Programme structure

This programme can be studied full-time or part-time. You will study a number of compulsory and option courses and complete a dissertation to be awarded an MSc in Language and Intercultural Communication.

The programme is designed with a strong research focus across its courses and is taught by internationally recognised experts in the field. It is designed for both pre-service and in-service language teachers interested in developing and enhancing the skills necessary for a professional career in language and intercultural communication. The programme is also suitable for individuals working in intercultural language education policy, as well as graduates interested in undertaking further postgraduate research at PhD level.

Introduction to MSc Language and Intercultural Communication

Programme Director Dr Ashley Simpson gives a brief overview of the MSc Language and Intercultural Communication in the following video.

Structure

The Master's degree programme (a total of 180 credits) is divided into two semesters with a dissertation following at the end of the year. It is made up of taught core and option SCQF Level 11 courses totalling 120 credits. The dissertation carries 60 credits.

Core courses

In Semester 1 (September - December), students will complete four core courses:

• Language and Intercultural Communication Pedagogy (20 credits)
• Language Education for Intercultural Citizenship (20 credits)
• Critical Topics in Intercultural Communication Studies (20 credits)
• Sources of Knowledge: Understanding and analysing research literature (10 credits)

In Semester 2 (January - April), students will complete one core course and two option courses:

• Conceptualising Research: Foundations, Assumptions and Praxis (10 credits)
• Option course 1
• Option course 2

Option courses

One of the option courses must be selected from the list of SCQF Level 11 courses below. These courses are offered to all students on the languages masters programmes in Moray House School of Education and Sport:

• Bilingual Education (20 credits)

• Corpus Linguistics and Language Teaching (20 credits)

• Critical Literacies and Critical Pedagogies in L1 and L2 contexts (20 credits)

• Evaluation and Design of TESOL Materials (20 credits)

• Global Englishes for Language Teaching (20 credits)

• Intercultural Language Learner Identity (20 credits)
• Investigating Individual Learner Differences (20 credits)
• Language Awareness for Second Language Teachers (20 credits)

• Language Testing (20 credits)

• Online Language Learning (20 credits)

• Second Language Teacher Education (20 credits)

• Teaching Languages to Young Learners (20 credits)

• Teaching texts across borders - from picture books to teenage fiction and film (20 credits)

• Text, Discourse and Language Teaching (20 credits)

The second option course can be either:

• One further course from the list above, or
• One course from the wider Moray House or University masters courses (20 credits at SCQF Level 11). This must be approved by the Programme Director. N.B. If taking the programme on an intermittent basis, courses from outside the School may have different fees. 

Course descriptions (2023-24)

Dissertation

On successful completion of these taught courses, you will progress to produce an independently researched dissertation. Students must complete a 12,000-word Dissertation (May-August):

• Dissertation: MSc Language and Intercultural Communication (60 credits)