INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION DIPLOMA
Accredited by University College Birmingham
Continue your studies at degree level upon successful completion
Develop expertise in managing tasks, problem solving, communication and group work
If you are interested in one of our higher education courses in business, marketing, hospitality, aviation, events or tourism management, our International Foundation Diploma will prepare you for degree-level study by providing you with an introduction to the world of business while developing your English language and study skills.
Designed for international students who have completed high school but don’t have qualifications equivalent to A-levels, this one-year course provides an introduction to business and management and the important skills that can be applied directly to the industry. You will also undertake a range of industry-related assignments in preparation for higher education study and develop your expertise in areas such as managing tasks, problem solving, communication and group work.
In addition to learning the English language study skills you will need for degree level, you will be encouraged to undertake part-time work during your course in order to further improve your English and develop your knowledge of business and marketing.
Why choose this course?
- IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH – Gain the oral and written English language skills you need for degree-level study through our teaching modules and part-time work opportunities
- BOOST YOUR SKILLS – Start building your knowledge of business and management for further study and future work in industry
- AWARD-WINNING UNIVERSITY – Study at the highest-ranking university in the region according to student choice (Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023)
Our facilities
Our learning spaces ensure you have the right environments to build your knowledge, from lecture theatres to interactive group working spaces and extensive library resources.
Our £44 million Moss House campus includes an exhibition space to showcase your work to assessors and prospective employers, as well as our Enterprise Hive service which helps budding entrepreneurs with start-ups
Our campus buildings feature lecture theatres equipped with the latest technology, as well as comfortable tutorial and seminar rooms and private meeting rooms
Located in our McIntyre House campus, ThinkSpace features glazed study pods to discuss group projects and glass wipe boards to mind-map your ideas
Our library facilities offer more than 50,000 print resources and over 60 million digital resources, with expert support from qualified library professionals and research specialists
Course breakdown
English and Study Skills A
This module is for students who join the International Foundation Diploma with a SELT equivalent of IELTS 5.0. You will build upon your existing English skills and fine-tune them for academic purposes. You will raise your language awareness in listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar and acquire the skills to deal with and produce your own business and academic documents. This is a pre-requisite for the English and Study Skills B module. You will be required to achieve a pass in each individual element (listening, speaking, reading and writing) to progress onto the English and Study Skills B module.
English and Study Skills B
You will continue to develop your English skills in the five key areas (listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar) in order to write a variety of academic documents and effectively perform a diverse range of spoken academic tasks. This will prepare you to participate fully in a British undergraduate classroom. You will be required to achieve a pass in each individual element of this module (listening, speaking, reading and writing) as a prerequisite for passing the International Foundation Diploma course.
English and Study Skills C
In the English and Study Skills C module, you will focus on the key academic skills necessary to participate in Undergraduate-level study at university. You will build on the skills covered on English and Study Skills B, and have the opportunity to expand your critical reading, writing and research skills, as well as to learn how to give an academic presentation and work in teams. This module is available in semester two only for students who achieve a SELT equivalent of 5.5 with no element below 5.0 before starting the International Foundation Diploma.
Foundation Management
By being introduced to concepts of management in relation to both individuals and groups, this module will help you understand the framework of organisational behaviour. You will explore the nature and importance of human behaviour and its impact on organisations as well as studying aspects of management theory, effective practice and the role of human resources.
Foundation Studies in Finance
You will explore basic concepts of accounting and finance in order to be able to manage a commercial enterprise. You will be introduced to some of the financial tools used by management for undertaking business decisions, providing an insight into the systems and controls required within a business environment.
Foundation Studies in Marketing
You will examine the role of marketing within an organisation, exploring the marketing concepts and decision-making processes involved so that you develop an awareness of the basic marketing mix and the role of market research.
Introduction to Business Organisations
This module enables you to gain an understanding of key business concepts such as business structures, the functions of business and how they interact with the environment. It provides you with the basic skills and knowledge that will enable you to pursue business-related subjects.
The modules listed above for this course are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up to date and informed by industry as well as the latest teaching methods. On occasion, we may need to make unexpected changes to modules – if this occurs, we will contact all offer holders as soon as possible.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
The International Foundation Diploma offers international students with a minimum age of 17, who are not eligible for direct entry, an alternative route to studying a bachelor's degree at University College Birmingham.
You are required to show successful completion of 12 years of schooling (or the local equivalent to meet the same standard).
You will require at least IELTS SELT 5.0 (with no less than 4.5 in each element). Support in developing/renewing the skills of learning at this level of study will be provided to all participants, and University College Birmingham will look for evidence of potential students' ability to benefit from and succeed on the programme of study.
Guaranteed progression
Students who successfully pass the International Foundation Diploma will automatically be guaranteed a conditional offer for any of the following undergraduate degree courses at University College Birmingham (subject to meeting any other additional entry requirements – applicants are advised to check the full entry requirements for their chosen course before applying):
| Department | Courses* |
| Business School |
|
| Hospitality and Tourism |
|
| Creative Industries |
|
| Sport and Nutrition |
|
| Health |
|
| Birmingham College of Food |
|
| Digital |
|
* Course offering is subject to change
If you are interested in progressing onto another course within our university portfolio, please email international@ucb.ac.uk before applying to confirm this is permitted.
Key information
Teaching and assessment
English language oral and written skills are taught using active methods to help you understand both formal and informal language usage. A wide range of teaching and learning methods are used to provide experience of language and academic working practices.
English language is tested through verbal presentations, written assessments and exams. Business and marketing knowledge will be demonstrated through essays, reports, presentations and investigative projects.
Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy 2021-2024.
For enquiries, please complete our enquiry form here.
Tuition fees for international students
If you are an international student (or have been fee assessed as an international fee payer) and are enrolling on the International Foundation Diploma course in 2024/2025, the fee for the academic year will be £10,000.
In 2025/26, the tuition fee for the course will be £10,500 per year.
Need some advice?
Our Schools Liaison team deliver drop-in sessions for you to ask any questions you have about university. Find out more here.
Progression opportunities
This diploma is designed to enable your progression onto a degree-level course by improving your English and study skills.
On completing this course, you could progress onto one of our undergraduate degrees, such as:
- Business Enterprise BA (Hons)/FdA
- Computer Science BSc (Hons)/FdSc
- Culinary Arts Management BA (Hons)/FdA
- Cyber Security BSc (Hons)/FdSc
You could also progress onto other courses in the fields of business, marketing, hospitality and tourism management. (Please see 'Guaranteed progression' under Entry Requirements above for a full list of progression routes at University College Birmingham.)
The diploma helped me tackle many obstacles and overcome the culture shock and language barrier. It made me feel prepared, giving me very good academic skills such as referencing, writing coursework and presentations, and I had fundamental lessons in business and management theories. The course is a must for international students and I would not have been able to achieve my degree without it.
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