Why study MA Intercultural Communication and Education at Exeter?
An interdisciplinary programme that will develop your intercultural awareness and competence, and give you an understanding of the theory and practice of intercultural communication, skills highly valued by employer in today’s global world.
Develop an in-depth understanding of the complexities of communication in a globalised world, the ability to apply the acquired discipline specific skills to address challenges and implement positive and sustainable solutions, and the ability to conflate others’ perspectives to navigate complex relationships locally and globally.
Gain an understanding of key aspects of linguistics and learning theory and their influence on the teaching of English to speakers of other languages and manage multilingualism in educational settings.
Taught by experts in the field of intercultural communication, discourse analysis, language and globalisation, multilingualism and education, and multilingualism and migration, international education and TESOL.
Join a vibrant research community and develop your research skills through a series of structured practical seminars supporting you in the planning, design, implementation and presentation of your research.
There are two other pathways available for the MA Intercultural Communication, depending on interest: Migration or International Business
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Entry requirements
We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in a social science* or humanities subject. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.
The 樱花动漫 offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with ?7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
樱花动漫 Alumni Scholarship
We are pleased to offer the 樱花动漫 Alumni Scholarship, a scholarship for 樱花动漫 alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship worth 20% of the cost of your first year tuition fees.
Core modules explore key concepts, such as culture, identity, acculturation, prejudice and othering, issues, debates, and critical approaches to intercultural communication from a global perspective that goes beyond Eurocentric or western perspectives.
You will also develop your research competence and critical reflection on the process of planning, designing, implementing, and presenting of research in preparation for your dissertation.
In one of the optional modules, Sustainable Development Goals Challenge, you join a team of international students and address a real-life sustainable development goal challenge. This ground-breaking module will help you gain first-hand experience in intercultural interactions.
The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
Please note that the module information displayed here is subject to change.
Overall you must take 180 credits - 150 compulsory and 30 optional credits.
Compulsory modules
From Compulsory Choice Group 1 - choose 60 credits
From Education Pathway Compulsory Choice group - choose 60 credits
Optional modules
Optional - choose 30 credits
Compulsory modules
Code
Module
Credits
Compulsory
Intercultural Communication: Key Concepts and Theories
30
Compulsory Choice
Dissertation
60
Consultancy Project
60
Education Pathway Compulsory Choice
Bilingual and Multilingual Perspectives on Language Learning and Teaching
15
Issues in English Language Teaching
15
Education for Diversity
30
Perspectives on International Education
30
Optional modules
Code
Module
Credits
Optional 1
Future 17: Sustainable Development Goals Challenge
15
Through the Language Lens: the Relationship between Language, Culture and the Mind
15
Migration and Multilingualism
15
Dr Susana Afonso
Associate Professor in Language, Cognition and Society
Dr Birgül Yilmaz
Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Communication
Dr Susana Afonso
Associate Professor in Language, Cognition and Society
Susana Afonso is Associate Professor of Language, Cognition and Society. Her research specialism is in Cognitive Linguistics and Construction Grammar. She has conducted a number of studies on language variation from a Cognitive Sociolinguistics perspective, in particular in relation to Portuguese as a global language. She also engages in interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers in Education in non-formal contexts, investigating the how the use of language in science museums between museum educators and audience may enable co-production of meanings or maintain well-established power dynamics.
Dr Birgül Yilmaz
Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Communication
Dr Birgül Y?lmaz is a Senior Lecturer in Intercultural Communication. She leads the core module of SMLM087 and SMLM088 on the MA in Intercultural Communication and creates optional modules based on her over a decade long ethnographic fieldwork gained internationally.
Dr Y?lmaz is a Critical Sociolinguist and Applied Linguist, specialising in the areas of sociolinguistics of forced migration, humanitarianism, ethnography, critical/ discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, and linguistic practice in institutional and precarious settings such as refugee camps. Her teaching is social justice oriented and builds awareness on everyday intercultural communicative inequalities.
She is a member of the International Association for Languages and Intercultural Communication (IALIC), the British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL), the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL), and the Linguistic Ethnography Forum (LEF).
Dr Y?lmaz is an Associate Editor for Glossa Contact. Her research in two refugee camps on Lesbos Island appeared on
Modules she convenes are:
Teaching and research
You will be taught by experts in the field of intercultural communication, discourse analysis, multilingualism and education, and multilingualism and migration, as well as International Education and TESOL. You will learn collaboratively with other students and the wider postgraduate research community.
Research in Modern Languages and Cultures is characterised by world-leading and internationally excellent research centres, which span a wide range of sub-disciplinary fields including:
You will be equipped with skills highly valued by employers such as communication in multicultural environments, understanding the complexities of communication in a globalised world, analytical and presentation skills, critical thinking and research-oriented skills, including planning skills and time management
Careers
Professionals with the ability to work in diverse cultural and linguistic settings are required in a range of organisations. Career paths include NGOs, international development, multilingual schools, and universities. Alternatively, you may undertake PhD research and an academic career.
The majority of students are based at our Streatham Campus in Exeter. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the country and offers a unique environment in which to study, with lakes, parkland, woodland and gardens as well as modern and historical buildings.
Located on the eastern edge of the city centre, St Luke's is home to Sport and Health Sciences, the Medical School, the Academy of Nursing, the Department of Allied Health Professions, and PGCE students.
Our Penryn Campus is located near Falmouth in Cornwall. It is consistently ranked highly for satisfaction: students report having a highly personal experience that is intellectually stretching but great fun, providing plenty of opportunities to quickly get to know everyone.
