University College London (UCL)
Intercultural Communication MA
London, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The Intercultural Communication MA program is designed to help students understand how cultures influence communication, especially in our increasingly connected world. It covers key theories and methods used to analyze intercultural interactions, aiming to develop skills for engaging effectively across different cultural contexts. The course encourages critical thinking about the role culture plays in shaping communication patterns, including issues related to identity, representation, and power dynamics. Students get opportunities to explore real-world challenges, making the learning practical and relevant for careers in international organizations, media, education, and beyond.
The program also focuses on the impact of intercultural communication in various professional settings. It emphasizes research skills, giving students tools to analyze and interpret intercultural phenomena critically. Through a combination of lectures, seminars, and practical projects, students can develop their ability to evaluate intercultural issues thoughtfully. The program aims to prepare graduates for work in diverse environments where understanding cultural differences is vital. It fosters an awareness of how cultural backgrounds influence perceptions and interactions, helping students become more effective communicators in global workplaces.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Masters Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Masters Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or ethnic or religious background it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
This programme is delivered through lectures, supervisory tutorials, student presentations and class discussions. Within sessions, students often engage in individual, pair and group tasks for feedback in plenary.
Students are assessed through written coursework, oral presentation and the final Dissertation. Alternative modes of assessment which involve project work and reflections, do feature in some modules.
For full-time students, typical contact hours are around 12 hours per week. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.
Modules
Full-time
The programme consists of one compulsory module (30 credits), one compulsory research dissertation (60 credits), and three optional modules (90 credits).
Full-time students complete the MA in one year. (180 credits across three terms)
- Term 1: core module, one option module and dissertation
- Term 2: dissertation and one or two option modules
- Term 3: dissertation and one option module if second option is not taken in Term 2
Part-time
The programme consists of one compulsory module (30 credits), one compulsory research dissertation (60 credits), and three optional modules (90 credits).
Students following a part time format complete the MA over two years:
Year 1 (normally completion of 90 credits across the three terms)
- Term 1: core module
- Term 2: one or two option modules
- Term 3: one or two option modules
Year 2 (normally completion of remaining 90 credits)
- Term 1: dissertation and one option module
- Term 2: dissertation and one option module if no option taken in Term 1
- Term 3: dissertation and one option module if no option taken in Terms 1 and 2
Flexible
The programme consists of one compulsory module (30 credits), one compulsory research dissertation (60 credits), and three optional modules (90 credits).
Students following a modular/flexible format are able to complete the MA over a maximum of five years.
- Year 1 (normally completion of the core module as a minimum)
- Years 2-5 (normally completion of dissertation and any outstanding option modules)
- Final year (dissertation is always completed in the final year)
Compulsory modules
- Intercultural Communication: Concepts, Theories and Issues
- Dissertation Intercultural Communication
Optional modules
- English in Diverse World Contexts
- Bilingualism and Multilingualism
- Language and Identity
- Sociolinguistics and Sociocultural Theory
- Language, Politics and Education
- Language and Interculturality
- Intercultural Communication and the Foreign Language Classroom
- Intercultural Creativity
- Intercultural Education
- Professional Communication in Intercultural Contexts
- Teaching English for Academic Purposes (TEAP)
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Intercultural Communication.
What this course will give you
The programme equips students with cutting-edge critical and theoretical perspectives in the field of intercultural communication, enhancing their critical intercultural awareness and communicative competence. It fosters ethical and research-informed practice in intercultural communication, particularly in relation to social justice, diversity, equality, and inclusion. Students will engage in reflective practice on intercultural and multilingual experiences, preparing them for the challenges of collaborative intercultural and international workplaces, whether as graduates, in-service educators, or other professionals.
These opportunities are supported by thriving IOE research centres such as the International Centre for Intercultural Studies, which leads interdisciplinary research on intercultural communication in education, professional communication, language identity, and creativity, and the Centre for Applied Linguistics, which focuses on areas like bilingualism and multilingualism, linguistic ethnography, global English, semiotics, and language education policy. The research conducted by these centres forms the foundation of the knowledge and thinking behind this MA. Being part of such a world-renowned, research-driven community enhances the experience during the MA programme and continues to provide benefits long after.
The foundation of your career
This programme not only provides you with an outstanding foundation for PhD research and an academic career but will also prepare you to develop yourself internationally in areas such as education, communications or public relations. Group discussions and debates in class will help you to acquire strong presentation and negotiation skills. Likewise, the analytical and research skills you will gain are highly valued by employers from a range of sectors.
Employability
Graduates of this programme will include university and college lecturers, researchers, education professionals and others working, or planning to work, in diverse cultural and linguistic settings. Fields might include international schooling, NGOs, international development, international commercial enterprise, communications, consultancy and relevant academic disciplines.
Networking
Additional activities are available both within the department and the wider IOE and UCL community to help you to develop your employability through public talks, seminars and other networking opportunities.