101 Agricultural Journalism Building, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706; 608/262-1464; lifescicomm@cals.wisc.edu; www.lsc.wisc.edu
Professors Hitchon (chair), Gunther, Reaves, Scheufele; Associate Professors Loew, Schenck, Shepard; Assistant Professors Nan, Rojas
The Department of Life Sciences Communication (LSC) prepares students for careers as professional communicators specializing in scientific and technical fields. These areas include agriculture, natural resources, health and nutrition, and the natural and social sciences. The program provides training in writing, editing and producing messages, as well as in planning, designing and evaluating effective communication programs.
Graduates of the program take jobs with agricultural, environmental and health-related institutions, and communication industries. They hold positions with titles such as information specialist, technical writer, public affairs officer, agricultural editor, media relation's director, public health reporter, and science editor.
Many write, edit, or produce technical reports, employee publications, video productions, and annual reports. Others are involved in editing scientific papers, policy reports, and the like. Some disseminate information to consumers in the form of instructions manuals, advertisements or marketing materials. Others educate the public through informational campaigns, or by extension and outreach programs. Still others report on scientific advances to the public through specialized or general news media.
Students can complete an undergraduate major in life sciences communication under four Bachelor of Science degree programs: Natural Science for those interested in science writing; Natural Resources for those interested in environmental communication; Agricultural Sciences for those interested in agricultural business, industry, or public information; and International Agriculture and Natural Resources for those wishing to work in the international community.
College regulations permit a student to major simultaneously in life sciences communication while pursuing another major in a different department. This provides a student with strong communication skills and solid grounding in another subject matter area. Nonmajors can also benefit from taking communication skills courses.
Faculty members have derived three student competency areas from the "Educational Outcomes" specified in the Life Sciences Communication mission statement: Information Search and Organization, Information Delivery and Media Proficiency (see following outlines).
Information Search and Organization covers those competencies that relate to researching the topic of the communication, including interviewing sources and conducting Web searches. It also addresses the coherent organization of information. Very often the organization of information is influenced by conventions specific to the intended form of the message, whether feature article, news report, editorial or radio advertisement, for instance.
Information Delivery is concerned with the range of communication skills that translate organized information into informative and persuasive messages. Notable delivery skills include the ability to write clearly, accurately and concisely; to prepare and edit written information for publication; to design coherent combinations of graphics and text; and, to prepare and deliver articulate oral presentations.
Media Proficiency requires a sensitivity to different media, an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as channels to various audience segments, and an ability to devise and implement effective message/audience strategies for both informative and persuasive communication.
It is important to note that (a) a given course may increase students' competency in more than one competency area, and (b) this classification is intended to enhance curriculum flexibility. Existing courses are arrayed according to competencies that they are primarily designed to build. To some extent, an individual course is likely to require some level of activity across all three categories. Nevertheless, one or two competencies tend be salient to its goals.
The major comprises 18 credits. All majors take an introductory newswriting course and all take a capstone course (515 or 375/875). The curriculum offers the following areas of emphasis.
Course selection should total 6 credits not expended in the other two areas.
Required:
111 Science and Technology Newswriting
One of:
212 Introduction to Scientific Communication
320 Feature Writing or
435 Theory and Practice of Integrated Marketing Communication
Course selection should total 6 credits not expended in the other two areas.
212 Introduction to Scientific Communication
315 Introduction to Digital Video Production
320 Feature Writing
340 Contemporary Communication Technologies and Their Social Effects
350 Visualizing Science and Technology
360 Information Radio
375 Relationship Marketing
431 Advertising in the Life Sciences
435 Theory and Practice of Integrated Marketing Communication
444 American Indian Environmental Issues and the Media
450 Visual Composition and Digital Editing
505 Publications Editing
530 Print and Electronic Media Design
532 Web Design for the Sciences
620 Service Learning in the Life Sciences: Advanced Video Production
Course selection should total 6 credits not expended in the other two areas.
Required:
515 Public Information Campaigns and Programs
One of:
315 Introduction to Digital Video Production
340 Contemporary Communication Technologies and Their Social Effects
350 Visualizing Science and Technology
360 Information Radio
431 Advertising in the Life Sciences
444 American Indian Environmental Issues and the Media
450 Visual Composition and Digital Editing
505 Publications Editing
530 Print and Electronic Media Design
532 Web Design for the Sciences
620 Service Learning in the Life Sciences: Advanced Video Production
Notice that the above classification allows a student who is interested in marketing communication, for example, to take marketing-related courses in each competency area. We have been working to provide individual advising to our students and tailoring a degree program to their needs. But we have also developed examples of coherent profiles of courses to help students focus their interests. For example, two distinct yet coherent profiles of courses that provide emphasis in Scientific and Technical Communication are listed below.
Profile 1 stresses writing; Profile 2 stresses computer-mediated communication. The profiles below are only two suggestions. In cases where students wish to work in radio or television, profiles that include Information Radio and Information Video are better suited to the students' interests and goals.
| Profile 1 | Profile 2 |
|---|---|
| Information Search & Organization | 111 |
| Required: 111 | |
| Information Delivery | |
| Two of: 212, 320) | 505, 530 |
| Media Proficiency | 515 |
| Required: 515 | |
| One of: 505 | 532 |
Correspondingly, two profiles of courses that provide emphasis in Integrated Marketing Communications are as follows:
| Profile 3 | Profile 4 |
|---|---|
| Information Search & Organization | 111 |
| Required: 111 | |
| One of: 320 | 435 |
| Information Delivery | 375, 431 |
| Two of: 375 Relationship Marketing, | 530 |
| Media Proficiency | |
| Required: 515 | 515 |
| One of: 431 | 340 |
The above are only examples. Students need to visit with advisors about other options, including supplemental courses to take. For example, students emphasizing integrated marketing will want to take specific supporting courses outside the department. Advisors can point out appropriate courses.
100 Introduction to Communication: Inquiry and Exposition. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I, II; 3 cr (a-E). Fundamentals of effective written and spoken communication. Develops skills in gathering and evaluating information, writing research papers and other documents, and preparing and delivering oral presentations. P: Open to Fr only. Stdts may receive degree cr for only one Com A crse.
111 Science and Technology Newswriting. I, II; 3 cr (b-E). Principles of journalism and essentials of journalistic writing applied to agriculture, natural resources, science, health and related topics. P: So st or cons inst. Stdts cannot receive cr for both Ag Journ 111 & Ag Journ/Fam com 130.
200 Foundations of Agri-Science and Natural Resources Education. II; 3 cr (S-E). Origin, philosophy and development of formal and non-formal programs in agri-science and natural resources education. Basic educational concepts in program development, the teaching-learning process and evaluation are examined. P: So st.
212 Introduction to Scientific Communication. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I, II; 3 cr (b). Writing effective correspondence, progress reports, proposals, newsletter and trade magazine articles, abstracts and summaries, instructions, and literature reviews. P: Jr st or cons inst.
289 Honors Independent Study. I, II; 1-2 cr (I). P: Enrolled in the Cals Honors Prgm & So or Jr st. Inter-Ag 288.
299 Independent Study. I, II, SS; 1-3 cr (I). P: Open to Fr or So or Jr st & written cons inst.
315 Introduction to Digital Video Production. II; 3 cr (H-I). Principles and techniques of digital documentary and informational video production. Video styles and subject matter treatment analyzed. Information gathering, videography, scripting, producing, and editing techniques. P: Cons inst.
320 Feature Writing. I; 3 cr (I). Advanced writing techniques and in-depth article development, emphasizing agriculture, environment, science, and health topics. P: Ag Journ 111 or equiv. Jr st.
340 Contemporary Communication Technologies and Their Social Effects. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I or II; 3 cr (E). Explores the growth of the information industry. Looks at the characteristics and spread of new communication technologies. Evaluates their social, economic and political effects. Attention is given to rural-urban differences. P: Open to Fr.
345 Practicum in Agri-science Education. (Crosslisted with Curric) II; 2 cr. Systematic observation and involvement in agri-science ed programs in the secondary schools. P: Jr st or cons inst.
350 Visualizing Science and Technology. I, II; 3 cr (Z-I). Introduction to the basic principles in the visual communication of science information. Principles of design, perception, cognition as well as the use of technologies in the representation of science in the mass media will be explored through illustrated lectures and written critique. P: Ag Journ 111 or Fam Com 130 or cons inst.
360 Information Radio. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I, II; 3 cr (b). Radio writing, editing, information gathering, planning, voicing, and evaluation using digital recording and editing equipment. Students write, produce and voice newscasts, advertisements, public service announcements, interviews, and features. Final project: team produce a radio program with science or consumer theme. P: L Sc Com 100 or 111 or 212 or cons inst.
375 Special Topics. I, II, SS; 1-4 cr. P: Cons inst.
377 Teaching Methods in Agri-science Education. (Crosslisted with Curric) II; 3 cr. Theory and principles of teaching and learning in agri-science education. P: Jr st or cons inst.
399 Coordinative Internship/Cooperative Education. I, II, SS; 1-8 cr (A). P: Cons suprvsg inst, advisor, & intrshp progm coordinator.
431 Advertising in the Life Sciences. I; 3 cr. Using marketing communication principles to make advertising decisions for agricultural inputs and food products; creating print, radio, television and multi-media advertisements. P: So st.
435 Theory and Practice of Integrated Marketing Communication. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I, II; 3 cr. This course provides practical insight into integrated marketing communication through analysis of contemporary developments in the marketplace together with theoretical background through readings from published scholarly research. It emphasizes information-seeking, oral presentation skills, and is writing-intensive.
444 Native American Environmental Issues and the Media. (Crosslisted with Amer Ind) II; 3 cr (e-Z-I). Explores public understanding and media coverage of Native American environmental issues including treaty rights, air and water quality, land-into-trust, and sacred sites. Analysis of organizational and structural constraints of media coverage relating to issues of sovereignty and intergovernmental relationships. P: Jr st.
445 Student Teaching in Agri-science Education. (Crosslisted with Curric) I; 6-12 cr. Practice teaching in agri-science education programs in the secondary schools. P: Adv reg in student teaching office, 109 Education.
450 Visual Composition and Digital Editing. II; 3 cr. Employs the principles of visual communication in composing and digitally editing still photography, as used in news documentary; science and agricultural feature and illustration. Students work in teams for hands-on computer demonstrations of digital editing across print and Web media. P: L Sc Com 350.
505 Publications Editing. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I, II; 3 cr (D). Principles and techniques for effective editing and production of specialized information publications and documents. P: Jr st & Ag Journ 111 or equiv or cons inst.
515 Public Information Campaigns and Programs. (Crosslisted with Fam Com, Journ) I, II; 3 cr (I). Design, production and evaluation of communication programs aimed at informing and educating publics about agricultural, environment, science, health and human ecology issues. P: L Sc Com 111 or 130, Sr st & cons inst.
523 Curriculum in Agri-science Education. (Crosslisted with Curric) I; 3 cr (I). Basic philosophy of procedures for developing agri-science education programs. P: Sr st.
530 Print and Electronic Media Design. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I, II, SS; 3 cr. Principles and techniques of effective layout with desktop publishing software for specialized print and electronic publications. P: Cons inst.
532 Web Design for the Sciences. (Crosslisted with Fam Com) I or II; 3 cr. This class gives students an opportunity to design websites that focus on agricultural, life and social sciences. It covers characteristics of web users, science information goals for websites, needs assessment, search strategies, formative evaluations, legal issues. P: L Sc Com/Fam Com 111 or 130; L Sc Com 350 or ETD 120.
616 Mass Media and Youth. (Crosslisted with Journ, Com Arts, Fam Com) I or II; 3 cr (S-D). Children's and adolescents' use of mass media and mass media effects on them. Particular attention is given to changes in comprehension and other cognitive activities that give insights into media use and effects. P: Journ 565 or Com Arts 325 or cons inst.
617 Health Communication in the Information Age. (Crosslisted with Journ, Com Arts, Fam Com) Irr.; 3 cr (S-A). This course will examine the role of communication in health, how the revolution in information technology has affected health communication, and the assumptions about health information and communication that drive current efforts to use technologies. P: Journ 565 or equiv.
620 Service Learning in the Live Sciences: Advanced Video Production. II; 3 cr. An advanced digital video production course. Students will receive advanced instruction in producing, videography, scripting, and editing digital video. P: L Sc Com 315.
660 Statistical Techniques in Communications Research. Irr.; 3 cr (I). How to use chi-square, analysis of variance, simple and multiple correlation and regression analysis, and various nonparametric tests in communication research. P: Sr or Grad st.
681 Senior Honors Thesis. I, II, SS; 2-4 cr. P: Hon progm candidacy.
682 Senior Honors Thesis. I, II, SS; 2-4 cr. Continuation of 681. P: Honors program candidacy & Ag Journ 681.
699 Special Problems. I, II, SS; 1-4 cr (A). P: Sr st & cons inst.