Foundation in Humanities
Foundation course
Key facts
UCAS code
L111
Start dates
September 2024 / September 2025
Course length
Full time: 1 year
Part time: 2 years
UCAS Tariff Points
72
Overview
Build university-level academic skills - and start your university experience.
This course will prepare you to transition onto a three-year university degree in the Humanities, Law and Social Sciences. On the course, you’ll develop academic skills crucial to university study - like critical analysis, essay writing and collaboration. And you’ll grow your confidence working on university level assignments.
You’ll be able to explore a mix of subjects at university-level - from Education, to History of Art and Politics. You’ll also be able to take modules in a chosen subject area. You’ll get to know your strengths and build your knowledge - getting ready for degree-level study. And you’ll be supported all the way through.
Successful completion of the course guarantees you a place on the majority of the Oxford Brookes undergraduate degree courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
You’ll join the undergraduate student community - and you’ll have the full student experience - including access to all university services.

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: 72
A Level: DDD
IB Points: 24
BTEC: MMP
Further offer details
Applications are welcomed from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Applicants whose main language is not English should have IELTS 6.0.
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.
Compulsory costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) initial check (if you undertake specific modules or placements in some providers) | £54 |
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
---|---|
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
On this course you’ll:
- explore subjects across the humanities
- follow your interests
- and get the skills you need for a undergraduate degree.
In your first semester you'll focus on the oral, written and interpersonal skills you’ll need to succeed at university. And you’ll take three modules that combine the latest thinking in:
- English Literature and Drama
- History and History of Art
- English Language and Communications.
In semester 2 you’ll be able to explore subjects you care about most. You might examine international development or global politics. Or you could explore philosophy, education or even the history of art.
You’ll also be able to follow your interests through a research project, which will fully prepare you for degree-level study.

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’ll experience a wide range of humanities disciplines through:
- lectures
- workshops
- tutorials
- project work
- presentations
- group seminars
- supervised independent learning
- critical thinking tasks
- skills acquisition sessions.
You’ll have a dedicated academic advisor throughout your course, for support and guidance when you need it. You’ll also have 1-1 academic supervisor for your second semester research project, providing support and guidance as you need it.
After you graduate
Career prospects
The Foundation in Humanities fully prepares you for degree-level study, and guarantees you a place on the majority of Oxford Brookes undergraduate courses in Humanities, Law and Social Sciences.
You’ll also build skills that are directly relevant to university-level study, like:
- time management
- independent thinking
- presentation skills
- interpersonal and communication skills
- written, digital and oral literacy.
This will set you up to hit the ground running on a three-year degree programme.
You’ll also have full access to the Oxford Brookes Careers Services, co-curricular activities and peer mentoring schemes
Further study
Successful completion of the course will give you a place on any one of the courses in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences listed below:
- BSc Criminology
- BA Communication, Media and Culture
- BA Drama, Theatre and Acting
- BA Early Childhood Studies*
- BA Education Studies
- BA English Literature
- BA English Literature with Creative Writing
- BSc Geography
- BA History
- BA History of Art
- BA International Relations and Politics
- BA Japanese Studies
- BA Philosophy
- BA Sociology
- BSc Anthropology
- LLB Law
- LLB Law with Criminology
You’ll be able to progress directly to the courses above and many Joint Honours courses in these subject areas at Oxford Brookes without further application. You’ll be advised and assisted in this process by your Academic Advisor and/or your Student Support Coordinator.
*All applicants will be screened for fitness to practise and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be made.
The courses below are not eligible for automatic progression from Foundation in Humanities. Please visit the relevant course pages to view their entry requirements:
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.
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.