The Department of Life Sciences Communication is a world leader in science communication research, education, and practice. The doctoral minor in Life Sciences Communication allows students enrolled in doctoral programs from the biological and physical sciences, as well as interested students from other social science and humanities departments, to supplement their existing doctoral coursework with a transcriptable minor in Life Sciences Communication.
A doctoral minor in Life Sciences Communication is particularly valuable for graduate students in the natural and physical sciences who are interested in the ethical, legal, and social implications of emerging technologies, or who want to build an intellectual foundation for a future career in policy or various mission agencies (e.g., AAAS policy fellowships) dealing with public understanding and communication of science. Many students from these fields routinely take classes in our department, and a doctoral minor allows them to get formal recognition for their doctoral-level work in this area.
More information may be found on the department website.
Admissions
The doctoral minor in Life Sciences Communication is a course-based minor for students enrolled in other PhD programs who would like to supplement their existing PhD coursework with a minor in science communication.
Students are strongly encouraged to contact academic advising manager or Director of Graduate Studies (see Contact Information box on this page for emails) to discuss course planning.
Students are not allowed to earn both the doctoral minor in life sciences communication and science communication graduate/professional certificate.
All Graduate School students must utilize the Graduate Student Portal in MyUW to add, change, or discontinue any doctoral minor. To apply to this minor, log in to MyUW, click on Graduate Student Portal, and then click on Add/Change Programs. Select the information for the doctoral minor for which you are applying.
Requirements
Courses must be numbered 300 or above with the "Grad 50%" attribute. A minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.5 in doctoral minor coursework is required. Contact the academic advising manager to discuss course selection for the minor
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Students must complete the following courses. | ||
| LSC 700 | Colloquium in Life Sciences Communication | 1 |
| LSC 720 | Introduction to Communication Theory and Research | 3 |
| or LSC 902 | Public Opinion of Life Science Issues | |
| or LSC 625 | Risk Communication | |
| or LSC/ENVIR ST/JOURN 823 | Science and Environment Communication | |
| Approved Electives | 6 | |
| Students must choose from the following courses. | ||
| Misinformation, Fake News, and Correcting False Beliefs about Science | ||
| Visualizing Science and Technology | ||
| Communicating Science with Narrative | ||
| Social Media for the Life Sciences | ||
| Brand Strategy for the Sciences | ||
| Digital Media and Science Communication | ||
| Documentary Photography for the Sciences | ||
| Culturally Responsive Science Communication | ||
| Social Media Analytics | ||
| Web Design for the Sciences | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Writing Science for the Public | ||
| Health Communication in the Information Age | ||
| Risk Communication | ||
| Data Analysis in Communications Research | ||
| Conceptualization and Design of Mass Communication Research | ||
| Science and Environment Communication | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Public Opinion of Life Science Issues | ||
| Total Credits | 10 | |
People
Professors & Instructors
Brossard, Dominique (Chair)
Chen, Kaiping
Chinn, Sedona
Li, Nan
Newman, Todd
Patterson, Dexter
Scheufele, Dietram (Director of Graduate Studies)
Shaw, Bret
Stanley, Don
Xenos, Michael