Science Communication Minor

The Science Communication Minor offers an undergraduate focus on the issues, skills and scholarship growing around the science of science communication. It offers majors across campus a way to explore the field and apply the research and tools of communicators in a variety of contexts, exploring original research and story development and production. It will also be a connector between students and careers that rely on science communication.

Students must have at least a 2.00 UO GPA to apply to the minor. All minor courses, including the courses from outside of the “J” subject code must be taken graded and passed with a “C” grade or higher. Courses used for this minor may not be taken pass/no pass.

This minor is open to all UO students, even those who have a major in the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). However, SOJC students may not use this minor to fulfill the “non-SOJC minor/concentration” requirement. 

Required courses (12 credits/3 courses):

  • Any two courses used to fulfill UO’s Science (“>3” or “>4”) core education requirement.
    • These science courses must be graded and passed with a C or better.
    • We recommend completing this before taking J377.
  • J377 The Science of Science Communication
    • Offered in fall term and winter terms.

Elective courses (12 credits/3 courses. You are not required to have one from each course number): 

  • UO Science Course: One of our three elective courses can be a pre-approved 300- or 400-level course from a UO science subject.
  • J477 Topics in Science of Science Communication [Topic] **
  • J478 Topics in Science Story [Topic] **
    • [Topic] ** = Course titles offered within each “topic” will vary. These courses numbers are repeatable when the topics have different titles, for a total of 12 credits.
    • We recommend taking J377 before J477 or J478.
  • Pre-approved substitutions: The course/credits below may be used toward the elective section of this minor:
    • Spring 2024: J480 Sustainability PR – Prof. Attila Schillinger
    • Fall 2023: J410 Living in our Valley – Prof. Torsten Kjellstrand
    • Fall 2023: J460 Communication for Environmental and Social Justice – Prof. Alex Cohen
    • Spring 2023: J480 Enviro Comm Strat – Prof. Hollie Smith
    • Spring 2023: J399 Civic Science – Prof. Melanie Brown
    • Spring 2023: J399 XR for Social Change – Prof. Danny Pimentel
    • Winter 2022: J480 Enviro Comm Strat – Prof. Hollie Smith
    • 2022 Science & Memory Fellows Program: Students in the program must complete J408 Science & Memory Fellows for one credit in Winter 2022, one credit in Spring 2022 and two credits in Fall 2022. These combined four credits will substitute one J478 course. The substitution will be noted after the program is complete.