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College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

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Agricultural Journalism

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Agricultural Journalism

Life Sciences Communication at Wisconsin

Majors in the Department of Life Sciences Communication learn to communicate about agriculture, biology, the environment, health and related areas. To be able to explain these subjects, you need communications expertise and a strong science background. When you study with us, you get both.

Combine Communication with Your Other Interest

Our majors have a strong interest in agriculture, natural resources or the biological sciences. Our undergraduate program allows students to develop expertise in these disciplines as they are developing their communication skills.

Our courses focus on finding and organizing information and delivering it via a variety of media. You can emphasize print, broadcast, computer or marketing communication, or any combination.

Along with communication classes, you will take courses in the areas of science in which you want to specialize. Many students double major, fulfilling degree requirements in two departments simultaneously. Prospective employers are on the lookout for grads with this mix of communication skills and specialized expertise.

Put Your Education to Work

Our graduates work for media, industry, government agencies and other organizations in every corner of the world. Some cover agriculture, science, health or the environment for print, broadcast or online media. Some go into marketing, handling accounts for food, biotechnology, or agricultural firms. Some do communications work for companies, government agencies or universities. All of these organizations need people who can interpret complex information for a wide variety of audiences.

Choose from Different Study Options

  • Business
    • Interested in enterprise? Our Business option prepares you for a variety of communication jobs in advertising, marketing and public relations. Graduates with this training go to work as an account executives, copywriters, publication editors, photographers, media specialists and researchers.
    • International Agriculture and Natural Resources
    • Want to communicate on a global level? Industry, government and international organizations need communicators who understand the complexities of global food systems, environmental quality and international trade. Maybe you'll end up disseminating health information in developing nations, or producing agricultural videos in a dozen languages, or doing marketing for the World Bank.
    • Natural Resources
    • Want to connect your love of the outdoors with a career in communication? In addition to communication courses, students study biological and physical sciences and natural resources policy. They get jobs with natural resources agencies, environmental groups, or firms related to natural resources, or they cover environmental issues for the media.
    • Natural Sciences
    • Are you fascinated by the inner workings of nature? Our Natural Sciences option allows you to combine communication training with courses in the biological, earth and physical sciences. It's great preparation for jobs that require you to convey scientific knowledge to general and specialized audiences — science journalism, marketing for a science-based firm, or handling communications for a research institution.
    • Production Systems
    • The food and agriculture industries are hungry for expert communicators. Agribusiness firms hire them as marketers. Universities employ them to help researchers explain research findings. Or they work for magazines, video firms and broadcasts outlets that serve this enormous, global industry.
    • Social Sciences
  • How our society deals with tough science and technology issues — from urban sprawl to engineered food — depends a lot on how people communicate. People who understand science, social systems and communication are valuable to any employer — public private — with a stake in public policy issues.

Experience Outside of Class

Our majors do some of their best learning outside of class. Most get experience through part-time jobs or internships. They work for campus or community media, local businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit groups. Some study abroad. They join student organizations, not just for fun, but to develop leadership and professional skills. Many make contacts with potential employers by becoming student affiliates of professional organizations.

Financial Assistance

The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences offers many scholarships that are granted based on academic performance, need or extracurricular activities. For more information on scholarships, loans and work-study programs contact the UW-Madison Office of Financial Services.

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