Abstract:

Motivations for developing a Graduate Certificate in Science Communication at the University of Arizona are described, along with early results. It is one of only a handful of similar programs in the United States. Most science M.Sc. and Ph.D. students are not given any training in science communication, despite the fact that many will need this skill in their future careers, whether academic or in the private sector. A survey of current UA grad students revealed a disconnect: 90% said they were likely to need the skills of writing and communicating to non-technical audiences, but only 25% said their program was preparing them for that task. A workforce survey in 2016 by Emsi found that 75% of managerial job postings asked for writing or communication skills. The new Graduate Certificate in Science Communication was approved in 2018, open to all graduate students, not just those in science. To complete the certificate, three courses have to be completed before graduation. They are chosen from a list of 19 options. Examples include, with the home departments in parentheses: Advanced Scientific Writing (English), Scientific Journalism (Journalism), Reporting with Multimedia (Journalism), and Scientific Communication (Biology). New classes were commissioned for the certificate, using a grant from the Hearst Foundation: Sharing Science Information, Science Communication and Government Policy, Science Filmmaking, and Communicating Science Through Storytelling. Students have the flexibility to replace one of the three courses with a faculty-supervised Independent Study course, allowing them to develop of coherent body of science communication work in their discipline. For additional training in making short videos, a prize was funded for the best science video at the university-wide Grad Slam competition every year. The early results of the certificate are promising. Thirty-two students enrolled during the first three years, and course evaluations are uniformly high.

Keywords:

Education, graduate certificate, science communication.