Designing a New “Data Humanist” Certificate Program

FAIN: AKA-265792-19

Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT 05344-9888)
Adam Joseph Franklin-Lyons (Project Director: October 2018 to May 2024)
Matt Ollis (Co Project Director: April 2019 to May 2024)

The development of a new data humanist certificate program combining data science with humanities analysis and research.

Marlboro College requests funds to design and implement a new Data Humanist Certificate program. The certificate will require students to take a series of courses that combine data science and humanities methods of analysis and research, culminating in capstone projects that will connect groups of students with local organizations and government bodies. The coursework will require two courses each from the data sciences (statistics, programming, or other equivalent courses), a humanities course in one of our two intellectual pathways (history of exploration, migration and refugees, environmental philosophy), and finally two “Bridge” courses that will be team taught by a faculty member in the sciences with a faculty member from the humanities. The capstone projects will all involve a range of skills drawn from the coursework but directed at problems and questions of importance to people in Southern Vermont.