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 550Fundamentals of Citizen Science and Other Participatory Research Methods3
PSC/GOH 551Citizen Science Engagement Practicum1
Electives8

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.
  • We welcome student and faculty suggestions for courses that may be a good fit for a Certificate elective; such suggestions should include a syllabus and rationale.
CodeTitleHours
AEHS 550Leadership Theory3
AEHS 560Organizational Behavior and Administrative Leadership in Agricultural & Human Science3
CHE 596Special Topics in Chemical Engineering ( subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate)1-3
COM 579Climate Change Communication3
CSC 555Social Computing and Decentralized Artificial Intelligence3
DSC 405Data Wrangling and Web Scraping1
DSC 406Exploratory Data Analysis for Big Data1
DSC 412Exploring Machine Learning1
ECE 542Neural Networks3
ECE 518Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems3
ECE 592Special Topics In Electrical Engineering (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate)1-6
EMS 551Learning in Informal Contexts: Theory to Practice3
EMS 552Learning in Informal Contexts: Evaluation3
FW 730Ethics in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences2
MBA 590Special Topics In Business Management (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate)1-6
MBA 582B Corp Clinic Sustainability Practicum3
MLS 501Seminar In Liberal Studies (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate)3
NR 595Special Topics in Natural Resources (e.g. Decolonizing Science; Environmental Justice)1-6
PRT 550Human Behavior and the Environment3
PRT 560Theory and Practice of Partnerships for Conservation and Community Sustainability3
PRT 575Children and Nature3
PRT 595Special Topics In Recreation Resources (subject to the approval of the administrator of the certificate)1-6