Understand communication across cultures & contexts for careers in study abroad, community organizations, and global business.
The master's in Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies 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.
This program was previously known as Intercultural Communication M.S.Ed. Beginning in Fall 2025, this program will be titled Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies M.S.Ed.
What Sets Us Apart
About the Program
As a student in the Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies program, you’ll participate in a broad range of coursework 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.
- Fall: 3 courses
- Spring: 3 courses
- Summer: Internship
- Fall: 3 courses
- Spring: 3 courses
Culminating experienceInternship: LGIS Seminar (final paper or portfolio required)
Transfer courses accepted2 (as electives only)
- Full-Time
- Part-Time
A degree in Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies (LGIS) 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 analysis 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 Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies offers a campus-wide interdisciplinary experience. In addition to 7 required courses, you choose 5 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 the skills and theories you learn in the classroom.
Curriculum
For more information on courses and requirements, visit the Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies M.S.Ed. program in the University Catalog.
Suggested Plan of Study
Year 1
Fall 1
- EDUC 537
- EDUC 676
- EDUC 679
Spring 1
- EDUC 546
- EDUC 593
- EDUC 845
Summer
Participant Observation at an Internship Site
For more information, see description below
Year 2
Fall 2
- EDUC 655
- Elective
- Elective
Spring 2
- EDUC 567
- Elective within ELX
- Distribution
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.
For a full list of courses offered at GSE, visit Penn’s University Course Catalog.
Sample Elective Courses
- Citizen Sociolinguistics
- Globalization & the University
- Education in Developing Countries
- Linguistic Anthropology of Education
- Language Teaching & Literacy Development in Multilingual Contexts
- Classroom Discourse & Interaction
- Approaches to Teaching English & Other Modern Languages
- Indigenous Education & Language Revitalization
- Teaching Performance Arts for Cross-Cultural Education (TPACE)
- School & Society in America
- Cross-Cultural Awareness (PACE)
- Selected Topics in Educational Linguistics
- Intercultural Communication & Miscommunication
- Gender & Education
- Cultural Perspectives on Human Development
- Language Diversity & Education
- Second Language Development
- Adult Literacy
- Issues in Second Language Acquisition
- Genealogies of Race and Language in Educational Research
- Language Policy & Planning
- Language in Culture & Society
Participant Observation at an Internship Site
Participant observation is an integral component of the LGIS M.S.Ed program at Penn GSE. It allows students to bridge the theoretical concepts they are learning in their coursework with practical skills and experiences gained outside the classroom while promoting critical reflection.
Developing intercultural competence, therefore, happens not only in the classrooms at Penn GSE but also in experiences outside academia, especially while completing the 160-hour participant observation at an internship site over the summer between the first and second year. Fulfilling the internship requirements is not merely about logging a certain number of hours at a host site but about learning from, with, and about the people and communities with whom one interacts.
Previous 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. An Internship Proposal must be approved by the faculty prior to starting the Internship.
Community Impact: Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies in Philadelphia
Community engagement and service-learning are integral to the Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies 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.
Our Faculty
Program Staff
Hannah Brenneman
Associate Director of Fieldwork & Service-Learning
(215) 746-8237
hbrenn@upenn.edu
Katherine O'Morchoe
Program Manager
(215) 898-5212
omorchoe@gse.upenn.edu
Suzanne Oh
Program Assistant
(215) 898-6998
suzanneo@gse.upenn.edu
Our Graduates
With a master’s degree in Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies 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.
Alumni Careers
- Adult Education Coordinator, Lutheran Children & Family Services
- Assistant Director of Language and Intercultural Learning, Wesleyan University
- Associate Education Analyst, NYC Department of Education
- Associate Professor, Yunnan Nationalities University
- Deputy Head of Admissions Counseling, The Edge Learning Center
- Media Campaign Manager, Google, Inc.
- Doctoral Student in Multicultural Education, University of Washington
- Education Abroad Program Coordinator, Kennesaw State University
- English Teacher, Upper Merion High School
- Immigration Advisor and Cultural Consultant, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Education Programs Manager, Asian Arts Initiative
Admissions & Financial Aid
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.
Financial Aid
Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-6415
admissions@gse.upenn.edu
finaid@gse.upenn.edu
Erica Poinsett
Program Assistant
epoinset@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.
Related News & Research
Working Papers in Educational Linguistics is a student-managed journal focused on the many areas of research within educational linguistics.