A PhD in Science Communication

Jaime Espinoza

In 1908, the University of Wisconsin established the country’s first Department of Agricultural Communications in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Today, that department — known since 2000 as the Department of Life Sciences Communication (LSC) — has launched the world’s first doctorate in science communication. The inaugural cohort began this fall.

“More than ever, it’s clear that we need young professionals who are equipped with the skill and knowledge to address issues that are at the intersection of science and society,” says Dominique Brossard, professor and former chair of LSC.

Previously, LSC coadministered a joint PhD program with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. As prospective students expressed increasingly specialized interests in the respective departments, it became clear that there was a demand for equally specialized degrees, and LSC was well prepared to offer one.

According to Brossard, the new program is unique not only in being the first and only one in the country to offer the recognition of a doctorate in science communication, but also in its comprehensive curriculum. In addition to learning from and working alongside LSC faculty — the most-cited scholars of science communication in the country — students take courses within the scientific subfields in which they hope to specialize.

“One of the beauties of the program is the flexibility that students have to build a program that fits their ambitions,” Brossard says. “When they go in the job market, they’re not competing against each other because they all have something different to bring to the table.”

Published in the Fall 2025 issue