Do I need to speak a language other than English to study BA Cross-Cultural Communication?

Not required at entry, but the degree is significantly stronger with at least one additional language. Students without one are encouraged to take a parallel language module at any stage in their degree.

How is BA Cross-Cultural Communication different from a BA in International Relations?

International Relations focuses on states, institutions and politics. BA Cross-Cultural Communication focuses on how people communicate across cultural lines — applicable in business, NGO work, teaching, healthcare and creative industries as well as policy work.

Is BA Cross-Cultural Communication a translation degree?

No. Translation strategy is one strand among many. The degree is for people who design and deliver communication across cultures, not primarily for translators. Students wanting translation specifically should look at our Translation Studies routes.

Can I take BA Cross-Cultural Communication online?

Yes. The online route mirrors on-campus delivery with live seminars, asynchronous reading and supervised project work. Distance learners follow structured deadlines and complete intercultural project work in their own settings.

What does the applied intercultural project on BA Cross-Cultural Communication involve?

Each year you design and run a small communication intervention in a real or simulated multicultural context — a community engagement campaign, an internal communications redesign for a multinational team, a training programme. Tutors support scoping, ethics and evaluation.

BA Cross-Cultural Communication in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The BA Cross-Cultural Communication at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a three-year UK honours degree for students preparing to work where languages, cultures and institutional contexts meet — international NGOs, global corporates, diplomatic services, multicultural classrooms and the diaspora communities London hosts in such density. The course is grounded in current intercultural theory and applied through structured project work each year.

This is not a tourist's view of cultural difference. You leave with the theoretical grounding to read a cross-cultural friction point seriously, the practical skills to design communication that works across contexts, and the methodological tools to evaluate whether what you do actually lands.

Key Features

UK honours degree in cross-cultural communication — three years full-time, with online and distance routes.
Applied intercultural project each year — design and run a communication intervention in a real or simulated multicultural setting.
Sociolinguistics strand covering language choice, code-switching, multilingualism and identity.
Comparative discourse module — political, media and institutional discourse across two or more cultures.
Industry-led masterclasses from intercultural trainers, global HR leads and international development practitioners.
Final-year dissertation on an applied intercultural communication topic of your choice.

What You Will Learn

The BA Cross-Cultural Communication is structured around the working life of an intercultural practitioner — reading a context, designing communication for it, delivering across cultural lines and evaluating whether what was understood matches what was said. You leave able to brief a multinational team, design diversity and inclusion programming with method, and contribute to international communications strategy.

Intercultural theory — Hofstede, Trompenaars, GLOBE, contemporary critical responses.
Sociolinguistics — code-switching, language choice, multilingual identity, lingua franca pragmatics.
Comparative discourse — political, media and institutional language across cultures.
Intercultural pragmatics — face theory, politeness, indirectness, high/low context communication.
Diversity and inclusion practice — EDI frameworks, intersectionality, lived-experience research.
Global organisational behaviour — multinational team dynamics, virtual collaboration, conflict.
Translation and localisation strategy — when to translate, when to transcreate, when to commission.
Research methods — qualitative interview, ethnography, mixed methods for intercultural settings.

Who This Course Is For

School leavers with strong language interest who want a degree that turns that interest into employability.
International students wanting a UK honours degree taught in one of the world's most multicultural cities.
Career-changers from teaching, NGO work or human resources moving into intercultural specialist roles.
Mature applicants with diaspora, migration or international work experience seeking academic grounding.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the BA Cross-Cultural Communication move into intercultural roles across the public, private and third sectors. The qualification is portable internationally and pairs particularly well with one or more working languages. Typical destinations include:

Intercultural Trainer (consultancy, in-house global learning team)
Global HR Adviser (multinational corporate, international NGO)
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist (FTSE corporate, public-sector body)
International Programme Manager (NGO, foundation, cultural institution)
Cross-Cultural Consultant (independent practice, boutique consultancy)
International Development Officer (DFID-tradition organisations, foundations)

Graduates progress to a Master's in Cross-Cultural Communication, International Relations or a complementary specialism such as TESOL or Translation Studies.

Entry Requirements

Three A-Levels at BBC or above (or international equivalent — IB 28 points, BTEC DMM, or accepted national qualification).
GCSE English Language at grade 5 or equivalent English proficiency test.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
A short personal statement; some applicants are invited to a short interview.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with a portfolio and short interview.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.