MSc Science Communication

piby

Has anybody done this course or hear anything about it? I've just finished my undergrad in microbiology myself and I'm just trying to get a few opinions as to what it's like, particularly if they came from a science background as opposed to a journalism one.

Limerick Dude

One of my roommates from 2 years ago was doing this.

I could give you his email or something if you want to get into contact with him about it and ask him a few questions

DCU student

I did this course a few years ago and found it excellent. I enjoyed it so much I am now doing a PhD in the same area, but my classmates have gone onto do science journalism or to work in outreach and education.

The modules are a good mix, some of them theoretical about the theory of communication etc and some very practical and hands-on such as journalism and publication design. There were around ten people in our class, although we shared lectures with other classes for some modules.

The lecturers were excellent and really opened my mind to the wider place of science in society. The workload is doable, the course is all continuous assessment - there are no exams.

PM me if you'd like any more details. I'd be happy to talk to you about the course.

DCU student

I meant to mention, most people who do the course have a science background rather than a journalism/humanities one

Limerick Dude

Im pretty sure my old roomate who did this course had a degree in communications before doing this, he said he enjoyed it very much anyway, he also said he found alot of the stuff he did overlapped with stuff he already did in his degree in communications.

piby

Thanks for your help guys

sparkeys

I've also applied to do the Masters this year as a mature student. It's been some time since I was last at University and a last minute decision to do the course. How heavy is the workload? I'm concerned about being up to speed with essays etc. and I have a daughter starting secondary this september too... I'm not sure if it will all be too much this year and maybe better to defer for a year, while I get my head together and daughter settled in secondary school. Does anyone have any thoughts? It'd be a big help

piby

Just to let ya know I got accepted there during the week!

sparkeys wrote: »

I've also applied to do the Masters this year as a mature student. It's been some time since I was last at University and a last minute decision to do the course. How heavy is the workload? I'm concerned about being up to speed with essays etc. and I have a daughter starting secondary this september too... I'm not sure if it will all be too much this year and maybe better to defer for a year, while I get my head together and daughter settled in secondary school. Does anyone have any thoughts? It'd be a big help

I'm sure you've probably seen this but it's a timetable http://www.dcu.ie/timetables/feed.php3?prog=MSC&per=1&week1=1&week2=12&hour=1-20&template=student

Doesn't look too bad but it's kind of annoying that all the lectures are late in the afternoon! Is it like this every year guys? When does it start? Sorry for all the questions I assume I'll get details in the post now that I've accepted it? It's actually quite important because I'm applying for a HEA grant and I need a physical letter of acceptance from the university.

Best of luck with your application sparkeys, maybe I'll see you in a few weeks

sparkeys

I assume the late lectures are to accommodate the part time people? And I believe there will be more lectures than that as they look like core modules and you have to do more? Which is why I asked about workload, lectures, no of essays etc. I'm also looking at the HEG and how the two tally up. I certainly don't want to pay the 500 booking fee and then not get the grant. It's all quite stressful really. Does anyone else have any experience with the workload and what to do about the grant in terms of booking fee if you don't know whether you'll get the grant or not? Thanks

piby

Yeah I found a list of core and optional modules:

http://www.dcu.ie/registry/module_contents.php?function=4&programme=MSC

Comparing that to the timetable it doesn't seem too bad. I'm pretty sure there won't be more than that, at least in the first term anyway! The only reason I bang on about it because I work three nights a week and my shifts start at five. So with the later lectures it's going to cause a bit of a headache trying to accomodate everything!

The situation with the grants is a bit precarious alright. I got one all four years of my undergrad which I've just finished and given that my circumstances haven't changed I'm fairly confident of getting it. That said if I don't get it I can't do the course so fingers crossed! I think we'll just have to pay the €500 anyway but it'll suck if we do and then not get the grant. Like I said for me the most important thing is getting the acceptance letter so I can apply for my grant in the first place. Man I always feel with this system that it's a catch-22: You need to accept the course to apply for the grant but if you than don't get the grant you can't do the course and you (most likely) have to withdraw anyway!

candle_wax

piby wrote: »

I'm sure you've probably seen this but it's a timetable http://www.dcu.ie/timetables/feed.php3?prog=MSC&per=1&week1=1&week2=12&hour=1-20&template=student

Doesn't look too bad but it's kind of annoying that all the lectures are late in the afternoon! Is it like this every year guys? When does it start? Sorry for all the questions I assume I'll get details in the post now that I've accepted it? It's actually quite important because I'm applying for a HEA grant and I need a physical letter of acceptance from the university.

Hey that timetable is only the "day" timetable - the "day and evening" shows the full day where a few more of your lectures are hidden!
http://www.dcu.ie/timetables/feed.php3?prog=MSC&per=1&week1=1&week2=12&hour=1-28&template=student

I'm doing a MA as well (in political and public communication) and am wondering if anyone has gotten letters or anything from DCU? Im in DCU at the moment and awaiting my thesis results which won't be out til mid-September, so I mightn't be actually on the course list yet, and I'm just curious if other people have gotten anything official from them yet?

I'd just like to know before I start harassing the registry...

piby

candle_wax wrote: »

Hey that timetable is only the "day" timetable - the "day and evening" shows the full day where a few more of your lectures are hidden!
http://www.dcu.ie/timetables/feed.php3?prog=MSC&per=1&week1=1&week2=12&hour=1-28&template=student

Man that's so annoying! I suppose it really doesn't change much in regard to work but being out in DCU until 8 in the evening two nights a week? If it's a case that the various lecturers aren't available until those times fair enough what can you do, but if it's to accomodate part-timers then that really bothers me. If you want to do it part-time fair duce but it should fit around the full-time timetable not the other way around! Sorry I know I'm having a rant and being a bit selfish, I apologize, but it means work's messed up and no rugby for me this year either Even forgetting that it means you're sitting around all day waiting to go in! I don't like that I'm the sort of person who likes to get things done early in the day and out of the way.

candle_wax wrote: »

I'm doing a MA as well (in political and public communication) and am wondering if anyone has gotten letters or anything from DCU? Im in DCU at the moment and awaiting my thesis results which won't be out til mid-September, so I mightn't be actually on the course list yet, and I'm just curious if other people have gotten anything official from them yet?

I'd just like to know before I start harassing the registry...

Yeah I'm still waiting for some sort of letter or something to arrive! If it hasn't by Monday I'm just going to call them and harass :P

DCU student

You may find that having classes in the evening is annoying but this is to accommodate the part-time students. You'll find that it's a great advantage having part-time students on the course. Many of them will have a lot of experience working in science / science communication and it livens up class discussions having people who have experience rather than having all students coming straight from colllege.

Irish Halo

I agree with all DCU student has said. I did it a few years ago now (classes during the day though :P) and loved it not to the point of doing a PhD though.

We were mostly mixed in with the MA in Journalism (Boo Hiss ) when we did our courses.

Divisadero

Just giving this a bump for 2012. Anyone else have anything to add re the DCU MSc in Science Communication?

BlindBetty

I did this course a number of years ago. I am glad to read students taking it on now have such a good experience. My class was an excellent mix of both science and humanities backgrounds. I found it difficult to find work or further development in the area after completing the course but I began the course in it's early years and it was not solely based in DCU at the time.

sh1tin-a-brick

Any chance of bumping this thread for current info? Interesting stuff so far but just wondering if it all still applies! I'm applying for similar courses in the UK and stumbled across the DCU one just recently. Anyone who did this previously care to offer their experiences, say in getting jobs etc?

PanicStations

Hello,

Just seeing your question now. I did the course a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I did a PhD in the area and now I work in a university in the UK.

This is a link to a survey that was carried out a few years ago of graduates of the course about what they thought of it and what long term impacts it had.

http://www.dcu.ie/communications/resources/pdf/Results_of_survey_of%20graduates_of_MSc_in_Science_Communication.pdf

From what I know myself, some graduates go into journalism (e.g. check out Claire O'Connell and Anthony King at the Irish Times, Marie Boran at Silicon Republic), some education and outreach - a lot of research institutes have E & O remits and that means they run schools programmes, public science events and so on, quite a few work in the Science Gallery, including the director Lynn Scarff and Ian Brunswick who you can hear interviewed every Saturday morning on Futureproof, Newstalk's science programme, some work in policy-making, e.g. with Science Foundation Ireland, some have gone into research, getting PhDs and later lecturing jobs, some teaching etc.

I hope this helps, let me know if you've any more questions.

Also the guy running the course Padraig Murphy is really sound, which helps