Scientific Research and Communication (MSc) (2025 Entry)
Find out more about our Scientific Research and Communication taught Master's degree.
Our Scientific Research and Communication MSc is ideal for those looking for a career in science, writing or journalism, research, education and more. At Warwick you will gain the necessary English language and writing skills and experience in cutting-edge cross-disciplinary research, helping you to learn how to communicate complicated scientific concepts to various audiences.
Course overview
Do you want to become an expert in communicating scientific concepts? Whether you are preparing for a career in scientific writing, education or communication, this course may be ideal for you.
You will choose from modules from across the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine (SEM), as well as some cross-disciplinary modules (timetabling and capacity permitting), and tailor the course to your specific scientific skills and interests. You will enhance your communication and English Language skills, learning to convey advanced technical scientific concepts for journals, classrooms, or the media.
You will also undertake a bespoke research project, gaining research experience using our state-of-the-art facilities in an interdisciplinary environment. You will gain advanced knowledge in your chosen fields and learn to communicate with a range of audiences, preparing you for a career in research, scientific writing, science education or science communication.
You can find out more about the Department of Chemistry by joining our webinarLink opens in a new window.
Professor Martin Wills is the head of the MSc in Scientific Research and Communication. Please contact chem-pgt at warwick dot ac dot uk with any specific Department of Chemistry questions, where our staff are available to discuss any queries.
General entry requirements
Minimum requirements
2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a science subject.
English language requirements
You can find out more about our English language requirementsLink opens in a new window. This course requires the following:
- Band A
- IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0.
International qualifications
We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.
For more information, please visit the international entry requirements pageLink opens in a new window.
Additional requirements
There are no additional entry requirements for this course.
Core modules
Writing focused scientific articles and reports
This module is intended to allow you to develop and demonstrate your capacity to communicate scientific concepts through writing short, focused scientific articles. It will facilitate engagement with a variety of audiences and the use of a range of strategies to describe scientific procedures, summarise and disseminate findings, write reviews, and formulate effective instructions. It also aims to develop critical thinking and peer review skills.
Writing extended scientific articles and reports
This module provides a genre-based focus on academic scientific papers. Through a focus on models of professional writing, it explores particular features of science papers such as how to reference the literature, where and when to outline the methodology, and how to present results and conclusions. An integral part of this approach is for participants to bring along samples of their own writing (e.g. lab reports or research articles). Students will be asked to provide critiques and action plans, as well as to engage in peer reviews.
Research Skills
There are many aspects involved in undertaking original research, including the student’s own ability to think and to be creative. In addition, students need to have a range of skills that will enable them to use their intrinsic academic ability and scientific creativity to produce world class research. Some of the skills are technical, e.g. how you use a particular piece of equipment to collect data, but many of them transcend the details of a particular project. This module is designed to help them gain those transferable research skills.
Communicating Science to different audiences
This module aims to help you to communicate your research findings accurately and concisely to different audiences. The main focus is on how to communicate in print, radio and TV to non-scientific audiences, but the skills will translate across to your research reports and presentations. It is based on a 3-day non-residential course (but including 1 evening) at Warwick and BBC Coventry and Warwickshire which will consist of a variety of seminars delivered by experts in the field.
22-week Research Project
The module is designed to develop students’ research skills, through an extended project in an area of their chosen discipline. Students will become aware of the elements of research, including appraising the literature, designing novel experiments (practical and/or computational), assessing results and drawing conclusions that they will be able to set against the current field. This module will allow students to be original in their application of knowledge to the solution of new, research-led problems.
Optional modules
Any Level 7 (Master’s) modules from the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine with permission of the course leader, and subject to availability and timetabling requirements.
Teaching
The first 23 weeks are lecture-based, providing you with a diverse range of skills in analytical sciences to complete a successful 22-week research project.
Class sizes
Class sizes will range between 5 to 40 students, dependent on module: some of which are shared across programmes.
Typical contact hours
Depending on your module choices, you can expect to attend around 10-25 hours of lectures and workshops per week. Some modules might also include additional supervised practical sessions (e.g. laboratory work). For each one-hour lecture, you should expect to put in additional time for private study.
Assessment
The split of assessment, between examined and assessed, varies for each scientific module ; the scientific writing modules are 100% assessed; the research project is 100% assessed.
Your timetable
Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.
Your career
Our graduates have gone on to work for organisations in: academia and teaching; pharmaceutical industry; chemical and materials industry; science consultancy; banking and finance and other areas. For those who wish to deepen their understanding of the discipline, further research degree study such as a Master’s by Research or a PhD can also be studied within the department. Global Decarbonisation courses
course will open up a variety of potential career paths in the rapidly expanding market for climate professionals including employment within a wide range of government, non-government and academic organizations, as well as private companies.
Our department has a dedicated, professionally-qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- Careers in Science
- Career Options with Chemistry
- Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
- MSc lunchtime careers presentations
- PhD Transferable Skills careers decision-making session
- Finding experience to boost your CV for Chemistry students
- SME Careers Events - e.g. British Coatings Federation Careers Evening
- Career Options with Chemistry Presentation and Networking Evening
- 1:1 careers sessions offered
Additionally, our Polymers in the Real World module brings in employers to deliver talks on their industries, and to discuss employment and training opportunities with students.
Chemistry at Warwick
Do you share our enthusiasm for chemistry and its applications, from medicine to renewable energy?
We are one of the UK’s top chemistry providers, highly-ranked for both teaching and research. Our courses will offer you an excellent all-round experience that allows you to explore and follow your curiosity.
The skills you will develop will equip you to pursue a future career in a number of industries with a number of employers.
Find out more about our research students’ careers and destinations on our website.
Find out more about us on our websiteLink opens in a new window
Our Postgraduate Taught courses
We offer non-accredited and Royal Society of Chemistry accredited course routes, depending on your career aspirations.
- Analytical and Polymer Science (MSc)
- Analytical Sciences and Instrumentation (MSc)
- Chemistry with Scientific Writing (MSc)
- Global Decarbonisation and Climate Change (MSc/PGDip/PGCert)
- Global Decarbonisation and Climate Change (Policy) (MSc/PGDip/PGCert)
- Global Decarbonisation and Climate Change (Science) (MSc/PGDip/PGCert)
- Polymer Chemistry (MSc)
- Polymer Science (MSc)
- Scientific Research and Communication (MSc)
Our Postgraduate Research courses
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.
Fee Status Guidance
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Find out more about how universities assess fee status
Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Scholarships and bursaries
Scholarships and financial support
Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.
Living costs
Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.
Chemistry Funding Opportunities
Find out more about the various funding opportunities that are available on our department websiteLink opens in a new window
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
How to apply
The application process for courses that start in September and October 2025 opens on 2 October 2024.
Applications will close on 2 August 2025 for students who require a visa to study in the UK, to allow time to receive a CAS and complete the visa application process.
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