Built Environment Foundation
Foundation course
Key facts
UCAS code
K111
Start dates
September 2024 / September 2025
Location
Course length
Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
Department
UCAS Tariff Points
48
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.
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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: 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.
Entry requirements
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.
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
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
Learning and assessment
We have designed this course to;
- give you a good introduction to university life
- develop your problem-solving skills in the design and development of cities
- to introduce you to subjects that will help you to your progress to one of the relevant built environment degree courses.
You'll sample degree subjects relating to the built environment and discover new areas of study, such as:
- planning and urban design
- environmental sustainability
- construction management.
We offer field trips and live projects to develop your practical skills. We'll ask you which degree you want to pursue to ensure that your course of study is relevant. But if your interests change, you can consider other degree courses.
Study modules
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 will learn in a lively and stimulating environment.
In Semester 1 you will take a range of modules to introduce you to studying at university. You will also take a multidisciplinary module over both semesters. This helps you clarify your further study choices here at Oxford Brookes.
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods, including;
- lectures
- seminars
- workshops
- tutorials.
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.
After you graduate
Career prospects
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.
Further study
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.)
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.
Related 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.