• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Foundations to Business Communication

Module description

This module is designed to support your transition to postgraduate level study in the use and practice of communication skills around your programme assessments. This module will provide you with key foundational communication skills in reading and writing that you can take into your other courses on the programme as well as into future business employment. A core focus of this module is to help you develop foundational knowledge in critical reading and writing skills. As a critical reader, you will learn how to evaluate academic writing, and how researchers communicate a coherent and convincing argument. As a critical writer, you will learn techniques on how to develop and position your own arguments. As part of this experience, you will learn how to leverage academic scholarship within your work.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The core aim of this module is to improve student communication skills as it relates to the MSc International Business programme, as well as establishing key communication skills for future employment.

One challenge faced by all new postgraduate students is acclimating to a new programme of study. Students are required to quickly calibrate their existing communication knowledge base with programme expectations in order address any potential skills gap. The problem is that students often do not realise how significant their communication skills gap is until after they have completed a full-term of study. This post-reflective form of student practice means that students often complete a full-term of study before understanding areas that they need to address.

In addition, business research has demonstrated that there is a gap between the communication skills required by business practitioners and those skills delivered by new graduates. Many graduate employers have actively called for formal postgraduate training in communication skills. A core aim of this module is to put business communication skills at the heart of the MSc International Business curriculum. Students will be able to take the skills learned on this course directly into future business employment.

This course aims to deliver specialised sessions in business communication. Students will develop strategies to help them become better communicators on their programme and within business industry. Students will receive formal training in business communication with an aim to incorporate these strategies into their own worldview. Through a series of seminars and interactive role-plays, students will be equipped with practice-based knowledge that they can take into the workplace

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Display effective communication practices.
• 2. Develop the ability to understand and disseminate knowledge to a wider audience.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Critique research, evaluate arguments and position your arguments within a wider debate.
• 4. Build effective, persuasive arguments.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Produce reports showcasing developments in reading, writing and communication skills
• 6. Work effectively independently.

Syllabus plan

Indicative module content includes:

• Critical reading and writing for postgraduate students
• Structuring and positioning an argument
• Cross cultural communication
• How to conduct a literature review
• Case study analysis and skills for writing a case study
• How to be an active learner
• How to read journal articles
• How to use the library and library databases
• The job hunt

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Cutts, M. (2020). Oxford guide to plain English. Oxford University Press, USA.
• Wallace, M., & Wray, A. (2021). Critical reading and writing for postgraduates. Sage

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• Conrad, D., & Newberry, R. (2012). Identification and instruction of important business communication skills for graduate business education. Journal of Education for Business, 87(2), 112-120.
• Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2011). A Writer's Reference with Writing in the Disciplines. Macmillan.
• Howe, S.(2023). PhraseBook for writing papers and research in English. The Whole World Company.

Key words search

Communication skills, academic skills, research, reading, and writing