General Foundation Year

An ex Foundation Year student Keele University’s General Foundation Year offers a new and innovative opportunity for students to prepare for honours degree study at University. The course will appeal to students with high aspirations from diverse backgrounds who are not currently eligible for study on their preferred degree course but wish to begin university life.

Keele University has over 60 years' experience of delivering internationally recognised courses.

Keele Foundation Centre not only offers the General Foundation Year on a full-time basis but for those wishing to become a Foundation Year student who have other commitments we also offer the course part-time over two years.  

The Course Offers:

  • Experience of campus life.
  • Opportunity to be taught by Keele University staff.
  • Chance to learn and develop academic study skills.
  • Development and embedding of future career/employability skills.
  • Extensive choice of optional extra subjects such as Forensic Science, Mandarin and Global Politics.
  • Weekly contact with a personal tutor to help support and guide your studies.
  • A variety of university learning and teaching approaches: lectures, seminars, workshops and laboratory classes.
  • A wide range of assessment methods.
  • Excellent preparation for your degree.

Course Structure

The General Foundation Year is a stand-alone course which can be studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years.  The programme comprises a mixture of subject based academic study and general skills development, individually tailored to the aspirations and interests of each student. The choice of modules is made in consultation with a Foundation Year Tutor.

Moving On

The independent nature of the General Foundation Year provides students wishing to continue in higher education with the freedom  to apply to a university of their choice on completion. Throughout the year support is available in making UCAS applications to courses at Keele and other universities.  At the end of the course successful students will receive a Certificate of Foundation Year Studies, which has been accepted by many universities for entry onto honours degrees.

Fees and Funding

The course fee is £5,500. Please note: this is a pre-degree programme and students are not eligible for a student loan or grant.  However, flexible payment packages are available.

Entry Requirements

A broad range of qualifications and experience is considered for entry.

Applicants should have at least:

  • 160 UCAS points
  • GCSE English grade C or IELTS 5.5
  • level 2 maths / science / numeracy

Applicants with significant work experience, or anyone from a non-traditional background with a minimum of 80 UCAS points, may be eligible for interview.

How to Apply

Applications for full-time places are through UCAS (course code Y004).  Applicants should indicate their subject preferences in their personal statement. Those interested in the part-time route should apply directly to the University using the Part_Time_GFY_Application_Form

Anyone wishing to pursue a Keele degree in Health is advised to apply for the Health Foundation Year. The GFY is not open to any students intending to apply for Medicine.

Further Information

For further information, please contact:

Dr S. Bishop
Foundation Year Centre
Keele University
Staffordshire ST5 5BG

Tel: 01782 734959   
Email: s.bishop@Keele.ac.uk