University Foundation Programme
Encyclopedia
The University Foundation Programme (UFP) is a one-year intensive course that leads to entry to a wide range of universities in the United Kingdom
. It is designed as an alternative to the conventional A-Level route, which takes two years to complete.
The course was established in 1989 by the David Game College in London
. It is the UK's first independent Foundation Course that has gained recognition by British universities.
s wishing to gain entry into British universities. Although the structure of A-Levels has been changed in recent years to adopt a more holistic, coursework
-based approach, the University Foundation Programme offers still less emphasis on end-of-year exam performance and as such is considered more manageable for students whose first language
is not English.
The course runs for 32 weeks and is divided into three Phases. Phase I and II are each 12 weeks long, and Phase III is eight weeks long. Students study six modules in total, spread over the duration of the course to provide an even workload. Three of these are core Minor modules (English
, Mathematics
, and Information Technology
) while the remaining three are Major modules, relevant to the student's future degree
programme. The Major Academic modules will avry from one course provider to another, but students can expect to study modules in any of the following areas: accounting, sociology, psychology, economics, law, further mathematics, physics, business studies etc
The course is assessed on the basis of credit points, and has been carefully designed so that Minor and Major modules each carry a number of points for both coursework and examinations in each of the three Phases of the University Foundation Programme.
The overall allocation of points for the course is divided on a ratio of 40:60, for coursework
and examinations respectively. However, the allocation varies for individual modules and Phases depending on the nature of the subject and most suitable method of assessment. Students who maintain a steady workload throughout each of the three Phases of the University Foundation Programme and who acknowledge the importance of both coursework and examinations will therefore benefit; as such, the course is considered more aligned to study and testing habits on most modern university degree courses.
The course runs for up to one academic year. A student starting the course in September of a given year will usually be able to start university in October the following year. Some institutions offer a faster-track course; students on these programmes enrol in January, graduate
in August and commence University in October.
Some providers of the University Foundation course or Programme will have different entry points throughout the year, offering students greater flexibility. The total duration of such courses will still add up to 9 months of full-time study. For example, the University Foundation Programme offered by ESE-Twin has four entry points thoughout the year, October, January, April and July.
, Cambridge
or the London School of Economics
, as these institutions usually receive excessive numbers of applicants through the conventional A-Level route. For similar reasons, UFP graduates are not generally admitted to degrees in Medicine
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is designed as an alternative to the conventional A-Level route, which takes two years to complete.
The course was established in 1989 by the David Game College in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is the UK's first independent Foundation Course that has gained recognition by British universities.
Course structure
The UFP was conceived as an alternative to A-Level courses for international studentInternational student
According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development , international students are those who travel to a country different from their own for the purpose of tertiary study. Despite that, the definition of international students varies in each country in accordance to their own national...
s wishing to gain entry into British universities. Although the structure of A-Levels has been changed in recent years to adopt a more holistic, coursework
Coursework
Coursework is the name for work carried out by students at university or middle/high school that contributes towards their overall grade, but which is assessed separately from their final exams. Coursework can, for example, take the form of experimental work, or may involve research in the...
-based approach, the University Foundation Programme offers still less emphasis on end-of-year exam performance and as such is considered more manageable for students whose first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
is not English.
The course runs for 32 weeks and is divided into three Phases. Phase I and II are each 12 weeks long, and Phase III is eight weeks long. Students study six modules in total, spread over the duration of the course to provide an even workload. Three of these are core Minor modules (English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, and Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
) while the remaining three are Major modules, relevant to the student's future degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
programme. The Major Academic modules will avry from one course provider to another, but students can expect to study modules in any of the following areas: accounting, sociology, psychology, economics, law, further mathematics, physics, business studies etc
The course is assessed on the basis of credit points, and has been carefully designed so that Minor and Major modules each carry a number of points for both coursework and examinations in each of the three Phases of the University Foundation Programme.
The overall allocation of points for the course is divided on a ratio of 40:60, for coursework
Coursework
Coursework is the name for work carried out by students at university or middle/high school that contributes towards their overall grade, but which is assessed separately from their final exams. Coursework can, for example, take the form of experimental work, or may involve research in the...
and examinations respectively. However, the allocation varies for individual modules and Phases depending on the nature of the subject and most suitable method of assessment. Students who maintain a steady workload throughout each of the three Phases of the University Foundation Programme and who acknowledge the importance of both coursework and examinations will therefore benefit; as such, the course is considered more aligned to study and testing habits on most modern university degree courses.
The course runs for up to one academic year. A student starting the course in September of a given year will usually be able to start university in October the following year. Some institutions offer a faster-track course; students on these programmes enrol in January, graduate
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
in August and commence University in October.
Some providers of the University Foundation course or Programme will have different entry points throughout the year, offering students greater flexibility. The total duration of such courses will still add up to 9 months of full-time study. For example, the University Foundation Programme offered by ESE-Twin has four entry points thoughout the year, October, January, April and July.
Where the course leads
Students graduating the University Foundation Programme are eligible for entry into many British universities. They are not eligible for entry into OxfordUniversity of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
or the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, as these institutions usually receive excessive numbers of applicants through the conventional A-Level route. For similar reasons, UFP graduates are not generally admitted to degrees in Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
.