Graduate Certificate
Graduate Certificate In Participatory Sciences
An interdisciplinary certificate of the Global One Health Academy
Welcome
The Participatory Sciences certificate will train graduate students to address pressing global issues through collaboration with the public on scientific research. With instruction in competencies related to public science, science communication, data management and visualization, and informal science education, this certificate will emphasize interdisciplinary thinking, problem-solving, and research; global awareness and cultural competency; and viewing scientific solutions through a holistic lens that considers environmental justice, equity and sustainability, and long-term benefits and impacts. Graduate students completing the certificate will be prepared to: 1) engage various segments of the public in scientific inquiry and collaboration, 2) understand data ethics, management, and visualization, and 3) be competent in equity of science access.
Admissions
Any interested NC State graduate or professional student may be admitted into the certificate. Current NC State students interested in being admitted into the certificate should complete this form (Academic Plan: 04PSCTG) and send to Dr. Caren Cooper <cbcoope3@ncsu.edu> for enrollment.
The certificate is also open to learners not currently affiliated with NC State who have completed a bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. External prospective students should apply for enrollment in the graduate certificate at https://applygrad.ncsu.edu/apply/. Application deadlines are May 1st for the fall semester and October 1st for the spring semester.
Microgrants
Students enrolled in the Participatory Sciences Certificate are eligible to apply for microgrants offered by the Global One Health Academy to pilot independent participatory science projects. A call for proposals will be sent to enrolled students annually in the spring, with the number and amounts of awarded grants to be determined based on funding availability.
Requirements
Graduate students enrolled in the certificate are required to complete:
| PSC/GOH 550 | Fundamentals of Citizen Science and Other Participatory Research Methods | 3 |
| PSC/GOH 551 | Citizen Science Engagement Practicum | 1 |
| Electives | 8 | |
1) PSC/GOH 550 Fundamentals of Citizen Science and Other Participatory Research Methods
- Students should plan to take this three-credit interdisciplinary course during their first semester, or as soon as possible thereafter. It is offered every fall semester.
- With a focus on varied disciplinary approaches to participation, students will explore the challenges and promises of participatory methods, and the ethics, problems, and practice of engaged research.
- Students will carry out a semester-long qualitative research project to learn about the participant experience from first-hand accounts, and understand the relevant literature enough to frame the study and contextualize the findings and their implications for theory and practice.
2) PSC/GOH 551 Citizen Science Engagement Practicum
- Students are required to complete 1-credit hour Citizen Science Engagement Practicum.
- Set up in collaboration with the Pack Science Challenge, the student will develop a practicum contract with supervising faculty and the Library that outlines the Practicum’s scope of work, methods for working with the community, learning objectives, and anticipated products.
- At the completion of the Practicum, the student will submit a final portfolio that includes the following documents: completed practicum contract, one-page executive summary, reflection, copies of engagement plans and materials, and a statements from the supervising faculty and Library assessing the student’s work.
- The core course, Fundamentals of Participatory Sciences, should be completed in advance of the Practicum. It is also recommended that students have completed or be enrolled in all electives when enrolling in PSC/GOH 551, as this course is intended to be a capstone that utilizes the disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives and skills acquired through the elective coursework.
3) Electives
- Students take 8-credit hours of approved courses that provide additional in-depth exposure to participatory research and methods, and enrich each student’s specific interests in participatory research. Below are pre-approved courses. Students can request other courses to count as electives. Requests should be made to Dr. Cooper <cbcoope3@ncsu.edu>
- We welcome student and faculty suggestions for courses that may be a good fit to add to the pre-approved electives for the Certificate; such suggestions should include a syllabus and rationale.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEHS 550 | Leadership Theory | 3 |
| AEHS 560 | Organizational Behavior and Administrative Leadership in Agricultural & Human Science | 3 |
| CHE 596 | Special Topics in Chemical Engineering ( subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate) | 1-3 |
| COM 579 | Climate Change Communication | 3 |
| CSC 555 | Social Computing and Decentralized Artificial Intelligence | 3 |
| DSC 405 | Data Wrangling and Web Scraping | 1 |
| DSC 406 | Exploratory Data Analysis for Big Data | 1 |
| DSC 412 | Exploring Machine Learning | 1 |
| ECE 542 | Neural Networks | 3 |
| ECE 518 | Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems | 3 |
| ECE 592 | Special Topics In Electrical Engineering (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate) | 1-6 |
| EMS 551 | Learning in Informal Contexts: Theory to Practice | 3 |
| EMS 552 | Learning in Informal Contexts: Evaluation | 3 |
| FW 730 | Ethics in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences | 2 |
| MBA 590 | Special Topics In Business Management (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate) | 1-6 |
| MBA 582 | B Corp Clinic Sustainability Practicum | 3 |
| MLS 501 | Seminar In Liberal Studies (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate) | 3 |
| NR 595 | Special Topics in Natural Resources (e.g. Decolonizing Science; Environmental Justice) | 1-6 |
| PRT 550 | Human Behavior and the Environment | 3 |
| PRT 560 | Theory and Practice of Partnerships for Conservation and Community Sustainability | 3 |
| PRT 575 | Children and Nature | 3 |
| PRT 595 | Special Topics In Recreation Resources (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate) | 1-6 |
At North Carolina State University, Faculty Clusters foster interdisciplinary research and training.
I’m part of the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program in Leadership in Public Science
A major focus of my cluster activities is the development of the Citizen Science Campus program. We offer opportunities for citizen science on campus, as part of coursework, residential villages, and undergraduate research experience. Get started at NCSU!
The Citizen Science Campus is expanding. Get started at NC A&T! and soon at Shaw University.