What Is Civic Science Communication?
Civic Science Communication is about more than just sharing scientific information – it involves building bridges between science and society. By making science accessible, engaging, and understandable, we can break down barriers, foster trust, and empower diverse communities to actively participate in scientific conversations that impact their lives. Civic science communicators advocate for evidence-based policies, promote public understanding, and engage people from all walks of life in critical decision-making processes.
The Graduate Certificate in Civic Science Communication is a four-course (16-credit), 100% online certificate program designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree. The program can be completed in just 2 semesters to accelerate students’ learning. Each 8-week course allows for flexibility, enabling you to take up to 2 courses per semester, and equips you with the essential skills and strategies to connect science with the public in meaningful ways. Whether you’re speaking to policymakers, collaborating with media, or engaging with the general public, you’ll learn to tailor your message, inspire action, and promote a deeper understanding of complex scientific issues. This program focuses on the five pillars of civic science communication, created with the Practice and Science of Civic Science Advisory Committee and others:
- Scaffolding for Learning and Impact
- Understanding Science in Context
- Designing for Equity and Inclusion
- Communicating for the Future
- Leading for Systems Change
Whether you have an existing career in science communication or are a journalist, researcher, scientist, policymaker, in the nonprofit sector – among others – and seeking to enhance your data storytelling and science communication skills, this program will provide you with the tools and knowledge to make a significant impact. Learn more in this video from Professor Fanuel Mundi (civic science scholar-journalist) and COM Dean Mariette DiChristina.
Benefits of the Program
- Learn to engage diverse audiences: Understand how different groups receive and share information and develop strategies to effectively foster civic engagement, communicate with the public, media, and policymakers, and improve public engagement with science.
- Master how to communicate science effectively: Learn best practices for science communication – how to contextualize complex information and data and share it effectively through written, verbal, and social channels to become a better science storyteller.
- Become a skilled advocate: Develop advocacy skills to persuade policymakers, the media, and the public to make informed decisions based on scientific evidence.
- Advance your career: Gain valuable skills that can open doors to a variety of careers in science communication, marketing, journalism, public relations, social media, media relations, community engagement, science policy advocacy, and beyond – or expand on your current skills.
The Graduate Certificate in Civic Science Communication provides you with the tools and knowledge to become a leader in this field. By mastering the art of science storytelling, engaging diverse audiences, and advocating for science in public and policy arenas, you can make a significant impact on the world.
Why Choose BU’s Civic Science Communication Certificate?
Hands-on Learning
Each 8-week online course offers practical experience in which you will tackle projects like multimedia storytelling, public health campaigns, and data-driven narratives. You’ll leave with a portfolio of work that shows employers your ability to communicate science effectively.
Career-Boosting Credential
Designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree, this certificate will set you apart in any job market—whether you’re pursuing roles in academia, nonprofits, government agencies, or industry. The skills you gain will help you stand out and open doors to career advancement in fields like public relations, environmental advocacy, healthcare policy, media coverage, and much more.
Flexible Learning
We offer flexible learning to fit your lifestyle. Complete the program online at your own pace, taking up to two 8-week courses per semester. Choose optional in-person workshops and networking events, which give you the chance to meet peers and professors and collaborate in real-time—all while benefiting from the convenience of online, self-paced study.
Learn Interdisciplinary Perspectives from Experts
Science communication is a field that spans many disciplines. You’ll be taught by professionals who are leaders in their fields, from communication, health, environmental science, climate change, policy, and data storytelling. Their experience and insights will guide you in mastering the art of engaging diverse audiences and gaining a broad perspective on how different areas approach public engagement.
What Will You Learn?
The Graduate Certificate in Civic Science Communication consists of four 8-week online courses (16 credits total) that build your expertise in science communication, in an asynchronous format that enables you to learn the content at your own pace and convenience. Each course will include one live, synchronous group work experience. Once you complete these courses, you’ll receive a Boston University Graduate Certificate recognizing your specialized training.
The tuition for each course is $5,000 ($1,250 per credit) plus a $60 student services fee.
Current BU students: Tuition for these courses is included in your existing graduate program fees.
Required Courses (4 courses in 8-week modules; up to 2 courses per semester):
This course gives program participants experience in preparing information to engage and connect with multiple audiences, including both journalistic and promotional/persuasive communication. 4 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the impact of journalistic and persuasive stories using written, visual, and multimedia elements.
- Share stories with a variety of audiences, cognizant of the complexities of the lived and learned experiences of those audiences.
- Gain experience in crafting science-based stories for promotional communication, including public relations and advertising that may help foster engagement and collaboration with lay populations, policy makers, and other scientists.
This course looks at how humans perceive information and, in turn, how best to actively engage those audiences. A heavy focus will be placed on interpersonal and mass communication theories, evidence, and applications, including examples of effective campaigns from the areas of health, risk, and science communication. 4 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and be able to craft messages based on human communication theory and assessing evidence.
- Craft engagement strategies and messaging for a variety of audiences based on the particular nuances of the group.
- Learn how to ethically engage with diverse audiences to understand their needs.
- Learn to create dialogic, inclusive campaigns that not only inform, but also effectively change attitudes and activate behaviors.
- Gain a sense of how decisions are made so that they may influence at the right level and time with the right communication strategies.
We are surrounded by raw data from both primary and secondary sources. This course will focus on using this data to best share information with various audiences. A secondary component of this course will focus on making scientific information consumable by non-scientific audiences. 4 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain experience in identifying sources of data that are publicly available and will be able to use those data in conjunction with their own to be able to effectively communicate scientific ideas to a variety of audiences.
- Effectively present data in written, oral, and infographic form in ways that audiences are able to understand.
- Gain an understanding of the limitations of publicly available data, particularly in how historically excluded and marginalized communities’ voices are often missing from such data.
- Gain experience in transforming technical and scientific writing/material to formats that are widely understood by non-scientific audiences.
Advocacy today is much more than just disseminating information. It involves the ability to collaborate with and persuade journalists, various publics, and policymakers to make informed, fact-based decisions and changes to behavior. Case studies and discussions in communication management and advocacy leadership will be a significant part of the course. Participants will gain practical experience in media training and engagement, public presentation (in-person, virtual, and mediated), and reciprocal communication. 4 credits.
Learning Outcomes
- Gain experience in working with and through media to share information.
- Gain knowledge of issues in communication management and advocacy leadership, including counter-advocacy efforts.
- Gain practical experience in engaging community members in civic discussions and leading for systems change.
- Learn how to engage the media, policy makers, and community members in reciprocal communication about their work and work collaboratively with these groups to advance scientific knowledge
Additional Requirements
In addition to the four online courses, the Graduate Certificate in Civic Science Communication provides opportunities for you to engage in dynamic cohort experiences, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
Each semester, students participate in at least one live, synchronous activity per course, designed to deepen their learning, expand their professional networks, and offer hands-on experience in science communication. These activities offer both in-person and online options.
Cohort Mixers and Networking Events
Students are regularly invited to campus for an optional networking event where they can meet fellow certificate program participants, faculty, and guest professionals from the Civic Science Communication community. These informal gatherings give students opportunities to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and build professional relationships with peers and mentors in the field. The mixers also feature facilitated discussions on current trends and challenges in science communication.
Fireside Chats With Civic Science Fellows and Teaching Faculty
The program hosts a Fireside Chat series with Civic Science Fellows and program faculty. These intimate, discussion-based events provide students with the chance to engage directly with experts in civic science communication, ask questions about their work, and explore how to apply their knowledge. Faculty members share their experiences, offer career advice, and discuss the future of science communication, providing insights into the program’s key themes of narrative change and community engagement.
SciCommers Mentor Chat Series
Students also have the opportunity to attend SciCommers Mentor Chats, where they can connect one-on-one or in small groups with experienced science communicators. These virtual online sessions are designed to offer personalized guidance and support as students navigate their own projects and professional development. Mentors cover a range of topics, including crafting compelling science stories, building an online presence, and engaging with diverse audiences.
COM Science Communication Lecture Series and Workshops
Throughout the semester, students have access to a variety of COM Science Communication Lecture Series events, featuring guest speakers from across academia, journalism, and policy. Students hear from leading voices in science communication and explore how their work intersects with broader social issues. Students are also encouraged to attend workshops offered by the College of Communication, focusing on practical skills like media training, digital storytelling, and public speaking.
Each course provides a curated list of events that satisfy the live component requirement.
Who Should Enroll?
- Graduate Students: Enhance your academic training with practical communication skills that set you apart in today’s job market.
- Researchers: Want your research to reach broader audiences and influence policy? This certificate will give you the tools you need.
- Science Professionals: Already working in the field? Learn to communicate your work more effectively to non-experts, policymakers, and the media.
- Nonprofit and Government Professionals: Gain new strategies for advocating for science-based decisions in public and policy arenas.
If you have any questions or want to discuss how this program aligns with your career goals, contact Dr. Amml Hussein at amml@bu.edu or COM Graduate Affairs at comgrad@bu.edu.
Are You Ready To Become a Leader in Civic Science Communication?
At BU, we’re training science communicators to bridge the gap between science and society, engage diverse audiences, and drive meaningful change.
Enrollment is open year-round.
To be eligible for the 4-course Graduate Certificate in Civic Science Communication or individual courses, a bachelor’s degree is required. No GRE is necessary.
Steps to Apply:
- Complete the online application form below.
- Upload transcript(s) within our online application from colleges and/or universities you’ve attended beyond high school. Transcript(s) must include evidence of a bachelor’s degree, such as a final transcript showing the degree conferral date.
- One letter of recommendation
- Statement of purpose: Please provide a brief statement (approximately 500 to 750 words) outlining your interest in civic science communication. In your statement, highlight your unique qualifications and motivations for pursuing this certificate, your interest in science, relevant experience (if any), career goals, and how you plan to use your new skills to make a positive impact in the field.
Option to enroll as a non-degree student: If you’re not ready to commit to the full certificate program, you can take individual courses as a non-degree student.
Civic Science Application for Admission
This application is for individuals interested in enrolling in all four courses required for the Civic Science Certificate. If you are interested in enrolling in one class to explore the class experience, you can choose the non-degree student option.