Science Communication (M.S.Com. or G.Dip.)

Sudbury is a special place to study and practice science communication. There is a rich tradition of public engagement with science in this region, and students benefit from this expertise by being embedded in the Vale Living With Lakes Centre and Science North.

The Vale Living With Lakes Centre is home to the Co-operative Freshwater Ecology Unit, a unique partnership between Laurentian University, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; with collaborators from the mining industry, Canadian Forest Services, Natural Resources Canada, the City of Sudbury, and several other universities. Students are able to learn from and contribute to real environmental projects alongside our CFEU partners as they work to support the research centre’s mission of “clean water, now and forever.” You can learn more about the city’s legacy of public engagement in environmental issues by tuning into the CBC Ideas episode on "The Sudbury Effect: Lessons from a Regreened City", watching the Planting Hope signature film at nearby Dynamic Earth, or tuning into Jane Goodall’s exploration of our environmental transformation through the IMAX film Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope.

Students also benefit from working with nearby subject matter experts in the healthcare field, including physicians at Health Sciences North Research Institute, Public Health Sudbury and Districts, and the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health at Laurentian University. A capstone project for our program is the co-production of the annual public event, Northern MedTalks, where students collaborate with healthcare researchers, practitioners, and community members to share powerful stories about health.

We like to share student projects, highlight collaborative experiences, and document program activities through our social media. Follow us online to keep up with our activities:

• Instagram - @LUSciComm
• Facebook - @LaurentianScienceCommunication
• LinkedIn - Laurentian Science Communication

If you have questions about whether our program is a good fit for your interests and goals, please reach out to our Program Director, Dr. Chantal Barriault, at cbarriault@laurentian.ca. We may be able to connect you with alumni who can share their experiences studying and practicing science communication.

Suitable candidates for the Master’s in Science Communication and Graduate Diploma should have a minimum of 70% GPA from a 4-year Honours (course based or thesis) B.Sc. BAS, or B.Eng. Candidates will also be considered if they have obtained degrees in a relevant discipline such as psychology, science and society programs, anthropology or other university programs from which they have gained a demonstrated ability to understand scientific knowledge and to analyze scientific issues. Candidates who do not meet these criteria but feel that their work or volunteer experience makes them suitable for our program should email the program director (Dr. Chantal Barriault, cbarriault@laurentian.ca) to discuss their eligibility.
 

In addition to recent university graduates, applicants who have obtained science degrees and now work in the field of science, science communication or science education such as research scientists, technologists, science centre and museum interpreters, science journalists and science teachers will have the opportunity to enhance their expertise as professional communicators through this program.
 

Admission will be granted on the basis of a written application where students must demonstrate their interest in science communication issues and their ability to communicate science.

International applicants are encouraged to review Laurentian University’s English Program Language Requirements at https://laurentian.ca/admissions/graduate.

Application Process:
 

Step 1. To begin the application process, click here to create an account through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre. This application portal will allow you to send transcripts from your previous institutions directly to Laurentian University.

Step 2. Once you have completed the OUAC application, you will receive an email from Laurentian’s Office of Admissions directing you to the Mylaurentian Portal . Credentials required to log in to the MyLaurentian Portal will only be provided upon successful completion of the OUAC application.

Step 3. Once you have logged in to the MyLaurentian Portal, locate “Reference Submission” in the left-hand navigation menu, and provide the contact information for three references, two of which must be academic references. This will initiate a process by which Laurentian will contact your referees for their documentation.

*You are required to upload the following documents to the MyLaurentian portal:

• Personal statement of interest: Brief explanation (1-2 pages in length) of why you are interested in our program, how you think our program can help you accomplish your personal goals, what you believe you can bring to the program, and what you hope to get out of the experience. This document is an opportunity to express your passion for furthering your professional development in the field of science communication.
   
• Evidence of science background: Brief description (about half of a page) of academic pursuits, work experience, or volunteer efforts in science-related fields. Applicants can provide a lengthier document if they need to demonstrate that they have significant science experience in addition to their core degree.
   
• Evidence of communication ability: Two pieces of communication created in any medium (written articles, presentations, posters, videos, blogs, infographics, outreach materials, etc.) that illustrate your ability to communicate technical information to a target audience. We encourage you to synthesize specialist documents like honours theses or published works into condensed plain language formats that are appropriate for non-experts in the topic of choice. These pieces would preferably, but not necessarily, cover a science topic. This section could also include a description of past communication experiences (ie. describing an event you participated in or public speaking experiences) that you feel would give us a better appreciation of your ability as a communicator. If you wish to submit multimedia files (ie. a video, a podcast), please upload the file to an online location and copy the URL into a PDF that you submit to the application portal.
   
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume
• Three References
• Official transcripts or WES course-by-course evaluation (for studies completed outside of North America)
   

Step 4. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application file will be forwarded to the department. A Science Communication Program Admissions Committee will meet to review the suitability of all candidates only after receiving complete application files for all applications submitted prior to the application deadline. The committee will select a maximum of 15 successful candidates and forward these recommendations to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission.

Step 5. If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian.  Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.

Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Master in Science Communication (33 credits)

   SCOM 5016 Audiences and Issues
   SCOM 5026 Learning Theories and Practice in Science Communication
   SCOM 5036 Theories and Principles in Science Communication
   SCOM 5056 Design Theory in Science Communication
   SCOM 5066 Science Communication Practice I: Orientation
   SCOM 5116 Research Methods in Science Communication
   SCOM 5125 Major Research Paper in Science Communication
   SCOM 5136 Communication Science Through New Media
   SCOM 5146 Science Communication Practice II: Professional Experience
   Electives (Choose one)
      SCOM 5076 Communicating Science Through Exhibits
      SCOM 5106 Communicating Science Through Traditional Media

Graduate Diploma (27 credits)

   SCOM-5016EL-Audiences and Issues
   SCOM-5026EL-Learning: Theories and Practice
   SCOM-5036EL-Theories and Principles of Science Communication
   SCOM-5056EL-Design Theory in Science Communication
   SCOM-5066EL-Science Communication Practice
   SCOM-5116EL-Research Methods in Science Communication
   SCOM-5136 EL Communicating Science Through New Media
   SCOM-5146 EL Science Communication Practice II: Professional Experience

   1 of the following 2 courses:
      SCOM-5076EL-Communicating Science Through Exhibits
      SCOM-5106EL-Communicating Science Through Traditional Media

Science North:

• Amy Henson, Senior Scientist - amy.henson@sciencenorth.ca
• Katrina Pisani, Lead Staff Scientist, New Audiences & Research - katrina.pisani@sciencenorth.ca

Sessional Faculty:

• Ki-Youn Kim - kkim@laurentian.ca