FoundationSport Foundation Year
Why study a sport foundation year?
Start your sporting career with a sport foundation year. From management, to performance, rehabilitation, or coaching, you'll develop your academic and practical 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)
- Strong focus on employability, allowing students to gain ‘real-world’ experience through volunteering opportunities.
- Study core theories and learn to apply them in practical settings.
- Opportunity to gain professional qualifications.
- Many of the academic team on the foundation year also teach on the degree-level courses.
Course overview
Leading directly on to our highly regarded sports degrees, this one-year foundation programme will equip you with the skills you’ll need to progress on to a full degree.
Studying the Sport Foundation Year gives you an opportunity to extend previous experience gained or provide a route back into education. The course will help you develop the key academic skills required to make the transition to studying a full honours degree. 
Designed to reflect the needs of the sports industry, you’ll explore a variety of subjects, from leadership and fitness foundations, to sports business management, sport in the contemporary world, and volunteering.
You’ll study core theories in sport and fitness but, crucially, will learn how to apply this knowledge in practical settings – helping you develop the skills employers are looking for.
To enhance learning, you can build further skills by undertaking professional qualifications such as NGB and REPs. You’ll also be able to assist some of our degree-level students with community projects through the volunteering module, gaining real world experience, as well as building confidence and employability skills.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Email:Â Call:ÂWho this course is for
The Sport Foundation Year is perfect for sports enthusiasts who wish to study for a full honours degree but might not meet the entry requirements. Upon completion of the foundation year, students will be able to progress directly on to the first year of one of our sport-related undergraduate degrees.
- 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!
