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.

Sociology
Have you ever wanted to know the full story behind the important issues in our society? Are you interested in understanding more about gender inequalities in our societies and women’s experiences of everyday sexism? What can sociology teach us about disasters and when things go wrong with technology? How can we think sociologically about the future? How important is what we consume to our sense of identity and social relationships? How have the financial crisis and austerity measures impacted on people’s daily lives? 

Here at Lancaster you can engage with these questions and have chance to ask your own by studying on our BA Sociology course.  We help you to make the familiar strange, to ask critical questions, to understand a wide range of classic and contemporary sociological writing, and to develop skills that allow you to carry out independent research.

Since being established in 1969, Lancaster Sociology has developed an excellent reputation and ranks well globally. Both our staff and students contribute to important public discussions through lectures, blogs, media appearances and social media.

Our Department offers a range of opportunities to foster your personal and professional development. You can participate in activities such as field trips, placements, studying abroad, film screenings, public events, seminars, and major international conferences. All this makes for a vibrant and supportive atmosphere.

 The structure of our degree and department allows you to study sociology alongside complementary topics, such as media and cultural studies and social problems and policy. Whether you have diverse interests or aren't quite sure what you want to major in, we are here to help you make the most of your time at Lancaster.