Last Updated on January 18, 2023
About the Science Communication Program
Overview
What You Will Learn
This Program Is Designed For
UC San Diego Extension remains committed to helping you achieve your educational goals. We have transitioned many of our courses to a LIVE ONLINE or ONLINE format, in an effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will resume in-person classes when it is deemed safe to do so.
LIVE ONLINE classes are fully online with live virtual class meetings each week using our Zoom conferencing system.
ONLINE classes have pre-recorded lectures each week and guided assignments from the instructor.
Learn the Necessary Skills to Write Journalistic Pieces about Science
The Specialized Certificate in Science Communication is designed to provide you with the necessary skills to communicate professionally and effectively about science from a journalistic perspective. You will focus on understanding how to help an audience of general readers engage with and understand scientific and technical information. Courses are taught by successful science writers and other industry experts who have learned from their years of experience and/or formal science writing education.
The goal of this program is to train current and future science professionals in the skills needed to clearly communicate technical, scientific information. Some areas where you can choose to focus your program’s specificity are: how to write news and features from a journalistic perspective; how to build a business around writing; self-editing; the art of interviewing; blogging; how to write nonfiction and informational content for children; and how to publish on the web. In all scenarios, you will learn the art of how to make science relevant and more accessible to different audiences.
Questions about our classes or certificates? Contact our department at 858-534-5760 or [email protected].
FORMAT:In-Person, Online
Varies by course and quarter
ESTIMATED COST:$1,950
Early enrollment discount available. Cost does not include textbooks.
DURATION:12 -18 Months
Dependent on number of courses taken per quarter.
CONTACT
DepartmentArts, Humanities, Languages & Digital ArtsPhone858-534-5760Email[email protected]
Courses
Delivery Method
- Live Online
- In-Person
- Online
- Hybrid
Required Courses
9 units
Science Writing IWCWP-40105
Units: 3.00
$395
News and Feature WritingWCWP-40276
Units: 3.00
$345
Final Required Course
(All other Required Courses and Electives must be completed first)
Science Writing IIWCWP-40230
Units: 3.00
TBD
Electives
Min 6 units required
Building a Business around WritingWCWP-40321
Units: 1.00
$145
Self-Editing and Publishing for the WebWCWP-40313
Units: 3.00
$425
The Writer’s Art of InterviewingWCWP-40123
Units: 2.00
$245
The Art and Business of BloggingWCWP-40334
Units: 3.00
$345
Writing Non-Fiction and Informational Books for ChildrenWCWP-40327
Units: 3.00
$350
Science Communication InternshipWCWP-40329
Units: 2.00
TBD
Conditions for Admission
Applicants are encouraged to have some previous background in writing and general knowledge of science. With the exception of the Science Communication Internship, all courses are open to students not enrolled in the certificate, as long as they complete the prerequisites to the particular course.
Certificate Guidelines
The Specialized Certificate in Science Communication consists of 15 units total. Students will take three (3) required courses (Science Writing I, News and Feature Writing and Science Writing II) which will give them the basic skills needed to communicate science concepts to a general audience through a variety of platforms and will provide them a fundamental understanding of the science writing marketplace.
Additionally, students will choose a minimum of six (6) units of elective courses which will enable them to focus on specific areas of interest.
This unique 12-credit graduate certificate program is entirely online and can help advance your career in science communication.
Students interested in Science Communication will have the opportunity to strengthen their skills as writers by taking courses in technical writing, writing for scholarly journals, proposal and grant writing, and writing for the public. As scholars in the healthcare industry, it is important to understand how to write to appeal to different audiences using various forms and styles of writing. At the end of the program, students will be able to strategically plan, craft, edit, and execute their writing to communicate in an engaging, scientifically-informed manner about their research and other health-related topics. Many students interested in this degree program will work in the following fields: technical writing, medical writing, grant writing, medical research, communications, marketing, grants management, program management, and more.
Applications for admission to the fall term are due by July 1
Explore Certificate Objectives
According to the US Department of Labor, employment of technical writers is projected to grow 10% from 2014 to 2024. The knowledge and training you’ll receive in the Science Communication Certificate Program will prepare you to jump-start your career in a number of rapidly growing fields, including:
- Scientific Journalism
- Public Information/Affairs
- Research and academic institutions
- Technical and Scientific Writing
- Writing for Scholarly Journals
- Writing Proposals and Grants
Science Communication is a 12-credit, four-course graduate certificate program offered in an asynchronous, 100% online environment. This means that we offer maximum flexibility to meet the needs of working professionals. There are no online meetings or set times when you’ll need to log in; just submit your coursework before the posted deadline, and check back in for feedback from your instructors and classmates.
As a student in this program, you will acquire expertise in science communication. Your classmates will most likely be practicing professionals with a health, scientific, or journalism background who are employed or seeking employment in positions requiring this specialization.
Is an Online Course Right for You?
Program Completion Timeline
- All four courses will be offered at least once each year to enable you to complete the program within one year.
- Participants begin the program in the fall and complete it in the spring (courses need to be taken in sequence).
- Although most students complete the program within one year, you will be allowed up to three years to complete the program.
Interested in a Master’s Degree? ▾
The Science Communication certificate is a stackable credential that can be applied toward a Master of Science in Health Sciences or a Master of Science in Health and Social Innovation.
The 30-credit MS Health Science program is available entirely online and can be completed by a working professional is as little as 18 months. Upon the successful completion of the certificate, all 12 of the credits are completely transferrable to the MS Health Science program and the GRE requirement is waived. This means that when you finish your certificate, you’ll be 18 credits away from a Master’s degree! Want to know more about the 18 credits? See the core curriculum
The 36-credit MS Health and Social Innovation program is available as a hybrid degree combining elements of online and in-class learning and can be completed by a working professional in as little as 24 months. Upon the successful completion of the certificate, all 12 of the credits are completely transferrable to the MS Health and Social Innovation program. This means that when you finish your certificate, if you choose you’ll be 24 credits away from a Master’s degree! Check out the curriculum for the MS in Health and Social Innovation.
If you prefer to complete the Master’s and certificate coursework concurrently, please submit your application for the Master’s program. In this case, the GRE requirement will not be waived.
