Explore our Intercultural Communication for Business and the Professions taught Master's degree.

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P-X9PJ full-time;
P-X9PJP part-time or P-X9PT part-time (fixed 2 years)

MSc

1 year full-time;
2-4 years part-time

30 September 2024

Applied Linguistics

University of Warwick

Intercultural Communication for Business and the Professions MSc provides you with a wide range of in-depth knowledge and skills related to intercultural communication. Analyse and investigate communication across cultures at Warwick's Department of Applied Linguistics, ranked 3rd in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

This programme provides you with a wide range of in-depth knowledge and skills, and enables you to focus on aspects of intercultural communication that are relevant to people working either in business or in other professions.

Our core modules develop your ability to analyse, explain and investigate effective communication across cultures. Optional modules enable you to select particular areas in which you want to specialise, according to your own intellectual interests or career aspirations.

The programme concludes with an empirical piece of research, which will allow you to put your knowledge into practice and further hone your practical skills in carrying out systematic research.

Lectures, seminars, workshops and experiential practice sessions. In addition, you will carry out guided reading and complete assessed work for each module, such as assignments, portfolios of materials and oral presentations.

You will be introduced to research methodologies which will help you carry out your research for your dissertation or major project. You will complete this in the summer with the support of a supervisor. Several of the modules will also help prepare you for living and working in an unfamiliar culture.

Class size will vary depending on type of module (core or optional) and teaching session (lecture or seminar), ranging from around 10 students (for some optional modules) to around 80 students (for core module lectures).

There are 10 weeks in each term. For both Terms One and Two, you will usually have 8 weeks of teaching contact with the remainder of each term dedicated to module related reading, assignment work and optional tutorials.

Programmes within the department of Applied Linguistics are assessed through a variety of methods. Examples of the types work you might submit for assessment include individual academic essays or research assignments, examinations, group projects and presentations.

Reading lists

You can see a list of core readings for any of our modules in the Module Catalogue if you search by the module name. Once you’re enrolled on a module, you’ll be able to access its Library reading list and download the specific readings you need to prepare for each lecture or seminar.

Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you, and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a related subject.

• Band B
• IELTS overall score of 7.0 (with a minimum 6.5 in reading and writing, plus a minimum of 6.5 in one of speaking and listening, with no component under 6.0)

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Understanding Culture

While the idea of culture can seem relatively straightforward, how we understand it has become quite a contested area in the study of intercultural communication. This module will give you a better understanding of the idea of culture, introducing a range of conceptualisations of culture that have been developed in different disciplinary areas. Importantly, you’ll gain a critical perspective on culture and a deeper understanding of your own experience of communicating interculturally in everyday life and in the workplace.

Exploring Professional Communication

Communication plays a central role in business and other professions. This module will introduce you to theoretical approaches, models and concepts that will help you understand the complexities of professional communication in different socio-cultural contexts. You’ll explore a wide range of authentic examples that occurred in different workplaces around the world. The module develops your ability to identify, describe, and analyse different types of communication in various professions, using different analytical and theoretical frameworks and approaches.

Culture, Identity and Adaptation

This module focuses on recent research in the area of cultural identity, adaptation, and growth. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, it explores major theories of cultural adaptation, including stress, learning, and identity. The module also provides you with the opportunity to start researching these issues for yourself. The practical development sessions will enable you to reflect on your own identity and cultural adaptation, promoting your own growth towards intercultural personhood. Assessment is by a reflective portfolio and analytical commentary on your reflection.

Leadership, Teamwork and Culture

What is leadership? What is teamwork? And what role does culture play in this context? This module will address those questions by introducing you to theoretical approaches, models and concepts that will help you understand the complexities of leadership, teamwork and culture. It focuses on the crucial role of communication and follows some of the most recent debates around leadership, teamwork, and culture. You’ll analyse these notions in action by exploring numerous real-life examples of how leadership and teamwork are actually done in different socio-cultural and intercultural contexts.

Research Methods

This module will familiarise you with current issues in researching culture and communication in business and professional contexts. It will help you develop essential skills in designing a research project. You’ll be introduced to a range of data collection methods and analytical approaches, as well as up-to-date ethical issues in research. Term One will focus on quantitative research methods and Term Two will focus on qualitative methods. The module is designed to prepare you to begin work on your dissertation at the end of Term Two.

Dissertation, or Experiential Placement and Major Project

You’ll be allocated a supervisor who will provide guidance in Term Three during the process of carrying out your own research.

• Crisis Communication
• Globalisation and Diversity in the Workplace
• International Business
• Intercultural Coaching and Development
• Intercultural Competence and Assessment
• Language and Interaction in Context
• Management Across Cultures
• Marketing Across Cultures
• Media and Intercultural Communication
• Public Relations Across Cultures