Degree Offered
Postbaccalaureate Certificate
Program Description
Students in the Science Communication certificate program will have the opportunity to strengthen their skills in writing and communication for academia and the general public. In this one-year, 12-credit postbaccalaureate certificate program, students study topics such as science writing, technical writing skills, writing for scholarly journals, writing proposals and grants, and writing for the public. Students learn the principles of scientific writing and gain exposure to a wide variety of scientific writing genres. Students also learn how to write a journal article editors want to publish and how to use the key principles for writing, submitting, and revising grants and proposals. The program also provides students with opportunities to draft pieces for publication, allowing them to add to their writing portfolio and academic CV. Each student receives frequent and detailed individual feedback to improve their writing over the course of the program. No specific undergraduate course of study is required or recommended.
Science Communication also is a concentration of study within the Master of Science in Health Science (MSHS) program. Credits earned in the stand-alone Science Communication certificate program may be applied toward MSHS degree requirements.
Certificate Objectives
This program is designed to equip students to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences using different forms and styles of writing. By providing students with advanced knowledge and practical training, this program strives to ensure that learning is relevant and applicable to each student’s professional goals. Students learn how to strategically plan, craft, edit, and execute their writing to communicate in an engaging, scientifically informed manner about health-related topics.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Develop proficiency in technical writing (including proper sentence and paragraph structure, transitions, punctuation, coherence, and grammar).
- Rigorously analyze scientific writing on the sentence and paragraph level.
- Describe the form and content of research articles, case studies, meta-analyses, theoretical articles, and book reviews.
- State the requirements and expectations of writing and submitting scholarly research articles.
- Apply the principles of planning and writing a research paper.
- Summarize research findings in a clear, engaging, and concise manner.
- Describe the purpose of grant writing in academic and nonacademic careers.
- Critique the essential elements of grants and proposals.
- Draft a grant or proposal on a health-related topic of interest.
- Demonstrate basic proficiency in various writing forms and techniques for communicating effectively with general, nonacademic audiences.
- Identify and avoid common mistakes academic writers make when writing for the public.
- Produce a writing product for the general public that is ready to submit for publication.
Program Admission
General application requirements for admission to postbaccalaureate certificate programs are outlined in the Admissions section of this catalog. Admission to this online certificate program is selective. A U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a non-U.S. educational institution is required. No specific undergraduate course of study is required or recommended.
Degree Requirements
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 to remain in good standing in the program. A complete description of progression guidelines and degree requirements is provided in the Degree Requirements section of this catalog. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 12 credit hours to earn the certificate.
Required Courses
| MHS 603 | SCIENCE WRITING PRINCIPLES | 3 |
| MHS 607 | WRITING FOR SCHOLARLY JOURNALS | 3 |
| MHS 627 | SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCES | 3 |
| MHS 637 | WRITING PROPOSALS AND GRANTS | 3 |