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• Foundation Courses > 
• Humanities Foundation Year

The Humanities Foundation Year provides:

• A chance to sample humanities subjects at university level before making a final choice of Honours courses
• Intensive modules which provide the requisite background for specific Honours courses for those without the necessary qualifications
• Access for non-traditionally qualified students to a wide range of humanities courses
• A broad grounding in academic principles and methods

"The Foundation Year at Keele enabled me to realise my skills, develop my weaknesses into strengths and prepare for higher education in a way that still gave me independence in my studies"

Jak Modena: Humanities Foundation Year 2011-2012, now studying Music and History.

Entry Requirements

To enter the Humanities Foundation Year, students must normally have

• at least 160 UCAS tariff points or
• the equivalent in other qualifications or
• relevant work experience

AND

• GCSE English Language at grade C 

AND

• a Level 2 numeracy qualification

For progression to a Dual Honours combination with a numerate discipline after the Foundation Year, GCSE Mathematics at grade C or above is required.

Students intending to progress to Principal Music must have:

• a practical music qualification to the equivalent of at least ABRSM grade 5 or
• (for the non-performance route only) a minimum of grade 5 Music Theory grade C or equivalent together with demonstrable musical experience

How to apply

All applications must be made through UCAS.

Students should apply for a specific subject with a Foundation Year (see codes above and under each relevant subject section in this prospectus). Over the summer, prior to entry to Keele, students will be asked to decide provisionally which two Dual Honours Principal subjects or Single Honours course they expect to take after the Foundation Year. Students can discuss options with a Foundation Year Tutor before arriving at Keele and may be able to change their choice following discussions with Foundation Year staff.

Course content

All students take core modules in the following skills: Writing for Humanities Students, Seminar Skills, Learning Skills, IT and Critical Thinking. In addition, modules are taken which are related to each of the  subjects to be pursued in the remaining three years of the degree programme. The choice of modules is individual to each student, made in consultation with a Foundation Year Tutor and will compromise a total of six humanities and/or social science modules.

Writing for Humanities Students and Seminar Skills
Humanities students must be able to communicate efficiently and professionally, using the conventions of their disciplines, to a wide range of specialist and lay audiences. This includes writing documents, giving oral presentations, participating in seminars and interpreting the work of others. These modules provide training in a wide range of forms of communication, laying the foundation for the communication skills required in future years.

Learning Skills
This module provides opportunities for students to consider their learning process as well as relevant information and advice about the process of studying. The programme aims to look at the whole learning experience and individual approaches to studies. By the end, students will have had the opportunity to develop skills in a variety of study processes, to consider strengths and weaknesses in relation to their studies, reflect on what influences their learning, and consider how to make the best use of the available resources.

Information Technology
All students take two modules in IT, one in each semester: Word Processing, Presentations and the Web and Spreadsheets, Databases and Computer Ethics.

Critical Thinking
All students will take the module Critical Thinking that provides grounding in a range of thinking skills.

Option Modules
A range of other Humanities modules is available which provides a broad coverage of a particular subject area, including foreign languages. Some options can be taken to meet prerequisites for certain social science degree courses if students are intending to progress to a humanities/social science Dual Honours combination. If students have a free choice of modules available, after satisfying the relevant prerequisites for their degree courses, then they can choose one or more of these modules to broaden their general knowledge or to pursue specific interests.

Further Information

For further information, please contact:

Ms Catherine Gillions
Humanities Foundation Year Tutor
Foundation Year Centre
Keele University
Staffordshire ST5 5BG

Tel: 01782 733454
Email: c.e.gillions@keele.ac.uk

Degree programmes

Please note that after the Foundation Year in the above subjects students will progress to a Bachelor’s degree in that subject, plus a second subject for Dual Honours.

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