48-609 Heritage, Computation, and the Digital

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

UNESCO defines heritage as practices and sites of symbolic, historic, artistic, aesthetic, anthropological, scientific and social significance. This course explores conceptual, technical, and practical questions of heritage and technology through theory, concepts, and critical making. Students will read key texts and engage with questions of how heritage - both tangible and intangible - is and can be repaired, remediated, and reimagined critically through computation. Combining theory and practice, the course situates technology as a cultural and political actor. Through readings, discussions, design provocations, and projects, students will study critical theories of heritage; reflect on issues of power, authority, and access; analyze case studies; experiment with computational tools as sites of inquiry; and develop a final project where heritage and emerging technologies intersect. The course is open to graduate and advanced undergraduate students of ALL majors.

Prerequisites: none listed

Offered: Spring 2026

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