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 Management (Industry)
Do you want to develop a career in management from a quantitative perspective? To study a degree that plays to your strengths with numbers, but isn’t its sole focus? This course offers you the chance to gain a solid foundation in accounting, knowledge of management subjects such as human resources or marketing, and workplace experience.

Spending your third year on a paid industrial placement gives you valuable practical experience in business. It also shows how the academic theories you have studied work in the real world.

You start your degree by studying accounting and finance using genuine data from actual companies. You will learn about economic issues such as inflation, demand and cost. We will also focus on how to build your CV to enhance your opportunities after graduation.

All second-year students study auditing, financial accounting, risk, finance, management accounting for business decisions and statistical analysis. Other options include law and subjects from at least two other Management School departments.

You’ll be supported in securing a third-year placement with 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 your knowledge with more advanced options in accounting, management and finance. The topics you can select range from taxation to ethical behaviour, share prices to mergers. You can also choose whether to write a dissertation. 

Combining management studies with accountancy produces graduates with a broad base of abilities in demand by employers. These include practical skills such as report writing, presentations and IT knowledge. Past graduates have also continued their studies, progressing to a Masters degree.

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.