Communication, Health and Life Sciences (MCH) / MSc

Profile

In the MSc study programme Applied Communication Science students learn to analyse and critically reflect on the role of communication in complex dynamic processes and to design communication strategies and programmes which are relevant to societal problem solving and innovation. Students have to choose one of the two specializations:

Specialization A - Strategic Communication in Innovation
In this specialization students learn to analyse and strategically apply communication to deal with current societal issues, problems and challenges in the life science domains (such as water management, nature conservation, nutrition & health, and food production) in a scientifically sound and ethical way. This focus implies attention to expert-lay communication, (facilitation of) learning and negotiation, networking and management of socio-technological innovation processes. Graduates are full-fledged communication scientists with sufficient knowledge on the scientific approaches, the issues-at-stake and scientific and societal debates in a life science domain of choice, to be able to link this knowledge to communication. They can communicate with life scientists, collaborate in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research teams, and function as an intermediary between life science experts, professionals, policy makers and the wider public.

Specialization B - Health and Society
Within this specialization students are trained to become context-sensitive experts in the field of societally relevant, complex health issues. The design of the specialization reflects its social-scientific focus on issues in the domain of health, health promotion and systems of health care. Issues are studied from multiple social-scientific perspectives, centralizing the link between health, the individual and the environment. The specialization prepares graduates for careers as researchers, health promoters, health policy advisors and consultants of health oriented organisations.

Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this MSc programme graduates are expected to be able to:
- evaluate concepts, theories and themes of communication science and related social sciences (in relation to current societal issues, problems and challenges in the domain of the specialization);
- design and assess research in the domain of the specialization, including formulating a problem statement and operationalizing of research objectives and questions in an adequate research plan;
- select and apply appropriate research methods and techniques to collect and analyse data from literature and empirical research in the domain of the specialization;
- analyse complex problems and processes of change with the help of social scientific concepts and theories and critically evaluate results presented in scientific literature in the domain of the specialization;
- design, and critically reflect on, communication strategies to deal with societal problems in the domain of the specialization;
- critically reflect on the various roles of the specialist including the ethical and value-driven aspects of research and intervention strategies;
- co-operate as an expert in the domain of the specialization to perform project-based work in a multidisciplinary team and to design and carry out trans-disciplinary research;
- function as a context-sensitive intermediary amidst professionals, scientists, policy makers and the wider public;
- design and plan a personal learning process based upon continuous reflection on personal knowledge, skills, attitudes and functioning;

and, in addition
for specialization A:
- apply the basic ideas, theories and themes of innovation sciences to communication in processes of change;
- integrate knowledge and understanding of communication science with theoretical and methodological knowledge and understanding in a domain of choice in the life sciences (for example climate, environment, water, food production, biotechnology or nutrition & health);

for specialization B:
- understand and apply the principles, theories, concepts and methodologies relevant to the domain of health promotion and the social scientific analysis of health, including the novel salutogenic approach, to analyse the determinants of health and wellbeing;
- understand and apply ways for empowerment of individuals, communities and populations in order to be able to lead an active and productive life and indicate needs for new theoretical and practical/methodological developments.

Specializations

- Strategic Communication in Innovation;
- Health and Society.

Programme Director

Ir G.C. van Nieuwenhoven
Email: gerry.vannieuwenhoven@wur.nl
Phone: 0317-(4)82500

Study Adviser(s)

For Specialization A:
H.C. Baker MSc
Phone: 0317-(4)82416
Email: heather.baker@wur.nl

Ir G.C. van Nieuwenhoven Email: gerry.vannieuwenhoven@wur.nl Phone: 0317-(4)82500

Programme Committee

For Specialization A:
Chair: dr B.C. van Mierlo
Secretary: ir G.C. van Nieuwenhoven

For Specialization B:
Chair: dr ir L. I. Bouwman
Secretary: ir G.C. van Nieuwenhoven

Internet

For Specialization A:
http://www.wageningenuniversity.nl/mcs
For Specialization B:
http://www.wageningenuniversity.nl/mhs

Study Association

For Specialization A:
Ipso Facto
De Leeuwenborch, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen
Email: bestuur.ipso-facto@wur.nl

For Specialization B:
Mercurius Wageningen, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen
Internet http://www.mercuriuswageningen.nl