Course details : UWA Handbook 2019 : The University of Western Australia

Master of Science Communication (coursework or coursework and dissertation)

Students learn principles of effective science communication, develop practical skills necessary for effective science communication, and design strategies that address communication needs of groups such as government organisations, informal museums, science centres and research centres. Students will gain an understanding of the theory underlying the discipline and be able to apply their knowledge to a research project.

Course overview

Course title: Master of Science Communication (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
Award abbreviation: MSc(Comm)
Course code: 51580
Course type: master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
Status: current / 2019
Administered by: Faculty of Science
CRICOS code: 061841J

Course details

Intake periods: Beginning of year and mid-year
Attendance type: full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
Articulation: The Master of Science Communication has the following exit awards: 51240 Graduate Certificate in Science Communication (24 points) (24 points), 51340 Graduate Diploma in Science Communication (48 points) (48 points)
Credit points required: 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester.
Standard course duration: 1.5 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the Faculty
Maximum course duration: 2 years full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
Time limit: 5 years
Delivery mode: internal
Locations offered: UWA (Perth)
Domestic fee type: Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
Course Coordinator(s): Dr Heather Bray & Dr Sam Illingworth
Fees: Visit the fees calculator.

Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.

Course structure

Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2019; NS = non-standard teaching period

All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2020 or 2021.

Students who have not completed prior tertiary studies in science communication, or equivalent, must complete relevant conversion units up to the value of 24 points from this group, as advised by the Faculty:

Availability	Unitcode	Unitname	Unit requirements
S2	SCOM2205	Science Presentations
S1	SCOM2208	Science Writing	Prerequisites: completion of 36 credit points or enrolment in the Master of Science Communication (51580) Incompatibility: COMM3324 Science Communication—Writing
S1	SCOM3319	Exhibitions and Interpretation	Prerequisites: any Level 2 COMM unit or any Level 2 SCOM unit or enrolment in Master of Science Communication (51580)
S2	SCOM3321	Science and the Media	Prerequisites: any Level 2 COMM unit or any Level 2 SCOM unit or enrolment in Master of Science Communication (51580)

Take all units (36 points):

Availability	Unitcode	Unitname	Unit requirements
S1, S2	SCIE5304	Science Practicum	Prerequisites: enrollment in Master of Science Communication (51580) or the Master of Exercise Science (52510), or the Master of Environmental Science (72530), or the Master of Biological Science (72520), or the Master of Biological Arts (71530), or the Master of Agricultural Science (72510), or the Master of Biomedical Science (71520) and approval of the unit coordinator
S1	SCOM4402	Science Communication Literature Review	Prerequisites: enrolment in Science Communication honours or Master of Science Communication (51580) or Master of Clinical Research (90620) or Master of Social Science Research Methods (12560)
S2	SCOM5302	Contemporary Issues in Science Communication
S2	SCOM5308	Peer Review
NS	SOCS5003	Research Design	Prerequisites: for Social Research Methods students and Science Communication students : none; for other postgraduate course (International Relations, Strategic Communications, Asian Studies, International Development, Public Policy) students: completion of 24 points of their coursework, three core units and one option unit, and have achieved a 70 per cent WAM in those units.
NS	SOCS5501	Evaluation

For students in course by coursework and dissertation only, take all units (24 points):

Availability	Unitcode	Unitname	Unit requirements
S1, S2	SCOM5810	Science Communication Dissertation Part 1	Prerequisites: enrolment in the Master of Science Communication (51580) and SCOM4402 Science Communication Literature Review and SOCS5003 Research Design. Students who want to undertake a research project as an optional unit must have (a)(i) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3 units in their undergraduate major. These units must be relevant to the master's specialisation; or (ii) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3, 4 and 5 units completed within the course; and (b) a supervisor, approved by the Faculty, must have confirmed their willingness and availability to supervise the research project.
S1, S2	SCOM5811	Science Communication Dissertation Part 2	Prerequisites: enrolment in the Master of Science Communication (51580) or honours in Science Communication and SCOM4402 Science Communication Literature Review and SOCS5003 Research Design
S1, S2	SCOM5812	Science Communication Dissertation Part 3	Prerequisites: enrolment in the Master of Science Communication (51580) or honours in Science Communication and SCOM4402 Science Communication Literature Review and SOCS5003 Research Design
S1, S2	SCOM5813	Science Communication Dissertation Part 4	Prerequisites: enrolment in the Master of Science Communication (51580) or honours in Science Communication and SCOM4402 Science Communication Literature Review and SOCS5003 Research Design

For students in course by coursework only, take unit(s) to the value of 36 points of which at least 6 points (one unit) must be taken at Level 5. For students in course by coursework and dissertation only, take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:

Group B

Availability	Unitcode	Unitname	Unit requirements
S1, S2	APHB5510	Advanced Aesthetic Crossovers of Art and Science	Incompatibility: VISA2214 Aesthetic Crossovers of Art and Science
S2	APHB5511	Advanced Art and Life Manipulation	Incompatibility: VISA2249 Art and Life Manipulation
NS	COMM5303	Communication Strategies for Change	Prerequisites: enrolment in a postgraduate course Incompatibility: COMM3303/COMM8303 Science Communication for Change in Industry and Community; SCOM3320 Communication Strategies for Change
N/A	COMM5605	Issues in Contemporary Global Journalism
NS	COMM5701	Strategic Communications in a Digital Era
S1	COMM5702	Digital Media: Theory and Practice
NS	COMM5703	Communication, Innovation and Project Management
N/A	COMM5704	Global Media and Cross-cultural Communication
NS	COMM5705	Representation and Promotion
S1	EDUC5492	Understanding and Managing Disruptive Behaviour Disorders
NS	EDUC5494	Approaches to Student Assessment
NS	EDUC5608	Integrating Pedagogy and Technology
NS	EDUC5631	Approaches to Research	Prerequisites: enrolment in one of the following courses: Master of Educational Leadership (30520); Master of Education (30580); Graduate Diploma in Professional Education (31310); Graduate Diploma in Educational Assessment; Master of Education (31500); Master of Teaching (31520); Master of Education in Assessment, Measurement and Evaulation (31530); Master of Education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (31560); Master of Educational Studies (31600); Master of Special Education (31620); Master of Education in Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation (31630); Master of Educational Leadership (31650); Master of Education (31670); Master of Education (31700); Graduate Diploma in Curriculum Studies (32310); Graduate Diploma in School Leadership (32320); Master of Curriculum Studies (32510); Master of School Leadership (32520)
N/A	EDUC5633	Quantitative Inquiry
S1	EDUC5634	Qualitative Inquiry
NS	EDUC5658	Education Policy Trends: Global to Local
S1	GEOG5502	Conservation, Development and Sustainability	Incompatibility: SOCS5502 Conservation, Development and Sustainability
NS	HERI5101	Debates in Contemporary Heritage Studies
S1, S2	MKTG5406	Buyer Behaviour and Decision Making
NS	MKTG5604	Technology Commercialisation	Incompatibility: MKTG5603 Management of Technology and Innovation
S1	PUBH5754	Health Promotion I
N/A	PUBH5765	Health Promotion II	Prerequisites: PUBH5754 Health Promotion I (formerly PUBH8754 Health Promotion I); or equivalent
S1	PUBH5805	Qualitative Research Methods in Health
S1, S2	SCIE4403	The Conduct, Ethics and Communication of Science	Prerequisites: enrolment in postgraduate course or honours
S2	SCIE4481	Good, Bogus and Corrupted Science	Prerequisites: enrolment in honours or postgraduate course
NS	SOCS5005	Social Research Ethics
N/A	SOCS5009	Innovative Social Research Methods
NS	SOCS5010	NGOs, Governance and Development
NS	SSEH5491	Health Education	Prerequisites: enrolment in Master of Teaching (Secondary)
NS	SSEH5492	Health Promotion in the Schools	Prerequisites: enrolment in Master of Teaching (Secondary)
S1	SSEH5654	Fundamentals in Research Methods	Prerequisites: enrolment in the Bachelor of Exercise Rehabilitation Science honours; or postgraduate study in Sport Science, Exercise and Health; or the Master of Exercise Science (coursework) (52510); or the Graduate Diploma in Sport and Recreation Management (51390)

See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.

Rules

Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures

1.(1) The http://handbooks.uwa.edu.au/postgraduate/student-procedures'>student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.

Academic Conduct Essentials module

2.(1) Except as stated in (2), a student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module).

(2) A student who has previously achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module is not required to repeat the module.

English Language competency requirements

3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.

Admission requirements

4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—

(a) a Bachelor of Science; or a bachelor's degree with a major in Communication and Media Studies; or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;

and

(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent.

Admission ranking and selection

5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.

Articulations and exit awards

6.(1) This course has the following exit awards:

51240 Graduate Certificate in Science Communication (24 points)
51340 Graduate Diploma in Science Communication (48 points)

(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Science Communication course before completing it, and has completed four units at level 4/5 three of which must be core, may apply to the Faculty to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Science Communication.

(3) A student who withdraws from the Master of Science Communication course before completing it, eight units at level 4/5 four of which must be core, may apply to the Faculty to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Science Communication.

Course structure

7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.

(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.

(3) Students who have completed prior tertiary studies in science communication, or equivalent, are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.

Satisfactory progress

8. A student who does not pass units to a value of at least half the total points value of units for which they are enrolled, or who fails the same unit twice, will not have made satisfactory progress.

9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.

Progress status

10. A student who fails to make satisfactory progress under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded' unless the Faculty decides otherwise in light of exceptional circumstances.

11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.

Award with distinction

12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—

(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;

(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;

and

(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.

Additional rules

Research Project

13. Students who wish to undertake a Research Project must—

(a) have a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3 units in their UWA undergraduate major. These units must be relevant to the master's specialisation;

(b) have a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3, 4 and 5 units completed within the course; or equivalent as recognised by the Faculty.