SCOM Papers

Note: this paper is currently not offered. Students in the MSciComm and PGDipNHFC will be encouraged to undertake internships or work experience if they so desire – but these placements will no longer count for credit.

Overview

Nothing beats learning so much as the doing: for this reason students may opt to take this paper, which involves doing an internship (approximately 6-8 weeks) at an appropriate facility or working for a client.

Internships could involve working at NHNZ, a remarkable company that is second only to the BBC in terms of the amount of documentaries it produces. They could involve working at a publishing house, a magazine, a newspaper, a museum - in other words, anywhere that is involved with telling stories to the public about science.

Internships can also involve working for a client - great practice if you wish to develop business skills - perhaps making a short film for them, developing a website or kiosk, writing a brochure or booklet. The scope is unlimited, the potential huge.

Objectives

• Provide practical experience in an approved aspect of science communication, be it filmmaking, writing, digital design or whatever.
• Produce a journal/diary outlining the tasks carried out and the skills needed to make that aspect of filmmaking or communication a success.

Examples of Internships:

• Working as a researcher on a film being made by NHNZ.
• Developing a science display for Discovery World at the Otago Museum.
• Making television advertisements for the Earth From Above exhibition held at Wanaka.
• Making an animation to show how molluscs feed for the Portobello Marine Studies Centre.

There is no limit to where these internships can be taken – as long as the internship is at an approved facility or involves an approved project – and quite a few of our students opt to do internships overseas. Travel and university credits: how good's that!?

Eligibility

Available ONLY to students enrolled in a Master of Science Communication (MSciComm).