International foundation courses are specially designed to prepare overseas students for a particular course of study within the UK higher education system. They are very commonly used by overseas students, studying in the UK, at both pre-undergraduate and pre-postgraduate level. See below to find out more information.
· Pre-undergraduate international foundation
· Introduction
Children in the UK (excluding Scotland) begin formal education at age 5 and usually enter university at age 18, after completing 13 years of full time education. Students in many other parts of the world will have had one year less, 12 years, formal education before going to university. Consequently most countries’ undergraduate courses last for 4 years, whereas a bachelor degree takes only 3 years to complete in the UK (excluding Scotland, which is 4 years, as many students go to universities in Scotland at age 17). This discrepancy created the need in the UK for university preparation courses, commonly called foundation courses, to cater for the growing number of overseas students wishing to study for a UK degree but that fell short of the academic entry requirements for their chosen course of study.
In addition, education in the UK, higher education in particular, is designed to make students study independently, by thinking for themselves. This sometimes involves students designing their own projects, including choosing the subject and scope of the project, doing their own research and making their own conclusions, either individually or in small groups. Lecturers and tutors teach students in a conventional way but additionally encourage students to do their own research and study topics further, in greater depth, on their own time, outside of lectures and tutorials. This teaching method used in the UK is significantly different to that used in many other countries, where students are often expected to simply re-produce what their teachers have previously taught them. This is part of the reason why university degrees from the UK are held in such high esteem and are so well recognised all around the world.
International foundation courses help to prepare overseas students for this style of study. They also give overseas students the opportunity to enhance their English language skills up to the level required to study for a bachelor degree at a UK university (usually intermediate level, IELTS score of 6.0 or above). In addition they provide a valuable insight into living and studying in the UK, giving students time to settle into life in a foreign country and taking care of themselves, often for the first time, prior to embarking on an arduous three year degree course.
International foundation courses are for overseas students wishing to study for a degree at a UK university but who do not quite meet the entry requirements for their chosen course of study.
The entry requirements set by UK universities for overseas students include two quite separate but equally important parts.
1. Academic level of achievement.
For UK students, their A level and/or equivalent qualification results are equated into points using the “UCAS tariff points system”. Each university in the UK sets the minimum points score for each of their degree courses in each subject. Students must achieve this score to gain entry onto their chosen course. Naturally, entry onto popular courses with limited available places, at the top universities requires very high scores and lower scores are accepted at less prestigious universities and/or for less popular courses with a high number of available places.
The problem for Chinese (and many other nations’) students applying to universities in the UK is that their “school leaving certificates” are not deemed to be an equivalent to UK qualifications, i.e. A levels, etc. Note that even students with excellent marks throughout their school life, including doing well on the Chinese university entrance exam, will usually be rejected when applying for very popular undergraduate courses or courses at the top universities in the UK, as their level of academic achievement will still be judged as being below the necessary requirement.
2. Level of English language proficiency.
Every higher education institution in the UK will insist on overseas students having a level of English language high enough for them to cope with studying in the UK. Attending lectures taught in English, making presentations and writing reports, essays, etc. all in English requires students to have a firm grasp and in-depth understanding of the English language. Students with poor English will naturally find it extremely difficult to cope with undergraduate level study in the UK.
Overseas students are usually required to provide proof of their English language ability, in the form of an approved English exam report. In the UK, the most commonly used exam to test student’s academic English level is the IELTS, with a score of 6.0 (intermediate level) usually being the minimum required for entrance onto a degree course. Some UK universities have higher requirements and some have different requirements for study of different subject areas.
· Is it possible to go directly onto a degree course without taking a foundation course first?
Yes!
Not all overseas students are required to take an international foundation course.
Overseas students that have consistently achieved high grades throughout their school life and also have a good command of the English language, including proof of this via an approved testing system (i.e. IELTS score of 6.0 or above), are regularly accepted by UK universities directly onto bachelor degree courses.
Such high achieving overseas students will find direct entry onto degree courses easier to obtain when applying for courses in less popular subjects with a high number of available places and/or courses at universities at the lower end of the league tables. Direct admission onto popular courses, with limited available places, at the higher ranked universities is much more difficult and is generally only the reserve of exceptionally talented students with impeccable records of academic and personal achievement.
In addition, students that have or will soon complete the first year of an undergraduate degree course in their home country will also be considered for direct entry to the first year of a bachelor degree course in the UK in the same or very similar subject. Likewise, students completing year two of their degree in their home country, may be considered for direct entry to the second year of a bachelor degree course in the UK and students completing year three of their degree, may be considered for direct entry to the third year. Off course, such students still need to satisfy the minimum English language requirement.
The best way to find out if you need to take a foundation course or not, is to contact Blue Sky Study and let our professional consultants advise you on what is best for you.
Because international foundation courses are primarily aimed at overseas students, whose first language may not be English, they involve a large element of ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) study. The courses combine study of EAP (English for academic purpose), general English and useful study skills with the study of specific academic subjects relevant to the student’s chosen degree course. For example, students wishing to take an undergraduate course in business studies will study modules in business related topics, such as accounting, management, economics, etc. at a foundation / freshman level, alongside ESOL.
Generally speaking, ESOL study will constitute about 50% of the course, learning important, UK style study skills about 10-20% and the remaining 30-40% is used to study specific subjects.
Foundation courses normally last 9 months (one academic year). For UK higher education institutions the academic year begins in September/October, so courses normally run from September/October to June/July. Some institutions teach only the ESOL elements during the first half of the course (the first semester) then the other subjects during the second half (the second semester). Other institutions will mix up the teaching throughout the course.
· What are the entry requirements?
Entry requirements for international foundation courses vary between institutions and can depend on the origin of the student. Generally speaking, they require Chinese students who;
Note, good grades usually means 70%+ in all or most subjects, although this can be lower or higher (sometimes as high as 85%+). Further note, some courses allow entrance to students who have not completed their third and final year of senior high school, so long as their grades up to and including the second year of senior high school are good enough.
Students with an already intermediate to advanced level of English (IELTS score of 5.5 or higher), that do not require as much ESOL tuition, often have the opportunity to take a shorter foundation course, which concentrates much more on academic subject study. Many colleges and universities offer such courses starting in January and some even later.
Students with an English level below lower intermediate (IELTS score of 3.5 - 4.5) are often offered extra ESOL classes either during the course or, more commonly, in the months before the start of the standard foundation course.
International foundation courses are available at many UK higher education colleges and universities, as well as special international colleges / language schools in the UK and abroad, including some in China.
Completing a recognised foundation course with good marks and proof of a high standard of English will facilitate entry onto an undergraduate course in the UK, putting overseas students on a broadly level par with UK students finishing their A levels. However, care should be taken when choosing a foundation course as some universities may not recognise foundation courses run by certain institutions. Therefore, before applying for or accepting a place on a foundation course it is very important to check the destinations of students from previous year’s courses, i.e. see which universities they went on to study at after finishing their foundation course.
To ensure students enroll at the institution that is right for them, they should contact Blue Sky Study and let us advise them, based on which universities they would like to apply to afterwards, their budget, preferred location and other requirements.
· After finishing an international foundation course
On successful completion of a foundation course, including passing the exams at the end of each module and/or the end of course exams and scoring a 6.0 or higher on the final IELTS exam, admission to an undergraduate course, starting the following September, is often guaranteed. Foundation courses taken at a university will usually only guarantee a place on a bachelor degree course at that university, although some will have an arrangement with other universities to guarantee places on their degree courses too.
Having such a guarantee does not mean that a student cannot apply for admission to degree courses at a number of other universities through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). So the guaranteed place can be used as a “fall back” or “second choice” option if a student is not offered a place at another university or fails to meet the conditions of their placement offer from their first choice university.
All colleges and universities running foundation courses, whether they offer guaranteed degree course places or not, are able to offer their students professional advice and guidance on choosing suitable degree courses and assistance completing their UCAS application.
· Pre-postgraduate international foundation (Pre-masters)
Similar to pre-undergraduate foundation courses, pre-postgraduate foundation courses, commonly referred to as “pre-masters” courses, are for overseas graduates who want to study for a postgraduate qualification at a UK university but fail to meet the entry requirements for their chosen course of study.
The standard entry requirements for masters degree courses in the UK for overseas students are;
Almost 1 in 3 postgraduate students in the UK are overseas students.
Overseas students taking any postgraduate course in the UK will be expected to have high level, in-depth subject knowledge at the start of their course, having already completed their undergraduate degree course. However, most UK universities will insist that they take a pre-masters course prior to the postgraduate course if they fall into one of the following two categories;
1.Students who only attain the equivalent of a pass (not a first) or an ordinary degree (not an honours degree), in the same or highly relevant subject to the chosen masters degree subject.
2.Students who attain the equivalent of a first class honours degree, but in a significantly different subject to the chosen masters degree subject.
Any student that has not achieved either of the above standards will generally not be accepted onto a pre-masters course, let alone a masters degree course.
Overseas students that fall into one of the above categories and also cannot meet the minimum English language requirement for postgraduate study, have a good chance of being accepted onto a standard pre-masters course, where further academic subject study and ESOL study are combined. Such courses generally last for two semesters (one academic year) and are offered at most universities. Course length can vary between universities and also depends largely on each student’s English language level at the start of the course, i.e. students needing to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 to enter their chosen postgraduate course and who start their pre-masters course with a score of 5.5 would need less ESOL tuition and therefore take a shorter course than a student starting with a score of 5.0.
Overseas students that fall into one of the above categories but can meet the minimum English language requirement for postgraduate study, have a good chance of being accepted onto a pre-masters course where the emphasis of the teaching will be on academic subject study with little or no ESOL study. Such courses normally last for one semester, although course length can vary between universities. Note that some universities might teach this kind of pre-masters course, mixing overseas students with UK students and some universities may not offer this kind of pre-masters course at all, instead only offering the type that involves ESOL study in addition.
Finally; overseas students that meet the academic requirements for postgraduate level study but fail to gain direct admission to their chosen course only because of an insufficient level of English, will often receive conditional placement offers from universities. They can commence their chosen postgraduate course on the condition that they improve their English language ability up to the required standard. Students in a position like this have the option of taking ESOL lessons in their home country or taking ESOL lessons in the UK. Whichever option they choose, students would take the IELTS exam when they believe they are ready and hopefully achieve the score they require. Most UK universities offer special IELTS preparation courses, these are commonly referred to as “pre-sessional English/ESOL” courses, and the majority of students that take such courses are ultimately aiming to gain entry onto a higher education course at that university.
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