Built Environment Foundation
Foundation course
UCAS code: K111
Start dates: September 2024 / September 2025
Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Location: Headington
Department(s): School of the Built Environment
Overview
Our Built Environment Foundation prepares you to study at degree level. As well as make plans for your future professional education and career.
You will develop your understanding and problem-solving and gain other key skills in the design and development of cities. To help develop your practical skills our course combines:
- theory and contextual case studies
- field trips
- live projects.
On completing your course, you can progress to one of the following degree courses here at Oxford Brookes;
- Urban Design, Planning and Development
- Construction Project Management
- Property Development and Planning
- Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management
- Building Surveying
- Real Estate
If you want to progress to Architecture or Interior Architecture you must have an acceptable portfolio of artistic work.
Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Freedom to explore
Get to know your preferences and explore the differences between various built environment disciplines before choosing which subject to study for your degree.
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Interesting assessment
You’ll be assessed through coursework such as individual and group presentations, critical commentaries and reflective journals, or exams. All programmes use live projects.
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A breadth of expertise
Benefit from being taught by a wide range of expert academics. With tutors spanning the range of built environment disciplines, your studies will be diverse and research-rich
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Shape your own research
Research the area of your programme you’re most passionate about. Create, manage and complete your own project while getting 1-to-1 guidance from an academic supervisor.
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Open progression
We uniquely focus on opening avenues for you by preparing you for progression on to any of our built environment degrees (see progression rules in further study).
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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.
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Study abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
Course details
Study modules
Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around 9 hours of contact time per week. In addition to this, 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.
Careers
Foundation Built Environment is principally intended as a route to further study at degree level - and exists to develop and enhance academic skills. It will allow you to choose the most suitable area of degree specialism within the School, and make plans for the subsequent professional education that ensues. Various teaching and learning methods are employed - lectures, seminars, tutorials, and workshops - which will test written expression, presentation skills, independent learning, and working in groups. Underpinning this, students will access information from various sources and work to deadlines.
Successful completion of the Foundation course can lead you on to one of the following degree courses at Oxford Brookes. All of the courses will have specific progression rules which will be highlighted to you during your induction programme. We will also provide you with advice and guidance on how you can meet the progression rules.
- BSc (Hons) Real Estate
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules and achieve an average of 55%) - BA (Hons) Planning & Property Development
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules.) - BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules.) - BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules.) - BSc (Hons) Building Surveying
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules.) - BA (Hons) Urban Design, Planning and Development
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules.) - BA (Hons) Architecture
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules, achieve an average of 55% and have a portfolio of artistic work approved by an architecture tutor.) - BA (Hons) Interior Architecture
(Pass all relevant compulsory modules, achieve an average of 55% and have a portfolio of artistic work approved by an architecture tutor.)
Related courses
Entry requirements
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: 48
A Level: DD
IB Points: 24
BTEC: PPP or MP
Further offer details
We welcome applications from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Specific entry requirements
A Level: 48 points from 2 A Level or equivalent
GCSE: Mathematics - grade 4/C; English - grade 4/C normally required
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Applicants whose main language is not English should have Academic IELTS 6.0 with 6.0 in reading and writing, 5.5 in listening and speaking
OR
An equivalent English language qualification acceptable to the University.
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.
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.
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.
International qualifications and equivalences
How to apply
Application process
Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
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.
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
If you choose to participate in any additional, optional trips, you are responsible for any associated costs. |
£10-150 |
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
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.