FoundationScience and Engineering Foundation Year
Why study a science and engineering foundation year?
Study a science and engineering foundation year at Solent University and develop your academic and subject specific skills, before starting your degree.
- £0minvestment in our campus and industry-standard facilities
- 0stout of 130 institutions for assessment and feedback (NSS 2023)
- 0thin the top 20 best student cities (StudentCrowd, 2023)
- Supportive and student-focused approach to learning.
- Collaborative working is a key element of the course, reflecting the cross-discipline working ethos in industry.
- Gain essential academic and subject-specific skills to help lead directly on to an engineering, yacht design, or electronics degree.
- Many of the academic team on the foundation year also teach on the degree-level courses.
Course overview
The Science and Engineering Foundation Year is the ideal way to prepare for degree study, with successful completion granting direct access to undergraduate engineering, yacht design or electronics degree courses.
By the time you start your degree course you will have acquired an essential portfolio of academic and subject specific skills, giving you the very best chance of achieving a high-level degree.
Modules of study include a group technology project, an exploration of information and analysis, a theoretical and applied look at concepts and processes within technology, and a project relating directly to your chosen degree path. The degree-related project is undertaken with the support of academics who will be teaching on the degree programme you have chosen. This ensures that the skills and knowledge you develop during the foundation year will be directly applicable to your degree studies.
Collaborative working is another key element. From the start of the year, you’ll work on both individual and group work, helping you to meet fellow students and develop group working skills. These are essential in the science and engineering industries, where cross-discipline working and teamwork are vital parts of delivering successful projects.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email:Â Call:ÂWho this course is for
The Science and Engineering Foundation Year is intended for students without the UCAS points for direct entry. This could be mature students returning to education, younger students without the required qualifications, or students looking to change career path after completing further education qualifications.
Throughout your time you'll benefit from a supportive and student-focused approach to learning. The course team have significant experience working with students from a diverse range of academic and professional backgrounds. Foundation years are taught in relatively small groups with a focus on individual development and 'learning by doing'. This teaching style develops through the year, gently putting the emphasis on the learner in preparation for further study at degree level.
- Foundation years are designed to help prepare you for undergraduate study and are ideal for gaining an introduction into your chosen subject area.
- If you've been out of education for a while, a foundation year provides a supportive environment for returning to studying.
- Foundation year students have access to the same facilities, and academic and student support as students on undergraduate degrees.
What you'll study
Find your degree
Meet the team
The teaching team for the foundation year is made up of lecturers who also teach on the degree courses.
Entry requirements
48 UCAS tariff points
- A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at PPP or BTEC Diploma at MP, a T-Level Pass (D or E), or equivalent.
- We will consider mature students who have not recently undertaken a formal course of study at A-level, or equivalent, but can demonstrate relevant work or voluntary experience, that's indicative of their ability to complete the course successfully.
For international and EU students
- As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
- If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
- For further information about qualifications, please contact admissions.
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
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IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component, or equivalent.
Qualifications
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
Find your degree
Our foundation years are designed to offer a broad range of academic skills alongside a taste of the wider industry before you start your chosen specialist undergraduate degree. Some degrees also include a year in industry, meaning you can gain valuable first-hand work experience with a year-long full-time work placement between the second and third years of your degree.
Applying is simple, just:
- 1
Find the undergraduate degree you’re interested in studying, and explore the course page – this is also where you’ll find the modules you will study throughout your degree.
- 2
Make sure you’ve selected a ‘foundation year’ (or foundation year and year in industry) variant; you’ll find this under ‘Course length’, near the top of the relevant course page.
- 3
Click the ‘Apply on UCAS’ button, and check the UCAS summary mentions ‘foundation year’ under ‘Study mode’.
And don’t worry if you discover a new skill or subject you love during your foundation year, it’s easy to switch to another linked degree!
