The Master's [120] in Multilingual Communication with a Professional Focus in Languages for Business Communication gives you the expertise, competence and critical analysis skills to set you up as a responsible player in the world of national and international business.
Graduates of the course will integrate easily into a company or organization in a role such as multilingual communications specialist, public relations manager or recruitment manager. They will bring to the company/organization a whole range of knowledge and skills developed and acquired during their degree course:
- an excellent command, both written and spoken, of at least two of the following modern languages: German, English, French and Dutch;
- knowledge and understanding of how a company/organization operates, specifically in the area of communications. These skills will have been acquired principally through immersion in a company (minimum three-month internship);
- knowledge of the economic, legal, social and political situation in some of the countries of the languages studied;
- knowledge and understanding of interpersonal and intercultural communication;
- the knowledge and understanding they have gained from university study: academic research and rigorous methodology.
Graduates will also have learned how to take a critical and constructive look at themselves and the world around them, making them highly adaptable and open to further learning.
Graduates of the Master's in Multilingual Communication will have acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to take on the role of responsible player and communicator and apply their expertise to society and the business world (companies/organizations).
On successful completion of this programme, each student is able to :
* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
1.1. Have a command of specific business/corporate vocabulary in the two target languages;
1.2. Have the ability to critically analyse and understand written and oral texts on general or business/corporate topics, including long, complex documents, in the two target languages and be able to exploit the details and nuances of these documents;
1.3. Be able to speak the two target languages fluently and to interact spontaneously, with ease and in a logically structured manner on general or business-related topics and strategically within a company/organization at a national and/or international and multicultural level;
1.4. Be able to draft clear, well-structured and well-argued general or specific texts for business use in the two target languages. These documents will comply with the appropriate conventions and will be tailored to the target audience and objectives.
2.1. Have a sound knowledge and understanding of the key elements of communication and communication strategies in an organization/company;
2.2. Be able to devise and implement context-appropriate communication strategies for business/corporate projects;
2.3. Have the ability to communicate, orally and in writing, on complex topics (information, ideas, conclusions, specific courses of action, and the underlying principles and know-how) in a clear, structured, well-argued manner in line with the communication standards specific to the context and tailored to the target audience and objectives;
2.4. Be able to engage in respectful, constructive dialogue and interaction with different types of people (from various socio-cultural backgrounds, positions, spheres of action and areas of expertise), demonstrating a listening ear, an open mind, detachment and assertiveness;
2.5. Have effective teamwork skills (in a national and/or international and multicultural environment) and demonstrate leadership ability when necessary.
3.1. Know, understand, analyse and take a critical look at the economic, legal, social and political situation in some of the countries of the languages studied, including the political institutions and social partners (employers, trade unions, etc.) at the heart of the business community in these countries;
3.2. Be able to use this knowledge to analyse and cast a critical, layman's eye on the major social issues debated in some of the countries of the languages studied;
3.3. Be able to use this knowledge to analyse and cast a critical eye on the situations in which graduates will play an active role to allow them to find their position and take relevant, well-thought-out action.
4.1. Know and understand the project management process (project cycles): project formulation and definition, management, monitoring and evaluation;
4.2. Be able to adapt a communications-related project to its environment, identifying the challenges, constraints and players, and formulate clearly defined objectives;
4.3. Alone or as part of a team, be able to plan and develop all the stages of a communications-related project and, having allocated the tasks, collaborate with all parties involved;
4.4. Alone or as part of a team, be able to take and assume responsibility for the decisions required for effective management of the project in order to achieve the targets set;
4.5. Be capable of involving key players in the process as and when required.
5.1. Have an understanding of the internal workings of a company/organization and the role of its players and be able to adapt to these operations within the wider local and international social, political and economic context;
5.2. Understand their own role and remit within the company/organization, specifically in terms of its communications, and vis-à-vis the different internal and external stakeholders, allowing them to operate competently and effectively;
5.3. Be able to adapt to the specific environment of the company/organization they work for (e.g. the company's structure and culture; national and/or international and multicultural context; language policies);
5.4. Be able to combine the theory and practical skills they have learned, especially during their internship, in order to critically analyse the workings of an institution and one or more of the issues it faces, as well as how theory compares to reality (alternating between theory and practice).
6.1. Be able to pinpoint and formulate one or more research questions relating to a complex issue;
6.2. Be able to summarize what is already known about the research question(s) in the fields studied, using a critical approach and deductive reasoning skills (possible research topics relate to the economic, legal, social and political situation in the countries of the languages studied, the external communications of certain organizations/companies and the use of certain languages within some organizations/companies);
6.3. Be capable of devising and implementing a rigorous, pertinent methodology for obtaining the answers to the research question(s);
6.4. Have the ability to design and conduct empirical quantitative and/or qualitative research, as appropriate, using the relevant analytical tools;
6.5. Have the skills to analyse and interpret the results, providing a reasoned critique;
6.6. Be able to demonstrate deductive reasoning skills and formulate conclusions;
6.7. And generally demonstrate their ability to take a step back and assess with a critical eye both their own work and the knowledge contributed.
7.1. Be able to apply the objective critical analysis skills (theory and methodology) they acquired at university to develop and enhance their career;
7.2. Demonstrate commitment and the ability to make decisions and act autonomously and responsibly with respect for the context, for the work environment and for others;
7.3. Be able to take a critical look at their own skills (including their language skills) and independently seek out ways and opportunities to improve these skills as part of a continuous learning programme that will be vital to further their social and professional development.