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Biology: Biology and Science Communication & Society

This MSc specialisation will start on Monday 5 September, 2011 at 9.00 in room 1.5.31, Sylvius Laboratory, with an information lecture.

This is a specialisation of the Biology Master.
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Peter Klinkhamer, email: p.g.l.klinkhamer@biology.leidenuniv.nl

For a description of the full programme read the information button!

The individual study programme consisting of choices of courses and the research project must have prior approval by the Board of Examiners. Courses may be elected from the MCB and EBC programmes.

Year 1: Biology programme
Year 2: Communication programme

First Year: Biology

The Biology component consists of the following:

  • Biology research project of 36-40 EC (including 3-4 EC for the project proposal and initial oral presentation, 4 EC for an MSc thesis and 1 EC for a colloquium).

  • Advanced theory (courses and lectures) of 20-24 EC to be selected in correspondence with the research topic.

The research project will preferably be in one of the research groups of the Institute of Biology (IBL), Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) or NCB Naturalis.

All theory is minimally at level 400.

The individual study programme consisting of choices of courses and the research project must have prior approval by the Board of Examiners. For the theory you may choose from the MCB and EBC programmes (see links below and see timetable).
Programme Molecular and Cellular Biosciences 2011-2012
Programme Evolution Biodiversity and Conservation 2011-2012

Second Year: Communication

The coordinator of the Communication component of the programme is Prof. Dr. J van den Broek, email: broek@edufwn.leidenuniv.nl

The Communication component consists of the following:

Mandatory:

  • Fundamentals of Science Communication and Society: Level 400, 17 EC

  • Training period: Level 600, 23-34 EC
    The training period can be in the field of Journalism, Museology or New Media and includes a written report, and an oral presentation.

Choice of:

  • Extension of the biology component: Level ≥ 400, 0-20 EC

  • Courses in Communication: Level ≥ 400, 0-8 EC

  • Communication Master thesis: Level 500/600, 5 EC

  • Communication research project related to Master thesis: Level 500/600, 4 EC

The choice of the training period, master thesis, and elective courses should be approved beforehand by respectively the coordinators of the biology and communication part of the programme.

For further description and information about the programme see the following link: Website Science Communication & Society

Meer info

Description

The MSc program Biology and Communication concerns science communication in a broad sense. The program prepares students for a career in popularisation of science (especially biological sciences), for example, as a science communicator, a science policymaker or a public relations officer, or for a career as a scientist with excellent communication skills. Students with an MSc in ‘Biology and Communication’ are admissible to a PhD program in Biology or in Science Communication.

Qualifications for admission

Students from any Dutch university with a BSc degree or major in Biology will be admitted to the program. For all other (international) candidates, the Board of Admissions will judge the equivalence of their previous training to these BSc degrees. Preferably, the BSc program has included the course Learning, Presentation and Communication, offered by the Leiden Graduate School of Education (ICLON), or equivalent courses. Applicants must provide proof of proficiency in Dutch at least at level NT2 (“Dutch as a second language”) but preferably at the level of native speakers.

Program

Biology
The Biology component of the Science Communication & Society specialisation consists of a biology research project of 36-40 EC (including 3-4 EC for the project proposal and initial oral presentation, 4 EC for the MSc thesis and 1 EC for the final colloquium) and 20-24 EC of advanced theory (courses and lectures) to be selected in relation to the research topic. The research project will preferably be in one of the research groups of the Institute of Biology (IBL), Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) or NCB Naturalis. A research project within one of the ‘Life Science’ research groups of the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC), at the Leiden-Amsterdam Centre of Drug Research (LACDR) or at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) may substitute for a research project within the IBL pending prior approval by the Board of Examiners. For students who will do a research project in one of the Molecular and Cellular Biosciences departments of the IBL it is mandatory to successfully finalize phase 1 of the MCB specialisation. Theoretical components should be minimally at level 400. The individual study programme consisting of choices of courses and the research project must have prior approval by the Board of Examiners.

Communication
The Communication component consists of the following:

Mandatory:

  • Fundamentals of Science Communication and Society: Level 400, 17 EC

  • Training period: Level 600, 23-34 EC
    The training period can be in the field of Journalism, Museology or New Media and includes a written report, and an oral presentation.

Choice of:

  • Extension of the biology component: Level ≥ 400, 0-20 EC

  • Courses in Communication: Level ≥ 400, 0-8 EC

  • Communication Master thesis: Level 500/600, 5 EC

  • Communication research project related to Master thesis: Level 500/600, 4 EC

The choice of the training period, master thesis, and elective courses should be approved beforehand by respectively the coordinators of the biology and communication part of the program.