Former students from the Department of Science Communication can today be found working in a variety of communication and creative-based roles.
In addition to the many professionals working in freelance as writers and filmmakers all over the world, our recent graduates have been employed in a variety of high-profile science communication roles, such as within the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, the Australian Academy of Sciences, Office of the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, the Museum of Science (Boston), Sir Peter Blake Trust (NIWA Ambassador), Royal Society of New Zealand, the BBC, Discovery, Ministry of Health, and many others.
What our graduates say
- “Really wonderful teaching staff with broad knowledge and experience both within and outside of academic settings. Very passionate and caring.”
- “Teachers were experienced and passionate, and the small class size allowed opportunity for more individual and personalised support and discussion.”
- “Very clear, challenging yet attainable. Lecturers knew you, trusted you, and encouraged you go as far as possible. The standards set really encouraged us to do our best.”
- “Really stimulating and interesting. I particularly enjoyed and appreciated the talks from science writers from around the world. What a treat!”
- “Extremely fun. Never had such a good time doing assessments.”
- “I could only have taken this course as distance/online learning so this was essential for me.”
- “This course was by far the best part of my university experience. The small classes and hands-on style was stimulating and the learnings I took from this course were invaluable... enabled me to go on to get a job as a science communicator, and I consider this to be a growing and highly important field.”
- “I cannot stress how important the transferable skills are! They have lead my onto good footing in my future career.”
- “The lecturers were always supportive and helped give suggestions for different career opportunities.”
- “The support I received was outstanding and it helped me land an incredible job.”
- “Without this course I wouldn’t have the career I have now.”
- “I absolutely would not have gotten my next job without this degree. My studies were instrumental to my career progression.”
- “My studies in science communication led me directly into a job in that field. I consider these studies to have been highly valuable to me .”
- “My time doing postgrad with science communication was so beneficial to my career and has taught me skills that are actually used in my job.”
- “This course challenged my thinking in a number of ways. The course assignments were challenging and the tutorials were a great place to discuss ideas with other students.”
- “I found the course to be very intellectually motivating and my critical thinking skills have definitely improved since taking the course.”
- “Instilled in me an interest in aspects of scientific research which I had never otherwise considered. I now envision a potential career in research; an aspiration which I only gained through studying here.”
- “The structure and nature of assignments offered in this course were by far the most enjoyable in my time as a student. Assessment of our work always coincided with constructive feedback.”
- “A plethora of skills development. Written, verbal, and multimedia communication skills. Lots of different types of presentation skills. Teamwork and interpersonal skills through groupwork and discussion... project planning and management skills developed through doing longform assessments.”
- “This is a fantastic course. Everyone doing a postgraduate science degree should be required to take at least one of these papers to gain a broader and deeper perspective on their science and appreciation of the nuances of science communication. The course provides invaluable training and experience that helps foster excellent science communicators and offers scientists practical skills and insights that are sure help them become better and more impactful scientists.”
- “Excellent and accessible teachers who delivered in depth, stimulating (and challenging) content, which was assessed using real-world outputs that I have since been able to use as examples of my work to apply for jobs.”
- “I loved the hands-on nature of many of the assessments, very excellent for going into the workforce.”
- “It gave me the confidence to explore career opportunities outside of my normal area of knowledge – but still using my base career skills. I have an academic background in science, and work experience in communications, but the industries I've worked in have been primarily outside of science. This course gave me the confidence to apply for science communications jobs so I could align my academic and career experience.”
- “The lecturers in this course were outstanding. Classes were well-planned and assignments had clear purpose.”
- “Enjoyed the interaction with other students and the course content and willingness of staff to share their own experiences.”
- “Very motivating – has encouraged me to pursue publication of a book.”
- “Honestly I've been surprised at how much it's helped me with my job and how it's allowed to me tackle a multitude of issues successfully.”
- “It has given me confidence to apply and develop my skills to completely different areas of study.”