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Whether you're a student considering your options or a marketer looking to hire fresh out of school, knowing which master's programs are training the next generation of SciCommers can be very helpful.
I went on a quest to find all the master's programs in Europe that offer a focus on science communication.
Although I found 36 of them, I'm sure I missed some, so feel free to contact me if you want to add more.
Before we dive into the list, let's answer some questions you might be asking yourself (or just use the table of contents on the left to jump straight to the list).
Is a master's degree in science communication worth it?
My answer to that question is: it depends.
If you've just finished your bachelor's degree and you know for sure that you want to pursue a career in science communication, then go for it and don't think twice.
However, if you are still not sure, pursuing a science specialty first (e.g. biology, physics, chemistry, etc.) might be a viable option.
A master's in a hard science will give you a better understanding of your field of interest, and a follow-up degree in science communication could make your resume more attractive.
It's not mandatory, of course, but it's worth considering.
Another consideration is that science communication can be learned on the job.
It's not like an engineering job where you need a strong education. If you're motivated enough and able to learn on your own, it's perfectly fine to get a master's in science and skip the SciComm degree.
Getting your first job in science communication may be a bit more challenging at first, but once you've gained some experience, your degree won't matter so much.
Do you need a PhD to do science communication?
Absolutely not!
A PhD is nice to have in science communication and will certainly make your resume much stronger, but it's not mandatory.
If you know you want to do SciComm for a living, my recommendation is to skip the PhD and use the 4+ years to gain work experience.
In this time frame, a PhD student will be mostly focused on research (which, again, is very valuable, but not mandatory), while you can gain enough work experience to qualify for a non-junior position.
It's a great jump start.
Now, if you are already pursuing a PhD, my recommendation is to finish it before looking for a SciComm job.
Leaving academia will have its own challenges, but having a PhD under your belt will make your profile very strong and you could possibly land jobs that require more scientific training (such as technical or medical writer).
Is science communication a good career?
I already covered this question in detail in my previous article on the most frequently asked questions about science communication, so I invite you to take a look, but to add to that, I can say that yes, SciComm is a great career.
It's a job market that's on the rise and it's a very fulfilling career because it combines science with a more public-facing approach.
I'm a big fan of discussing and writing about science, so I might be a bit biased, but if you're reading this, I reckon you're pretty interested in this field too.
So if you're ready, let's take a look at the master's degrees available in Europe.
36 science communication master's to apply to in Europe
💡
A quick note on the methodology
There is no particular order to this list (it's alphabetical by country and by university name), but I'd be interested to hear what alumnis have to say about their studies and maybe start ranking them, so again, feel free to
and let me know.
I've included the
of each university as a guide (based on the
Academic Ranking of World Universities
as of March 2024), but keep in mind that the ranking reflects the overall position of the university and not necessarily the strength of the science communication program.
But hey, people love rankings, so I thought it would be good to put it there.
Now, let's dive in:
🇦🇹 Austria
Universität Wien
Title: Science-Technology-Society (Master)
Location: Vienna
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 101-150
🇫🇷 France
Aix-Marseille Université
Title: Master Information et médiation scientifique et technique
Location: Marseille
Language: French
Shanghai ranking: 151-200
Université Bordeaux Montaigne
Title: Master Médiation et communication des sciences et des techniques
Location: Bordeaux
Language: French
Shanghai ranking: 201-300
Université Grenoble Alpes
Title: Parcours Communication et culture scientifiques et techniques (CCST) du master Information-communication
Location: Grenoble
Language: French
Shanghai ranking: 101-150
Université de Montpellier
Title: Mediation, Animation, Communication, Culture and Education in Life and Earth Sciences (MédiACCES)
Location: Montpellier
Language: French
Shanghai ranking: 151-200
Université Paris Cité
Title: Audiovisuel, journalisme et communication scientifiques
Location: Paris
Language: French
Shanghai ranking: 69
Université Paris-Saclay
Title: M1 Evénementiel, Médiation des Arts et des Sciences
Location: Paris
Language: French
Shanghai ranking: 15
🇩🇪 Germany
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Title: Wissenschaft - Medien - Kommunikation Master of Arts (M.A.)
Location: Karlsruhe
Language: German
Shanghai ranking: 301-400
Universität Erfurt
Title: MSc in Health Communication
Location: Erfurt
Language: German
Shanghai ranking: N/A
🇮🇪 Ireland
Dublin City University
Title: MSc in Science and Health Communication
Location: Dublin
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 901-1000
Trinity College Dublin
Title: Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Science Education
Location: Dublin
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 201-300
🇮🇹 Italy
Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca
Title: Communication of Science and Sustainable Innovation - MACSIS
Location: Milan
Language: Italian
Shanghai ranking: 301-400
Università degli Studi di Padova
Title: Comunicazione delle Scienze
Location: Padua
Language: Italian
Shanghai ranking: 151-200
Università di Trento
Title: Communication of Science and Innovation - SCICOMM
Location: Trento
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 401-500
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Radboud University
Title: Master's specialisation Science in Society
Location: Nijmegen
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 101-150
TU Delft
Title: MSc Science Education and Communication
Location: Delft
Language: English, Dutch
Shanghai ranking: 151-200
University of Groningen
Title: MSc in Science Education and Communication
Location: Groningen
Language: English, Dutch
Shanghai ranking: 76
University of Twente
Title: Master’s in Philosophy of Science, Technology & Society
Location: Enschede
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 401-500
Utrecht University
Title: Science Education and Communication
Location: Utrecht
Language: English, Multilingual
Shanghai ranking: 52
Wageningen University and research
Title: Master's Communication, Health and Life Sciences
Location: Wageningen
Language: N/A
Shanghai ranking: 151-200
🇵🇹 Portugal
Universidade do Lisboa
Title: Cultura Científica e Divulgação das Ciências
Location: Lisbon
Language: Portuguese
Shanghai ranking: 201-300
Universidade do Minho
Title: Comunicação de Ciência
Location: Braga
Language: Portuguese
Shanghai ranking: 401-500
Universidade do Porto
Title: Mestrado em Ensino e Divulgação das Ciências
Location: Porto
Language: Portuguese
Shanghai ranking: 201-300
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa
Title: Comunicação de Ciência
Location: Lisbon
Language: Portuguese
Shanghai ranking: 601-700
🇪🇸 Spain
Barcelona School of Management
Title: Master in Scientific, Medical and Environmental Communication
Location: Barcelona
Language: Spanish
Shanghai ranking: N/A
Universidad de Oviedo
Title: Máster Universitario en Estudios de la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación
Location: Oviedo
Language: Spanish
Shanghai ranking: 601-700
Universitat de València
Title: Master's Degree in History of Science and Scientific Communication
Location: València
Language: Spanish
Shanghai ranking: 301-400
🇸🇪 Sweden
Jönköping University
Title: Master's degree in Sustainable Communication
Location: Uppsala
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: N/A
Swedish University of Agricultural science (SLU)
Title: Master's programme in Environmental Communication and Management
Location: Jönköping
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 301-400
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Università della Svizzera italiana
Title: MSc in Communication, Management and Health
Location: Lugano
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 501-600
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Imperial College
Option 1
Title: MSc in Science Communication
Option 2
Title: MSc in Science Media Production
Location: London
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 23
Manchester University
Title: MSc Science and Health Communication
Location: Manchester
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 41
University College London
Title: Science Communication MSc
Location: London
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 17
University of Edinburgh
Title: Msc in Science Communication and Public Engagement
Location: Edinburgh
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 38
University of Sheffield
Title: Msc in Science Communication
Location: Sheffield
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 151-200
University of the Arts London
Title: MA Art and Science
Location: London
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: N/A
University of Warwick
Title: Msc in Scientific Research and Communication
Location: Coventry
Language: English
Shanghai ranking: 101-150
