Graduate Minor in Communicating Science

Round out your M.A. degree with the leadership and interpersonal skills employers are looking for

About the Minor

Learn to develop audience-centered communication, distill scientific concepts into meaningful narratives, and connect effectively with collaborators and funders.

The program brings together communication and rhetorical theory with the techniques of applied improvisation to enhance your career prospects, help you secure funding, and teach you to serve as effective teachers.

The graduate minor in communicating science is designed for masters and doctoral students in the sciences and health professions. The Communicating Science minor is not open to Health Communication PhD students or Applied Communication MA students.

Courses

The graduate minor in communicating science consists of 12 hours of courses. Students are required to take two semesters of 3, one-credit hour co-requisite courses.

List of required courses (6 cr hrs):

Co-Requisite Block (3 cr hrs):

  • COMM-C 533: Distilling Your Message: Communicating Science (1 cr)
  • COMM-C 534: Improvisation for Scientists: Communicating Science (1 cr)
  • ENGL-W 534: Science Writing for Public Readers: Communicating Science (1 cr)

COMM-C 535: Advanced Science and Research Communication (1 cr)

List of elective or substitute courses:

Students will choose two courses (6 credit hours) from the following list:

  • COMM-C 510: Health Provider-Consumer Communication (3 cr.)
  • COMM-C 521: Family Communication in Health Contexts (3 cr.)
  • COMM-C 591: Topics in Applied Communication (3 cr.) with relevant topics in science/health
  • COMM-C 592: Advanced Health Communication (3 cr.)
  • COMM-C 650: Health Communication in Mediated Contexts (3 cr.)
  • COMM-C 695: Seminar in Communication and Healthcare (3 cr.)
  • ENG-G 513: Academic Writing for Graduate Students (3 cr.)
  • ENG-G 520: Communication Skills for Graduate Students and Internationals (3 cr.)
  • ENG-W 600: Topics in Rhetoric and Composition (3 cr.), with relevant topics in science/health
  • HIST-H 546: History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (3 cr.)
  • JOUR-J 528: Public Relations Management (3 cr.)
  • JOUR-J 560: Public Relations Research and Evaluation (3 cr.), with topics in Public Relations in the Life Sciences and Integrating Marketing Communication in Health Care
  • PBHL-H 612: Marketing for Health Services Delivery (3 cr.)
  • PBHL-S 625: Applied Public Health Campaigns and Social Marketing Strategies (3 cr.)
  • PBHL-S 622: Coaching for Health Behavior Change (3 cr.)
  • PBHL-E 606: Grant Writing: From Befuddlement to Brilliance (3 cr.)

Or other courses from ANTH, COMM, ENG, HIST, JOUR, MHHS, and PBHL in consultation with the program advisor.

More Info

Contact:
Krista Longtin, PhD
Associate Professor of Communication Studies
317-278-2840
klongtin@iu.edu