"The Science Communication Program is widely regarded as one of the best science writing programs in the world; we believe that reputation is well deserved. Its graduates are making strong contributions to the public understanding of science."

—from a 2006 review by Sharon Dunwoody, Evjue-Bascom Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Colin Norman, News Editor, Science

Unlike master's degree programs in science writing, the Science Communication Program bestows a graduate certificate and:

• is just one year long
• requires real internships throughout the academic year
• does not require a thesis
• offers practical training with working journalists and editors as instructors
• emphasizes both news and long-form writing, with an eye toward substantive reporting on research and policy
• features small class sizes (10 students) in every course, ensuring extensive feedback from lecturers
• stresses writing and editing for the public, rather than theory, history of journalism, media law, and other topics
• produces graduates who have written articles for about a dozen professional editors, rather than simply writing for student-edited publications

Our students practice science writing as a fine art as well as a craft. They emerge from their year in Santa Cruz with dozens of published stories, a broad set of journalistic skills, and distinct voices as writers.