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Foundation year courses

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Degrees with foundation year Foundation years FAQs

If you don’t quite meet our regular entry requirements, earned your qualifications a long time ago, or just want to change career direction, you should explore one of our foundation level courses.

It's your way in if you’re a few grades short, as well as being a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to study your chosen undergraduate course.

Degree with foundation year courses

A degree with foundation year gives you a direct, accessible route to your desired higher education path. It's a four-year undergraduate course that includes an additional year of study at the start. This foundation year is designed to give you the necessary knowledge and skills to progress onto degree-level study.

Foundation years

A foundation year offers an introductory route to your chosen degree subject. It's an introduction to the subject you're interested and aims to help you develop the skills needed for degree-level study.

Upon successfully passing your foundation year, you will be guaranteed a place on a relevant degree at your existing CU campus or if you prefer, at another CU location (subject to course availability).

Successfully completing your foundation year or access course could also allow you to progress to a school within Coventry University (Coventry) or at Coventry University London, provided you meet the criteria for your chosen degree.

FAQs

Why study a degree with a foundation year?

Opting for a degree with a foundation year opens a clear pathway to your desired degree. With an extra year of study at the beginning of your course, you can acquire the essential subject knowledge and study skills necessary for the first year of your honours degree. This ensures you're fully prepared to hit the ground running and make the most of your academic journey.

Upon successful completion of your foundation year, you'll progress to your chosen degree course.

Who can apply?

Consider a degree with a foundation year if:

You achieved qualifications in the past and wish to refresh your study skills and subject knowledge to boost your confidence before starting your degree course.
You are changing career or pursuing new passions and want to make sure you have relevant knowledge in a new subject area.
Your qualifications do not meet the entry requirements for your desired honours degree.

For full entry requirements, please refer to our individual undergraduate degree courses.

If you are an international student we offer international pathway programmes with foundation or pre-master's study routes. These programmes are designed to prepare international students for higher education study.

Can I receive funding?

Doing a degree with foundation year does not impact your eligibility. You will have the opportunity to apply for tuition fees and maintenance loans through Student Finance England.

However, it's important to note that if after successfully completing your foundation year, you choose to continue your degree at an institution outside the Coventry University Group, you may be liable for the course fees. This means that you would be responsible for paying the tuition fees directly to the new institution. For example, if you transfer to another university or choose to study abroad, you might need to arrange and finance your education independently.

What can I study?

We offer degrees with a foundation year in a wide variety of subject areas from business and engineering to psychology and sciences.

Explore our course pages to see if your chosen degree has this pathway. If not, don’t worry. Chat with us and we may be able to discuss other similar courses that align with your goals. We're here to help you find what’s right for you.

We also offer other foundation year options that are not integrated into degrees, giving you flexibility to progress onto a range of degrees.