Why a University Foundation Year Can Put You in the Right Direction

So you want to study business in the UK?

You’ve certainly made a great choice. If you’ve already decided that you want to study abroad here in the UK, you probably know we are something of a hotspot for global business.

A prosperous economy and a welcoming attitude towards internationals means there is a wealth of experience, understanding and future possibilities out there for business students and graduates to make the most of.

If that’s not enough reason, then consider the sheer amount of learning and academic resources focusing on business - we have over 100 business schools in the UK, including some of the world’s highest rated, making the UK one of the best places to study business related subjects. If you’re just doing some investigating you might want to check out who’s who through this handy guide to some of the best business schools in the UK.

Besides, coming to the UK from overseas means that you will ceraintly be in good company amongst your peers. There are more than 440,000 overseas students studying in the UK. The total number of students in the UK is 2.32 million, so overseas students make up almost 20% of that total.

Have a look at these charts to see the make up of overseas students by country:

Sounds good, but you don’t have the right qualifications?

It should go without saying that universities have entry requirements, and if you’re looking to study a business degree in the UK you’re going to need 2 things: Proven language ability and proven and relevant academic knowledge.

For English ability, the industry standard amongst universities in the UK is the IELTS qualification. Let’s take two examples, the undergraduate Business management degrees at the University of Coventry and the University of Sheffield.

Sheffield’s entry requirements for international students ask for “overall IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in Reading, 6.0 in Writing, 6.0 in Listening and 6.0 in Speaking, or an equivalent English language qualification.” Coventry asks for an IELTS score of “6.0 overall.”

Academic knowledge can come in various forms and universities tend to accept a variety of qualifications. Having said that, there is always a required standard which universities ask for. Once again, by way of example you can take a look at Sheffield’s and Coventry’s entry requirements for Business management.

Now, perhaps you’ve taken a look at some Business degrees and you’re thinking, “These look perfect...” Or maybe even, “These look like something I could be interested in…”

And then comes a “but.”

“But my English isn’t good enough.”

“But I don’t have an IELTS.”

“But I didn’t get the grades I was hoping for.”

What is a foundation year and why should you do one?

A foundation year is just what it sounds like; it’s a yearlong academic programme, giving students a basis in a certain subject area and preparing them for taking their studies into undergraduate level.

If the problems described above sound familiar to you then a foundation programme could be the ideal solution. If you take a foundation programme in Business then you will spend a year building up your academic knowledge and skills, gaining a real understanding of business subject matter, all while developing your English skills. By the time you’ve finished your foundation you will be in a great position to move on to undergraduate study at a university here in the UK.

To put it simply: The advantage of doing a foundation year in business is that you don’t have to resit your exams in your own country to get to university, you can study in the UK and at the end of the year progress on to University without anything holding you back.

Interested? What are your options?

There are a number of foundation options here in the UK, many of which are part of universities themselves – it’s worth having a look around because these will differ from each other in terms of content and qualifications.

At Twin we have just began offering our own Foundation in Business Programme, in partnership with a number of UK universities. As a university foundation pathway, this course will get you ready for university and offers progression directly to one of our partner institutions.

However, our take on the foundation course is a little different from what many people are offering. Our tuition rewards students with a BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business, a very well respected qualification recognised by 95% of UK universities. This means that you could have doors open to you in many universities across the UK, depending on what other qualifications and English level you have.

Our foundation year will thoroughly set students up for undergraduate study; as well the BTEC, our course includes Academic English, IELTS preparation, General English and weekly tutorials and workshops. All of this is taught from our wonderful modern school in the attractive London borough of Greenwich. Have a look here to get an idea of just what makes Greenwich such a popular London location.

Wrapping up

Wherever you may decide to study a foundation year in business, you will be giving yourself access to undergraduate-level study in the UK, setting yourself up for a variety of career options.

Look at it this way: A foundation programme could be the first step in securing your future.