A foundation year can develop your skills and make it easier to get started at university. It is an extra year of study at the start of your course that leads in to a full degree programme. It’s a great option if:You don’t have the grades for a full degree courseYou have non-traditional qualifications or experienceYou’re starting university after some time away from educationYou’re looking for more support during the transition into university study.

During a foundation year you’ll learn about your chosen subject, develop your study skills and get used to university life. On successful completion of your foundation year, you’ll be ready to progress to the first year of your degree course.As a foundation year student, you’ll be a full student of the University and part of our community. You’ll have access to all our campus facilities and support.

Students benefit from our excellent facilities and the University’s partnership with the National Physical Laboratory.There are two unique aspects of both our courses:1. Our award-winning Professional Training placements: -Within the BSc, the option to take a paid Professional Training placement in industry gives you invaluable hands-on experience to enhance your employability.-On our MPhys, you’ll take a year-long, masters-level integrated research placement. This can be in one of our world-leading research groups or at one of our international partner institutions.2. Our focus on undergraduate research and innovation:-All undergraduates have the opportunity to apply for paid 8-10 week summer research placements in our research groups and those of our South East Physics Network partners.-We offer in-house ‘research and innovation’ and ‘enterprise’ grants that students can apply for to fund a research placement, attend a conference or develop a new business idea.

You’ll explore core elements of traditional physics (e.g. particle physics, atoms and molecules) and topics within astronomy and nuclear physics, reflecting the outstanding research we conduct at Surrey.Students have the option to take a Professional Training placement on the BSc or an integrated research year on the MPhys. The latter is a direct route to a masters qualification. The MPhys integrated research year allows you to develop your skills in an academic or industrial arena, before returning for your final masters-level modules.Formal lectures are complemented with work in our specialist radiation laboratories, which have recently been refurbished and enlarged at a cost of £2.7m. As an undergraduate student, you’ll use these labs to undertake experiments related to the Nuclear and Particle Physics module.