History with a Foundation Year
Foundation course
Key facts
UCAS code
LL90
Start dates
September 2025 / September 2026
Course length
Full time: 1-year foundation course leading to 3-year undergraduate degree (or 4-year undergraduate degree if it involves a work placement or you take a study abroad year)
UCAS Tariff Points
72
Overview
A history degree is about far more than studying the past. Discover why people act the way they do. Explore how societies develop. Then see how your insights apply to the present day so you can uncover answers to issues that could affect everyone's future.
History with a Foundation Year is a unique integrated degree programme, enabling you to develop academic skills crucial to university study, such as critical analysis, academic writing and collaboration. And we'll support you as you grow your confidence, get to know your strengths and build your knowledge.
In your first year, you'll undertake our Foundation in Humanities course, and you'll then progress to the three year undergraduate programme in History, with an opportunity to do an optional study abroad or work placement, as an additional year. With the diverse experience, confidence and skills you'll gain, you'll be fully prepared for a career in a variety of sectors - with hundreds of years of historical insight to inspire you.
How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 72
A Level: DDD
IB Points: 24
BTEC: MMP
Further offer details
Applications are welcomed from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Applicants whose main language is not English should have IELTS 6.0.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about 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.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Application process
Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
* Following the government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we expect to increase our undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Please visit The Education Hub for more information about the changes. We will confirm our fees for 2025/26 as soon as possible.
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
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
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.
Compulsory costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) initial check (if you undertake specific modules or placements in some providers) | £54 |
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Learning and assessment
On this course you’ll:
- join a tightly knit and supportive student community
- have the opportunity to actively explore your interests
- be taught by experts in their fields - people passionate about teaching history.
For the Foundation Year, you'll focus on the oral, written and interpersonal skills you'll need to succeed at university. You might examine international development or global politics. Or you could explore philosophy, education or even the history of art. You'll also undertake a research project, enabling you to delve deeper into your area of choice.
Once you complete your Foundation Year, you'll be fully prepared to progress onto the three year History undergraduate degree. You'll explore major themes like war and conflict, cultures, races and identities, and crime and justice. You can even choose your own topics. And we'll encourage you to think about how your findings can provide insights to modern-day issues.
You can find out more via our BA History webpage.
Study modules
Teaching for this course takes place face to face, and you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.
Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.
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
You’ll experience a wide range of humanities disciplines through:
- lectures
- workshops
- tutorials
- project work
- presentations
- group seminars
- supervised independent learning
- critical thinking tasks
- skills acquisition sessions.
You’ll have a dedicated academic advisor throughout your course, for support and guidance when you need it. You’ll also have 1-1 academic supervisor for your second semester research project, providing support and guidance as you need it.
After you graduate
Career prospects
Studying History with a Foundation Year at Oxford Brookes not only instils a lifelong passion for history. It opens up possibilities for career development and makes you a versatile employee in any organisation.
Our work placement modules enable you to gain practical experience and specialist knowledge that will stand out on your CV and are valuable in a variety of fields. With the adept communication skills you'll develop, you may consider jobs in areas like advertising or journalism. One of our graduates is a photojournalist for National Geographic. Others are working in advertising, banking, and retail.
By studying in Oxford, you'll already be familiar with some of the country's best museums and historical sites. This has benefited our graduates. For example, past students are now working in places like Blenheim Palace, the National Army Museum, and the Battle of Britain Bunker.
You'll be a valuable addition to a variety of sectors like:
- politics
- the Civil Service
- charity
- education
- media
- law.
Further study
Successful completion of the course will give you a place on:
Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
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.