This page contains information on:

• foundation and Access or Bridging courses
• location of the institutions
• entry requirements including English language requirements
• how and when to apply for full-time and part-time 'Foundation years/courses', excluding Art and Design
• how to apply for full-time and part-time Foundation courses in Art and Design
• fees and funding

Foundation and Access or Bridging courses

Q
What is a Foundation course, a Foundation year and an Access or Bridging course?

A
A Foundation course, also known as a foundation year, access or bridging course, is a course that gives access to higher education and one that bridges the gap between the qualifications you have and those you need to attend higher education. An access course will give you:

• a good level of English
• access to a degree course in science, health, engineering and humanities
• a supportive environment, via the tutorial system
• the opportunity to adapt to a different environment

These courses generally last for one academic year, although an intensive Foundation course can last only six months.

If you intend to apply for a degree in the areas of Art and Design, the Foundation year/course will not only allow you to better identify which area you want to specialise in but will also give you the opportunity to prepare a good portfolio, which will be assessed as part of your degree application.

Access/bridging courses are generally designed for students over 21 – mature students. Find out about Access courses by consulting the UCAS Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) UCAS student site index under 'Access courses'.

Find out more by consulting the British Council Education information sheet, 'Choosing your undergraduate foundation programme'.

Location of the Institutions

Q
Where are the institutions located?

A
You will find the location of those institutions teaching foundation years/courses, Access/ Bridging courses by consulting the Aimhigher portal in further education colleges offering higher education courses (FECs).

Discover the specific characteristics of each one of the countries that make up the United Kingdom, Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, by consulting 'Where to study in the UK' in 'Your study options' at EducationUK.

Entry requirements, including English language requirements

Q
What are the entry requirements for Foundation, Access or Bridging courses?

A
In order to discover the exact entry requirements for these courses, you should consult the individual web pages of the respective institutions that offer them and clarify, for example, if students can attend the Foundation course without having completed upper-secondary education.

Candidates for British degree Access Courses

In order to better understand the information on the individual institutional websites, you should know that:

• 'GCSE' (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is the end of the compulsory school in the UK.
• 'A level' (Advanced level) is comparable to the 12th grade.

If you need to contact the institutions, you may consider the following situations:

• if you have completed the 9th grade, you should say 'I have completed the 9 years of compulsory education'.
• if you have only finished the 10th grade, you should say, 'I have completed the 9 years of compulsory education and 1 year of the 3-year secondary education course that gives access to higher education'.
• if you have only completed the 11th grade, you should say 'I have completed the 9 years of compulsory education and 2 years of the 3-year secondary education course that gives access to higher education'.
• if you have finished the 12th grade, you should say, 'I have completed the 9 years of compulsory education and the 3-year secondary education course that gives access to higher education'.
• if you have finished, or are in the process of finishing the 12th grade in an Art and Design school, have completed, or are completing, a technological course or a similar course in these areas, you should contact the institutions telling them about your situation. It is possible that the institution in question does not require you to have taken a Foundation course in Art and Design.

You should also inform the institutions about your professional experience and/or any volunteer work, if it is relevant or applicable in your case.

Candidates for Preparation courses for post-graduate qualifications, Master's, MBA's and research

In order to better understand the individual institutional web pages, you should know:

• 'GCSE' (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is comparable to the 9th grade.
• 'A level' (Advanced level) is comparable to the 12th grade.
• 'BA', 'BSc', 'BEng' (Bachelor Honours) is comparable to a licenciatura.
• For more details, see Decreto Lei 224/2006

If you need to contact the individual institutions, you may consider the following situations:

• if you have finished a Bacharelato, you should say 'I have completed a 3-year Higher Education course'.
• if you have completed a licenciatura, you should say 'I have completed a Licentiate Degree course'.
• if you have completed a Pós-graduação, you should say 'I have completed a postgraduate course'.
• if you have completed a Mestrado, you should say 'I have completed a Master's degree course'.

If you intend to apply for a post-graduate course, Master's or research you may consider attending a preparation course in your chosen area, English classes and/or preparation in terms of research skills. This additional preparation can be obtained via courses like 'Postgraduate Foundation Studies programmes', 'Masters Qualifying Programmes', 'Pre-Masters' or 'Pre-MBA programmes', which are taught in higher education institutions or specialised English teaching centres. You can obtain this information by doing research on English courses in Education UK,more specifically in 'English for Academic Purposes – EAP'.

You can also contact the institutions that offer the course you intend to study to find out if they offer preparation courses.

Q
Will I have to take an English test?

A
Institutions can make a conditional offer for a place on a course that is dependent on a candidate obtaining a minimum grade in the IELTS – International English Language Testing System exam, which is taken every month at the British Council. On our IELTS page you will find information on prices, dates and preparation courses for this exam. Find out about what level of English is expected for your course on the web pages of the institution you have selected.

How to apply for full-time and part-time Foundation years/courses in areas excluding Art and Design

Q
How do I apply for a full-time or part-time Foundation year/course’ in areas excluding Art and Design?

A
Sometimes, Foundation years/courses are linked to the higher education course in the same area (1+3).

When consulting the study area on the UCAS page (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service), in 'Course Search', you may find full-time courses or sandwich courses that include a Foundation year (1+3). In this case, the application is processed by UCAS, with its own deadlines and application form.

Find out more consulting our page 'How and when to apply' page, under 'How to apply for full-time courses, including Foundation Degrees and sandwich courses'.

You can also do research on the UCAS web page in 'Course Search', in 'Subject', then in 'F' and then in 'Foundation'. Applications for Foundation year/courses resulting from this research are made via UCAS, with its own deadlines and application form.

Find out more by consulting our 'How and when to apply' page, under 'How to apply for full-time courses, including Foundation Degrees and sandwich courses'.

When you select the institutions that offer degrees in the area you intend to study, you can find out from the web pages if they also have a Foundation year/course or Access course in the same area and how to apply. For more information about access to British degrees please consult our page 'Undergraduate courses in the UK'.

If you intend to attend a part-time Foundation year/course or Access/bridging course, the application has to be made directly to the respective institution. Please consult the web pages of the institutions that teach these courses, in order to find out about applications and respective deadlines.

How to apply for full-time and part-time Foundation years/courses' in Art and Design

Q
How do I apply for a Foundation year/course in Art and Design?

A
Applications for Foundation years/courses in Art and Design are generally made directly to the institutions. You will find information about these courses by consulting the UCAS student site index under 'Art foundation courses'. Applications for these courses should be made directly to the institution and information regarding application deadlines can be obtained from individual institutions.

When consulting the study area on the UCAS page you may find full-time courses or sandwich courses that include a Foundation year (1+3). In this case, the application is processed by UCAS, with its own deadlines and application form.

Find out more by consulting our 'How and when to apply' page under 'How to apply for full-time courses, including Foundation Degrees and sandwich courses'.

If you intend to attend a part-time Foundation year/course or Access/bridging for Art and Design courses, the application has to be made directly with the institution in question. Please consult the web pages of the institutions that teach these courses, in order to find out about applications and respective deadlines.

Costs and Funding

Q
How much is the annual fee for EU students that attend full-time or part-time Foundation years/courses?

A
EU students are considered 'home students' and pay the same as British nationals. The annual fee varies between GBP 1.220 and GBP 3.070. Some institutions may charge the annual fee for the 'Foundation year/course' separately, even if this is part of the degree (1+3).

To obtain information about funding, please contact the respective institutions directly.

In other cases, the annual fee for the Foundation year/course can be the same as the annual fee for the first year of the degree, with EU students having the opportunity to ask for a loan to pay for the fees for each of the 4 or 5 years of each course, including the preparation year.

Find out more by consulting our page about costs and funding for undergraduate courses: 'How much will it cost?'.

To clarify this issue, please consult the web pages of the individual institutions or contact them directly.

Q
How much is the annual fee for non-EU students that attend full-time or part-time Foundation years/courses for British degrees?

A
To obtain information regarding the annual fees for a Foundation year/course for non-EU students, please consult the web pages of the individual institutions or contact them directly.

Q
How much is the annual fee for non-EU students who attend full-time or part-time preparation courses for post-graduate studies, Master's degrees and research?

A
To obtain information about prices and funding, please consult the respective institutions' web pages or contact them directly.