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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

September 2025 / January 2026 / September 2026

Location

Headington

Course length

Full time: 2 semesters (24 weeks' teaching)

School(s)

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 is your introduction to the institutional culture and practices of British higher education in an international academic setting. It will also help you to develop your critical thinking skills, academic research and communication skills and English language proficiency necessary for undergraduate studies.

  • Academic Study Skills 2

    This module continues and extends the work covered on Academic Study Skills 1.

  • University Study Skills

    This is your introduction to the institutional culture, practices, norms and expectations of British higher education and will help you to develop effective academic research and communication skills both written and oral. Also you’ll focus on listening, notetaking and seminar skills that you’ll progress while exploring pastoral, social and sustainability subject areas. You will gain confidence in critical, strategic and collaborative thinking Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competencies through a variety of learning activities that encourages self awareness.

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

    This module will introduce you to the transferable skills and techniques used in environmentally and socially critical thinking through the exploration of issues of local and global concern. These skills will be put into practice through critical thinking and a problem-solving task. You will develop your argumentation skills using the A-C-R method. You will discuss conspiracy theories and misinformation and logical fallacies will be examined. In addition, you will learn how to conduct primary research at a basic level and complete preliminary ethics approval paperwork. You will develop your report writing skills, your ability to present information visually and your communication skills. All of this will help you question the prevailing norms, practices and opinions of key stakeholders that have contributed to these problems. and those that are most impacted by them.

  • Communication and Culture

    Study the basic concepts, theories and importance of culture and communication in a globalised world. You’ll reflect on personal, consumer and global cultural identities and how these may impact on perceptions, behaviours and communication across human relations. Building your awareness of cultural diversity and intercultural competencies you’ll understand how to communicate effectively across cultures, and be able to identify the barriers to doing so. Also you’ll explore your own biases and the lenses through which the self and ‘other’ are viewed, contributing towards the development of key skills for culture and thereby Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literacy.

  • Extended Research Essay

    Plan, research and submit an original paper on an interdisciplinary topic of sufficient depth to demonstrate your understanding of the conventions governing the presentations and submissions of academic papers in British Higher Education. The module will help you to develop your research, academic, personal literacies and your critical self-awareness. For you to gain confidence in critical thinking competency for Education for Sustainable Development. It will also help you to work as an autonomous learner, effectively planning and managing your own time and studies.

  • Business Fundamentals (Business and Technology students)

    Explore business studies, including some of the core areas and concepts associated with the study of business. You’ll look at people’s motives for setting up in business and the different types of businesses they can create, as well as an introduction to marketing and some of the ways in which businesses promote themselves and their products.

    You will learn how business performance is measured; including an introduction to cash flow forecasts and the profit and loss account. Finally you’ll study how businesses organise their workforce and manage people at work, including the application of some of the most influential theories and practices associated with motivation.

  • Economics for Business (Business and Technology students)

    Learn the basic principles of economic analysis and how to apply them to the real-world situations facing businesses and consumers in the UK and elsewhere. You will develop competencies in applying basic economic concepts and theories with confidence, communicating in the language of economics. Also you’ll learn how to analyse and assess economic issues impacting on business operations and decisions using appropriate economic concepts and theories as well as the use of diagrams.

    This module aims to help you contextualise economic issues within wider concerns including current and emerging social and environmental issues as well as the way economic thinking is framed and contested.

  • Ideas and Ideologies (Humanities, Law and Social Science Students)

    You’ll examine the major thinkers, theories and movements of the modern era (Enlightenment to modern day). You will have the opportunity to study and reflect on critically diverse theories of knowledge through weekly lectures, readings and seminar discussions. The thinkers and theories you study will reflect the various disciplines you’ll go on to study in the fields of Science, Humanities, Social Science and Business. You’ll explore and reflect on how these ideas from diverse disciplines are interrelated and can support sustainable development.

  • Foundations of Computing Programming (Computer Science Students)

    For those who wish to progress to a degree in the Department of Computer Science.

    This module will give you an introduction to the design and implementation of programs using a high-level computer programming language.

Optional modules

Maths and Statistics for University Study

For those who haven't met the Maths GCSE requirements for their undergraduate degree.

On this module you will study the knowledge, skills and understanding required to interpret mathematical information and carry out the mathematical and statistical activity necessary for your future studies.

This module will help you to develop your confidence with mathematics and statistics. You will build your skills in mathematical fluency, self-reliance and problem solving and how to apply your learning to your studies and in real life. The module adheres to the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competencies of integrated problem solving and developing an awareness of real-world issues.






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Development Studies (recommended for all students)

Explore some of the key issues (e.g. urbanisation, poverty and social exclusion, environmental concerns and gender issues) within the field of Development Studies and in particular to identify the factors causing poverty in countries defined as less developed. You’ll look at the fundamentals of how sociology, human geography and economics interact in the process of development. You’ll study key topics that will help you to draw on your own knowledge and experience where possible in evaluating the policies that can be undertaken in pursuit of development, and in mitigating the problems faced by least developed countries. You will be able to identify and reflect on some of the key social, economic and environmental issues that challenge sustainable development.

English Law (recommended for all students)

Build your foundational understanding of the basic characteristics of the English legal system such as the function of the courts, and key aspects of:

  • Criminal law
  • Contract Law
  • and Tort Law.

Also you’ll develop awareness of the difference between law in theory and law in practice, as well as the purpose and limitations of the law, equality of access to the law and how the value of justice is treated. Justice is the core theme of UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.

Global Issues (recommended for all students)

You’ll look at current global issues, question their causes and impacts and reflect on how to drive the changes so urgently needed for a more equitable and sustainable future. You will explore three overarching areas:

  • Power
  • People
  • Planet.
You’ll draw on theoretical models such as Systems Thinking and Futures Thinking that support a transformative learning approach that aims to build the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) competencies needed to navigate and respond to today’s problems.

You’ll be empowered to build skills of resilience, empathy and hope that are vital for working towards a fairer and fitter future. The module uses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UNESCO ESD competencies as a framework of reference.

Tourism and Hospitality (recommended for Business students)

Build your understanding and knowledge of the nature and function of the Travel and Tourism and Hospitality industries. Your study on this module will take into consideration:

  • an historical overview
  • the scale and scope of tourism
  • the different types of tourism
  • the sectors that the travel and + tourism industry comprise
  • their role and function
  • the importance of accommodation and hospitality in meeting the needs of tourists.
You will also explore the tourist gaze, sustainable tourism and the future of tourism to then critically reflect on them.

Literature, Art and Media (recommended for Humanities and Social Science students)

This module is your introduction to studying literature, art and media in preparation for your undergraduate study. You’ll develop your ability to engage critically with the subject and progress your Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) literacy competencies. Both the culture of the UK and your home country will be examined, through works of art, literature and media. The module has a learner-centred focus and uses your cultural background (your prior knowledge of literature and art) as a resource from which to draw, thereby fulfilling a core ESD literacy. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore your own media consumption habits, identity and responses to both traditional media (newspapers, film, television) and social media. Another important aspect will be to encourage you to find the links between art and literature and the way these continue to influence social media of today.

Perspectives on Britishness (recommended for Humanities and Social Science students)

Explore the factors and relationships that have shaped Britain today. This module will provide you with an introduction to key political, social and economic influences in recent British history and their impacts on the identity of people who live here today. You will analyse these influences in part by reflecting on an aspect of contemporary UK society and by exploring the experiences of diverse cultural communities within the UK and critically reflect on how these are represented by media and information sources. The module provide will provide you with opportunities to develop self-awareness, media information literacy and critical thinking skills.

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 9:00am and 4:00pm.

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.