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.

Psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of how humans think and behave. Studying this programme will develop your ability to understand and support people, preparing you for a wide range of rewarding careers.

This 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 follows 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
You will learn from passionate academics, all of whom are active researchers and world leaders in their field, which allows you to benefit from their insight, expertise and cutting-edge research.

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.

During this year, you will also be able to decide if you want to graduate with a BA or a BSc, dependent on the career you wish to pursue. Both degrees are equivalent and accredited by the British Psychological Society, and our academic staff and careers service are on hand to offer guidance and support.