The International Foundation Year is an intensive full-time, two-semester pathway programme designed to provide international students with supportive access into undergraduate degree programmes at Wrexham Glyndŵr University. The course, with up to 25 hours guided tuition per week has been designed by qualified and experienced language lecturers in collaboration with the University’s specialist departments offering highly rated programmes with a Silver Award for their teaching. Tuition takes place in modules through seminars, tutorials and lectures – giving students good preparation for their future studies and involving a variety of delivery modes. Part of the language lessons are taught in our language laboratory, and they cover a wide variety of language and culture related aspects. The average group size is 10-20 participants, and lessons usually run between 9 am and 4 pm, Monday-Friday.
The pathway programme is offered in four subject areas:
International Foundation Year (Art & Design)
International Foundation Year (Business)
International Foundation Year (Computing)
International Foundation Year (Engineering)
International Foundation Year (Media and Creative Technology)
The course has been created for students who have completed a 12-year school system and need to bridge both the required academic entry standards into their undergraduate degree programme and to upgrade and enhance their skills and knowledge of English to satisfy the University’s entry criteria in English.
What will you study
Students spend the first semester of the course rapidly improving their English, learning about British culture, and acquiring academic skills needed for studies at a British University.
In the second semester, students join subject-specific courses in their pathway with British students. This will give them a unique opportunity to learn together with native speaker students, whilst still continuing their English language module in addition to three further modules – all of which are completed at the end of the second semester:
English for IFY 1 (standard) or English for IFY 2 (fast track)
Integrated Skills for Undergraduate Studies
Creative Processes and Progression Project (pathway Art & Design)
Media Culture and Personal Project (pathway Media & Creative Technology)
Fundamentals of Finance and Introduction to Marketing (pathway Business)
Computing Mathematics and Developments in Technology (pathway Computing)
Mechanical Science and Electrical and Electronic Science (pathway Engineering)
Assessment
The English language modules are assessed by both formative in-class exercises to inform students of their progress and further learning needs as well as by final online tests in all four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening).
Overall, assessment on the IFY programme is designed to be supportive and to build confidence. The various modules use diverse and inclusive assessment methods to ensure that students experience a range of formats in preparation for study at University level, e.g. presentations, reports, in-class tests and course work.
Successful completion of the pathway programme guarantees entry into the following programmes within the chosen pathway, which must be stated at the application stage:
International Foundation Year (Business), on successful completion leading to
BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance
BA (Hons) Business
BA (Hons) Hospitality Tourism and Event Management, etc.
International Foundation Year (Art and Design), on successful completion leading to
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Comics
BA (Hons) Children’s Books, etc.
