Digital & Data Studies Minor

Digital & Data Studies (DiDa)

We live in a highly digitized, datafied, networked, and programmed world. Harpur College's new Digital and Data Studies minor provides an interdisciplinary and hands-on immersion into digital literacy and data-inflected thinking, paired with critical and scholarly study.

Declare a Minor

If you would like to declare the DiDa minor, please fill out the form below. Interested in DiDa but not ready to sign up yet? You can also use the link to sign up for our email list.

DECLARE DIDA AS A MINOR

What students can expect

The curriculum integrates practice- and skills-based learning in programming, data analysis, computational processes, and web development with critical study, drawing on the college’s long-standing strengths and commitments to data science, GIS, digital storytelling, and media studies. The program teaches its students to be both knowledgeable consumers and engaged producers of content on the internet, as a complex information landscape that provides valuable opportunities for learning and public-facing scholarship, even while it can be wielded to disseminate dangerous misinformation. The program is committed to promoting socially and culturally responsible approaches to technology.

Students will have the opportunity to study computational analysis and data-inflected approaches, drawing cases and applications from the range of disciplines in Harpur College. In addition, students will gain contemporary skills for employment and produce innovative digital work at all levels. 

All liberal arts students can benefit from a heightened understanding of computational methods and data-driven processes, along with enhanced information literacy. These proficiencies are useful in professional, academic, and/or creative contexts. This minor degree complements all of the majors in Harpur College.

Minor Requirements

The Digital & Data Studies minor and its courses are open to all students in Harpur College and CCPA.

Electives and Intro Courses: 12 credits

  • We recommend taking elective courses first, especially those offered with the DIDA rubric. Other coursework (the methods, programming, and statistics requirements) can be taken concurrently with electives.
  • A master list of all electives can be found at this link. Electives offered in the upcoming semesters are below.
  • At least one elective must be at the 300+ level.
  • Fall 2024

    Electives Housed in the DiDa Program:

    • DIDA 110: Database Fundamentals
    • DIDA 120: Interactive Fiction
    • DIDA 260: Data Visualization
    • DIDA 280W: Interactive Media Design
    • DIDA 280X: Deepfakes: Reality, Deception
    • DIDA 280Z: Product Design for SexTech
    • *DIDA 340: Intro to Deep Learning (Requires HARP 150)
    • DIDA 380J: Data Journalism

    Electives Offered by Other Programs without Prerequisites:

    • ANTH 200 - Statistics in Anthropology
    • ANTH/LING 380N - Digital Communication
    • ARTS 265 - Digital Photography
    • CINE/ARTS 250 - Animation
    • GEOG 360B - Cartography and GIS
    • HDEV 300 - Social Science Research Methods
    • PHIL 150 - Ethics, Technology, Policy
    • SOC 305 - Social Research Methods
    • SOC 480G - Identities Wonderland
    • WRIT 344 - Reading and Writing Blogs
    • WRIT 345 - Writing & Producing Podcasts

    Other Electives Offered by Other Programs:

    • *ARTS 360 - Intermediate Photography
    • *ARTS 410 - Graphic Design III
    • *BIOL 340 - Genetics Laboratory
    • *CINE 252 - Video & Filmmaking I
    • *CINE 353 - Digital Videomaking II
    • *ECON 416 - Economic Analysis with Python
    • *ECON 456 - Data Analysis in Economics
    • *ECON 466 - Introduction to Econometrics
    • *ECON 467 - Economic Forecasting
    • *HARP 151 - Coding in Action
    • *MATH 448 - Mathematical Statistics
    • *MATH 455 - Intro to Regression Models
    • *MATH 457 - Intro to Statistical Learning
    • *PSYC 344: Research Methods in Psychology
  • Summer 2024

    Electives Housed in the DiDa Program:

    • DIDA 110 - Database Fundamentals
    • DIDA 280W - Interactive Media Design

    Electives Offered by Other Programs:

    • ANTH 200 - Statistics in Anthropology
    • ARTS 265 - Digital Photography
    • *PSYC 344 - Research Methods
    • WRIT 344 - Reading & Writing Blogs
  • Spring 2024

    Electives Housed in the DiDa Program:

    • DIDA 120: Interactive Fiction
    • DIDA 181A: Database Fundamentals
    • DIDA 260: Data Visualization
    • DIDA 280A: Critical Practice in Social Media
    • DIDA 280W: Interactive Media Design
    • DIDA 310: Text Mining
    • DIDA 370: Spatial Fundamentals in R

    Electives Offered by Other Programs without Prerequisites:

    • ARTS 265: Digital Photography
    • GEOG 203: GIS Applications in Multicultural Geography
    • SOC 305: Social Research Methods
    • PHIL 456A: The Ethics of AI
    • PHIL 456R: Trust and Technology
    • WRIT 312 - Surveillance and Social Media
    • WRIT 344 - Reading and Writing Blogs
    • WRIT 345 - Writing & Producing Podcasts

    Other Electives Offered by Other Programs:

    • *ARTS 360: Intermediate Photography
    • *ARTS 410: Graphic Design III
    • *CINE 252: Video & Filmmaking I
    • *CINE 253: Intro to Creative Sound Processing
    • *CINE 352: Perfomative Process
    • *ECON 416: Economic Analysis with Python
    • *ECON 466: Intro to Econometrics
    • *ECON 467: Economic Forecasting
    • *HARP 151: Coding in Action
    • *MATH 448: Mathematical Statistics
    • *MATH 455: Intro to Regression Models
    • *PSYC 344: Research Methods in Psychology
    • *PSYC 473P: Digital Mental Health

    * Course has prerequisites

  • Winter 2024

    Electives Housed in the DiDa Program:

    • DIDA 260: Data Visualization
    • DIDA 280C: Online Content Moderation

    Electives Offered by Other Programs without Prerequisites:

    • ARTS 265: Digital Photography
    • GEOG 160: GIS for Social Sciences and Humanities
  • Fall 2023

    Electives Housed in the DiDa Program:

    • DIDA 120: Interactive Fiction
    • DIDA 130: Intro to Statistical Thinking
    • DIDA 181A: Database Fundamentals
    • DIDA 280: Critical Practices in Social Media
    • *DIDA 340: Intro to Deep Learning (requires HARP 150)

    Electives Offered by Other Programs without Prerequisites:

    • ARTS 265: Digital Photography
    • PHIL 150: Ethics, Technology, and Policy
    • GEOG 160: GIS for Social Sciences & Humanities
    • GEOG 280P: Python Programming for GIS
    • GEOG 360: Cartography for GIS
    • SOC 305: Social Research Methods
    • WRIT 312: Surveillance and Social Media
    • WRIT 344: Reading & Writing Blogs
    • WRIT 345: Writing & Producing Podcasts

    Other Electives Offered by Other Programs:

    • *ARTS 410: Graphic Design III
    • *CINE 250: Animation
    • *CINE 252: Video & Filmmaking I
    • *ECON 416: Economic Analysis with Python
    • *ECON 466: Introduction to Econometrics
    • *ECON 467: Economic Forecasting
    • *MATH 448: Mathematical Statistics
    • *MATH 455: Intro to Regression Models
    • *MATH 457: Intro to Statistical Learning
    • *PSYC 344: Research Methods

    *Course has prerequisites.

Required Courses: 8 credits

These courses are offered every semester.

  • A Methods Course: DIDA 325 - Data & Society, which provides students with experience in obtaining, analyzing, and visualizing real-world datasets from many different domains and then connects these practices to the realm of critical data studies. This course requires a DIDA-rubric elective as a prerequisite. Students enrolling at Binghamton before Fall '24 may take 325 if they have upper-class standing.
  • A Capstone Course: Any course numbered DIDA 42X. These are hands-on capstone courses, which focuses on a major project. It should be taken as the last course in the minor, after completing all other requirements. At a bare minimum, students must complete their coding and methods course requirements. Options are:
    • DIDA 425 - Digital Inquiry & Practice. Teams pursue a semester-long research project of their own design, under faculty supervision.
    • DIDA 426 - Community Practice. Teams are paired with a community organization to solve a data-related problem.
    • DIDA 427 - Internship Capstone (starting Spring '25). Students reflect upon a digitally-inflected internship they have done. Students must sign up for 2 credits of CDCI 395 as a prerequisite or corequisite. Prior program approval of your internship is required.

Intro to Programming: 4 credits

  • HARP 150 - Intro to Coding (Python), which provides programming skills and lays the basis for computational thinking to liberal arts students. Students may also count HARP 151 or CS 110.

Statistics Proficiency

  • This requirement may be satisfied through evidence of successful coursework at Binghamton University or another institution
  • Or through a certificate of completion of an 8-week online course
  • Accepted Courses for the Statistics Requirement

    Introductory Statistics Course Roster

    • ANTH 200: Statistics in Anthropology
    • DIDA 130: Intro to Statistical Thinking
    • MATH 147: Elementary Statistics
    • MATH 148: Elem Stats for Biologist
    • *PSYC 243: Statistical Analysis and Design

    Other Statistics Courses

    • *MATH 147A: Elementary Statistics (advanced placement required)
    • MATH 327: Probability with Stat Methods
    • *MATH 448: Mathematical Statistics (math majors only)
    • *ECON 366: Statistical Methods (Econ majors only)
    • *BME 340 Bioinformatics and Biostatistics (BME students only)
    • *BIOL 437 Biostatistics

    *course has prerequisites

Sample Capstone Projects (by major)

Explore examples of possible paths that students can follow depending on their major

  • Graphic Design

    A Graphic Design major in the Digital and Data Studies program combines creative expertise with computational skills, resulting in dynamic web-based projects. An example is the below experimental web project produced by Allie Wong, '16, Graphic Design Major. Allie is now the Senior Designer at Pearlfisher. Hover over the graphics and click on the highlighted sections to watch and read the whole sequence. Please note this video is best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer. Sample Capstone Project

  • English

    An English Major takes advantage of new methods in text analysis and natural language processing to explore key themes and patterns in American literature. An example is the below text analysis using the Harpur College course catalog. Toggle the settings in the upper right corner (using the four-paned window icon) to view Harpur College's undergraduate programs in a new way! For instance, try Loom, a Visualization Tool. Or select a specific program, by clicking on Scale, and then Document, in the lower left. Sample Capstone Project

  • History

    A History major in the Digital and Data Studies program uses data-driven approaches and computational methods to analyze vast quantities of historical information for the study of local history. Jason Tercha, a graduate student in the department of history, has taught data analysis to Harpur undergraduate students through Harpur Edge's "Crash Courses." He also offers a lecture course in digital history. Take a look at the map below, produced by Jason, which shows the locations of nineteenth-century businesses in Arlington VA. Click on the dots or select specific categories for more information. Sample Capstone Project

  • Geography

    A Geography Major with a minor in Digital and Data Studies gains skills in geospatial analysis and becomes an expert in ArcGIS, the industry standard platform for mapping. An example is the below Story Map by Alexa Sikoryak, a Geography Major, who continued to pursue her MA in Geography at Binghamton University through their 3+2 program. Carried out in 2018-19, this project explored the settlement and movement patterns of the deer population in the Binghamton University Nature Preserve, based on their thermal signatures, gathered using drones. Sample Capstone Project

Our commitment

The program is committed to promoting socially and culturally responsible approaches to technology and an awareness of the impact of data-driven decisions and algorithmic processes, particularly on communities that are already marginalized.
 
The varied disciplines of a liberal arts program provide paths to discover, explain, understand, interpret, predict, and improve the world around us. Likewise, emerging forms and modes of computing like model-building, coding, and simulation; digital experiences and interactive media; and connectivity, visualization and digital communication offer ways to support and extend such types of learning and inquiry.

Faculty Advisory Committee

Lisa T. Yun

Associate Professor

English, General Literature and Rhetoric; Department of Asian and Asian American Studies
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