Everything You Need To Know About Foundation Years

This series of questions and answers will help you to understand what to expect from your foundation year studies.

What is a foundation year?

A foundation year is an introductory course designed to provide you with the essential skills and knowledge needed for your chosen undergraduate degree. At Birkbeck, this preparatory year aims to support you to build a solid academic foundation, develop core study skills and adjust to university life.
The foundation year takes a supportive and developmental approach, carefully scaffolding knowledge and understanding, academic practice, understanding of university processes and rapport with staff in your subject area and the wider university community. The aim is to ensure that you feel confident, prepared and skilled when you begin your undergraduate degree.

Why would I take a foundation year?

A foundation year serves as a supportive and inclusive mechanism to help a diverse range of students embark on a successful university experience. You may undertake a foundation year for a number of reasons:

Academic preparation: Foundation years are designed to provide you with the necessary academic skills and knowledge to succeed in your chosen degree. It is especially beneficial if you may have gaps in your previous education or need additional support in certain subjects. A foundation year helps build your confidence if you feel unprepared for university-level education.
Career change or diversification: If you are looking to switch careers or enter a new field, you may opt for a foundation year to gain the foundational knowledge required for a different discipline.
Access to Higher Education: You may not have traditional qualifications for university entry. A foundation year provides an alternative pathway, enabling access to higher education for a broad range of individuals.
Adjustment to university systems: If you have been out of education for a while or are transitioning from different educational systems, a foundation year offers a gentle introduction to university life and learning expectations.
Improving language proficiency: If you are an international student or your first language is not English, you may use a foundation year to enhance your language skills and ensure that you can fully participate in academic activities.
Meeting entry requirements: In some cases, if you do not meet the standard entry requirements for a degree, completing a foundation year successfully can help fulfil these requirements.
Personal development: A foundation year is not only about academic skills but also about personal development. It helps you to develop critical thinking, research, and study skills that are essential for success throughout your university journey.
Smooth transition: A foundation year acts as a bridge between prior education and the demands of higher education, ensuring a smoother transition into the more advanced stages of your degree.

What are the advantages of undertaking a foundation year?

Foundation years often attract a diverse student cohort with varied educational backgrounds. This diversity enriches the learning environment and exposes you to different perspectives. In turn, this enriches the diversity of our undergraduate courses.
Our own anecdotal evidence suggests that foundation year students tend to achieve more highly than many students entering at undergraduate level because they have been able to ease into university life and adapt to the demands of higher education gradually. Before you begin your undergraduate course, you will already have an excellent knowledge of how things work at Birkbeck, and you’ll be able to hit the ground running!

How is the foundation year structured?

All university students need to undertake and pass 120 credits in each year of study and the foundation year is no different. You will be required to take and to pass 120 credits to move on to your degree course. You will achieve these 120 credits by taking modules which are worth either 15 or 30 credits each. So, you will be taking at least four modules.

What will I study in my foundation year?

You will undertake a series of compulsory modules that are designed to give you a theoretical underpinning in the broad field you will be studying. These are related to the school that you are enrolled within: Birkbeck Business School, Birkbeck Law School, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, School of Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences, School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication or School of Natural Sciences. You will not take modules specific to your undergraduate degree, instead you will be introduced to the foundational knowledge, literature and research relevant to your discipline.
The advantage of taking generic foundation year modules is that you will develop a deep understanding of the broader academic field within which your chosen course is situated and you avoid duplication of learning/topics in your foundation year and year 1.
Many students change their mind about the specific degree they wish to take after the foundation year. By studying a generic course you will have the flexibility to transfer to other undergraduate degrees within your school without the necessity to undertake additional modules.

Will I have to apply for my undergraduate degree through UCAS after I complete the foundation year?

No, you are already a Birkbeck student! Provided you pass all of your foundation year modules and achieve 120 credits you will automatically be registered for your chosen undergraduate degree.

How will I be taught?

Birkbeck strives to use a range of interactive and cutting-edge approaches to teaching. We make use of a broad range of teaching strategies throughout your course. You can expect to engage in the following:

Lectures may be in person on campus, online using our virtual classrooms or you may be provided with pre-recorded lectures to watch in your own time and discuss at follow up sessions. Lectures are typically around one hour in length and comprised of a formal, organised presentation or talk delivered by an academic or subject matter expert to a large group of students. The primary purpose of a lecture is to convey essential information, concepts, theories, or research findings related to a specific subject or course. While lectures are primarily one-way communication, some sessions may include opportunities for you to interact through questions, discussions, or participation in activities.
Workshops, seminars or labs may be in person, on campus or online and are a smaller, more interactive learning setting than a traditional lecture. These sessions aim to foster active participation, discussion, and collaborative learning among students. Seminars and workshops typically involve a smaller group of students compared to lectures. The group size allows for more personalised interaction and engagement. You will engage in a range of activities such as debates, group work, critical thinking tasks and skills development tasks. These sessions tend to be one-and-a-half hours or three hours in length.
Moodle is our university’s virtual learning environment. You will use Moodle to access course materials, participate in online activities, and engage with coursework. You will be provided with a Moodle site for each of your modules and these will contain key information about the module, assessment requirements and weekly materials for your classes such as pre-sessional tasks and readings, recorded lectures, PowerPoint slides and other useful resources. You will use Moodle every week, often daily, throughout your time at university so it will be very important to familiarise yourself with this platform as soon as possible.

How much time will I need to commit to my studies?

It is important to understand that there is an expectation for you to engage in a significant number of hours of independent study. Unlike school, at university the majority of the hours you spend studying will not be those in the classroom. In the classroom you will consolidate your learning, engage in discussion with peers and gain guidance and feedback from your lecturers to extend your knowledge. Outside of taught sessions you will be expected to complete pre-sessional tasks such as reading, post-sessional tasks to further develop your understanding, and prepare assessments for submission.
University study requires students to take responsibility for their own learning, manage their time effectively and dedicate time and effort to completing assessments. Therefore it is important to understand that you will need to allow much more than just the timetable classroom hours to complete your work successfully. Birkbeck, as a guide, recommends to schedule around two hours of self-study for each hour of face-to-face teaching in class for undergraduate students.

Do I have to attend all of my classes?

The university keeps attendance records for all students and is required to provide information on student attendance for students with visa restrictions or those in receipt of Student Finance. While over the course of your degree there will invariably be times due to illness or other circumstances you are not able to attend, it is vital to attend as much as possible.
Students with higher levels of attendance tend to have higher grades (you can read more on this in the European Journal of Education Studies). This is a trend across all levels of study but particularly in the foundation and first year. When you miss classes, you also miss out on crucial information, announcements, important discussions with your lecturer and your peers, instructions for tasks and opportunities to ask clarifying questions.

What equipment will I need to engage with my studies?

A large amount of your learning will take place via Moodle and as independent study, so it is essential that you have access to IT equipment that can support these activities. You should try to ensure that you have access to a laptop or computer to complete study tasks. For online learning you will also need access to a stable internet connection.

How can I make the most of their Foundation Year experience?

We spoke to our successful past foundation year students and they gave the following top tips for success in your foundation year:

'Stay organised! Come up with a schedule that includes class times, study sessions, and deadlines. Use diaries or apps to stay organised and plan out your time effectively.'
'Get involved in the classroom. Try to attend all of your classes, make sure you take lots of notes and push yourself to join in with discussions. If there’s anything you aren’t sure of ask questions.'
'Make connections by taking the time to get to know your classmates and lecturers, maybe even get involved with the Student Union, and consider being a FY student representative. Having study buddies can really help you feel less worried and give you support when you are working through your modules.'
'Make use of the support options at Birkbeck. There’s so much support for students from counselling services, to help with financial problems, how to use the IT stuff and the library. There are loads of really helpful study skills classes run all through the year that you can join too, as well as one-to-one meetings with Learning Development tutors.'
'Look at Moodle all the time. The answer you need about your module is probably on there! There’s also lots of reading and resources that will help you with your assessments. You also need to make sure you’re checking up on what you need to do each week and looking out for announcements from your tutors.'
'Be kind to yourself and make sure you make time for your wellbeing as well as your studies. We are humans not study machines so we need rest and food and fun things to do as well as commitment to our studies'

What modules will I take in my foundation year?

Fundamentals of Study is a 30-credit module that all foundation year students (except for students in psychology) will take in the first term of their foundation degree. You will be mixed into classes with students from a variety of subjects across the university. This is a wonderful opportunity to network and make friends with peers from different backgrounds.
The aim of this module is to orient you within your studies, introduce you to key study skills and help you to familiarise yourself with university procedures. You will study key research into successful higher education study, and you will engage in study skills workshops on academic writing, using literature and citing and referencing. You will complete three short assessments that will provide feedback to enable you to improve your academic practice.
The teaching will take place in the following format:
Mondays

Lecture: You will be provided with a pre-recorded lecture and pre-sessional activities. We suggest that you could complete these in the hour prior to the Q&A, however the materials will be provided one week in advance so you may complete them anytime in advance of the Q&A session.
Online Q&A session: This is a one-hour session in our virtual classroom on Teams. In these sessions you will have the chance to ask questions about the module and the lecture you have just watched. You will also be given briefings and support for the assessments.

Tuesdays

Workshops: You will attend a one-and-a-half hour workshop on campus with a group of 15-20 other students. The workshops will build on the themes raised in the lectures and Q&As but offer much more time to discuss with others. You’ll also engage in interactive tasks that enable you to practice essential study skills.

Additional opportunities:

Birkbeck Enterprise and Employability Programme: Each week you will be provided with one hour of content that enables you to engage in activities to develop your career aspirations. These activities are available through the Moodle module.
Drop-in sessions: The module convenor will hold online and on campus drop-in sessions that you can attend to have an informal chat about your studies or any concerns. There is no need to book a slot- just come along.

To find out about other foundation year modules on your chosen course, please see the specific course page.