Science and Health Communication MSc

Science communication involves sharing scientific ideas and research with a range of audiences. This can include the public, clients, or policy makers.

Health communication involves sharing healthcare and medical information with a range of audiences. This can include patients, doctors, and the public. It is often associated with specialist work with or for pharmaceutical companies. An example of this is medical writing.

In both cases, the aim is to make complex data and information easy to understand and act on.

Why study Science and Health Communication?

World-leading companies in science communication, healthcare communication, and medical communication are growing their workforces. This master's course has been designed with industry partners. It gives you the knowledge, skills and experience they are looking for, in areas such as:

• the science and health communication landscape
• writing and communication skills
• relevant tools, software and databases
• communication and marketing strategies for science and healthcare content
• industry knowledge and associated contemporary issues
• digital and visual communication.

Your final project will either be in an academic setting or a project placement. The placement will be within a relevant company, further enhancing your career prospects.

We welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines on this course. It is particularly suitable if you have a background in science, healthcare or communications.

This is not a course dedicated to generalised communication science. It does not specialise in marketing, advertising, or corporate communication.

What you will learn

You will get advanced knowledge of current key areas and topics such as:

• theories of science communication, content design and persuasive communication
• audience segmentation and profiling
• critical analysis and appraisal of scientific papers and clinical trial results
• evaluation of effective engagement.

Unlike many similar courses, you will also learn about specialist scientific subjects including:

• ethical issues in science and healthcare
• drug discovery
• clinical trials
• language and challenges in biomedical sciences, translational medicine, or in relevant diseases.

You will also get experience in:

• visual and written communication
• graphic design
• communications across social media platforms
• storytelling and narrative design.

Why study Science and Health Communication with us?

You will get important hands-on experience and enhanced employability with this MSc course. It was created in consultation with partners who employ people in this field.

In particular, the course was conceived and designed with AMICULUM. They are a leading global health communication consultancy, with teams around the world.

The aim was to put together a program that would better prepare graduates for work. This could be working for AMICULUM or other health science and science communication companies.

Staff from AMICULUM contribute to the teaching on this course. This means you will learn from people working in these types of roles, such as medical writers. You will benefit from their expertise and their up-to-date knowledge of the industry.

The Emily Travis Scholarship (specific to this course) is open to applications. It is worth £10,000 for a UK student starting in September 2025.

The course is a collaboration between our School of Life Sciences and our School of Medicine.

Our School of Life Sciences is the world's most influential research institution in pharmaceuticals. We host one of the largest (and longest) collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry. We have been the top UK university for biological sciences research since 2014. This is according to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) exercise.

Our School of Medicine is a global leader in medical research and the use of innovative and immersive technologies.

Our teaching and curriculum are informed by the work of this world-leading research. This means you'll learn the most up-to-date theory and practice.

Scholarships

The Emily Travis Scholarship, worth £10,000 for a UK student starting this course in September 2025, is open to applications.