Undergraduate Credit
International Foundation Programme
Gain the academic knowledge and skills you need for entry to undergraduate study at university.
Gain the academic knowledge and skills you need for entry to undergraduate study at university.
The Kent International Foundation Programme (IFP) is primarily designed for international students, allowing them to develop their academic knowledge and skills, and if required their English language ability, for entry to undergraduate study at university.
The programme, on offer at the University of Kent for over 40 years, takes place on the Canterbury campus and students are full members of the University with access to University accommodation and all academic, welfare, social and sport facilities on campus.
With academic subject modules and academic skills modules taught by highly qualified University of Kent tutors, the IFP is your first step to a wide range of degree programmes at the University.
Progression on to your degree programme is automatic at the end of the IFP, if you achieve the required grades.
Our International Foundation Programme gives you access a wide range of degree programmes across different subjects
In the QS World University Rankings 2024, Kent has been ranked 39th within the UK and is in the top 25% of Higher Education Institutions worldwide.
We offer Progression Scholarships to support Foundation students progressing onto undergraduate degrees at Kent.
With over 152 nationalities on campus Kent is a dynamic and welcoming international hub. Whatever your passion, you can find your home at Kent.
To gain entry on to the IFP, you need the following:
The entry requirements below demonstrate the type of qualifications you will need to apply for the International Foundation Programme (IFP). Some of our courses have subject specific requirements. Please visit the International Programmes site for more information.
The Academic Skills Development classes help you work to develop all the necessary skills to fully enjoy your academic experience in the UK, for example, seminar and group work communication skills, developing as an independent student, improving skills in analysis, critique, time management, and project management. You will then take modules which are relevant to your chosen undergraduate degree programme.
This course structure is indicative of the modules available for this programme. Modules are based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
Our IFP is entirely managed and delivered by the University of Kent, allowing us to offer teaching of exceptional quality. Teaching is organised in small groups and includes lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and independent learning. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to apply the skills learnt in one module to all other modules and find relations between modules in order to broaden their education.
Assessment on the majority of modules will be through a combination of final examinations and coursework, including assignments from 1,000 to 2,000 words, online quizzes and tests from 45 minutes to two hours in length.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.
Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For course aims and learning outcomes please see the course specification.
Our foundation programme prepares international students for degree-level study in the UK. We support our students with courses in English language and academic skills, and also offer a range of short courses for visiting overseas students and teaching staff.
Our students progress to studying at degree level on a range of courses. For further information on careers and alumni stories, please see the relevant undergraduate degree courses.
All of our degree programmes at Kent embed employability at every turn. So whatever degree you choose to progress on to following your IFP, you can be sure that you will be supported in getting both the skills and the confidence you need to kick start your career in your chosen field. The sky is truly the limit for our international students, with Kent boasting two Nobel Laureates amongst our international alumni.
The International Foundation Programme gave me greater confidence in pursuing my degree studies.
The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
View scholarship opportunities for this programme on the International Programmes website.
Please note that Student Loans Company (SLC) funding is not available for UK students intending to study on the IFP (autumn or spring start), as this is a one year stand-alone programme.
Undergraduate degree programmes following on from the IFP will be eligible for SLC funding, as are undergraduate degree programmes 'with an integrated foundation year'.
Next steps
You apply using a simple online form. To start your application, you will need the following:
We welcome applications from students all around the world with a wide range of international qualifications.
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