Sharing scientific discoveries with the public is no longer solely the job of professional communicators; rather, it is a skill that all scholars should have. This minor offers an opportunity to apply communication theories, goals and processes to scientific phenomena. Students in the minor will have the flexibility to build their curricula with a combination of courses in communications, public engagement and scientific research, ethics, and literacy.
This minor is designed for undergraduates who are interested in the sciences and/or engineering and would like to learn how to use a wide variety of communication tools for engaging publics, including non-technical audiences and policymakers.
Students completing the minor will develop an identity as someone who can contribute to the public understanding of science.
Requirements
Students who declare this minor will have to take at least 8 science and/or engineering credits as their major or second minor. These courses can be taken prior to, or simultaneously with the science communication minor courses, and need to be different courses than the ones appear on the core and electives list below. The minor consists of 18 credit hours in addition to the science and engineering credits:
- All students will be required to take, COMM 2850 (Spring, 3cr.) – Communication, Environment, Science, and Health.
- In addition to the core course, students will need to take at least 15 credits including a minimum of six credits from a group of courses covering Community Engaged Learning (CU-CEL); at least six credits from courses related to communication, and a minimum of three credits from a cluster of courses on scientific methods, ethics and science literacy.
- Community engagement is an important aspect of science communication. Many courses already have a community-engagement component (CU-CEL) but students will be encouraged to gain experience in the field, practicing public speaking, community engagement, or assessment as part of independent research (4990 course) or as part of an internship with a community partner (4960 course).
- Communication majors and minors interested in this minor will have to fulfill the minor requirements (except the core course) with courses outside of the Communication (COMM) department.
More information on the Science Communication Minor
For more information and to apply, please visit the Science Communication Minor website: http://scicomm.cornell.edu/scicomm-minor/