StudyQA — Master: Intercultural and International Communication

Description Contents Requirements Funding

This program is designed for students who want to pursue their careers in intercultural or international communication, and is delivered by faculty with expert real-world experience who provide a solid understanding of both the fundamentals and advanced concepts related to intercultural communication and international issues.

The MA in Intercultural and International Communication program will give graduates the skills necessary to communicate effectively in complex circumstances making use of diverse media and communication genres, and engaging different audiences across multiple cultural settings.

Graduates will be familiar with non-governmental, civic, and business organizations and will have an understanding of how the making and shaping of meaning is fundamental to the reproduction of culture.

Course themes include; Intercultural and international communication, intercultural competence, organizational communication and culture, public culture, global politics, international relations and research methods in social sciences.

Students can opt to take this program on-campus in Victoria, BC over 18-months or through our blended model incorporating on-campus residencies and online learning over two-years.

Outcomes
The MA in Intercultural and International Communication prepares individuals for work in international or multicultural governmental or non-governmental organizations; international journalism and documentary-reporting; in multi-ethnic and multicultural communities; in international media; in intercultural conflict management; in international communication enterprises; in social marketing and development aid; in international relations; in community activism; in the field of sustainable international and intercultural development; in cultural interpretation and mediation; and for further studies in any of these fields.

Graduates will gain:

* Knowledge of both the fundamental and advanced concepts related to intercultural and international communication and an ability to communicate successfully through multiple modes (e.g. through written and oral discourse, visual language, multimodal media) across culturally diverse settings.
* The ability to use creatively computer-mediated technology to manage the processes required for the production and reproduction of culture.
* Knowledge of traditional and new media and their operation across diverse audiences.
* Knowledge of government, non-government, civic, and business organizations and an understanding of how meaning-making is fundamental to the operation of these.
* An understanding of the social forces shaping the globalization of the world, combined with a practical understanding of how processes such as transnationalism, travel and tourism, global commerce, migration, diaspora, refugee movement, global identity politics, information flows, postcolonial governmental relations, and much more, shape communities worldwide.
* An understanding of the cultural dynamics underpinning the formation of local, regional and national communities with regard to issues such as the formation of cultural identities, the shaping of gender inclusion, racialization, multicultural policy and education, ritualization, language protection and cultural revival, multicultural health communication campaigns, environmental culture, political culture, indigenous governance, sustainable development, and all forms of cross-cultural interaction.
* An understanding of culture, international and intercultural communication, negotiation and conflict management. An ability to communicate ethically in diverse and difficult circumstances.

Careers
The potential fields of practice for graduates are varied, and include:

* Communications officers for government and non-government institutions;
* Communications directors for corporations and marketing organizations;
* Professional writers of newsletters, trade publications, journals, instructional manuals, political speeches;
* Organizational development and training consultants;
* Human resources training and development specialists;
* Editors, freelance or for in-house publications or correspondence;
* Publishers of print or online journals, magazines;
* Teachers of communication skills courses at community colleges;
* Media consultants, correspondents, or journalists;
* Public relations officers;
* Marketing managers and advertisers;
* Administrative assistants for information-based production credits,
* Development communication consultants to foreign assistance funded projects.

Courses
* IICS515: Intercultural and International Communication Theory
* IICS520: Academic Writing and Communication
* IICS551: Organizational Communication and Culture
* IICS560: Communication in an International Context
* IICS605: Public Culture
* IICS611: Intercultural Competence
* IICS630: Advanced Research Methods
* IICS638: Contemporary Issues in Communication
* IICS641: Supervised Field Study
* IICS672: Global Politics and International Relations
* PCOM620: Research in Communication Studies
* PCOM660: Research Paper
* PCOM661: Thesis

Blended Delivery Model
The MA in Intercultural and International Communication blended delivery model incorporates online learning with two on-campus residencies completed over a two-year timeframe.

Blended Delivery Model

Residency

The first year residency will be held on campus in Victoria, B.C. The second residency requires the student to spend three weeks at an international location. The international location of the second residency may vary from year to year. The first year residency at the beginning of the program allows students to become acquainted with the university's culture, the faculty and fellow students.

Students will also:

* begin the study of core elements of the program;
* develop team and leadership skills essential for future distance-delivered semesters;
* consolidate learning acquired during the program; and
* benefit from small-group mentoring and personal consultation.

Students can expect to work hard during the residency periods. The typical classroom schedule is Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Team meetings, homework, and readings are done outside of these hours. In addition to educational activities, there will be a number of planned recreational events.

Online Learning

Distance courses expand upon the conceptual introductions offered during the residencies, allowing participants to practice skills and expand their knowledge base. The distance courses also deliver much of the theoretical and information based material in the program. This material is applied to case-study exercises undertaken by teams of students within each course.

The distance learning portions of the program take place over the Internet. Prior to commencing each course, students are provided with a package of materials and readings. At their convenience, they work through the requirements of the course (although there are real time deadlines for assignments, exams, etc).

During the distance study periods, students typically take one distance course at a time, for a period of approximately 10 weeks each. Each course requires a level of effort of approximately 22 hours per week. This may vary at times throughout the course and from student to student. During the first distance courses, the amount of time required may be higher, as students familiarize themselves with our distance learning technologies.

We use a number of different delivery methods including textbooks, articles, podcasts, digital videos, case studies, and interactive Internet learning using discussion groups (bulletin boards) for correspondence with classmates, some of whom may be on the other side of the country or the world. Having already met their classmates during the first residency period, students will continue to work in teams during the distance courses, an approach that has proven to be extremely helpful to our students.

On-Campus Delivery Model
The MA in Intercultural and International Communication program is designed for students who want to pursue their careers in intercultural and international communication, and is delivered by faculty with expert real-world experience who provide a solid understanding of both the classic and new concepts related to intercultural communication and international issues.

Students in the on-campus program have the option to complete the program in 18-months with a course based option or 22-months with a combination of courses and a research paper completed with the online cohort. Both options emphasize the importance of experiential learning and students will develop a broad range of communication skills while learning to work effectively with individuals from other cultures, regions and ideologies.

Courses

There are nine required courses that have been arranged into three intensives terms, with breaks in between. Students are expected to be on campus during regular course session to attend lectures, participate in group discussions and team assignments. Our online learning platform Moodle is also used to facilitate face-to-face learning.

Breaks

There are both long and short breaks between terms and courses. Although it is not required, students are encouraged to look for on-campus or off-campus jobs and projects to help them gain work experience. International students will be eligible to apply for off-campus work permits after six months of academic study.

Streams

* Course based option - students take two more courses on top of the nine required courses. Students are expected to be on-campus during the regular course session.
* Research paper based option - students choose to do a major research paper which can be conducted on or off-campus.