The Kent International Foundation Programme (IFP) is primarily designed for international students, allowing them to develop their academic knowledge and skills, and if required their English language ability, for entry to undergraduate study at university.
2021-22: Students on the Autumn start IFP can select to study the course either on campus, online (except where FOUN0038 Art & Design is required for Architecture or Design courses), or choose to study the first term online and the following term on campus.
The programme, on offer at the University of Kent for over 40 years, takes place on the Canterbury campus and students are full members of the University with access to University accommodation and all academic, welfare, social and sport facilities on campus.
With academic subject modules and academic skills modules taught by highly qualified University of Kent tutors, the IFP leads to a wide range of degree programmes at the University.
Progression on to your degree programme is automatic at the end of the IFP, if you achieve the required grades. 91% of our IFP students progressed onto Kent degree courses in 2020.
Our Autumn-start (Sept) IFP provides access to honours degrees in the following subjects (those marked with * are also available on our Spring-start IFP).
You can find the progression requirements from the IFP under Entry Requirements on each individual degree course page.
International Programmes provides high-quality in-house pathways to Kent degrees, as well as variety of pre-sessional and in-sessional academic skills and language support. It also supports the University's internationalisation agenda with training in global leadership and intercultural communication.
I would recommend the IFP, it gives you so much, not just academically but also socially; I really felt I was part of something when I was studying on the IFP
Mariam Al-Bader - International Foundation Programme
To gain entry on to the IFP, you need the following:
CDD
Minimum of 3 x 6s (Bs) and 2 x 4s (Cs)
Not applicable
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and National Extended Diploma qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis.
24 points
N/A
The entry requirements below demonstrate the type of qualifications you will need to apply for the International Foundation Programme (IFP). Some of our courses have subject specific requirements. Please visit the International Programmes site for more information.
The University welcomes applications from international students. To gain entry on to the IFP, you need the following:
For details of entry requirements per country please visit the International Programmes site.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
All students requiring a student visa to study in the UK who are not from a majority English speaking country will need a IELTS for UKVI with a minimum of 5.0 in all skills or a Pearson PTE Academic UKVI with a minimum of 36 in all skills. A list of majority English speaking countries is available on the English Language Requirements website. If you will be applying for a student visa, you need to take the IELTS or PTE at a UKVI accredited centre; the correct tests are called IELTS for UKVI and Pearson PTE Academic UKVI.
Students who do not require a visa or are applying to study online in 2020-2021 can join on their high school grades where suitable or other English language qualifications such as:
If you have another English-language qualification that is equivalent to IELTS, please email us at internationalprogrammes@kent.ac.uk and we will be happy to advise you.
Duration: 9 months
The International Foundation Programme is a modular course taught over three terms, starting in autumn.
The Academic Skills Development classes help you work to develop all the necessary skills to fully enjoy your academic experience in the UK, for example, seminar and group work communication skills, developing as an independent student, improving skills in analysis, critique, time management, and project management. You will then take modules which are relevant to your chosen undergraduate degree programme.
This course structure is indicative of the modules available for this programme. Modules are based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
You take the compulsory module LZ036 and either LZ035 or LZ037 based on the level of your English. You then choose a further 90 credits from the remaining list of optional modules.
The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.
Search scholarshipsView scholarship opportunities for this programme on the International Programmes website.
Please note that Student Loans Company (SLC) funding is not available for UK students intending to study on the IFP (autumn or spring start), as this is a one year stand-alone programme.
Undergraduate degree programmes following on from the IFP will be eligible for SLC funding, as are undergraduate degree programmes 'with an integrated foundation year'.
Our IFP is entirely managed and delivered by the University of Kent, allowing us to offer teaching of exceptional quality. Teaching is organised in small groups and includes lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and independent learning. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to apply the skills learnt in one module to all other modules and find relations between modules in order to broaden their education.
Assessment on the majority of modules will be through a combination of final examinations and coursework, including assignments from 1,000 to 2,000 words, online quizzes and tests from 45 minutes to two hours in length.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
On the IFP you will be provided with:
You will gain knowledge and understanding of:
You will develop intellectual abilities in the following:
You will gain subject-specific skills in the following:
You will gain transferable skills in the following:
Students progress to studying at degree level on a range of programmes. For further information on careers, please see the relevant undergraduate degree programme.
You are applying for the International Foundation Programme (Autumn start). If you would like to start your course in Spring, please apply for the International Foundation Programme (Spring start)
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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