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Biology: Biology and Science Communication & Society

Master

The specialisation Science Communication and Society concerns science communication in a broad sense. The programme prepares students for a career in popularisation of science, for example, as a science communicator, a science policymaker or a public relations or health communication officer, or for a career as a scientist with a communicating mind-set. Also for future science teachers the specialisation is a valuable preparation. Students with an MSc specialisation Science Communication and Society are admissible to a PhD programme in their MSc research field or in Science Communication.

Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Peter Klinkhamer
Email: p.g.l.klinkhamer@biology.leidenuniv.nl

This MSc specialisation will start on Monday 4 September, 2017 at the Sylvius Laboratory, with an information lecture.

Year 1: Biology programme
Year 2: Communication programme

For a description of the full programme read the more information button!
For the timetable and registration in usis and codes for the Biology year, see under ‘files’ (bestanden).

Year 1: Biology

The Biology component consists of the following:

  • Research Project Biology of 36 EC

  • Advanced theory (courses and lectures) of 24 EC

The Biology component can be extended with an additional 20 EC (courses or extension of the research project to 80 EC in total). The research project has to take place in one of the research groups of the IBL, CML or Naturalis, other Institutes of the Faculty of Sciences or LUMC. 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 through approval of the individual study plan of a student and approval of the research agreement.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory elements:
Advanced Statistics 4
Genomic Architecture 6
Research Project Biology 36

One of the following courses is compulsory:
Orientation on From Cells to Organisms 2
Orientation on Evolutionary Biology 2
Orientation on Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology 2
Orientation on Biodiversity and Sustainability 2

At least three of the courses (or courses from the list of biology electives or other electives) are compulsory:
Advanced Cell Biology 4
Advanced Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology 3
Animal Personality 6
Development and Evolution 6
Ecosystem Services 6
Global Regulatory Networks in Bacteria (GRNB) 6
Human Impacts on Biodiversity 6
The Immune system of plants 6
Integrative Taxonomy 6
Mechanisms of Disease 6
Methods in Biodiversity Analysis 6
Paleobiology 3

Year 2: Communication

The coordinator of the Science Communication & Society (SCS) component of the programme is:
Dr. A.M. Land-Zandstra, email: a.m.land@biology.leidenuniv.nl

The Communication component consists of the following:

  • SCS Fundamentals, 19 EC

  • Scientific Narration and Visualization, 4 EC

  • SCS research proposal, 3 EC

  • SCS internship(s), 14-34 EC

Course information on the SCS courses can be obtained from the SCS page in the e-Prospectus

Biology Electives

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2
Advanced Academic Skills Elite Course 6
Biodiversity and Conservation (seminar) 4
Book exam 6
Chemistry of System Earth 3
Economic Botany Today 4
Introduction to Laboratory Animal Science 1
Plant Families of the Tropics 5
Top Lectures Basic 1
Top Lectures Elite 3
Tropical Biodiversity and Field Methods (South East Asia) 6
Practical Assistance 2/10

Other Electives

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Electives Faculty of Science and LUMC:
Advances in Data Mining 6
Biological Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 4
Computational Molecular Biology 6
From genetic disease to functional genomics 6
Image Analysis with Applications in Microscopy 6
Mathematical Biology: Metabolic Network Analysis (BM) 6
Model organisms in cancer drug discovery and development 4
Multiscale Mathematical Biology (BM) 6
Science and the public: contemporary and historical perspectives 6
Science Methodology (SCM) 4
Stem Cells 6
Other approved electives 1/6

More info

Description

The specialisation Science Communication and Society concerns science communication in a broad sense. The programme prepares students for a career in popularisation of science, for example, as a science communicator, a science policymaker or a public relations or health communication officer, or for a career as a scientist with a communicating mind-set. For future science teachers the specialisation is also a valuable preparation. Students with an MSc specialisation Science Communication and Society are admissible to a PhD programme in their MSc research field or in Science Communication.

Qualifications for admission

Admissible to the specialisation SCS are all students that are admitted to a Master Programme of the Faculty of Science or the Master Programme in Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine (LUMC) provided that the rules and regulations of the subject Master Programme do allow so. Preferably, the BSc programme has included some coursework in (science) communication.
In addition, international applicants must provide proof of proficiency in English with an IELTS ≥ 6.5.

Programme

The MSc programme in combination with the Science Communication and Society (SCS) specialisation consists of two components:

  • a component within the chosen MSc programme.

  • a Science Communication and Society component.

Preferably, the component within the chosen MSc programme should be followed during the first year of study, the Science Communication and Society component should be followed during the second year. The SCS specialisation programme comprises at least 40 EC. A maximum of 20 EC of electives can be filled in with either SCS courses, or with components within the MSc programme of choice.

Biology
The Biology component consist of a research project of 36 EC and 24 EC of advanced theory (courses and lectures). The Biology component can be extended with an additional 20 EC (courses or extension of the research project to 80 EC in total).
The research project has to take place in one of the research groups of the IBL, CML or Naturalis, other Institutes of the Faculty of Sciences or LUMC. 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 through approval of the individual study plan of a student and approval of the research agreement.

Science Communication and Society
The Science Communication and Society component consists of the following:

  • SCS Fundamentals, 19 EC

  • Scientific Narration and Visualization, 4 EC

  • SCS research proposal, 3 EC

  • SCS internship(s), 14-34 EC

Approval of program

All master students have to submit a master study program, consisting of choices of courses and one or two research projects, to the studyadvisor. Through the submission of this study program, the Board of Examiners determines whether the individual study program can be approved.