University of Sunderland

Foundation Degrees are higher education qualifications which combine practical work-based learning with academic study.

Foundation Degrees are developed directly with employers. They provide the work skills relevant to a particular sector of industry or public service, and are an excellent way to combine critical thinking and academic skills with practical experience.

When you successfully complete your Foundation Degree you can use the letters FdA if the qualification is in an arts related course, FdSc for science based courses and FdEng for engineering courses.

A Foundation Degree is a higher education qualification in its own right. In addition, it is also equivalent to the first two years at university, and there is an option to extend the qualification into a full honours degree.

In some cases an additional short course will be required to bridge the gap between Foundation Degree and full honours degree programmes, but this will depend on the type of honours degree top-up you choose.

Applicants to Foundation Degrees will be expected to have three passes at GCSE grade C or above (including Mathematics and English). Alternatively, a minimum of Level 2 Key / Basic Skills in Literacy / Application of Number / Numeracy and Information Technology will also be considered.

Applicants will also need to have a minimum of 1 x 6 unit award, including A Levels or vocational equivalents, such as AVCEs / GNVQs, or NVQ Level 3.

Employees without formal qualifications may qualify for entry through relevant work-based experience.

Any additional entry requirements will be listed within the relevant course information. Additional entry requirements can include pre-requisite subjects and UCAS tariff points.

You can study for a Foundation Degree full-time, but the majority of students choose to study on a part-time basis.

A full-time Foundation Degree takes two years to complete. The part-time route usually takes three years, but the exact time will depend on the design and delivery of the course.

Foundation Degrees are offered at the University of Sunderland and at our partner colleges:

• Bishop Auckland College
• Sunderland College
• East Durham College
• Gateshead College
• South Tyneside College
• Tyne Metropolitan College
• Hartlepool 6th Form College

To apply for a Foundation Degree you must apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

If you are applying to study at one of our partner colleges you must enter the relevant campus code on the UCAS application:

• Bishop Auckland College: C
• City of Sunderland College: K
• East Durham College: P
• Gateshead College: G
• South Tyneside College: Q
• Tyne Metropolitan College: N
• The Sage Gateshead: X