The Bachelor of Science Honours (BSc Hons) in Science Communication is a one year program completed as an adjunct year at the end of a Bachelor of Science degree.
It is a unique opportunity to investigate how an aspect of science that you are passionate about:
- has been communicated in the public arena.
- might be communicated better.
- is affected by such things as government policy and community opinion.
There is considerable flexibility in choosing project topics, and students usually develop their own topic ideas in consultation with their supervisor. Co-supervision across more than one ANU department is sometimes possible.
For more detailed information about past projects and topic ideas, see the Honours information page at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science website.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Plan and engage in an independent and sustained critical investigation and evaluation of a chosen research topic to generate new knowledge
- Systematically identify relevant theory and concepts, relate these to appropriate methodologies and evidence, and draw appropriate conclusions
- Engage in systematic discovery and critical review of appropriate and relevant information sources
- Analyse and interpret original research data with statistical or other evaluative processes where appropriate
- Understand and apply ethical standards of conduct in the collection and evaluation of data and other resources
- Communicate and justify complex concepts and results clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences.
Indicative Assessment
- Thesis (~86%) (86) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Research proposal and final seminars (~14%) (14) [LO 2,6]
- Hurdle requirement:
- Write a short post (700-1000 words) for the CPAS internal newsletter giving an overview of aspects of their project that would be of interest to an audience beyond their academic mentors and colleagues,
- Write a “mock” piece on the background to their research that would be suitable for The Conversation (700-1000 words)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
Students are expected to work on the project for at least 40 hours per week (full time candidature). As part of this, during the first half of the candidature, students will also be expected complete a course with an expectation of 10 hours study time per week.Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
None
Preliminary Reading
Relevant peer reviewed journal articles and authoritative texts - will vary according to the research project topic.Assumed Knowledge
Students are strongly recommended to have completed some research-oriented undergraduate courses in science communication.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 to 24 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
| 7.00 | 0.14583 |
| 8.00 | 0.16667 |
| 9.00 | 0.18750 |
| 10.00 | 0.20833 |
| 11.00 | 0.22917 |
| 12.00 | 0.25000 |
| 13.00 | 0.27083 |
| 14.00 | 0.29167 |
| 15.00 | 0.31250 |
| 16.00 | 0.33333 |
| 17.00 | 0.35417 |
| 18.00 | 0.37500 |
| 19.00 | 0.39583 |
| 20.00 | 0.41667 |
| 21.00 | 0.43750 |
| 22.00 | 0.45833 |
| 23.00 | 0.47917 |
| 24.00 | 0.50000 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $780 per unit |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $1120 per unit |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2809 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | View |
| 2810 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | View |
| 2811 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | N/A |
| 2812 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | N/A |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7788 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |
| 7789 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |
| 7790 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |
| 7791 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |