Science Communication Minor

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We spend billions annually on science, and our 21st-century way of life depends on its insights and new technologies. But scientific knowledge needs to be connected to communities, decision makers, and the public. The UO School of Journalism and Communication, through the Center for Science Communication Research (SCR), offer a science communication minor to give students the knowledge and skills they need to work on the science communication issues that are critical to individuals and society, from climate change to public health.

What is Science Communication?

Science communication is an interdisciplinary field encompassing the research and practice of communicating scientific findings to diverse audiences, including the public and policymakers. It seeks to enhance the connections between science and society, solve problems through relationship building, and move the needle on issues affecting our lives.

Science communicators and science communication researchers work to advance our understanding of:

Is the Science Communication Minor Right for You?

Are you interested in improving how scientists and journalists communicate science to the public? Want to learn ways to share your research with other scientists? Or do you hope to create better stories using science? Pursuing a minor in science communication can help you achieve your goals.

The science communication minor is open to students of all majors. Through a series of flexible courses, you can probe the intersections of science, communication, technology, and media. Coursework focuses on the most pressing science communication issues of our time, blending theory and practical skills while helping you explore careers that rely on science communication.

How it Works

As a student enrolled in the science communication minor, you will take courses in the School of Journalism and Communication and other UO programs that teach the science of science communication, the cutting-edge research happening in the field today, and a variety of methods for developing and producing science stories.

Credits: The minor requires 24 credits that you can complete at any point in your college career.

Classes: Coursework consists of three required courses and three elective courses. Elective courses cover various topics so you can build a curriculum best suited to your interests in research and/or story production.

Required Courses (12 credits/3 courses)

2 UO science courses: You can take any two courses that meet UO’s science core education requirement. These science courses must be graded and passed with a C or better. We recommend completing these two courses before taking J377.

J377 The Science of Science Communication: This course explores the basics of the growing field of the science of science communication. Students will examine science communication issues and the research being done to understand how the public connects (or doesn’t) with science messaging.

Elective Courses & Experiential Learning Opportunities (12 credits/3 courses) 

UO science course: One of your three elective courses can be a pre-approved 300-/400-level course from another UO science subject. To be approved, the courses need to have some aspect of communication or engagement. You can reach out to hollies@uoregon.edu to get a course pre-approved.

J477 Topics in Science of Science Communication (offered as J480 in Spring 2023): These topics courses take a deeper dive into issues related to science communication, including more advanced exploration of health communication, decision making, numeracy, and environmental communication. Examples of topics offered include Environmental Strategies, Health Communication Campaigns, and Science Communication and Decision Making. Course titles offered within each “topic” will vary. These course numbers are repeatable when the topics have different titles. We recommend taking J377 before J477.

J478 Topics in Science Communication Production. These topics courses focus on creating stories about science, with an emphasis on incorporating science communication research into the process of tailoring story strategies to specific audiences. These courses are dedicated to empowering student discovery through science storytelling using various multimedia techniques.

Course titles within each “topic” will vary, and course numbers are repeatable when the topics have different titles. We recommend taking J377 before J478. Examples of J478s are below.

  • The Science Story is a two-term course offered each year by Professor of Practice Torsten Kjellstrand and Dennis Dimick. This place-based reporting course focuses on the landscape of the southern Willamette Valley. The instructors aim to help students make sense of the place they live in, how we have shaped this landscape, how it has shaped us, and what this means.
  • Science & Memory, which began in 2014 with SOJC faculty members Dan Morrison, Deb Morrison, Mark Blaine, and Torsten Kjellstrand, offers students hands-on experience telling complex stories of adaptation, climate, and environmental change on location in sites around the world, from Alaska to the Oregon Coast to Ghana.

Undergraduate Research, Internship, and Job Opportunities in Science Communication?

Once you have completed the science communication minor coursework, you’ll want to apply your skills outside the classroom. SOJC faculty members who teach in the minor often offer openings for science communication internships, student jobs, and research assistantships.

Here are some examples of internships our science communication students have recently landed:

Podcasters: Two students who completed The Science Story coursework in 2021 were hired to produce podcasts and multimedia material about wildfires for Season Two of The Fire Story podcast.

Research Assistants: Ellen Peters and Brittany Shoots-Reinhard run the Cognitive and Affective Influences in Decision making (CAIDe) Lab, which focuses on evidence-based communication techniques that facilitate judgment and choice. Although they often conduct hypothetical studies in the lab, they also get out in the “real world” and study the generalization of their theories to health, environmental, and economic judgments and decisions. One undergraduate research assistant won a UO FYRE award for the summer term 2021 and conducted an independent study about COVID-19 vaccine understanding and intentions. Undergraduates interested in research can fill out the Research Assistant Application.