Intercultural Business Communications MSc/PG Dip/PG Cert

About the course

Intercultural Business Communications course develops skills that can be used in potentially business and professional contexts. Effective communication is a vital skill and is crucial within multicultural societies in a more competitive globalised business world.

With an increasing number of international and transnational companies established in both developing and developed countries, there is a demand for future business people to be able to communicate effectively in intercultural business settings.

If you would like to work in a business-related profession, this course will help you to achieve your goal and increase your opportunities for this competitive business and professional labour market.

• Learn and collaborate in an international environment, and specialise in intercultural communication to enhance your global career opportunities
• This course attracts both recent graduates and experienced professionals worldwide; allowing inter-professional learning alongside a wide range of experiences
• Combine theory, practice and work experience for intercultural communication
• Obtain a certificate in intercultural work experience with optional work placements in internationally-recognised organisations; developing your practical and professional skills
• Flexible study opportunities allow you to enhance your existing skills and knowledge in your current business or organisation
• This course benefits from the research findings of the UK Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI2); in which we were one of only five UK Universities chosen to help secure the UK as a leader in international education
• Benefit from teaching expertise across a range of academic and professional disciplines; with direct input and guest lectures from experienced industry practitioners
• Supported by our dedicated Centre for Intercultural Research in Communication and Learning (CIRCL), you will have access to national and international expertise from a range of intercultural research backgrounds

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Key facts

Duration: One year full-time, two-three years part-time

Attendance: Full-time students will be expected to attend lectures and seminars most days of the week; one day a week will be allocated for work placement if you choose to take weekly work placement option. Part-time students can expect to attend university two or three times per week, dependent on the duration

Start date: September 2013

Entry and admission criteria

• An honours degree (2:2 minimum) in a relevant subject, including business-related subjects, languages, translation, media, communication, and technology

• If you have no formal qualifications but do have extensive industry experience we will consider your application on an individual basis

If English is not your first language, an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent is essential, with writing and speaking skills at no less than IELTS 6.0. Free English language tuition delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning is available both before and during the course. To find out more, please visit dmu.ac.uk/international|

For those who need to increase their IELTS score to 6.5 to receive an unconditional offer, please view the centre’s information for an enhanced language course.

Teaching and assessment

Intercultural Business Communications course has opportunities for you to benefit from the training of:

• Critical thinking
• Effective interaction
• Reflective practice
• Problem-solving skills
• Independent learning

Teaching will normally be delivered through formal lectures, more informal seminars, tutorials, workshops, discussions and e-learning packages.

The types of assessments in this course allow you to maximise your learning potential. These include:

• Oral presentations
• Legal, marketing and business scenario reports
• A group work assignment
• Reflective and case study reports
• A work placement portfolio
• Essay writing
• A research proposal
• Dissertation

International students come to study in the UK because the quality of the teaching is among the best in the world.

Course modules

First semester modules:

• Intercultural Communication Theories and Practices (30 credits)
  underpins the theoretical foundation of intercultural communication.
  

• Communication Competence in Intercultural Contexts (15 credits)
  provides the theoretical and practical emphasis of language used in intercultural business contexts.
  
  
• Business in Action (15 credits)
  offers an important dimension of how business is operated in real world contexts

Second semester modules:

• Communication Skills in Intercultural Contexts (15 credits)
  trains you in the use of language in oral and writing for intercultural business and organisational contexts.
  
• Managing Advertising and Communications (15 credits)
  focuses on advertising and communications in the context of both business and organisations.
  
  
• Research methods (30 credits)
  provides you with the training of conducting research in intercultural business communication.
  

• Third semester modules Dissertation (60 credits)
  Intercultural Work Experience (optional 0 credits) provides relevant work experience in a British company or organisation where you apply your learning to real working contexts and enhancing intercultural practices in the company or organisation.

Academic expertise

This course benefits from teaching expertise from across three faculties;

• Business and Law
• Art, Design and Humanities
• Centre for Intercultural Research in Communication and Learning (CIRCL) in Health and Life Sciences.

Staff members have substantial research publications in intercultural communication, cultures of learning, managing advertising and business communication; workplace diversity and ethnicity; developing language competence, and workplace communication and international business.

The course will also invite academic and industry experts to give specialised topics in intercultural communication and translation, work performance evaluation in international companies, assessing intercultural communication competence, and other related areas.

This course benefits from the research findings of the UK Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI 2) funded project, led by Prof. Lixian Jin| from the CIRCL|.

This project investigated intercultural business practices in international companies based in the UK and China, in collaboration with Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.

DMU was one of only five Higher Education Institutions (HEI s) in the UK which gained this funding for enhancing employability and entrepreneurship in international education.

Graduate careers

Graduates are expected to find employment in organisations where intercultural communication skills are an essential as a part of the job, including:

• Marketing
• Human resources
• Public relations

and many more.

With business skills provided by this course, you will be more capable and competitive to enter employment in international and transnational companies or import/export businesses. In some countries, postgraduates from this course will be employed in higher education institutions or relevant government departments.

You will gain skills to become successful in an increasingly globalised workforce such as international companies, service centres in other countries working for Western companies and joint ventures in Asia and Middle East countries.

Fees and funding

UK/EU Full-time £4740 Part Time 15 credit taught module £395 60 credit dissertation £1580 International
Full-time £12,200

Scholarships

As part of the universities commitment to enhancing the personal and career development of our graduates. We are pleased to announce the launch of the 2013/14.
Alumni scholarship programme. For more information visit Health and Life Sciences Alumni Scholarships >|