MSc in Digital Cultural Heritage

This is a unique program in Cyprus and the region, which aims to provide new scientific knowledge that will enrich and enhance the research and academic careers of its participant students. Furthermore, the postgraduate program will equip students with a wide range of transferable practical skills that will provide them with a significant advantage in the current and future competitive labor market. The program’s goal is to prepare students for careers as scientists and experts in Cultural Heritage with a strong background in the use of digital tools and scientific methods. Graduates of the program will be competitive to pursue work in the private or public sectors of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Management, History, and Art Architecture, Museum Studies or the Study, Rehabilitation and Management of the Historical Structured Environment.

Overall, digital technologies have become indispensable in the wider field of Heritage Sciences and Cultural Studies with relevant digital data being produced rapidly by both public (archaeological and cultural organizations) and private entities (museums, cultural institutions) of the wider area. The Digital Cultural Heritage MSc course will offer a unique interdisciplinary approach to critical challenges in Cultural Heritage research, conservation, management, and public engagement through the effective use of digital methods and applications. Furthermore, the program places great emphasis on the methods and approaches applied to real problems in the field, in collaboration with key cultural heritage bodies on the island.

A key priority of the program is to expose students to the wide spectrum of digital applications in a range of fields from the humanities as well as from the sciences. The uniqueness of the program draws from the interdisciplinary research culture of the Cyprus Institute (CyI). As such, the Digital Cultural Heritage MSc program aspires to engage scientists from across CyI’s research centers and groups such as CaSToRC (Computation-based Science and Technology Research Center), EEWRC (Energy, Environment and Water Resource Center), Water Research and Management, The Unmanned Systems Research Laboratory (USRL), Climate Studies) as well as to include leading world experts from collaborating institutions (NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications)/University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Cornell University, C2RMF (Centre de Research et de Restauration des Musées de France), along with experts in Heritage Sciences from E-RIHS (the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science) and key figures in the Cultural Heritage management public administration of the region.

STARC’s diverse scope of research projects provides a particularly rich context of research activities, which is expected to benefit participating students. For example, STARC is leading a Getty Foundation. Connecting Art Histories project, which provides an interdisciplinary study of historic Mediterranean cities and explores the role of heritage in the formation of civic and cultural identity. Other recent relevant projects are PERIsCOPE (Portal for hERItage buildingS integration into the COntemPorary built Environment), which aims to design and develop an innovative Building Information Modelling platform for the identification, classification, documentation, and renovation of heritage buildings, or IH-AT (INVISIBLE HERITAGE - ANALYSIS and TECHNOLOGY), which aims to design and develop an innovative portal comprised of reliable and efficient technology-ready tools for the visualization, documentation, and analysis of the UNESCO listed churches in the Troodos area in Cyprus.

Students in the program may consider and pursue the continuation of their studies towards a Cyprus Institute doctoral degree, which can be well integrated with their MSc work. Combining theoretical with practical training, the Master of Science in Digital Cultural Heritage (DCH) will provide a well-rounded education for students who wish to advance in the field of Cultural Heritage, defined in its broadest meaning, while engaging with advanced digital technologies and state-of-the-art research approaches.

Degree Awarded

Students who graduate from the program will be awarded an MSc degree. This is a 12 month / 90 ECTS program. The program is accredited by the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education.

The language of instruction and communication of The Cyprus Institute is English.

Career Prospects

The program’s goal is to prepare students for careers as scientists and experts in Cultural Heritage with a strong background in the use of digital tools and scientific methods. Graduates of the program will be competitive to pursue work in the private or public sectors of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Management, History, and Art Architecture, Museum Studies or the Study, Rehabilitation and Management of the Historical Structured Environment.

Qualified students may continue on to a Ph.D., which offers generous financial support options.

Program Structure and Requirements

MSc Degree

Term 1 (Fall Semester)

• 3 Mandatory Courses*
• 1 Elective Course

Term 2 (Spring Semester)

• 2 Mandatory Courses*
• 3 Elective Courses

Term 3 (Summer Period)

• Research Project including submission of Master's Thesis and Viva**

*DCH 404 (Mandatory Course) is split into two parts: Part A (5 ECTS) taken during Term 1 and Part B (5 ECTS) taken during Term 2.

**Students can potentially begin their Master's Research Project Report as early as the first term following a discussion and the approval of their Supervisor.

Program Courses

Mandatory Courses

• DCH 401 Arts, Humanities & Culture in the Digital Age
• DCH 402 Fundamentals of Digital Cultural Heritage
• DCH 403 Digital Innovation and Cultural Heritage
• DCH 404 Scientific Reading & Advanced Academic Writing (Part A & Part B)

Elective Courses

• DCH 416 3D Documentation & Scientific Visualization and Cultural Heritage Research
• DCH 417 The Data Life Cycle in Cultural Heritage
• DCH 418 Modelling and Simulation of Social & Cultural Phenomena
• DCH 419 Digital Curatorship & the Museum of the Future
• DCH 421 Community Engagement & Heritage Education in a Digital World
• DCH 422 Heritage Science in the Digital Age
• DCH 423 Synchrotron Radiation (SR)- Enabled Research in Heritage Sciences & Archaeology
• DCH 424 Environmental & Climate Perspectives on Cultural Heritage

The Cyprus Institute Graduate School reserves the right to make any changes to the program.

Students who continue on to a Ph.D. at The Cyprus Institute may have certain courses, and possibly research requirements waived, resulting in a shorter Ph.D. program.

Admission Requirements

The admissions requirements to apply to the Digital Cultural Heritage Master's degree program are:

1. A Bachelor’s degree from a recognized accredited academic institution, in a relevant field and a keen interest in integrating digital methods in the Cultural Heritage practice.
   Applicants must have a strong background in fields related to Cultural Heritage; either from the broader area of Humanities and Social Sciences (Archaeology, Art and History of Art, History, Museum Studies), the field of Architecture and Applied Arts (historical structured environment, preservation, and restoration of monuments applied arts in cultural heritage), or from the expanding field of Technology and Computer Science (multimedia, digital imaging, and technical photography, computer graphics, computer vision, visualization, semantics and knowledge organization, databases and data management).
2. Proof of English language proficiency
   If your first language is not English, you must provide recent evidence that your spoken and written command of the English language is adequate for the program to which you are applying. See section on English Language Certificates for details and exceptions (in section Documents to be uploaded with the Online Application below).

Application Procedure

Prospective applicants must apply through our online application system. Prospective applicants should read the section below, which outlines exactly which documents will be required before filling out the online application.

Documents to be Uploaded With the Online Application

1. Curriculum Vitae

2. Academic Degrees and Official Transcripts

Applicants will have to upload their undergraduate degree (scan of actual degree diploma) and a copy of their official transcript. Applicants should also upload a copy of the degree and transcripts of any additional degrees earned.
Applicants who have not yet graduated at the time of application, but will have graduated before the start of the program for which they are applying, may submit their transcript to date. If they are accepted into the program, then they will be required to provide to The Cyprus Institute Graduate School their official final transcript and copy of their degree as soon as they are issued. Degrees must be from accredited institutions/programs.

Transcripts must be in English: either issued in English by the Higher Education Institution or if the Higher Education Institution cannot issue a transcript in English then you must provide a duly certified official translation in English.

3. English Language Certificates

If your first language is not English, you must provide recent evidence that your spoken and written command of the English language is adequate for the program to which you are applying. Proof of English language proficiency may be demonstrated by submitting one of the following certificates (or equivalent as deemed by the Admissions Committee).

• IELTS Academic version: at least 6.5 (taken within the past 2 years)
• TOEFL Internet-based Test: at least 79 (taken within the past 2 years)
• GCSE/IGCSE: Grade C or above (preferably with speaking)

IELTS or TOEFL is preferred.

The English Language proficiency test requirement may be waived if you have/will graduate from a higher education institution in which English is the medium of instruction and communication or if you have a minimum of eighteen months of work experience in a country that CyI considers to be “majority English speaking” no more than two years prior to the proposed date of registration.

4. Other Certificates

Applicants may upload up to 4 additional certificates that they feel are relevant in the Other Certificates section of the application (e.g. score reports of standardized tests such as the GRE, awards, prizes, certificates)

5. Statement of Intent

Your statement of intent should be 500-1000 words. The statement should convince the faculty on the selection committee that you have solid achievements that demonstrate the potential for success in graduate study.

6. References

Applicants will be asked to provide the names of at least two references (professors, supervisors, employers, or others able to comment on your academic performance and suitability for graduate studies). Recommendations should specifically address your ability to succeed in your proposed academic program and discuss any experience that may have prepared you to succeed in the program. Your recommenders will be required to fill out an online recommendation form which will be automatically requested by entering their contact details on the application form. You will need to enter their full name, title, institution and email address.

Application Deadline

We are now accepting applications for the Fall 2020 admission. The application deadlines for Fall 2020 can be found in the table below:

Fall Term

• International applicants should apply early to avoid disappointment due to immigration deadlines.
• Applicants are informed approximately six weeks after the respective application deadlines.
• The dates listed in the sections above are indicative and may change.

^{Image courtesy of The Cyprus Institute}