International Foundation Course

The College offers a one year full-time International Foundation Course which has been specifically designed to be a pathway to higher education in the UK for international students (suitable for non-EU and EU students) who do not currently meet the entry requirements either academically or in terms of English ability.

Successful students have a guaranteed place on a suitable degree course at Plymouth University, but are also able to choose to apply to any university in the UK - in the past students have progressed to the Universities of Manchester and Southampto,n and Imperial College in London, among many others. Students also have the option of staying at City College Plymouth to study a foundation degree, for which scholarships are available.

All students study English for academic purposes, study skills, IT and maths, and in addition they choose to follow one of the pathways - either business, or technology and computing, depending on which subject they wish to study at university. 

Each pathway consists of three modules:

Business Pathway Modules

• Understanding Buiness
• Introduction to Accounting and Finance
• Business Law

Technology and Computing Pathway Modules

• Introduction to Engineering Technology
• Technological Applications of Science
• Introduction to Computer Science

Entry requirements:

• applicants should have completed and performed well in their school leaving examinations, achieving a minimum of five subjects at the equivalent of GCSE grade C or above
• applicants need an IELTS of 5.0 (or equivalent qualification)
• the course is designed for students aged 17 and over on commencement of the course in September.

The International Foundation Course commences in September each year.  Students' overall grades are determined by a combination of coursework and examinations. Students are prepared and entered for an IELTS test in May.

The course is also suitable for preparation for postgraduate study.

Further details on this course is available in the international prospectus, or from the International Office - international@cityplym.ac.uk. To apply to study the International Foundation Course, please see the “How to Apply” section.