European Business, Culture and Languages - 2012 entry

Course content

The European Business, Culture and Languages course is offered at three levels: as a master's degree (MA), a postgraduate diploma (PGDip) and as a postgraduate certificate (PGCert).

The PGCert is awarded on successful completion of three modules (either Intercultural Communication or EU Institutions and Policies, plus Principles of International Business and International Management).

The PGDip is awarded on successful completion of five compulsory units (Intercultural Communication, Principles of International Business, EU Institutions and Policies, The Content of Business Research and International Management).

The MA is awarded on successful completion of five compulsory modules (Intercultural Communication, Principles of International Business, EU Institutions and Policies, The Content of Business Research and International Management) plus either work placement and business research project OR dissertation.

Normally applicants apply for the MA course only, on a full-time or part-time basis.

Semester 1 (on Headington Campus)

Intercultural Communication

• An exploration of the diversity and complexity of culture and how it affects communication (verbal and non-verbal) between cultures.
• An appreciation of the relationship between national and corporate culture.
• An exploration of ways of analysing cultural differences from various perspectives.
• A familiarisation with theories of intercultural communications.

Principles of International Business

• An introduction to the principles and concepts of business and management, including the inter-relatedness of the functional areas of organisations and strategic decision making in the national and international context.

EU Institutions and Policies

• A study of the structure of the European Union: its objectives, policies and constraints.
• An exploration of  the economic environment in Europe and its impact on member states.

International Management

• An introduction to the theory and concepts of international management.
• An introduction to the conceptual approaches employed by organisations in the decision-making processes associated with undertaking business in international competitive environments.

Semester 2 (by distance learning while on work placement or research)

The Content of Business Research

• A study of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies with the opportunity to practise a range of techniques, enabling students to become critical users of research findings as well as competent researchers.
• An exploration of the research methods required for extended self-managed projects of a cross-national nature.

Work Placement and Business Research Project

• For full-time students: 12 week period of work-shadowing experience in a company where the target language is the key to communication.
• For part-time students (or when students’ circumstances are exceptional): same criteria but in their final year.
• Students currently in employment may apply to have this employment recognised as equivalent to the work placement.
• PLUS a study (10-12,000 words) related to the work placement.

OR

Dissertation

• An extended study (12 -15,000 words) of a topic related to business studies, or European issues, or cultural understanding.

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department

Department of English and Modern Languages

Course length

Full-time: MA: 12 months, PGDip: 9 months
Part-time: Option to be discussed

Teaching location

Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane

Start date

September 2012

UKPASS code

P020250

Entry requirements

• A good first degree
• Applicants for the MA in European Business, Culture and Languages should include a recent piece of academic work (approx. 1000 words in English).
• A final decision about a candidate's suitability is normally based on interview, or by alternative arrangement.

The MA in European Business, Culture and Languages attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds and nationalities. Applicants are welcomed from a variety of academic disciplines, as well as those in work and seeking continuing professional development. Admission is normally open to those with a good undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent) or other professional qualification relevant to one of the key areas of study, or an appropriate linguistic background. Applications will also be considered from those who seek to formalise their prior experiential learning or qualifications and who have appropriate language competence.

All applicants should send a sample of recent academic writing in English (approx. 1,000 words), together with the UKPass application.

Applications should be received no later than 1 August, though it is advisable to apply much earlier than this, in particular if you are intending to apply for a scholarship award, or are an international student.

Scholarships and funding

For scholarships offered by the Department of English and Modern Languages, please check the university's finance pages. 

For general sources of financial support, see:

• funding for students from the UK and EU
• funding for students from outside the EU

Why Oxford is a great place to study European Business, Culture and Languages

As a student in Oxford you'll be at the heart of the UK's most successful economic region and in a centre for leading industries which provides you with a host of learning opportunities. It is a truly international city and you will have the opportunity to meet and network with professional and academic staff from across the globe.

Because Oxford is one of the world's great academic cities, it is a key centre of debate, with conferences, seminars and forums taking place across education, science, the arts and many other subjects. Beyond the "dreaming spires" Oxford is a cultural city with its museums, theatres, cinemas and sports centres which are all easily accessible.

In addition to our own excellent libraries and resource centres, our postgraduate students have access to the world-renowned Bodleian Library.

Support for students studying European Business, Culture and Languages

Our student support coordinators (SSCs) can give advice on the course, finance, accommodation or personal issues which may be affecting your study and will also regularly update you with information on visiting speakers, careers advice and course announcements. SSCs can also help with seeking sources of funding such as:

• Erasmus funding if undertaking a European work-placement
• Opportunities to apply for other grants such as the Santander mobility grant.

They can also help you to access other support services in the university such as ‘Upgrade’, which offers confidential advice on study skills, and English language support through the international centre.

How Brookes supports postgraduate students

Supporting your learning

From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.

Personal support services

We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.

Departmental research highlights

• Dr Christina Horvath, Senior Lecturer in French, has been awarded a grant by the British Council to visit Florida Atlantic University to initiate a new interdisciplinary research co-operation between researchers from Oxford Brookes University and Florida State University. Common research expertise and interests lie in suburban culture in contemporary France, a fast-growing and dynamic research area in French studies.
• Project Tadoku: In the 2010/11 academic year, Japanese staff were awarded a grant from the Japan Foundation for an extensive reading project with the Oriental Institute at the University of Oxford. The Tadoku project enabled four workshops for students, two seminars for teachers and the purchasing of graded reading materials. Students studying Japanese participated in workshops and were introduced to the experience of reading in Japanese for pleasure. The findings of the Tadoku project were presented in the European Association of Japanese Studies Symposium in Tallinn, August 2011.
• Dr Christina Horvath was granted funding from the Research Grants Sub-Committee Fund to organise two one-day workshops in Paris and Oxford Brookes University. The aim of these preparatory workshops was to lay the foundation of an interdisciplinary and international research collaboration investigating suburban culture of the ‘banlieues’ in France.

Research areas and clusters

• French avant-gardes of the 20th-century and French modernism
• Text and image
• French Theatre in the 17th and 18th centuries
• Francophone and post-colonial literature
• Urban diasporas texts
• 19th-century French novel
• 19th-century French literature and science.