{"id":640,"date":"2020-04-13T20:26:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T20:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/academics\/graduate\/ma-in-science-writing\/"},"modified":"2026-11-05T19:10:34","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T19:10:34","slug":"ma-science-writing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/academics\/graduate\/ma-science-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"MA in Science Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"EducationalOccupationalProgram\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/academics\/graduate\/ma-science-writing\/#program\",\"name\":\"MA in Science Writing\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/academics\/graduate\/ma-science-writing\/\",\"description\":\"Do you enjoy explaining science? Do you delight in the wonders of nature or the process of scientific discovery, and yearn to tell those stories? Join the next generation of writers who are showing how science, medicine, and technology affect our lives.\",\"provider\":{\"@type\":\"CollegeOrUniversity\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/\"},\"educationalCredentialAwarded\":{\"@type\":\"EducationalOccupationalCredential\",\"name\":\"Master of Arts in Science Writing\",\"credentialCategory\":\"degree\"},\"educationalProgramMode\":[\"online\",\"blended\"],\"termsPerYear\":3,\"programPrerequisites\":\"A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or an equivalent international credential, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.\"}<\/script><\/p>\n<h2>MA in Science Writing Program Overview<\/h2>\n<p>Advancing technology, an ever-changing planet, and our age-old fascination with the unknown has fueled a rising demand for science and health information.<\/p>\n<p>Millions now listen to podcasts or binge on documentaries about science, tech, and nature. In addition, many recent bestselling books illuminate science or medical themes.<\/p>\n<p>News outlets, popular science publications, government research agencies, universities, nonprofits, biotech and pharmaceutical companies \u2013 all have a need for writers who can present complicated scientific and medical information clearly and accurately. Whether in a news story or speech, press release or website, museum exhibit text or podcast, the science writer provides a bridge between the esoteric world of science and the layperson.<\/p>\n<h3>Journalism Meets Creative Writing<\/h3>\n<p>We teach the reporting and writing skills required to succeed in the diverse ecosystem of science and medical writing. In core classes, students hone reporting techniques such as interviewing scientists and identifying credible sources. Electives such as Subatomic Writing, Principles of Editing, and Literature of Science help students polish their prose and emulate masters of the craft. In workshops such as Science Narrative and Science Personal Essay &amp; Memoir, students develop tools of creative nonfiction while receiving extensive feedback on their writing.<\/p>\n<p>Summer residency courses immerse students in the field \u2013 from tromping through fields and coasts with field biologists to joining astronomers as they observe other galaxies. Previous residencies have taken students to Bar Harbor, Maine; Dublin, Ireland; and Missoula, Montana. The popular Medicine in Action residency takes place at the Johns Hopkins medical campus, and Science Policy, Funding, and Politics, is held in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<h3>Spotlight on Alumni<\/h3>\n<p>Among our alumni, you will find journalists, award-winning authors, and staff writers for science-related organizations, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Best-selling author Molly Caldwell Crosby\u2019s books include <em>American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic that Shaped Our History<\/em> and <em>Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/author\/lindsey-leake\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lindsey Leake<\/a> is a health and wellness reporter at <em>Fortune<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/directory\/deanna-ferrell\/\">Deanna McCool<\/a> was honored by physicist and best-selling author Michio Kaku for inclusion in <em>Best American Science Writing<\/em> in 2020.<\/li>\n<li>Emily Mullin is a staff writer at <em>Wired<\/em>, where she covers biotechnology.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jacktamisiea.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jack Tamisiea<\/a> is science writer with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and a freelance writer specializing in natural history and the environment.<\/li>\n<li>Adam Voiland writes for the NASA Earth Observatory website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Science Writing Master\u2019s Student Outcomes<\/h2>\n<h3>Core Skills Gained in Science Writing<\/h3>\n<p>Through advanced coursework, you\u2019ll develop strong competencies in researching scientific topics, evaluating sources, interviewing subject-matter experts, and translating technical findings into clear prose.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll also explore the ethical responsibilities of science communication, including accurately representing evidence, explaining uncertainty, and distinguishing well-supported conclusions from preliminary findings.<\/p>\n<p>Writing workshops within the curriculum provide opportunities to develop and revise articles with guidance from instructors and feedback from peers. You\u2019ll learn to make deliberate choices about structure, tone, detail, and narrative while maintaining scientific accuracy. Depending on your interests, you can pursue specialized topics across medicine, biology, technology, space, the environment, and other areas of science.<\/p>\n<h2>Science Writing Master\u2019s Courses<\/h2>\n<p>Below are a few examples of <a href=\"https:\/\/advanced.jhu.edu\/academics\/graduate\/ma-science-writing\/degree-details-and-courses\/\">science writing master\u2019s courses<\/a> that you can take as part of our program. These courses will help you gain the skills you need to advance in your career and improve your abilities. As part of the program, you will be expected to take required core classes as well as choose from relevant electives to complete your degree.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Techniques of Science and Medical Writing<\/li>\n<li>Thesis and Careers in Science Writing<\/li>\n<li>Writing the Tech Story Workshop<\/li>\n<li>Storytelling with Data<\/li>\n<li>Science and Global Conflict<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MA in Science Writing Program Overview Advancing technology, an ever-changing planet, and our age-old fascination with the unknown has fueled a rising demand for science and health information. Millions now&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":285,"menu_order":29,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-program.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-640","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.8 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>MA in Science Writing | Johns Hopkins AAP<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The MA in Science Writing at JHU is ideal for researchers, creative and science writers. 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