Develops skills for translating complex scientific and medical information for public and professional audiences.
About this course
COMM 2630 Scientific and Health Communication builds on your foundation in technical writing by focusing on clarity, accuracy, and audience awareness. You will learn how to take dense scientific data, medical research, and engineering specifications and turn them into clear, accessible materials for the public and professional stakeholders.
You will work with real-world scenarios, including drafting patient information sheets, creating community health alerts, and writing summaries for non-technical stakeholders in industrial or laboratory settings. The course emphasizes plain-language principles, ethical considerations in health communication, and the importance of verifying scientific accuracy before publication.
Who takes this course
This course is required for students in Pre-Health Sciences. It is also offered to students in the following programs:
- Civil Engineering Technology
- Medical Radiation Technology
- Bachelor of Applied Technology — Advanced Manufacturing
- Electronics Engineering Technician
- Electrical Techniques
- Motive Power Technician
Credits: 3 · Hours: 45
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
- Apply plain-language principles to technical and medical content.
- Draft press releases and health alerts for community distribution.
- Create patient-facing information sheets and educational handouts.
- Evaluate the accuracy and clarity of scientific summaries.
- Adapt tone and format for different professional and public audiences.
Evaluation
| Component | Weight (%) |
| Weekly translation exercises | 30 |
| Mid-term patient information package | 25 |
| Final public health campaign project | 35 |
| Peer review and participation | 10 |