Science Communication
School of Biosciences,
Faculty of Science
Course description
This course helps you to develop the skills to communicate science effectively to a wide range of audiences. You’ll learn about the latest topics in the science that interests you and work to communicate them to the media and beyond.
You’ll learn to target your writing and creativity for clear, concise and compelling storytelling across a range of formats.
You’ll produce a portfolio to showcase your written, digital audio/visual, outreach and event management skills.
Intercalation
We accept medical students who wish to intercalate their studies. Find out more on the Medical School's website.
Modules
Core modules:
- Science Communication Skills
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Science communication is a fast-paced and rapidly changing field. This module will introduce the latest technical, editing and media techniques needed to produce cutting edge visuals and audio for any online audience. The course will introduce a wide range of topics, designed to cover the huge breadth of science communication options in the Digital Age.
30 credits - Dealing with data for journalists
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News reporting relies increasingly on knowing how to understand and analyse data. ¿Now that information is abundant, processing is more important.¿ (Philip Meyer). Data science is the scientific discipline that feeds into this new type of journalism. It provides methods for collecting and systematizing data, which is then analysed using a combination of statistical and machine learning techniques, and finally presented in an appealing and understandable format. This module will equip students with the confidence to appreciate and apply the most widely used statistical techniques, which constitute the very core of data science and, hence, facilitate responsible evidence-based journalism.
15 credits - Project Dissertation
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The project exercise provides the student with a choice of three pathways to undertake a piece of scholarly research work in the area of Science Communication. These include critical analysis of the literature, developing experimental methods to test a hypothesis, or a practice based approach (which may include an optional work-placement).
60 credits - Research Methods
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This module is designed as an introduction to social scientific research methods as applied in the communications, media and journalism fields. The module provides an overview of key research methods, and the different ways in which research can be conducted. Topics covered include surveys, questionnaire design, focus groups, interviewing, ethnography, content analysis, discourse analysis and different aspects of information search, reserach design, project management and research presentation. The module is designed to make students aware of basic skills in these social science research methods and to equip them to conduct small scale projects on their own, or in groups.
15 credits - Ethics and Regulation
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This module examines some of the major ethical controversies in journalism. Students will explore debates about the tension between freedom of expression and the exercise of responsibility, and about the need to balance privacy rights with publishing material in the public interest. There will also be study of regulation, truth-telling, media representation of vulnerable groups and journalists' relationship with their sources. Students will explore how ethical behaviour is encouraged in journalism, and consider how the industry codes seek to achieve this in the UK.
15 credits - Topical Science
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What are the current ‘hot topics’ in science? Why are these important? This module delivers the skills to take new scientific research and communicate it to a range of audiences. The module focuses on written communication, covering a broad spectrum from opinion pieces and blogs through to social media posts and press releases. The aim is to develop students’ abilities to research and communicate exciting new scientific research both within and beyond their own areas of expertise.
15 credits - Communicating with the Media
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This module will provide students with knowledge and skills necessary to communicate messages through the media. Case studies and practical workshops will allow students to learn about the practice of media communication. They will learn how the media operates and how to communicate messages through interviews, press conferences and news releases. Topics covered in the module will include the development of communication strategies, the understanding of news values and news cycles and strategies for successful and ethical communication.
15 credits - Engaging with the Public
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This group project works towards the planning, organisation and delivery of a public event/ Festival in Science. This will run in parallel with National Science week (usually in March). The delivery of this group project will be by the students, under supervision of the module co-ordinator. The group will develop and use their communication skills to liaise and engage with the public and prepare the materials and resources required to stage an effective event. This module will equip students with the skills required for an online-focused fast-paced social-media world. Primarily workshop and tutorial based, candidates will be introduced to film, audio and online publishing production, including editing skills.
15 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Teaching
Cutting edge research in science and journalism informs our teaching. You'll attend a mix of lectures, tutorials and seminars, as well as group projects, workshops and masterclasses. Many of our students take the opportunity to go on placement during their dissertation.
Dr Beth Dyson, course director
Beth is a University Teaching Associate in School of Biosciences and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with a research background in plant physiology and environmental stress.
Beth has worked extensively throughout her career with outreach and public engagement, including taking events to the Edinburgh Science Festival, Jodrell Bank, The Big Bang events and the Chelsea Physic Garden. She has also developed events to facilitate conversations between scientists and the public on controversial topics, including the climate emergency and food security.
Her work with the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology in engaging MPs and Lords with science resulted in the production of briefing papers, and the development of the Science in Policy group in Sheffield. This experience across the academic, policy and public spaces has shown a real need to train early career scientists to engage with different audiences if they are to have an impact on the future of science.
Her focus is on cutting across subject and faculty boundaries to bring together the technical and narrative skills to train the science communicators of the future.
Assessment
You’re assessed on written and creative coursework, reflective pieces, practical exercises and a dissertation.
Duration
- 1 year full-time
- 2 years part-time
Your career
The MSc puts you in an enviable position. Employers in science and technology, the medical and pharmaceutical industries, cultural industries, the science policy sector, education and the media will see your potential.
Our graduates get great jobs across science, technology and the media. They put their knowledge and passion for science to good use every day working in press offices, newsrooms, research institutes and other scientific bodies.
If you decide on a research career in science, your masters will enable you to communicate your own research effectively.
Student profiles
What I like most about my course is the opportunity to be creative without limitations. It is the chance to tell people more about science through newspapers, magazines, radio and TV shows, workshops or exhibitions.
Marija Popova
MSc Science Communication
Entry requirements
You’ll need a 2:1 or equivalent in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, mathematics, engineering or other science-related subject.
We also accept medical students who wish to intercalate their studies.
Overall IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.
We also accept a range of other UK qualifications and other EU/international qualifications.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
Contact
aps.pgadmissions@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 (0)114 222 4774
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.