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.

Management and German Studies
The Management School and the Department of Languages and Cultures jointly run this four-year degree course. It offers the chance to study German alongside management studies and brings all of the associated benefits of language studies with it - such as gaining an international perspective on management practices, enhancing your problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, improved communication skills, and a boost to your employability.

You will need an A level in German or be of a similar standard. In your first year, you will study the German language and culture at an advanced level. Alongside this, you will choose from either Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, Management and Organisations or Marketing.

In the second year, you can select what to study, with choices ranging from Advertising to Understanding Culture, Franchising to Society on Screen. You will improve how you communicate in German, whilst broadening your knowledge about German-speaking society, politics and contemporary issues.

In your final year, you can select options covering subjects such as brand strategy, foreign literature and film, business models, translation and strategic management. By graduation, we aim for you to have an excellent understanding of the German-speaking world. 

Spending your third year abroad in a German-speaking country makes a major contribution to your command of the language, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement.

This degree equips you with the skills to deal with the cultural complexities of management in local and international contexts. Your substantial international experience and language skills will give you a strong edge in the jobs market. Past graduates have secured roles in international business, government departments and well-known corporations.