Program Overview

An International Foundation Year at our International Study Centre prepares you for your degree at Lancaster University. You will focus on English language, university-level study skills, and academic modules that relate to your degree subject.

Supporting your progression to the University
At the International Study Centre, we take every measure to ensure you are supported in your academic journey. Our programmes allow for increased time spent learning, researching and developing your skills. By studying with us, you will benefit from:

• Formal assessments at the end of each term.
• An improved English language module, Academic English Skills, providing greater opportunity for informal assessments and feedback.
• Combining and reducing the number of module assessments allowing more time to prepare.
• A personal tutorial system with a focus on your academic progress at key points of the academic year, creating action plans based on your performance and progession options.

Business and Management Studies
An International Foundation Year in Business and Management Studies leads to a choice of degrees at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) – one of the top 100 business schools in the world. To prepare for your degree, you will study subject modules and core English language modules. Degree options include Accounting, Business Studies, and International Business Management.
You will learn how businesses operate, and how to prepare and interpret financial accounts. Other areas of study include economic policies, and international trade. Throughout the course, you will develop analysis and evaluation skills, and apply your knowledge to real-world situations.

Accounting and Finance (Industry)
Why do some companies soar and others go bust? How can profits go up while the share price comes down? Accountancy gets to the heart of these questions. If you love numbers and variety and want a sound understanding of accounting and finance alongside workplace experience, this could be your ideal degree.

We encourage you to pursue your interests, develop your strengths, and move towards your ideal career. Your third year is spent on a paid placement in industry. The ‘Professional Pathway’ within the degree even gives you the priceless opportunity to gain practical business skills and experience to add to the theory and academic skills obtained in the rest of your degree.

Accredited by British accountancy bodies, this four-year long degree provides graduates with exemptions from many core professional examinations. It even includes Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) exams. This means, on graduation you’ll be further along the Chartered Accountants route than many of your contemporaries.

In your first year, you’ll study accounting and finance using real-world data from actual companies. You will also discover more about economic issues such as inflation, costs and pricing. You will also get advice on how to build your CV.

Second year core subjects include auditing, financial accounting, risk, corporate finance and management accounting for business decisions. You can also select from courses such as law, management decision making and advanced finance topics like hedging.

Your third year is spent in industry. You’ll be supported in securing a UK placement, with previous students joining companies such as Deloitte, Lloyds Bank, PwC and Samsung. Roles on offer range from finance, auditing and accounting to operations, consulting and risk.

Your final year builds on this knowledge while offering specialist options such as ethics, investments and taxation.

Whether it’s a tech start-up or a multinational industrialist, every company needs an accountant. Your studies can also be a route into corporate finance and business. Many Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) began their careers as accountants.

The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.