How does the world of science connect with the worlds of education and society? How do teachers bridge science and education? How is science and its processes communicated in the media? What is the role of informal institutions in shaping the public's understanding of science?
If you are interested in these questions, this programme is for
you! We aim to bridge the gap between those who know science, those
who teach science, and those who communicate science.
The programme will provide a solid foundation in the science,
theory, and practice of innovative teaching and effective
communication in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM).
The Master's degree programme in Science Education and
Communication is a flexible, two-year programme, with six tracks
you can choose from (five Education tracks and a Communication
track).
Education tracks
There are five Education tracks. Students who complete the
Education track are awarded a first-grade teaching qualification in
physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology or computing science. In
this track, coursework is combined with internships at high
schools. In the courses pedagogy, didactics and class management
are discussed.
Communication track
The programme aims to train students in the Communication track to
become professionals whose knowledge of the history and philosophy
of science and the awareness of the relations between science and
society enables them to form an informed and critical opinion about
current developments in science, technology and science
communication.
You will gain an understanding of science and the scientific
process and develop research, teaching, and communication skills
needed to assume a range of roles and succeed in diverse formal and
informal workplaces such as science museums and centres, media,
community organisations, research and academia.
The Communication track is partly bilingual: the course units are
taught in English, but you can choose to do your assignments in
Dutch or English for some courses.
All tracks are based on a highly interactive and interdisciplinary
curriculum integrating theory, research, and practice through
contemporary courses and internships.
Listen to our podcast
with our student Maihly about her experiences in the Education
track.
Please look at our student website Bridging Science, where
students publish their work and share their experiences.
Programme options |
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Education (track) The Education track is only available in Dutch. Year 1 consists of courses in both the Teacher Training Programme and three courses of the Science Education and Communication programme, which are shared with the Communication track. The first year starts with a course of the Teacher Trainer Programme, where coursework is combined with an internship. In addition to this course, students take the course 'Research Methods in Science Education and Communication' to prepare themselves for a research project in science education, which they will conduct after this course. Students can also choose to do a research project in their own STEM discipline. In semester 2 students combine their research project with the course 'Skills in Science Communication' where the fundamentals of science education and communication are addressed. Students also design science education products in the course 'Design for Science Education and Communication'. Both these courses are shared with the Communication track. Year 2 consists of courses from the Teacher Training Programme, in which you deepen your teaching practice, with courses on didactics, pedagogy, learning theory and class management. You will also conduct a practical research project in science education. In these courses, lectures, assignments and internships in schools are combined. All tracks have a joint programme, which consists of courses that address fundamental knowledge and skills regarding science education and communication. In these courses the design of science education and communication products, such as news articles, communication strategies, educational material or exhibits is addressed, as well as research skills to be able to conduct academic and practical research in the field of science education and communication. In addition to the joint programme, there is a track-specific programme. |
Communication (track) In the Communication track, you will learn to act as a mediator between science and technology on the one hand and a non-specialist audience on the other. In the courses 'Skills in Science Communication' the fundamentals of science education and communication are addressed. Students design science education products in 'Design in Science Education and Communication'. In the course 'Research Methods in Science Education and Communication' students learn to conduct research in science communication. These courses are shared with the Education Track. In the communication track, you will learn about the position of science in society within a historical context and the current status of scientific research in the courses 'History and Philosophy of Science' and 'Nature of Scientific Disciplines'. You will discuss risk communication and the role of public debate and dialogue in the course 'Science, Communication and Society'. In the course 'Citizen Science' you will familiarise yourself with the foundations of citizen science. In the courses 'Science Communication and Journalism' and 'Science and the Public', you will discover the main channels through which scientific information reaches the public. These include media (such as news media, social media, video, television, radio and podcasts) and museums. In the second year of the programme, you will do a research project in either your own STEM discipline or science communication. In the 'External Science Communication Project' you bring your knowledge into practice with an in-company internship. You are given a large degree of freedom to decide for which client you want to work. Many students opt to work for popular scientific magazines, museums, websites, or for radio or television programmes. |
Specific requirements | More information |
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previous education |
University bachelor's degree in mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, pharmacy, biomedical engineering, engineering, or related disciplines. The Master's programme in Science Education and Communication is open to anyone who has obtained a bachelor's degree in a STEM programme from a university in the Netherlands. As there is a great diversity of such programmes, the Admissions Board will always decide on admission An admission request is always required for both the Education and Communication tracks. In some cases, you may have to take additional courses for the Education track to have sufficient (broad) knowledge; the Admissions Board will decide which additional courses are required. Information about possible admission after HBO can be found at: https://www.rug.nl/fse/msc-admission. |
knowledge minimum |
Additional requirements, to be determined by the Admissions Board, may apply for the Education tracks. |
other admission requirements |
Generally, you are NOT admissible to the Education tracks with:
The transition to the master Science Education and Communication is
then too big. In these cases, you can only obtain a first-degree
qualification (e.g. in mathematics) via a "hbo-master
lerarenopleiding."
Only a few HBO programmes do offer admission after a pre-master: - Mechanical Engineering - Biomedical Laboratory Research - Chemistry If your programme is not on this list, but you still think you have an HBO bachelor's degree that is highly STEM, please contact the academic advisor. Do you already have a university master's degree in a STEM science subject? If so, a one-year programme is available through the LVHO. For other routes to teaching, see here. |
Study programme | Organization | Transition |
---|---|---|
Biology | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Life Science and Technology | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Computing Science | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Applied Mathematics | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Applied Physics | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Artificial Intelligence | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Astronomy | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Chemical Engineering | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Chemistry | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Mathematics | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Physics | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Pharmacy | All Research universities |
Additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Biomedical Engineering | All Research universities |
No additional requirements More information:Communication track: directly admissible. Education track: permissible under conditions. Please contact the academic advisor. |
Submit an admission application via the 'Apply now' link. The Admission Office will inform the admission committee of your application, after which the committee will decide whether you meet the admission requirements regarding previous general education and specific background knowledge.
If you opt for the Education track, you must also have a sufficiently broad previous education in the subject where you want to become a teacher. This is decided in consultation with the faculty programmes. The admissions committee may require you to pass additional bachelor's subjects first so that your previous education is sufficiently broad and you are admissible.
Would you like a quick decision on your admission application? Don't wait until 1 May, take advantage of the earlier deadlines for this master's programme. If the University of Groningen submits your complete application before the dates below, you will be notified of the decision a month later.
Application - Decision:
1 December– 15 January
1 February – 1 March
15 March – 15 April
1 May - 15 June
Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
---|---|---|
Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 | |
EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 | |
non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
Specific requirements | More information |
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knowledge minimum |
BEFORE YOU APPLY Make sure to visit 'MSc Application Procedure' at: https://www.rug.nl/fse/education/admission-application/apply-msc/intl-diploma/ for all the necessary information about the procedure and admission requirements. |
language test |
PLEASE NOTE: our language proficiency requirements differ from those of the other programmes at the Faculty of Science and Engineering. To be admitted for the Dutch-taught Education-tracks, you will need to prove your proficiency in Dutch by means of an NT2-II test. To be admitted for the English-taught Communication-track, all applicants must satisfy the following minimum scores:
For exemptions and information on how to submit your language test, please visit: https://www.rug.nl/fse/programme/admissions/msc/language-requirements?lang=en |
other admission requirements |
Additional requirements, to be determined by the Admissions Board, may apply for the Education tracks. |
Exam | Minimum score |
---|---|
C1 Advanced (formerly CAE) | C1 |
IELTS overall band | 7 |
IELTS listening | 6.5 |
IELTS reading | 6.5 |
IELTS writing | 7 |
IELTS speaking | 7 |
Submit an admission application via the 'Apply now' link. The Admission Office will inform the admission committee of your application, after which the committee will decide whether you meet the admission requirements regarding previous general education and specific background knowledge.
Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
---|---|---|
Dutch students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 | |
EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 | |
non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2025 | 01 September 2025 |
15 October 2025 | 01 February 2026 | |
01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 | |
15 October 2026 | 01 February 2027 |
Possible companies and organisations include: schools, science Museums and centres, media, community organisations, NGO's, educational publishers, research and academia.
The Institute for Science Education and Communication conducts research aimed at improving teaching in mathematics and science education. Research projects are carried out in secondary and university education.
ISEC staff members teach courses in science education and
communication, among others in the two year masters’ degree
programme Science Education and Communication.