Triangle

Course overview

You will be taught as part of a single foundation year group, by a team of dedicated lecturers based in the School of Humanities. This ensures that the foundation year is fully integrated with your chosen undergraduate subject.

Typical modules may include Language and Culture; Important Thinkers Through History; Media and Visual Culture; Narrative and Creativity and Critical Thinking and Reflective Learning. You will develop skills which are not only essential for undergraduate study but also hugely beneficial when it comes to finding employment.

When you successfully complete this course, you are guaranteed progression to undergraduate degrees within all departments in the Faculty of Arts, as follows: 

 T70F American and Canadian Literature, History and Culture (International Study with Foundation Year)
 V11F Ancient History (with Foundation Year)
 V40F Archaeology (with Foundation Year)
 Q82F  Classical Civilisation (with Foundation Year)            
 Q39F English Language and Literature (with Foundation Year)
 W63F Film and Television Studies (with Foundation Year)
 R12F French Studies (with Foundation Year)
 R22F German (with Foundation Year)
 R41F Hispanic Studies (with Foundation Year)
 V10F History (with Foundation Year)
 V35F History of Art (with Foundation Year)
 P90F International Media and Communications Studies (with  Foundation Year)
 R90F Modern Languages (with Foundation Year)
 T90F Modern Language Studies (with Foundation Year)
 74QF Modern Languages with Translation (with Foundation Year)
W30F Music (with Foundation Year)
 V50F Philosophy (with Foundation Year)
 86VF Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (with Foundation Year)
R70F Russian Studies (with Foundation Year)
 V61F Theology and Religious Studies (with Foundation Year)

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2020 entry.

UK entry requirements
A level CCC in Clearing

Please note: Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.
Required subjects

Including 4 (C) GCSE English language. Students progressing to BA language programmes may also require specific language qualifications. 

We do not consider graduate students or international applicants for this programme. 

International students from non EU countries should apply for Business, Law and Social Sciences Foundation Certificate
IB score 26

This course is part of the University’s commitment to widening participation. As well as meeting the academic entry requirements (BCC), arts and humanities foundation students will typically fulfil a number of the following criteria:

  • Being a first generation entrant to Higher Education
  • Family, cultural or financial reasons for needing to study in the East Midlands
  • Attending a school or college without a strong tradition of progression to higher education
  • Attending a school or college with a low average A level score
  • Living in a deprived home location
  • Being (or having been) a refugee
  • Being (or having been) in local authority care (looked after)
  • Other disadvantaging circumstances/extenuating circumstances (reviewed on an individual basis)

Details relating to certain criteria are generated through your UCAS application. Where appropriate you may also choose to include relevant details on your personal statement or contact us directly. 

Foundation progression options

Upon successful completion of the Foundation Year, progression to the following degree programmes will include the third year abroad, supported by our Year Abroad team: 

  • BA American and Canadian Literature, History and Culture (International Study)
  • BA French Studies
  • BA German
  • BA Hispanic Studies
  • BA Modern Languages
  • BA Modern Languages with Translation
  • BA Russian Studies

See School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies Year Abroad programme

For all other destination courses, students may participate in any relevant University of Nottingham Study Abroad programme.

Mature Students

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

How you will be assessed

The majority of assessment will be carried out through coursework involving essays, workbooks, and a range of other media.

We have made some minor changes to the assessment methods for your course. Where you would have taken one in-person exam in January for the module 'Language and Culture', this will be replaced by an open book exam. We have reduced the number of pieces of coursework required on the modules 'Critical Thinking and Reflective Learning' and 'Narrative and Creativity', reducing the word length on the latter.

Placements

As in any year, we are reliant on the partners we work with having placements available for our students. As you can imagine, our partners, like us, are managing the long-term disruption caused by the coronavirus situation.

Depending on which destination course to which you progress after the Foundation Year, many courses offer either optional placement modules or extra-curricular placement activities, so you may be wondering whether placements in future years may be affected by the disruption to this academic year and the next.

At this point in time, we expect placements to run as usual from the academic year 2021/22 onwards. However, we cannot yet offer a guarantee, as we do not know what the level of coronavirus-related disruption will be on the years ahead. Please rest assured that we will do our very best to ensure that you are able to undertake placements one way or another.

Study Abroad and the Year in Industry are subject to students meeting minimum academic requirements. Opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update information as quickly as possible should a change occur.

Modules

All students take the same modules:

Important Thinkers through History

In every field of the arts and humanities there are significant people who have contributed to the intellectual and cultural development of humanity. In this module you’ll consider a selection of these ‘important thinkers’, drawn from different disciplines across the Faculty of Arts, across a broad sweep of history and representing a variety of cultural and geographical contexts.

Critical Thinking and Reflective Learning

This module will introduce you to key skills and practices for university work and help you make the transition from school, college or work to undergraduate study. Critical thinking and reflective learning are skills that are essential for thriving on your chosen degree course but they’re also important for developing thoughtful, responsible citizens who contribute effectively to society.

Language and Culture

Language and culture are both fundamental aspects of any arts and humanities degree. In this module you’ll develop an analytical and critical approach to English as well as an understanding of the potential challenges and benefits involved in studying other languages and cultures.

Media, Communications and Society

This module will analyse the relationship between media, communication and society. The module will allow you to explore how communication occurs and engage with different kinds of reading and texts. You will also assess the positive and negative impacts of communication through a wide range of media.

Narrative and Creativity

This module will introduce you to academic theories about narrative and creativity. You’ll also encounter various forms of narrative and ‘storytelling’ to help you consider the role of narrative and creativity in different contexts. This will include exploring the role of creativity and story in society generally, reflecting on your own ‘stories’, and developing your own creativity in a variety of ways.

The Project / Language Centre modules

Extended projects or dissertations are a key feature of many university courses, especially in the final year. This module will help you develop the skills required to design, research and produce a major piece of work for assessment, using media (written and/or other) appropriate to your chosen topic.

If you apply to go on to a modern language degree you may study in our Language Centre in place of taking ‘The Project’ module.

Exception: If you are joining the BA Russian Studies and enter the Foundation Year with A Level Russian, you will take The Project module, and follow the post A Level pathway on the degree. 

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Friday 14 August 2020.

Upon successful completion of your Foundation Year you will be guaranteed progression to your chosen undergraduate degree of a further three or four years duration dependent on the inclusion of a year abroad (see Related Courses below). 

Fees and funding

UK students

£9250
Per year

International students

To be confirmed in 2022*
Keep checking back for more information

*For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

Additional costs

There are no compulsory additional costs. Text books may be borrowed from our libraries and field trips are optional. 

Scholarships and bursaries

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

Home students*

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £2,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

EU students

Our International Baccalaureate Diploma Excellence Scholarship is available for select students paying overseas fees who achieve 38 points or above in the International Baccalaureate Diploma. We also offer a range of High Achiever Prizes for students from selected countries, schools and colleges to help with the cost of tuition fees. Find out more about scholarships, fees and finance for international students.

Home students*

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £1,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

Careers

Evidence shows that students commencing their university study at foundation level achieve the same levels of undergraduate degree as their fellow direct-route students, which in turn leads to the same wide range of career options.

In addition to your study we recommend that you participate in at least some of our cv-enhancing programmes which include the Nottingham Advantage Award, Student Ambassador scheme, and subject-specific volunteering programmes. You will also be able to take advantage of the wide range of services offered by our dedicated Faculty of Arts careers team within the Careers and Employability Service.

Careers support and advice

Studying for a degree at The University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take. Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our Careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

Average starting salary and career progression

78.9% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Arts secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £24,169.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

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" The Foundation Year improved my essay-writing skills immensely. On arrival to university, having to write essays seemed quite daunting but the Critical Thinking and Reflective Learning module was key for my development. "
Franklyn Ogosi, BA Theology and Religious Studies (with Foundation Year) Graduate

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Important information

This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.