Discover how our Global Cultures MA equips you with vital soft skills for tomorrow's workplace.
In a globalised world, we are more connected than ever to countries near and far. Learning how to culturally competent is critical, as this helps to interact, integrate and engage effectively and appropriately with diverse customers, clients, staff, suppliers, partners and publics. Studying our Global Cultures MA helps you do just that.
Innovations in transport, technology, and communications have created greater opportunities for businesses and organisations – of all sizes and across all sectors – to operate internationally. It is not just customers, clients, supporters, investors, audiences and visitors who can be situated or come from all over the world. The workforce itself is increasingly global too, thanks to remote working, in-country offices, and worker migration.
While bringing people together from diverse cultural backgrounds, virtually or face-to-face, can lead to fresh ideas and new ways of thinking and working, it is not without issue. Problems can arise relating to anything from time zones and communication barriers to differences in working practices and behaviour.
This brave new world requires new ways of working: technical or specialist expertise is no longer enough. Companies and organisations across the public, private and not-for-profit sector need staff who can communicate and work effectively with all manner of individuals, both within and external to their organisation.
Success, according to Forbes, requires 11 essential ‘soft skills’: communication, leadership, teamwork, creativity, time management, adaptability, problem solving, work ethic, critical thinking, conflict management, and emotional intelligence. You’ll gain all these and more by studying our Global Cultures MA.
Essential soft skills
Studying an online master’s programme, by its very nature, demonstrates a strong work ethic and your ability to plan, prioritise and manage your time and activities. As part of your learning experience, you will work on individual and group projects, analysing and evaluating concepts, research material, or contemporary issues, and solving problems facing businesses and organisations. This develops your critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity.
Brainstorming and discussing ideas with peers as part of the process teaches you to be more professional, flexible and adaptable. When you encounter divergent opinions, styles and approaches – as you undoubtedly will – you will develop greater awareness and empathy.
Mixing with different personality types on your course gives you the chance to observe and incorporate alternative methods to motivate and communicate with others.
Building good relationships
We spend around one-third of our lives at work, so it is important we know how to get along with colleagues. Being able to build effective relationships, like those with your peers on this course, is key to becoming an excellent global team player and leader.
On this Global Cultures MA, you’ll be encouraged to demonstrate the same characteristics that define a good relationship: trust, respect, self-awareness, inclusion, and open communication. You’ll not only put this into practise as you learn and engage with peers and tutors but can also explore the topic further depending on your optional module choice, Creating Connections: Integrating Knowledge in a Fragmenting World, for example, or Creative Leadership for Global Challenges.
Intercultural understanding
Joining King’s diverse and international community of more than 33,000 students from over 190 countries, the Global Cultures MA prepares you to become a culturally competent leader. Group assignments and social forums enable you to share experiences, thoughts and perspectives with professionals from a range of diverse backgrounds. This helps you develop a global mindset.
Specialist modules offer further insight and knowledge, covering topics such as Language and Global Identities, Diversity and Inclusion in Practice, and Communicating Global Cultures. The Independent Research Project offers a unique opportunity to study a specific aspect of global cultures that interests you. Past projects have ranged from diversity and inclusion practices in Hong Kong education institutions to the role of racism in the police in Canada.
Respect for equality, diversity, and inclusion
The MA is designed to equip you with a greater awareness and understanding of personal diversity, a wider range of contexts, and enable you to experience ross-cultural communication directly. This helps prepare you for the modern workplace, when it is more than likely your future team members may come from countries with different institutions, economic, and political systems, and cultural norms.
Through case studies, references to the news and sharing of experiences, you’ll appreciate how to promote cultural understanding and empathy towards different customs and traditions. You will also realise that, as well as being a legal requirement, diversity and inclusion (D&I) within the workplace can bring numerous benefits: fostering innovation, breaking down barriers, more effective staff recruitment and retention, to name just a few.
What could be more exciting and inspiring than working in a rich, diverse and inclusive working environment, learning about different cultures, customs and approaches to work?
Are you fascinated by the impact of globalisation and cross-culturalism? This part-time, online MA covers the complex issues which shape transnational cultural aspects.
