive access to login after which you can roam about to check out the structure of the site.
How do I find things on u:find?
The relevant courses on u:find are all listed on our own page. You can find this by clicking the button “Course directory” on the main page and then scroll down to Directorate of Studies 13 called “Finno-Ugrian Studies, Dutch Studies, Scandinavian Studies, Comparative Literature”. Here you can see “13.04 Digital Humanities” listed. When you click on the link, it will show you all the courses offered for our programme for the current semester. On the top right, you can switch between semesters so you can also see what courses were offered during other semesters.
Alternatively you can also enter any name of a lecturer or course you are looking for on the main page. If you find an interesting one but are unsure if it is possible to receive credits for it in DH, you can click on the course and scroll down to the end of the page. Under the headline “Association in the course directory” you will see all the programmes listed that will give you credits for the course.
In some cases you can take courses even if they are not listed in our programme, then you can use the “interest module” to enter the course, but the ECTS will not count towards your final grade in DH. Since we are a new programme, a fixed list of courses does not exist yet, so if you find one you are sure we should be able to take in our programme, feel free to reach out and we can try to get it listed!
Who do I address if I…
…want to have credits recognized? …have problems with admission? …need consultation for my studies?
For this you will have to reach out to the Directorate of Study (SPL). DH belongs to the Directorate 13, which is managed by ao. Univ.-Prof. MMag. Dr. Roger Reidinger (roger.reidinger@univie.ac.at).
…want to change the module of one of my courses on u:find? …have questions about login or u:space? …am struggling with my course of study?
For this we have our own service point led by Peter Schneider. His contact address is: service.spl13@univie.ac.at.
Information on the specific responsibilities of the SSSt and the SPL can be found here:
https://skandinavistik.univie.ac.at/studium/studienservicestelle/
https://skandinavistik.univie.ac.at/studium/studienprogrammleitung/
If you have questions and are unsure whom to address, feel free to reach out to us, the StV at our own email address: stv.digital_humanities@oeh.univie.ac.at or via another channel.
Do I have to take the introductory lecture again, even if I did it in the ECs?
Yes, the introductory lectures from the EC and the Master’s are different lectures and therefore you will have to take it again.
How is the programme structured? What types of exams are there?
The structure of the programme is described in the Curriculum which you can find here.
The programme includes a short introductory part of roughly one semester. One part shared with the other Data Science Masters @ Uni Wien (Data Science and Business Analytics) and lastly a specialization part in which you can choose between 5 main clusters related to different fields in the humanities (but also take courses in multiple ones!). In the end of the master’s you will have to do a data analysis project as well as write your own Master Thesis.
At the bottom of the Curriculum you will also be able to find further information on types of exams and types of courses offered in this programme.
Do I have to know programming? Do I have to do it a lot?
To enter the Master’s programme, it is necessary for you to have some qualifications related to computer technology. This, however, does not mean that you have to be familiar with programming! During the first semester you will learn basic programming skills that you can deepen further during the next semesters if you are willing to do so. Generally speaking, programming skills are not necessary to start the programme, but you might have an easier time at the start doing so.
Many courses offered do not require deep technical skills, so you will not have to do extremely difficult programming throughout your studies if you don’t want to. For those interested, however, you can take more courses related to technical skills and further your computer knowledge in a practical way.
Is the programme held in English only or do I have to speak german? Can I apply if I don’t speak german?
Whilst it is possible to attend only classes taught in English (although this would limit your possibilities), having German skills on level C1 is a mandatory requirement to be accepted into the programme.
If you need help writing texts in German, there are resources offered by University, for example by German Philology.
Do I have to do an internship for my studies?
No, an internship is not required for this programme. In some cases, however, you might be able to earn some ECTS for finishing an internship.
For instance, the ACDH Internships can be done during the semester break in February or during the summer holidays. Depending on the work hours (20h or 30h per week), it can be recognized for the MA Digital Humanities (typically Cluster I) in the form of 4 or 6 ECTS.
How do I get the an internship recognized?
Once you have received your internship certificate, follow the steps below:
1. Fill out the validation form Validierung beruflicher und außerberuflicher Qualifikationen. Typically, the internships fall into one of the 5 clusters – note the one you think fits best to the project you worked on.
2. Send this form to the SPL13 (service.spl13@univie.ac.at) along with your internship certificate from the respective institution (e.g. the ACDH). They will send it on to the Studienprogrammleitung who gives their okay for you to get your recognition.
3. As soon as you have gotten the go ahead, fill out the form for course recognition, available here.
4. Send this (best along with all the other documents) to the SPL 13 (service.spl13@univie.ac.at). After a few weeks, the internship will be accredited to the requested module and entered into u:space.
How can I reach out to other DH students?
When you are part of the programme, we offer a variety of channels to connect: most importantly, we have a WhatsApp community with groups for the programme as well as individual courses.
Open to the public, you can also reach us on our Instagram (@digitalhumanities.univie) or write an Email to stv.digital_humanities@oeh.univie.ac.at.
During the semester there will be a variety of events hosted by either the student representatives or some of the lectures to connect with others. If you can’t find the channels you are looking for, feel free to send us an email or message us on Instagram or WhatsApp.
Can I do an exchange semester during my Masters?
Yes! Current Erasmus+ exchange semesters are available to Venice and Cologne. More universities are considered if the existing exchange places are being used. More information on Erasmus+ places can be found here. If you have further questions, please contact our mobility coordinator, Thomas Wallnig (thomas.wallnig@univie.ac.at).
There is also the option of going abroad as a Non-EU Exchange, which means you can go to a variety of countries in Asia, Ozeania, the Americas as well as Africa. You can find more information on eligibility as well as application about exchange semesters on this website.
If you have specific questions about going abroad, don’t hesitate to ask us as we have some experience in this, too!
How do I find a topic for my Master Thesis? What are the regulations for a Thesis?
If you need further information on what the thesis should look like and who you can ask to be a supervisor, please use the official Master Thesis FAQ which you can find here.
Additionally, you will learn much about this during the Master Seminar, which is part of the curriculum.
How do I find out about my student rights?
Student rights are quite hard to find and understand. Generally speaking, there are different forms of ÖH (Österreichisches Hochschüler:innenschaft who are the overall students representative body) counselling, for example for social funds, regulations or social counselling, which you can sign up for at: https://www.oeh.ac.at/en/counseling
There is also a department for human rights and social policy that deals with questions of inequality or discriminations. If you can’t find a ressource you need, feel free to send us a message.
Unterbau Action
We would also like to use this FAQ to make you aware of “Unterbau Action” organised by teaching staff as well as researchers of universities. This initiative draws attention towards the chain contract issue of which the majority of staff at University is affected. This will, however, not only have individual consequences, but will potentially lead to the sacrifice of quality in the context of teaching! If you want to learn more about the initiative, there is an official website which also gives directions towards the higher organizations involved.
Whom do I address if I need resources for a project?
If you need resources or money in order to fund a project for your studies, feel free to reach out to us student representatives. Whilst we may not be able to support you monetarily ourselves, we can provide you with more insider information on whom you could reach out to.