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Overview

The programme is uniquely positioned at the intersection of scientific research, museum practice and public engagement, where students learn not only how science is communicated, but how communication shapes the ways scientific knowledge is understood, trusted and made meaningful within society.

Located within the Faculty of Science, the programme brings together the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences and creative practice to explore how knowledge moves between research, museums, policy, media and diverse publics. Students work alongside scientists, museum practitioners, journalists, artists and science communicators, engaging with science communication as an integral part of scientific inquiry rather than as a promotional activity that follows research.

The curriculum develops advanced theoretical, methodological and professional skills for communicating science across complex social and environmental contexts. Students examine trust, narrative, discourse, public engagement, ethics, misinformation and participation while learning to design, conduct and evaluate science communication that is rigorous, reflexive and responsive to context.

From 2027, the programme follows a two-year N+1 model. Students complete all coursework during the first year and submit their research proposal within the first three months of study. The second year is dedicated to the 90-credit Research Report, allowing time for sustained independent research and close supervision. Students who successfully complete all coursework in Year 1 register only for the research report in Year 2, with no additional tuition fees beyond the initial year of study.

The programme is closely connected to the Thick Time Lab, the Science Communication research and project platform at the Origins Centre, where students engage with interdisciplinary research, exhibitions, residencies and collaborative projects that connect scientific research with public life.

Duration

• 2-years full-time
• Year 1: In-person, with some hybrid
• Year 2: Research Report

Curriculum

Master of Science in the Field of Science Communication (30 credits):
This Master's-level course introduces students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to contemporary science communication as an interdisciplinary field of research and professional practice. Through lectures, practitioner masterclasses, field-based learning, collaborative inquiry and project-based work, students develop advanced theoretical, methodological and practical competencies for engaging science across diverse public contexts.

Situated within the Origins Centre, this in-person course uses the museum as a living site of inquiry where scientific research, heritage, interpretation and public engagement intersect. Students explore how scientific knowledge is produced, interpreted and encountered, examining the relationships between evidence, communication and society. Working alongside scientists, museum practitioners and science communicators, they gain insight into how communication accompanies scientific research from its development through to its public life.

Grounded in the critical imaginary, the curriculum approaches science communication as a practice of meaning-making that shapes how science, society and possible futures are understood. Students critically examine how narratives, discourse, framing, histories and power influence the production and communication of scientific knowledge, asking what kinds of worlds, identities, publics and futures different forms of science communication make possible or foreclose. Through museums, heritage, environmental communication, storytelling, multimedia and interdisciplinary collaboration, they develop participatory and context-responsive approaches that strengthen trust in science while remaining grounded in rigorous scientific inquiry.

Throughout the course, students design and critically evaluate science communication across multiple settings and media. They engage directly with contemporary scientific research, develop communication projects in collaboration with practitioners, and build the analytical skills needed to evaluate communication strategies, work across disciplinary boundaries and contribute to science communication as both a scholarly field and a professional practice.

Research Report: Science Communication (90 credits):
Year 2

Entry Requirements

Honours Degree or equivalent international degree; or a relevant portfolio demonstrating adequate experience as a communicator and a motivation letter.

University Application Process

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. The University's Postgraduate Funding portal is a database of scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities available to µÚÒ»³Ô¹ÏÍø postgraduate students. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities.  The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies.