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International Foundation Diploma

Foundation Diploma

Key facts
Overview
How to apply
Tuition fees
Learning and assessment
Progression

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Key facts

Start dates

January 2025 / September 2025 / January 2026 / September 2026

Location

Headington

Course length

Full time: 2 semesters (24 weeks' teaching)

Department

Oxford Brookes Business School

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Overview

Study this course if any of the following apply to you:

  • You have less than 13 years of schooling
  • You need to improve your academic skills and English to join an undergraduate course
  • You haven't met the entry requirements for direct entry to the first year of a degree.

This foundation course is linked to a range of our excellent degrees in subject areas such as
Business and Management

  • Arts
  • Digital Media and Publishing
  • Computing, Education
  • Hospitality Management
  • Law
  • English and Modern Languages
  • History
  • Philosophy and Culture
  • Real Estate and Construction
  • and Social Sciences.

Over two semesters you choose a personal pathway of modules that build on your language and academic skills and reflect your own subject and career interests.

You will develop your knowledge of academic subjects and increase your knowledge of English and confidence in using it for academic purposes. Also developing your study skills and critical thinking skills before beginning your degree course.
 

Start this course in January or September

This course has entry points in September and January. Your course is 24 weeks so if you start in September, you will study your first semester between September and December and your second semester between January and April. If you start in January, you will study your first semester between January and May and your second semester between May and August. 

Find out more about January entry

How to apply

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

  • Qualifications from your country
  • British A-levels: EE
  • British AS-levels: CCC
  • International Baccalaureate: 20 points
  • IGCSE: 5 grade Cs/4s
  • Applicants without the appropriate Maths GCSE grade (or equivalent), who wish to progress to a course that requires Maths GCSE (or equivalent), will need to take the compulsory Maths and Statistics module within the foundation year.

Minimum age

The normal minimum age for this course is 18. We will admit 17-year-olds on a case-by-case basis if they turn 18 during the academic year in which the course runs.

Under 18s are only admitted to the University if they live in student accommodation. Find out more about the university's policy on the safeguarding of children.

English language requirements

UKVI-approved SELT IELTS 5.0 with 5.0 in all skills (test must be taken at an approved test centre).

If your English level is IELTS 4.5 (with 4.0 in all skills) or equivalent you can apply for our Pre-sessional English Level 1 course.

International qualifications and equivalences

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English requirements for visas

This course is classed as a B1 level for visa purposes. To apply for a student visa you will need to meet the minimum B1 English language requirements.

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Application process

Apply online directly to Oxford Brookes

For assistance with your application contact our admissions team on admissions@brookes.ac.uk

Apply now

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£9,250
International full time
£15,250
Home (UK) full time
£5,760
International full time
£16,000

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) full time
£9,250
International full time
£15,250
2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
£5,760
International full time
£16,000

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

You will not be eligible for a student loan or other funding from the UK government for this course.

The fees that EU/EEA students starting courses at UK universities after the UK has formally left the EU are required to pay will depend on what is agreed as part of the UK's exit negotiations. Please see Brexit information for applicants for the most up-to-date information.

Deposits and refunds

A £3,000 deposit is required to secure your place on this course.

In the unlikely event that you decide to leave within the first four weeks of the course, we will refund the tuition fees minus a £100 administration fee. No refunds are available after the fourth week of the course. For more information see our terms and conditions.

Financial support and scholarships

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Learning and assessment

Over two semesters you choose a personal pathway of modules that build on your language and academic skills and reflect your own subject and career interests.

You will develop your knowledge of academic subjects through modules related to your future course of study. 

You will also increase your knowledge of English and confidence in using it for academic purposes, and develop your study skills and critical thinking skills before beginning your degree course.

Student support

Our student support team provides academic and pastoral student support services for all students across all Pathways programmes. The Pathways student support is facilitated by the Student Support Coordinators (SSCs) for the Oxford Brookes Business School. Find out more.

Student in a lecture

Start this course in January or September

This course has entry points in September and January. Your course is 24 weeks so if you start in September, you will study your first semester between September and December and your second semester between January and April. If you start in January, you will study your first semester between January and May and your second semester between May and August. 

Find out more about January entry

Study modules

You must take and pass eight modules to complete the foundation year.

Four compulsory modules will develop your academic study skills and your critical-thinking skills in preparation for your future courses.

Your choice of optional modules will depend on your interests and future study plans. We will advise you on the best combination at the start of the course. As courses are reviewed regularly the module list you choose from may vary from that shown here.

You will study

Compulsory modules

  • Academic Study Skills 1

    This module is for students with IELTS 5.0 - 5.5.

  • Academic Study Skills 2

    This module is for students with IELTS 5.0 - 5.5

  • University Study Skills

    This module is for IELTS 6.0+

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

    This module is for IELTS 6.0+

  • Communication and Culture

    Increase your awareness and understanding of how people from diverse backgrounds, including yours, interact with, and interpret, the world around them; prepare yourself for studying in a multicultural university and, in future, living and working as an active citizen in a globalised world.

  • Extended Research Essay

    Understand the processes of planning, researching and writing a substantial assignment to the standards required for higher education; you will finally submit a 2000-word paper.

  • Business Fundamentals OR Economics for Business (Business students)

    Business Fundamentals - Examine the nature, forms and functions of business organisations and their relationship with the external environments in which they operate.

    Economics for Business - Introduction to basic economics, with reference to theory and contemporary issues.

  • Ideas and Ideologies (Humanities and Social Science Students)

    Examine major thinkers, theories and beliefs of the modern era. Reflect critically on diverse theories of knowledge.

  • Human and Cell Biology (Science students)

    Provides students with a fundamental understanding of cell and human biology, while at the same time developing study skills to a level required for success on undergraduate modules. Students are encouraged to explore and gain confidence in a broad range of topics including cell biology, biomedical science, anatomy and physiology.

Optional modules

Choose Two Level 3 Modules

Business Pathway:

  • Development Studies
  • Ideas and Ideologies
  • Business Fundamentals
  • Economics for Business
  • Tourism and Hospitality
  • English Law
  • Global Issues
  • Maths and Statistics for University Study (for those without the appropriate Maths GCSE or equvalent)
  • Foundations of Computer Programmng (for those progressing to a degree in Computing)

Humanities and Social Science Pathway

  • Development Studies
  • Ideas and Ideologies
  • English Law
  • Global Issues
  • Literature, Art and Media

Science Pathway

  • Genetics and Ecology
  • Development Studies
  • Ideas and Ideologies
  • Global Issues  

Choose One Level 4 Module

Business Pathway

  • Foundations of Business (Not for students with A Level Business)
  • Global Business Communications

Humanities and Social Science Pathway

  • Bloody Histories: Crime and Violence in the West
  • Britain Past and Present
  • Conversational Chinese
  • Origins of the Climate Crisis

Science Pathway

  • Basic Survey Methods
  • Origins of the Climate Crisis

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Learning and teaching

In your foundation year you will be taught by highly qualified academic staff. They are specialists in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and various subject disciplines who have many years of teaching experience both in the UK and overseas.

You will gain practice and training in the different kinds of assessment that are common in higher education, for instance essays, reports, individual and group presentations, reflective learning journals and project work.

Teaching hours

You will have around 15 class hours per week. Classes are held Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays), usually between 9am and 4pm.

You will need to spend at least 20 hours per week on independent study which includes homework, assignments, reading and preparation for classes (in groups or individually).
 

Assessment

Assessment methods used on this course

You will gain practice and training in the different kinds of assessment that are common in higher education, for instance essays, reports, individual and group presentations, reflective learning journals and project work.

Progression

Progression: Once you pass your foundation year with the required grades, this foundation diploma can prepare you for a range of degrees at Oxford Brookes that are listed below.

If you would like to check your eligibility to study an undergraduate course, please contact the admissions team on admissions@brookes.ac.uk or call + 44 (0) 1865 535000 for further information.

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.