The master's in Intercultural Communication puts you on the path to a variety of careers and academic pursuits—including international student advising, study abroad programming, and refugee and immigrant support. You gain the skills and knowledge to understand linguistic and social practices between people with differing cultural and organizational backgrounds.
As a student in the Intercultural Communication program, you’ll participate in a broad range of course work and field experiences in the ethnographic study of communication between members of different cultural groups—including linguistic, social, racial, ethnic, national, and gender groupings—and within different organizational contexts.
Culminating experienceEDUC 567 - Internship: ICC (final paper or portfolio required)
Transfer courses accepted2 (as electives only)
A degree in Intercultural Communication prepares you for careers such as cultural exchange advising and administration, study-abroad programming, refugee and immigrant support, curriculum development, and consulting around organizational and cultural complexities. The program also provides a solid foundation in ethnographic and discourse analytic research methods for students considering a career in intercultural research and/or doctoral study. Although specific interests and career goals vary, all students learn to analyze the many linguistic, discursive, social, and cultural issues encountered in interaction.
The master’s degree program in Intercultural Communication offers a campus-wide interdisciplinary experience. In addition to 8 required courses, you choose four electives from across Penn GSE and the University of Pennsylvania. A key component of the program is the summer internship, in which you can put into practice skills and theories you learn the classroom.
For more information on courses and requirements, visit the Intercultural Communication M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog.
For more information, see description below
* Course can be waived with faculty approval and replaced with any Penn GSE course.
Note: This suggested plan of study is for full-time students; students enrolled part-time will work with the program manager and faculty to determine the best plan of study for their situation.
All Intercultural Communication students must complete a supervised internship that reflects their interests and goals and allows them to use the skills and theories learned in the core courses. Potential internship sites include international-student advising offices, elementary and secondary schools, community outreach organizations, social-service agencies, educational or cultural exchange programs, and consulting firms. Students complete the 160-hour internship in the summer following their first year of coursework. An Internship Proposal must be approved by the faculty prior to starting the Internship.
Community engagement and service-learning are integral to the Intercultural Communication M.S.Ed. program. Service-learning fieldwork allows students to bridge the theoretical concepts learned in coursework with practical skills and experiences gained outside of the classroom. Our interactive map showcases student teaching and fieldwork sites in Philadelphia. To learn more about our work in the community, contact Jackie Lopez, our Fieldwork and Service-Learning Coordinator.
Sarah Peyton Kaufman
Program Manager
(215) 898-5212
speyton@gse.upenn.edu
Jackie Lopez
Fieldwork & Service-Learning Coordinator
(215) 746-8237
jlope@gse.upenn.edu
Suzanne Oh
Program Assistant
(215) 898-6998
suzanneo@gse.upenn.edu
Katherine O'Morchoe
Program Assistant
(215) 898-7912
omorchoe@gse.upenn.edu
With a master’s degree in Intercultural Communication from Penn GSE, you’ll be prepared for careers in cultural exchange advising and administration, study-abroad programming, refugee and immigrant support, and curriculum development training and facilitation. A number of our graduates enroll in doctoral programs to pursue in-depth research in fields such applied linguistics and education.
Please visit our Admissions and Financial Aid pages for specific information on the application requirements, as well as information on tuition, fees, financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships.
Contact us if you have any questions about the program.
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu
Sarah Peyton Kaufman
Program Manager
(215) 898-5212
speyton@gse.upenn.edu
Katherine O'Morchoe
Program Assistant
(215) 898-7912
omorchoe@gse.upenn.edu
Please view information from our Admissions and Financial Aid Office for specific information on the cost of this program.
Penn GSE is committed to making your graduate education affordable, and we offer generous scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships.