Earlier this year, the University Academic Planning Council (UAPC) approved a name change for three academic programs in the Department of Life Sciences Communication. While the department currently offers programs in life sciences communication, their B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. minor programs will be renamed to science communication starting in the fall of 2027. Therefore, students will continue to earn life sciences communication degrees through the end of summer 2027, and beginning in the fall 2027 semester, the degrees awarded will be in science communication.

The department’s decision to change the program names to science communication was rooted in several factors. First, the landscape of the discipline is evolving as formerly separate fields such as environmental communication or science journalism are now often grouped under science communication. Second, interest in science communication as a discrete field has grown among employers in many industries. Finally, the scope of the curriculum has expanded, and the name change reflects the programs’ alignment with students’ interests in not just the life sciences but a variety of bench sciences, such as chemistry and physics, as well as other social sciences.

Faculty and staff in the department are confident that the name change will improve career trajectories for graduates while enhancing the program’s visibility and competitiveness. Ultimately, the change reflects the evolution of the discipline and ensures that the programs remain at the forefront of science communication education and research.

More information about the program changes and student enrollment will be coming in spring of 2027. In the meantime, more information about these changes can be found on the Lumen site (NetID required) under “Structure Proposals.” To find the relevant information, type “*science comm*” (including asterisks) into the search bar.