degrees

choosing your access

course and institution
If you want a United Kingdom (UK) degree but are not sure that your academic skills –
or your English – are up to it, an access course could be the answer. Access courses
(also known as foundation or bridging courses) bridge the gap between the
qualifications you have and those you need to become an undergraduate. Many sixth-
form colleges, tutorial colleges, colleges of further education (FE) and higher education
colleges (including universities) run these courses. Many sixth-form colleges and
colleges of FE are affiliated to specific UK universities and degree courses. Some
courses are specially designed for international students, while others are intended for
mature students.

Checklist: Why study an access course in the United Kingdom?

If you want to study at a UK university, an access course will give you:

• a good level of English
• a possible route to acceptance on a degree course
• university entrance criteria in science, engineering, and the humanities
• a supportive environment in which tutorial and pastoral care are important
• the opportunity to settle in at the university you intend to go to by attending the
university’s own foundation programme.

1. What can I study?

How long is an access course and what will I be taught?

Courses throughout the UK are generally one year but may be two, depending on the
subject. In tutorial colleges, they may be shorter (typically thirty weeks). They
sometimes include intensive English and may be assessed by completing coursework
or taking an exam. In Scotland there is, in addition, a tailor-made programme, the
Scottish International Foundation Programme, which can be from three months to two
years. This includes an intensive English language training course which is recognised,
within Scotland and elsewhere, for entry to university degree courses. There is a final
examination.

www.educationuk.org
Would an access course guarantee me a place at the university or college I want to go
to?

No. Students always have to meet whatever entrance requirements a college sets. A
foundation course should enable you to reach this level, but just attending a foundation
course will not ensure that you gain a place. However, if you choose the course
carefully and complete the foundation studies, it can be an excellent way of getting on
to a degree course at a university or college. For more information, refer to Choosing
your degree course and institution in this series.

What is the difference between an access course and a foundation course?

They are really the same thing, and the terms are used interchangeably, but
foundation is often used to refer to foundation level courses at universities (where you
then go on to the degree). Access is used to refer to courses taken at colleges separate
from the university at which you do your degree, but which will have links with that
university. ‘Foundation course’ is also often the phrase used to describe a specific
bridging course for art, craft and design. Most colleges teaching these subjects also
have foundation courses, and most expect all students – including UK students – to
take one before they are accepted on a degree course.

Will I get a qualification at the end of my access course?

You will not get a qualification, although you will receive a certificate recognised by
higher education colleges when you complete your access course successfully.

Will it be graded?

Not in the same way as A-levels, vocational A-levels or Scottish Highers. Assessment is
usually done by continuous assessment (from essays, presentations and so on), with
exams. You will receive credits (sometimes as merits or distinctions) when you show
that you have acquired new skills or knowledge.

Checklist: Choosing the right course

• Choose your preferred degree course and university or college first. Then find out
whether an access course is an acceptable way of getting in – and if so, which
courses the college recommends or accepts.
• If the university or college accepts access courses at several colleges, it is a good
idea to choose one of the closest. This will help you to discover whether you like the
town/city and area, and to become familiar with it.
• If you are not sure which college you want to attend, look through the British
Council’s publication Guide to British Education, and www.educationuk.org both lists
access courses designed for international students. You can also look on the UCAS

www.educationuk.org
 web site www.ucas.com/access though these courses are mainly intended for
mature students.
• If your English is not very good, you need to make sure that the course includes
some English language tuition.

www.educationuk.org
2. Entrance

What qualifications would I need?

Entry qualifications are flexible throughout the UK. There are no formal requirements
for entry on to an access course, but some subject areas may require that your
competency in mathematics is assessed, and a basic knowledge of English language
will be necessary for all access courses as they are taught in English.

3. Next steps

Checklist: Your next steps

1. Obtain a prospectus from the university or college you want to attend and find out
whether it recognises access courses – and it if does, which ones.
2. Are you confident that your English is good enough to attend university? (You
would usually be asked for International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
5.5–6.5 or TOEFL 550–600). If not, you should look for a course with a high English
language element.
3. If you intend to do an access course before deciding which university to attend,
make sure it has a Quality Assurance Agency(QAA) recognition – the database at
www.ucas.com/access gives all the QAA recognised programmes and more
information about recognition.
4. Try to find a course with the right sort of content for the subject area you intend to
study. Access courses are often related to particular professions or disciplines.
5. If the access course you want to attend is at a university, you can apply through
the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Otherwise, you should
apply direct.
6. Find out whether the tutorial college has its own accommodation. Other colleges
that run access courses for international students would either offer you
accommodation or help you to find accommodation.

4. Where can I find more information?

www.educationuk.org
British Council Education Department for Education and
information Skills (DfES)
Web site www.educationuk.org Sanctuary Buildings
For further information, you can find Great Smith Street
details of your nearest office at London SW1P 3BT
www.britishcouncil.org/where/index.htm Telephone +44 (0) 870 000 2288
, which includes links to all our country Fax +44 (0) 1928 794 248
web pages and a worldwide address E-mail info@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
book giving contact details for all Web site www.DfES.gov.uk
offices.
Department of Education Northern
Scottish Education + Training Ireland
Web site www.educationukscotland.org Rathgael House
43 Balloo Road
Access courses database Bangor
Database of Quality Assurance Agency Co. Down BT19 7PR
(QAA) recognised access courses Telephone +44 (0) 289 127 9279
Web site www.ucas.com/access Fax +44 (0) 289 127 9100
E-mail deni@nics.gov.uk
The Conference for Independent Web site www.deni.gov.uk
Further Education (CIFE)
75 Foxbourne Road National Assembly for Wales
London SW17 8EN Training and Education Department
Telephone +44 (0) 20 8767 8666 National Assembly for Wales
Web site www.cife.org.uk Cathays Park
Links with member colleges Cardiff CF10 3NQ
Telephone +44 (0) 292 082 5111
Council for the Curriculum, E-mail
Examinations and Assessment education.training@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Clarendon Dock Web site
29 Clarendon Road www.wales.gov.uk/subieducationtraining
Belfast BT1 3BG /index.htm
Telephone +44 (0) 2890 261 200
Fax +44 (0) 2890 261 234 Scottish Executive Education
E-mail info@ccea.org.uk Department
Web site www.ccea.org.uk St Andrew’s House
(Publishes and distributes information Edinburgh EH11 3DG
about the curriculum, assessment and E-mail ceu@scotland.gov.uk
examinations in Northern Ireland) Web site
www.scotland.gov.uk/who/dept_educatio
n.asp

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Scottish International Foundation Glasgow G12 8QQ
Programme Telephone +44 (0) 141 330 5595
University of Glasgow Fax +44 (0) 141 330 3381
52 Hill Head Street E-mail sifp@gla.ac.uk
Web site www.gla.ac.uk/sifp

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct
and up to date, the British Council accepts no legal liability for its accuracy, currency or
completeness.

May 2002

British Council
classification
Degree courses (blue)

www.educationuk.org