Does the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication require a second language?

No, but a working second language is helpful. The Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication treats language as one dimension of intercultural practice and includes a dedicated module for students working across English and a second language.

How is the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication different from a DEI qualification?

DEI work centres equality, equity and structural inclusion. Intercultural work centres cross-cultural collaboration and capability. They overlap and sometimes tension; the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication addresses both and is a strong complement to DEI-specific qualifications.

Will the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication help me work as a consultant?

It builds the working consultancy skills — diagnosis, design, delivery, measurement — that independent and agency intercultural consultants rely on. Many graduates of the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication move into freelance or agency consultancy work directly.

How does credit transfer from the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication work?

Graduates can apply for direct entry into the final year (Level 6) of a UK BA in Intercultural Communication or related discipline at LSJHML or a partner university. Admissions reviews your transcript and maps credits at application.

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

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a fifteen-to-eighteen-month UK qualification for HR professionals, international project managers, diversity-and-inclusion leads and global communicators who want a serious working credential in intercultural practice. You will learn the major intercultural frameworks, how to design training that actually changes behaviour, and how to lead a multicultural team through the friction that follows the seating plan.

The course is built around current SIETAR practice and CIOL professional standards. It is taught from London — a city where you can study cross-cultural communication on the Northern line on the way to seminar. By the end you will be able to design and deliver intercultural training, advise on global team dynamics, and support an organisation through international expansion.

Key Features

SIETAR-aligned curriculum covering core intercultural frameworks and current practice.
Intercultural training design module — needs analysis, design, delivery, evaluation.
Global team-dynamics workshops — virtual teams, time zones, accountability across cultures.
Diversity, equity and inclusion integration — how intercultural and DEI work intersect and where they don't.
Language-and-culture module for students working across English and a second language.
Direct top-up into the final year of a UK Bachelor's degree at LSJHML or a partner university.

What You Will Learn

The Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication is structured around the working practice of an intercultural professional. You graduate able to design and run a training programme, advise an organisation on intercultural risk, and support a team through the working reality of cross-cultural collaboration — not the brochure version.

Intercultural theory — Hofstede, Trompenaars, Erin Meyer, current critical traditions.
Cultural intelligence — assessment, development, organisational application.
Intercultural training design — needs analysis, design, delivery, evaluation.
Global team dynamics — virtual teams, time-zone management, accountability across cultures.
Cross-cultural conflict resolution — surfacing, mediating, repairing.
Language and culture — the limits of translation, the role of bilingual brokers.
Diversity, equity and inclusion — overlap and tension with intercultural work.
Measuring intercultural outcomes — beyond satisfaction surveys.

Who This Higher Diploma Is For

Advanced Diploma graduates in communications, languages, HR or international relations moving into intercultural practice.
Working HR, L&D and DEI staff at multinational employers seeking a recognised intercultural credential.
International project managers and team leads operating across cultures.
Career-changers from teaching, journalism or NGO work moving into intercultural training and consultancy.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the Higher Diploma in Cross-Cultural Communication move into intercultural training, global HR and international project roles across multinational corporates, professional services, NGOs and international organisations. Typical roles include:

Intercultural Trainer (consultancy, in-house L&D)
Global HR Adviser (multinational corporate)
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist (corporate, public body)
International Programme Manager (NGO, professional body)
Cross-Cultural Consultant (independent or agency)
Global Mobility Adviser (HR, professional services)

The Higher Diploma articulates directly into the final year of a UK BA in Intercultural Communication or related discipline.

Entry Requirements

An Advanced Diploma (Level 5) or equivalent in a related subject, OR a Diploma plus two years of relevant work experience.
IELTS 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (25+) without standard qualifications may apply with significant senior-track work experience.

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.