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.

Business Economics (Industry)
Should a company open a new store? Who gains from interest rate changes? What are the implications of performance-related pay? If you would like to learn more about the relevance of economics to business and management, this four-year degree including a paid placement in industry could be for you. It follows our approach of applying learning to real-world issues.

This degree balances a thorough grounding in economics with the chance to explore one or more subjects from the Management School. In your first year you can choose to find out more about accounting, finance, strategy, organisations and their people, marketing and the principles of economics. You don’t need an A level in Economics and there’s less focus on maths and statistics than some of the other economics options.

All second years learn about macroeconomics, microeconomics and social research methods. This includes topics such as competitive advantage, the international financial sector and strategic behaviour. There are also options covering the economics of crime, game theory and the role of governments within the economy.

Your third year is spent in industry. You’ll be supported in securing a placement, with past students joining companies such as IBM, Lloyds Bank, Microsoft, PwC and the Bank of England. Roles on offer range from project management and logistics to investment, business development and risk. Most placements are in the UK but there are some options overseas.

Your placement experiences will form the basis of your final year dissertation. In your final year you will be able to specialise further in specific fields such as econometrics, health economics, industrial organisation and monetary macroeconomics.

We train our graduates in how to think, not what to think. Your analytical skills, practical experience and economic knowledge will stand you in good stead in the jobs market. Recent graduates have continued on to professional training as financial advisers, traders and underwriters or secured roles in finance, accountancy and advertising.

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.