What is a Foundation Year?
- Foundation Years are an alternative route to access studying a full degree, involving an initial year of study that, following successful completion, will enable you to progress onto the first year of one of our eligible undergraduate degrees
- The Foundation Year options are not course-specific but instead provide a grounding of knowledge across seven subject areas, building your understanding, confidence and skills for further study
- A Foundation Year is not the same as a Foundation degree. Successfully completing a Foundation Year gives you access onto a degree course, whereas a Foundation degree is a standalone qualification equivalent to two years of a three or four-year degree
- If you are an international student and ineligible to apply for a Bachelor's degree directly (e.g. your qualification is not equivalent to UK A-levels), we offer an international foundation programme.
Foundation Year subject areas
We currently offer Foundation Years in seven subject areas, each of which comprises a number of units to prepare you for one of a range of degrees. Select a subject area to find out more about the Foundation Year content, the tuition fee, and the course you could go on to study:
| Entry requirements for 2025 entry | |
|---|---|
| GCSE numeracy and literacy requirements | There are no set GCSE requirements, with the exception of the Engineering Foundation Year and the Technology Foundation Year, which require GCSE Grade 4 (or Grade C) in Mathematics and English. For all other subject areas, the Foundation Year will cover these skills in preparation for degree study. You must successfully complete and pass the Foundation Year elements in order to be eligible to start the full degree. |
| UCAS tariff points | 48–72 UCAS tariff points, including a minimum of 1 A-level or equivalent. |
| English language requirements | If English is not your first language, you'll need to demonstrate that you have the English language capability for the Bachelor's level course you are progressing onto. Please check each individual Foundation Year page for the required score. |
Please note: for our professional qualification courses such as nursing, midwifery, operating department practice and occupational therapy, you are required to demonstrate insight into the field of study through relevant experience, and will need to meet higher IELTS requirements where English is not your first language. You will also need to pass an Occupational Health (OH) check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to progress onto the degree course. Full details can be found on the relevant course pages.
How to apply for a Foundation Year
You can apply for one of our Foundation Years in the same way you would apply for an undergraduate degree, by submitting your application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service). UCAS will process your UK university application and will send your application to us to consider your academic and personal profile before making you an offer.
We recommend that you submit your application as soon as possible once you’ve decided that a Foundation Year is right for you. We’ve got some great tips on applying for university on our undergraduate blog and have put together some advice on writing your personal statement.
Our Foundation Years have their own unique UCAS codes (as listed on course pages); make sure you choose the correct code as well as the right institution codes when you fill in your application. Our institution code is B50.