Foundation Courses in the UK

What is a Foundation course in the UK?

Foundation courses are for high school-leavers who have studied a non-British curriculum but wish to pursue a degree at a UK university. The foundation course acts as a bridge between your current qualifications and UK university undergraduate entry requirements and is designed to bridge academic gaps, improve your English and familiarize you with UK life and culture in preparation for your UK university degree course.

A foundation course is great choice for students who do not meet the direct entry requirement of a particular UK University. Many international students often choose to study a foundation course so that they can get an opportunity to study at a top ranked UK University. In most cases, after the foundation course is finished, students get a guaranteed progression to the Bachelors degree in that University.

What is the duration of a foundation course in the UK?

Foundation courses are of one year duration if you start in September. Additionally, most UK foundation courses that begin in January also allow you start your degree studies in September.Who should take a foundation course in the UK?

Generally, students who do not meet the entry requirements of a particular UK University and wish to study in that University can do a foundation course with the University and then progress to year 1 of Bachelors studies in the same UK University. Additionally, students who wish to acclimatize with the UK education system before entering in to the main Bachelors level programme can study a foundation course

Who runs foundation courses and where can I study?

Many UK Universities offer their own foundation degrees eg. Queen Mary University of London. There are also foundation education providers like Kaplan, INTO, Navitas, Study Group, Cambridge Education Group that run these foundation courses inside the campus of the UK University whose Bachelors degree you eventually wish to join

Foundation courses are available for which subjects/fields?

Foundation courses can prepare you for a variety of subjects such as: Business, Finance & Management; Computing; Law; Art and Design; Engineering; Social Science; Medicine; Science and Pharmacy, Media; and Humanities

Foundation Course Requirements

Minimum IELTS: 4.5 is required for international students to study foundation a UK foundation course with no single component lesser than 4.0. Some Universities have a higher entry requirement of up to 5.0 in IELTS.

Documents required to study a foundation course in UK include:

• Minimum IELTS score of 4.5 or equivalent
• Higher Secondary School Certificate
• Higher Secondary transcripts
• Reference letter from your high school teacher
• Personal statement
• Scanned copy of passport and visa
• Completed application form

List of some foundation providers and the University you can enter for Bachelors thereafter:

Navitas UK university programs are offered on campus at the following UK Universities:

• Anglia Ruskin University International College
• Birmingham City University International College
• Brunel University International College
• Edinburgh Napier University International College
• University of Hertfordshire International College
• Robert Gordon University International College
• Plymouth University International College
• University of Portsmouth International College
• Swansea University International College

INTO has centres at the following locations:

• INTO London World Education Centre
• INTO University of Stirling
• INTO University of Stirling London
• INTO University of East Anglia
• INTO University of Exeter
• INTO Newcastle University
• INTO Glasgow Caledonian University
• INTO Manchester
• INTO Queen’s University Belfast
• INTO University of East Anglia Newton A-level Program
• INTO City University London
• INTO St George’s, University of London
• INTO University of Gloucestershire
• INTO Manchester IPW University of Manchester
• INTO Manchester IPW Manchester Metropolitan

The Cambridge Education Group have long standing partnerships with many top UK universities, including:

• Birkbeck, University of London
• Queen Mary, University of London
• London South Bank University
• Goldsmiths, University of London
• Royal Holloway, University of London
• UCL, Institute of Education
• UCLAN, University of Central Lancashire
• Coventry University
• University of Sunderland
• Kingston University London
• Royal Veterinary College 

Study Group have International Study Centres at the following UK institutions:

• Bellerbys College
• Coventry University London Campus
• Istituto Marangoni
• Keele University
• Kingston University
• Lancaster University
• University of Leeds
• Royal Holloway, University of London
• University College Dublin
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• University of Lincoln
• Liverpool John Moores University
• University of Law
• University of Sheffield
• University of Strathclyde
• University of Surrey
• University of Sussex 

And there are many UK Universities who offer their own foundation courses

Study a Foundation Course in the UK

If you wish to study a foundation course in the UK, which then allows you to study a Bachelors at a top UK University, contact our expert UK Counsellors. As one of the top UK education consultants in Hyderabad, our team will be delighted to help you!