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.

Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of how humans think and behave. Take your study to Masters-level through our MPsych programme and develop your ability to understand and support people to an advanced level, preparing you for a wide range of rewarding careers.

Our four year MPsych degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which is essential if you wish to pursue a career in professional psychology in the UK, and has been specifically designed for those who wish to pursue a career in research. It is also suitable for students who want to earn an advanced degree to provide a competitive edge in the job market.

You will learn from passionate academics, all of whom are active researchers and world leaders in their field, benefiting from their insight, expertise and cutting-edge research. Your study will follow the main themes of modern psychology:

• Brain and Behaviour: how neural disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease affect behaviour
• Cognitive Psychology: our reactions to colours, smells, speech and music
• Developmental Psychology: the ways in which infants perceive space, patterns, objects and events
• Social Psychology: how our thoughts, emotions and behaviours are shaped by the presence of others

In the first year, you will gain an in depth overview of the main study themes through our Understanding Psychology module. You will explore the theories underpinning these areas, learn to evaluate scientific journals, and develop your ability to construct formal arguments. Running parallel to this, you will also undertake the Investigating Psychology module, which will equip you with important practical skills for conducting research in psychology, such as data analysis and report writing.

As well as these core modules, you will also take a minor subject, which can be another science, or a subject that is selected from a different part of the University, such as a social science or management programme. This gives you the chance to explore another discipline that interests you and experience another part of the University. Sociology, criminology and philosophy are just some of the more popular minor choices among our students.

During the second year of your degree, you revisit the key themes covered in Year 1 in greater detail. You will study a specialist module for each of the key strands; deepening your understanding and testing your knowledge. You will also explore Personality and Individual Differences, which will introduce you to important theoretical questions and allow you to critically discuss research implications.

In addition to these themes, Research Methods and Statistics modules will be covered this year. These will expand your knowledge of research methods, develop key skills and enable you to gain a detailed understanding of analysis and reporting.

Third year provides you with the freedom to choose from a range of topical modules, as well as carrying out your own research project under the supervision of an experienced researcher. This will allow you to shape your study to suit your own interests and career aspirations. The optional modules available change to reflect the latest developments in psychology research and those listed are indicative content.

In your final year, you will conduct a thorough and demanding research project, which allows you to capitalise on your existing theoretical and practical research skills and knowledge, as well as extend your range of expertise into more concentrated and sophisticated avenues of research. You may continue your third year research topic or broaden your knowledge base by exploring a completely new research topic. The project will help you to develop your ability to identify significant research, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, review techniques, and effectively justify and communicate conclusions. Alongside your project work you will study Masters-level modules which you will select from a wide ranging choice to suit your own interests.