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.

Life Sciences
The International Foundation Year in Life Sciences leads to a choice of degrees in the Faculty of Health and Medicine and in the Faculty of Science and Technology. To prepare for your degree, you will study subject modules and core English language modules. Degree options include Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, and Ecology.

You will learn about cell structure and function, as well as physiological processes in animals. Other areas of study include plant biology, genetics and ecology. Mathematic techniques are part of the course, and you will apply your understanding to real-life situations.

Geography (Professional Experience)
You won’t just be sat in lectures at Lancaster. Study geography in our outstanding practical facilities; explore our beautiful surroundings; take part in international field trips; learn from world-renowned lecturers; and collaborate with industry professionals and businesses.

Geography is a distinctive subject: it studies our world in a vast range of areas. Our Geography degree programme explores the Earth’s landscapes, species, places and environment in a dynamic range of modules that draw from the humanities, social science and physical science subjects. Through this programme, you will also be given the fantastic opportunity to get involved with real-world projects, working with our partners in industry.

While studying in the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC), you will have access to new teaching and research labs, computer systems and software and even our very own weather monitoring station. Working in comfortable class sizes, you will have the opportunity to get to know your lecturers personally, enabling you to benefit from their expert knowledge and helpful one-to-one advice.

Our location, between the rural settings of the north and the bustling cities of Liverpool and Manchester, enables us to explore some of the UK’s most unique areas of geographic interest. You will gain a wealth of hands-on experience with field trips to places such as the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbrian coast and Lake District, as well as international locations such as Iceland, Amazonia, New York and Croatia.

You will develop a fundamental understanding of human, physical and environmental geography in the Double Year 1 Geography modules. These first year modules equip you with a well-rounded introduction to some of the key themes of geography, as well as providing you with some of the key skills used by geographers to analyse problems in both the physical and human aspects of the discipline.

Specialisation begins in second year, enabling you to choose topics that match your interests. Core modules will focus on practical work, giving you a range of analytical and research project skills. A series of optional modules offer exciting field trips to Spain and France.

In the third year, you will undertake a dissertation, guided by your academic supervisor which offers a chance to perform original geographical research on a topic of your choice. You will complete this piece of research by working alongside a business, working with professionals and gaining valuable insight into working life and industry. This will be a fantastic opportunity to apply and develop your geography skills in a real, working environment, allowing you to gain experience and employability skills that will be invaluable when pursuing your career goals.

You will also be offered further optional module choices, and there will be fieldwork opportunities in locations such as Iceland, Croatia and New York. Topics may include the study of coastal processes, geological hazards and glacial systems, but could also include an element of human geography, such as Global Consumption, Urban Infrastructure in a Changing World or Geographies of Health.

Your fourth year of study provides an advanced qualification which will give you a competitive edge in the graduate jobs market by equipping you with the extra experience, knowledge and skills that come with studying Masters-level modules and undertaking a second dissertation. This will enable you to stand out from the crowd in the selection process for graduate roles.

In addition, this programme provides a ten-week placement with a graduate employer where you will utilise and develop your skills in a professional environment, gaining valuable real-world experience. You will also gain communication and IT skills, and will become familiar with data handling and environmental sampling and analysis.