Intercultural Competence Specialization
Intercultural communication is essential for professionals seeking domestic and international careers. This program is only available in person.
Throughout all of our programs, we emphasize intercultural competence—facilitating students’ cultivation of dispositions that contribute to effective communication between individuals and groups of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
The Intercultural Competence (ICC) specialization helps develop essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes to expertly lead and train multicultural teams, sensitively interact with diverse stakeholders, and create effective ICC assessments and training materials.
Overview
The ICC specialization is designed for students currently enrolled in any of the Institute’s degree programs who seek to develop ICC knowledge, skills, and attitudes in both themselves and others.
- Develop an awareness of theories of culture and intercultural interaction.
- Become aware of the ways in which power, identity, language, and group dynamics impact communication.
- Develop participant observation skills that enable critical reflection.
- Engage in ongoing self-reflection.
- Question assumptions that guide diverse interpretations of and approaches to interaction.
Curriculum
The 10-credit ICC specialization curriculum integrates experiential, practical, and theory-based courses that vary in length (full-semester, half-semester, workshops). Students will take three to five classes to meet the 10-credit requirement. We encourage you to take one or two courses at most in a semester so that you can engage deeply with the content. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required.
Core (2 credits)
Provides a strong basis in relevant ICC theory, research, and practice. Pick one of the following courses:
- Introduction to Intercultural Competence (2 credits)
- Power and Identities in Intercultural Contexts (2 credits)
- Communication in Multicultural Settings (2 credits)
Electives (8 credits)
Select from ICC electives available every semester (some are cross-listed with other degree programs). Sample in-person courses:
- Spanish in the Community
- Digital Transformation in Rwanda
- Storytelling for Change
- Nationalism and New States in the Balkans
- Peace and Sustainable Development Goals Costa Rica
- Economic Statecraft: Culture and Conflict Resolution
Sample asynchronous, online courses:
- Power and Identities in Intercultural Contexts
- Decrypting Cultures in the Workplace
Faculty
ICC courses are taught by professionals, educators, and researchers who are engaged in ongoing work in intercultural competence. Meet our faculty.
Questions
Contact Professor Netta Avineri (Intercultural Competence Committee Chair) at navineri@middlebury.edu for more information.