The Arts and Education Foundation Programme is run by the Centre for English Language & Foundation Education (CELFE), and aimed at International and Malaysian students who would like a solid preparation for Undergraduate study.

The course is a combination of academic skills and content specific modules, providing an introductory grounding in social sciences as well as challenging work on critical thinking, academic literacy and communication skills. The emphasis on English for Academic Purposes will enable you to express complex ideas in a concise and appropriate way.

How you are taught

You will be taught in innovative ways, designed to help you learn to think issues through for yourself instead of reciting facts. You will benefit from an emphasis on discussion, exploration and evaluation of issues, as well as presenting ideas in the style and format expected at university level. This interactive and student-focused teaching style, often in groups of 20 or fewer, will help you to become an independent and active learner, and prepare you for your undergraduate studies at a British university. 

You will participate in lectures, seminars and workshops, and follow a similar timetable to a typical undergraduate. Assessment is through exams, coursework essays, portfolios, and oral presentations.

Course structure

Your foundation route depends on your skills and the amount of formal education you have undertaken. The three-semester programme is ideal if you have completed a minimum of 11 years of formal education, whereas the two-semester programme is suitable if you have completed at least 12 years of formal education, but need to enhance your skills and knowledge in order to be better prepared for an undergraduate degree. Each semester consists of ten to twelve weeks of classes and an additional one to three weeks of assessment.

Progressing to degree level

The Arts and Education Foundation Programme is the recommended pathway for students wishing to enter the following Schools: 

• Modern Languages and Cultures
• Politics, History and International Relations
• Education
• English

Other equivalent qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

April and June / September

Education:

For those progressing to a degree in Education:

Careers in education are available in four main areas: public and private schools, colleges, and universities; supplementary and alternative education providers; education products industry including multimedia and conventional material development, ICT, and publishing; and education services including consultancy, research, investment services, and technology service.

English:

For those progressing to a degree in English:

The creative, analytical and communication skills developed during an English degree will equip you for the changing demands of the 21st-century workplace.

English graduates have a wide range of career choices open to them. Just a few include broadcasting, journalism, communications, the creative industries, research, publishing, teaching, lecturing, advertising, marketing, management, business, banking, law, government service, human resources and public relations.

Modern Languages & Cultures:

For those progressing to a degree in Modern Languages & Cultures:

An international communications degree is your passport to a wide variety of rewarding professions. Likely career paths include: TV, film, radio and print – producers, reporters, journalists, editors, researchers; advertising, marketing and PR – copywriters, creatives, account executives; teaching and research; publishing, translation and interpreting; government service, civil service, diplomacy, embassy work; politics, think tanks, non-governmental organisations (NGOs); international business; management, HR, recruitment and consultancy; and arts or heritage administration and management.

Politics, History & International Relations:

For those progressing to a degree in Politics, History & International Relations:

Our degrees will equip you for a career in a wide variety of fields including foreign ministries, international organisations, international businesses and finance, non-governmental and aid sectors, international media and journalism, local and national government, think-tanks, policy advice and lobbying.