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Medill Media and Science Communication (Cluster and Certificate)

Northwestern’s Medill Media and Science Communication (MMaSC) program integrates journalism and communication skills with scientific research training to increase individual and lab effectiveness and engagement with public audiences around the importance of science, the mechanisms of science, and the wonders of scientific discovery. MMaSC teaches media literacy to Northwestern-trained scientists, giving them outstanding tools to improve science literacy and engage with public audiences beyond academia.

The program prioritizes professional skill development in writing and communication of scientific ideas, comprehension of the media landscape and consumer audiences, and preparation for the high demands of public engagement in science throughout the academic and professional sectors. The program is administered through a partnership between The Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications and The Graduate School. Students can choose to take a three-unit cluster of classes or earn a five-unit certificate granted by The Graduate School at Northwestern University.

Who should apply?

Doctoral candidates from STEM and STEM-adjacent fields across TGS programs, including those in the McCormick School of Engineering & Applied Science and Feinberg School of Medicine, are eligible to apply to join this intellectual “home” outside their department. Past participants have come from (but are not limited to) the following programs:

  • Anthropology
  • Applied Physics
  • Astronomy
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Driskill Graduate Training Program in Life Sciences
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Health Sciences Integrated Program
  • Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences (IBiS)
  • Learning Sciences
  • Materials Science and Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN)
  • Physical Therapy and Engineering
  • Physics
  • Plant Biology and Conservation
  • Psychology

How to apply

Enrolled PhD students in The Graduate School must first apply for acceptance into the SCIMEDIA 517-0 course (usually offered in Fall and Spring quarters). To pursue the cluster or certificate following completion of SCIMEDIA 517-0, students need permission from the program director and their program. In order to petition to have a Graduate Certificate awarded and appear on the transcript, students must submit the  Application for a Graduate Certificate  once all Graduate Certificate requirements have been completed, but no later than the time that the student files for graduation (in the final quarter of study). 

Who to contact

Please contact the program director, listed below, with questions about this program.

Patti Wolter
Helen Gurley Brown Magazine Professor

Charles Deering McCormick Distinguished Clinical Professor

Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

Fisk Hall 1845 Sheridan Rd., Rm 201C

Evanston, Il 60208

Phone: (847) 491-5269

Email: p-wolter@northwestern.edu

The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.

Cluster: 3 units

 

  • Required: SCIMEDIA 517-0: Skills and Careers in Science Writing is a graduate-level writing and communications course designed for STEM graduate students (PhD track) at Northwestern. The course focuses on techniques and best practices for science writing/communication. Students will learn editorial skills such as de-jargonizing their work, interviewing and social media principles, gain exposure to career possibilities, and hone their writing skills through authentic writing and editorial assignments focused on their own science. The course will provide a solid skills foundation for future pursuits in science writing and communication and develop media literacy skills regarding science communication. This hands-on writing course is by application only.

    Required: JOUR 383-0/SCIMEDIA 518-0: Health and Science Reporting: In this combination writing workshop and seminar, students will read some of the best science and health journalism; meet with expert scientists on campus; and meet the editors and writers from leading scientific journals and publications. Students will learn what makes good science writing, how to find sources, how to evaluate information and how to sort out science from pseudo-science. Students will practice--5 translating research journal articles into consumer news articles and pursue longer, more developed science storytelling. This course may be co-listed with JOUR 383. Prerequisite: SCIMEDIA 517-0.

  • Elective: EARTH 450-0/ISEN 495-0: Communicating Science Beyond Academia: Through reading, discussion, writing and peer critique, this course will explore strategies for successful scientific communication beyond academia from the perspective of those working in academic science. This seminar is open to graduate students in all STEM disciplines, with preference to students who have begun to conduct independent research.

  • Elective: COG SCI 460-0: Data Visualization: You have an exciting research finding. But to inform and inspire your audience, you need to communicate it in a way that is clear, relatable, engaging, and memorable. This studio course will introduce you to the fundamentals of communication design, including graphic design, cognitive resonance, data visualization, and storytelling. No previous experience is required. 

 

Certificate: 5 units

 

  • Required: SCIMEDIA 517-0: Skills and Careers in Science Writing is a graduate-level writing and communications course designed for STEM graduate students (PhD track) at Northwestern. The course focuses on techniques and best practices for science writing/communication. Students will learn editorial skills such as de-jargonizing their work, interviewing and social media principles, gain exposure to career possibilities, and hone their writing skills through authentic writing and editorial assignments focused on their own science. The course will provide a solid skills foundation for future pursuits in science writing and communication and develop media literacy skills in regard to science communication. This hands-on writing course is by application only.

  • Required: JOUR 383-0/SCIMEDIA 518-0: Health and Science Reporting: In this combination writing workshop and seminar, students will read some of the best science and health journalism; meet with expert scientists on campus; and meet the editors and writers from leading scientific journals and publications. Students will learn what makes good science writing, how to find sources, how to evaluate information and how to sort out science from pseudo-science. Students will practice--5 translating research journal articles into consumer news articles and pursue longer, more developed science storytelling. This course may be co-listed with JOUR 383. Prerequisite: SCIMEDIA 517-0.

  • Elective: EARTH 450-0/ISEN 495-0 Communicating Science Beyond Academia: Through reading, discussion, writing and peer critique, this course will explore strategies for successful scientific communication beyond academia from the perspective of those working in academic science. This seminar is open to graduate students in all STEM disciplines, with preference to students who have begun to conduct independent research.
  • Elective: COG SCI 460-0: Data Visualization: You have an exciting research finding. But to inform and inspire your audience, you need to communicate it in a way that is clear, relatable, engaging, and memorable. This studio course will introduce you to the fundamentals of communication design, including graphic design, cognitive resonance, data visualization, and storytelling. No previous experience is required. 
  • At least one (but not limited to one) elective from the Medill School of Journalism catalog.

    Prerequisites: SCIMEDIA 517-0 and SCIMEDIA 518-0.