Intercultural Business Communication MSc



Develop an in-depth understanding of Culture and Communication in an international business context.

Overview

If you are interested in mastering the complexities of intercultural business communication? This course offers a solid understanding of intercultural business communication and addresses a range of issues related to cross-cultural business. By studying communication in intercultural and cross-cultural business contexts, you’ll be well prepared for a career in international tourism, commerce, or marketing.

Imagine playing a key role in the global economy and world commerce, effectively navigating cultural differences between international business partners and clients. With this expertise, you can enhance your career prospects and excel in diverse international environments.

Embark on a career in international tourism, commerce, or marketing. Typical entry points to this course are in January and September. Enquire now for more information and take the first step towards becoming an expert in intercultural business communication.

Unfortunately, we are no longer accepting applications from international applicants for this programme for January 2025.

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Mode of Study:

Full-time

Duration:

1 years

Start date:

JanSep

Course details

You’ll critically examine issues related to cross-cultural business behaviour, cultural dimensions, the key role of language, critical cultural awareness, and training for intercultural competence.

You’ll discuss the works of major intercultural researchers and the critiques they have received in order to contribute to a more widening debate of intercultural theory and research.

This course gives you grounding in the global economic environment and the opportunity to specialise in an area of business. You’ll also study an in-depth introduction to research methodology, appropriate to undertaking research at this level.

With an international outlook, MSc Intercultural Business Communication attracts students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. By the end of the course, you’ll have a systematic understanding of intercultural business communication and competing theories of culture and communication.

You’ll also have the ability to critically and flexibly apply theoretical models to cross-cultural business contexts, including those of international marketing, commerce, advertising and tourism.

Learn more about how Intercultural Business Communication can enhance your business skills from our lead academics on the programme.

How will my degree reflect sustainability and sustainable development?

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) – established under the UN Global Compact – places a clear onus on Higher Education to ‘transform management education and develop the responsible decision-makers of tomorrow to advance sustainable development’. The Business School is a PRME signatory, and we seek to influence professional practice and policy nationally and internationally, helping to drive key societal, economic and environmental impacts.

Our mission is ‘to empower communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact’ and we work constantly to embed practical actions into our curriculum, to promote sustainability and relate these to the key ideas of sustainability, as reflected in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes now reflect one or more of the SDG, and our research is targeted to solve real world problems, mapped against the criteria used in the Times Higher Education’s Impact Ranking. 

The most recent annual league table for Sustainability - compiled by People & Planet, the UK’s largest student campaigning network - again places Edinburgh Napier in a top 3 position among Scotland’s 19 universities. This reflects their assessment of our performance across a range of environmental and ethical considerations, which include carbon reduction and management, and education.

What is distinct about equality, diversity and inclusion?

Edinburgh Napier University is enriched by the diversity of perspectives, cultures and backgrounds brought by all within our global community. We are committed to a positive environment where diversity and inclusiveness is celebrated and everyone is treated fairly regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, age, ethnic origin, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status or whether pregnant or on maternity leave. We commit ourselves to providing a learning, working and social environment that is free from discrimination, prejudice, intimidation, stigmatisation and all forms of harassment and bullying.

The Business School's vision: 'To be the Business School for empowerment, enterprise and employability for all'.

Our mission statement: 'Empowering our communities to apply business knowledge for positive societal impact'.


Lead Academics

Dr Phiona Stanley researches on how people engage in intercultural settings including working abroad, international education, and backpacker tourism, particularly voluntourism. She is an ethnographer, and uses interview-based research and autoethnography. She is particularly focused on how power relations operate in intercultural settings and exploring innovative ways of doing qualitative research, including storytelling within academic texts. 

Dr. Nick Pilcher is the programme leader for the MSc in Intercultural Business Communication. He has taught in Japan, Singapore, Argentina and in the UK since 2001. He completed a PhD in 2007 entitled 'Mainland Chinese students and UK supervisors; perceptions and experiences of completing Masters Dissertations.' His areas of study are languages and culture, qualitative research, and education.

Dr Vivien Zhou is a Lecturer in Intercultural Communication and Deputy Programme Leader for MSc Intercultural Business Communication. She leads postgraduate modules in intercultural communication and intercultural competence. Her research areas primarily concern the intercultural dimension of human identity, communication and relations, particularly the narrativity of individuals’ lived experiences of interculturality. She is particularly interested in how intercultural communication studies can benefit from intellectual dialogue across linguistic, disciplinary, and epistemic traditions.
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    How you’ll be taught

     This is a one year full-time course starting in September and is split up into three trimesters. You'll learn by a variety of teaching methods including lectures, tutorials and independent study.
     

    There is also a January start option for this course, but please note that if you choose this option the course, although not involving any more work than for the September starts, will last longer due to timings of delivery of the modules.

    Duration:
    September starts: 12 months;
    January starts: 18 months with a three-month break over the summer (after the first taught trimester).

Modules

Modules that you will study* as part of this course

Advertising as Cultural Discourse ( IBC11104 )

This module considers advertising as a form of cultural discourse reflecting perceptions of society and otherness. It allows you to develop critical awareness of linguistic, rhetorical, content and semiotic approaches to the analysis of text, sound and image of different forms of advertising and to apply these to a variety of geographical, temporal and media contexts. Throughout the course the emphasis is placed on cross-cultural comparisons. It involves the following: Discussion of theoretical and methodological approaches to the analysis of advertising text and image in large diachronic studies and small samples; selection of advertising material in different historical and cultural contexts; intertextuality; representation of nationhood; construction of the 'tourist gaze' in destination advertising; use of stereotypes; language fetish in advertising discourse; impact of regulations on advertising creativity and production.

Further information

Business Skills for Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management ( TSM11121 )

The module covers the various issues involved in the planning, development and management of those events specifically designed for the tourism industry. Specifically, the module considers the sources of funding, budgetary and other financial issues associated with planning and managing an event for tourism; it examines the people skills, quality issues, employment contracts and other human resource development concerns that need to be taken into account by events managers and organisers within the tourism industry; it addresses logistical issues such as crowd control, venue selection, staging and lighting which must be addressed in event management for tourism; it considers the various aspects of risk management for events designed for tourism, specifically the financial, legal and ethical safeguards required.

Further information

Case Studies in International Tourism ( TSM11105 )

• International Cultural comparison• Case Study method and comparative research methodologies• Tourism and Development• Tourism planning and policy• Competitiveness and responsible tourism development; • Ethical issues in international tourism• Cross-cultural behaviour in tourism• Global issues and value analysis.

Further information

Developing Intercultural Competence in the Workplace ( IBC11102 )

This module begins with a discussion of the cultural diversity phenomenon, a day-to-day reality that brings both challenges and opportunites to today?s workplace. Approaches adopted by practitioners to managing cultural diversity will be critically examined and compared, with a particular emphasis on intercultural team-building. The module content then focuses on intercultural competence, an element that is central to the intercultural team-building agenda. Perspectives and insights will be drawn from relevant disciplines, such as intercultural communication, cross-cultural management and education. Participants will consider ways of cultivating their own intercultural competence as well as facilitating others? intercultural competence development especially in work-based contexts. Participants are encouraged to collaboratively create a peer-supported learning environment and reflect upon their own intercultural learning in this environment.

Further information

Dissertation ( TBS11130 )

In this module you will work with your assigned supervisor to complete your MSc dissertation. The focus of this module is to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to prepare you for your professional career.The module will utilise the research methods content from the previous Research Methods module. The topic chosen for the dissertation should align with your degree pathway but the focus is decided by you. The research can be qualitative, quantitative or mixed. There are no lectures within the MSc Dissertation module format, instead there will be meetings and guidance from your supervisor.

Further information

Global Economic Environment and Marketing ( SOE11129 )

The global economy, the concepts of markets and their structures; government policies and their impact on businesses; cross country cultural differences their impact on global business decision making; the global marketing concept and strategy planning; the marketing environments and consumer & organisational buyer behaviour; ethics and responsible marketing; marketing research and international market segmentation; managing the international marketing mix & brand development

Further information

Global Marketing ( MKT11104 )

In this module, you will develop an in-depth understanding of Global/International Marketing theories and concepts and how these theories can be applied to analyse international markets and inform international marketers' decision-making process in the internationalisation of a firm. Each week's lecture will introduce you to key theories in global/international marketing and how these can be applied in real international marketing cases. In tutorials, you will apply theories covered in the lecture to analyse real business cases and come up with solutions to different problems. You will engage with a range of international and Global marketing literature to learn important concepts in global marketing and develop academic reading skills such as evaluation and appraisal of global marketing literature. Upon successful completion of the module, you will understand the global marketing process and be able to provide solutions to challenges that global/international organizations face under the current global business climate from a global marketing perspective.

Further information

Intercultural Business Communication ( IBC11101 )

This module will provide you with a thorough understanding of specific theories ofculture and communication, cultural systems and dimensions offered by majorintercultural researchers and the critiques they have received in order to contribute toa more widening debate of intercultural theory and research. Taught sessions willaddress the notions of culture and intercultural business communication, andtheoretical frameworks about cultural systems, cultural complexity and acculturation.There is also one session devoted to an intercultural workshop that helps yourehearse, through practical activities, the input from the previous taught sessions.

Further information

Marketing Communications ( MKT11101 )

Communications theory, stakeholders, decision making process, integrated marketing communications, marketing communications planning, budgeting & evaluation, advertising, sales promotion, public relations, sponsorship, direct marketing, personal selling, exhibitions, packaging, online communications, b2b communication, internal communications

Further information

Organisational Change and Management ( HRM11118 )

This module focuses on the behaviour of people at work by placing an emphasis on understanding the vital importance of managing change and culture. It covers two broad areas, namely: 1. Organisational Behaviour: attitudes; perception; motivation; groups and teams; leadership; management of transformational change; power, politics and conflict; and 2. Managerial Process and Skills: activities designed to develop skills relating to the management of people, including corporate social responsibilityBy the end of the module you will have developed an appreciation of the dynamics of working organisations in a rapidly evolving business environment by planning and carrying forward system-wide change programmes.

Further information

Principles and Practice of Marketing ( MKT11108 )

The module is essential to anyone wanting to work in business and / or marketing. Throughout the module we will analyse the principles and practices of marketing with a focus on their practical application. The module covers the marketing environment by evaluating marketing strategy and objective setting. The importance and understanding of the marketing mix focusing on products, marketing communications, pricing strategies, logistics and distribution are dealt with in relation to the key role in marketing. An understanding of planning and control is addressed. By studying Principles and Practices of Marketing you will learn how to make marketing decisions across an organisation, and how to devise and implement a marketing plan for a product / service of your choice.

Further information

Research Methods ( SOE11131 )

The focus of this module is for you to develop an understanding of research method approaches. The emphasis is on developing research skills that will equip you with the expertise to undertake relevant and topical research required for your future dissertation. The module will work logically through the techniques for writing a critical literature review Then offer sound insights into methodological considerations, along with the importance of the research design elements and ethics. The data gathering for both qualitative and quantitative will be explored, along with appropriate analysis techniques. Lastly, there will be a focus on how to evaluate and communicate your research.

Further information

Skills for Success ( TBS11108 )

Module is designed to ensure you are equipped with a longitudinal induction which ensures ‘How to be here’ foundation moves through Professionalism in classroom and beyond to Careers awareness and guidance as part of pass/fail attended module. This ‘levelling-up’ will provide an you with an enhanced experience if you have an identified skills gaps, and provide more skills balances for you within individual cohorts.

Further information

Understanding Language in the Global Workplace ( IBC11103 )

The module content will provide you with an understanding of a number of theories of language, such as how language can affect thought (e.g. Sapir Whorff (see Hua 2004 (ed.)), representations of language, such as how it plays the role of a game (e.g. Saussure, Wittgenstein), the importance of dialogue and conversation in creating meanings (e.g. Bakhtin), different ‘formal' levels of language used in different media and text types, or genres (e.g. Swales) and how to analyse writing and speaking, or discourse (e.g. Fairclough). The module content also considers the role of language in culture (e.g. Scollon and Scollon), different cultures (or ethnographies) of communication (e.g. Dell Hymes), and theories of multilingualism and globalisation (e.g. Blommaert, Canagarajah). The seminar format will allow for a discussion of these aspects, in particular how they apply to written and spoken texts taken from professional contexts. We will reflect on and critically evaluate how language is used, focusing on the impact and influence language has. Both the theory and practice will help you to be aware of the effect of language usage choices you hear and read, and also the language usage choices you make when you speak and write yourself. This will help you to be more effective in your professional career (Usunier, 2011).

Further information

* These are indicative only and reflect the course structure in the current academic year. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Disclaimer

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Full information is available in our disclaimer.

Entry requirements

What are the entry requirements for Intercultural Business Communication?

The entry requirement for this course is a Bachelor (Honours) Degree at 2:2 or above. We look for applicants to have a background in any discipline in order to be eligible for the programme.

We may also consider lesser qualifications if you have sufficient professional work experience within the industry.

Can I get admission into Intercultural Business Communication based on my working experience in this sector?

This course has academic entry requirements which are assessed alongside relevant work experience. Full details of any relevant work experience, including references should be submitted with your application and may be considered for entry where the minimum academic entry requirements are below those required.

Usually, unrelated work experience is not considered sufficient for entry without meeting the minimum academic entry requirements. Please contact us with your specific circumstances by submitting an enquiry form above and we will be happy to discuss your options.

Can I make an appointment with an advisor to discuss further about the admission process?

If you want to get more information on the admission process, please get in touch with the postgraduate admissions team by submitting an enquiry form above.

If your first language isn't English, you'll normally need to undertake an approved English language test and our minimum English language requirements will apply.

This may not apply if you have completed all your school qualifications in English, or your undergraduate degree was taught and examined in English (within two years of starting your postgraduate course). Check our country pages to find out if this applies to you.

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.
Entry requirements by country

Please note that international students are unable to enrol onto the following courses:
  • BM Midwifery/MM Midwifery
  • All Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

See who can apply for more information on Graduate Apprenticeship courses.

We’re committed to admitting students who have the potential to succeed and benefit from our programmes of study. 

Our admissions policies will help you understand our admissions procedures, and how we use the information you provide us in your application to inform the decisions we make.

Undergraduate admissions policies
Postgraduate admissions policies

Fees & funding

The course fees you'll pay and the funding available to you will depend on a number of factors including your nationality, location, personal circumstances and the course you are studying. We also have a number of bursaries and scholarships available to our students.

Tuition fees
Students from 2024/25 2025/26
Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £8,715 £9,160
Overseas and EU £18,800 £19,750

Please note tuition fees are subject to an annual review and may increase from one year to the next. For more information on this and other tuition fee matters, please see our Fees and Funding

The University offers a 20% discount on Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. The discount can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount. For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount. Please read our full T&C here

Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here.


Please note:

The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount.

For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.

Please read our full T&C here

Careers

What can you do with a postgraduate degree in Intercultural Business Communication?

The ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people from diverse cultural backgrounds is a vital skill, especially in an increasingly interconnected environment. This course provides a strong understanding of intercultural business communication. The course also addresses a range of issues impacting cross-cultural business operations. By studying Intercultural Business Communication, you’ll be well prepared for a career in international tourism, commerce, or marketing.

Our innovative Intercultural Business Communication postgraduate degree is unique in Scotland. It offers you the opportunity to enhance your skillset within communications. You will gain a deep understanding of culture and its role in business communications and interactions, from team meetings, to negotiations, to marketing campaigns. This course provides the specialism to play a key role in the global marketplace and provides the skills to effectively navigate cultural differences in an international business context.

What does an International Customer Relations Manager do?

An International Customer Relations Manager is a professional responsible for managing relationships between a company and their international clients. Their primary responsibility is to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, improve customer loyalty and develop the overall customer experience across different regions. The role typically involves a deep understanding of intercultural communication styles to ensure effective interactions. 

Daily tasks and responsibilities in this role may include:

  • Managing international accounts

  • Coordinating international teams

  • Global market research

  • Developing cross-border relationships

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