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.

Social Studies
The International Foundation Year in Social Studies leads to a choice of undergraduate degrees in the Faculty of Arts and Social Studies and the Faculty of Science and Technology. To prepare for your degree, you will study core English language modules and subject modules. Degree options include Philosophy, Sociology, and Film.

You will learn about global issues and contemporary events, including business, culture, politics and environment. Other areas of study include advertising, social media, psychology, and theories that relate to media and modern society.

Modern Languages
Lancaster’s Modern Languages degree is taught by the Department of Languages and Cultures. This degree gives you the opportunity to study three languages. We offer Chinese, French, German or Spanish as major subjects and Italian as minor subject. This degree includes an international placement year where you will study abroad and a large amount of choice in both the languages you will study and cultural modules that bring your chosen languages to life. 

Year One
In your first year, you can choose to study:

• three languages at advanced level
• or two languages at advanced level and one at beginner level

You will focus on developing linguistic fluency as well as learning about the cultural contexts of your chosen languages.

Year Two
You will develop your language skills and also study the cultural, political and historical context of your chosen languages in more depth.

There are two possible routes through the second year:

Route A - Chinese / French / German / Spanish

• three languages at advanced level
• or two languages at advanced level and one intensive language
• plus culture modules relating to your chosen languages

Route B - Chinese / French / German / Spanish with Italian

• two advanced languages 
• two culture modules relating to the advanced languages
• two Italian language modules

Year Three - International Placement Year 
Spending your third year abroad makes a major contribution to your language ability, while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You will spend time in two countries where your major languages are spoken. You can either study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement. 

We also encourage you to spend some vacation time in the country of your third language, and the department may be able to offer opportunities to apply for funding to support this.

Year Four
Back at Lancaster in the fourth year, you will consolidate your multiple language skills alongside language-specific cultural modules such as ‘Sinophone Literature and Film’ or ‘Latin America and Spain on Film: Violence and Masculinities’. You can also take comparative courses which allow you to see the languages and cultures you're studying in a global context.

There are three possible routes through the final year.

Route A - The language intensive route (Chinese / French / German / Spanish)

• three advanced languages 
• culture modules relating to the advanced languages

Route B - The culture intensive route (Chinese / French / German / Spanish)

• two advanced languages 
• a range of culture modules relating to the advanced languages and others

Route C - The Italian route (Chinese / French / German / Spanish with Italian)

• two advanced languages 
• culture modules relating to the advanced languages
• two Italian language modules