What's a Foundation Year?
The Integrated Foundation Year route is an additional year built into your degree, designed to support your success and help you progress with confidence. You'll strengthen key academic skills such as writing, research, and critical thinking, while also developing your subject knowledge to prepare you for degree‑level study.
Students who have completed the Integrated Foundation Year say it helped them feel prepared, motivated, and ready to succeed in their degree.
Who's a Foundation Year for?
If you have valuable work or life experience but no formal qualifications, are returning to education after a break, or want to change direction and explore a new career path, the Integrated Foundation Year offers a supportive way to transition into university study.
If you’ve just missed the entry requirements for a three year course, the Integrated Foundation Year offers a supportive route to start your university journey.
Please note, this route isn’t available to international students.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of studying an Integrated Foundation Year include:
- Receiving full support from academic staff to understand how university learning works, including becoming familiar with academic systems and expectations.
- Exploring different approaches to studying, helping you identify strategies that suit your individual learning style before progressing to the next stage of your degree.
- Developing strong academic skills, expanding your subject knowledge, and developing confidence within an environment focused on learning and progression.
- Studying at a pace that supports students to balance university work with their existing commitments.
- Learning in diverse groups that often include parents, carers, mature students, and those working full‑time or part‑time, helping you feel supported and connected from the start.
- Feeling part of the university community from the beginning, with many students reporting increased engagement, confidence, and a strong sense of belonging.
"I’d always wanted to achieve more academically, but I never thought it was possible – I had a lot of misconceptions about university. Thanks to the Foundation Year, I was able to build my academic confidence and overcome my impostor syndrome." Vicky Giusti, BSc (Hons) Criminology with Integrated Foundation Year.
What are the entry requirements?
Entry requirements are provided for guidance only and we may offer you an entrance interview which will help us determine your eligibility for your chosen degree.
Eligible entry qualifications:
- Normally a minimum of three Level 2 qualifications (NVQ, GCSE, or equivalent), including maths and English language at grade C/4 or above, or a minimum of Level 2 Key Skills in Communication and Application of Number, AND a minimum of 40 UCAS Tariff points from Level 3 qualifications (e.g. A or AS Levels, T Levels, BTEC certificates/diplomas, access courses, or equivalent) OR
- Demonstrable evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills acquired from at least three years of post-school work experience.
If you're unsure of whether you think you might be suitable for the course, please contact us: student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk.