Programme Specification for International Foundation Programme in Business University Certificate
This programme is no longer recruiting.
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University Certificate |
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Intermediate awards available |
No Award |
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UCAS code |
N/A |
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Details of professional body accreditation |
N/A |
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Relevant QAA Benchmark statements |
N/A |
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Date specification last up-dated |
January 2013 |
Profile
The summary - UCAS programme profile
BANNER BOX:
The University of East London’s International Foundation Programme in Business is designed to prepare international students who have successfully completed 12 years of schooling in their home country for undergraduate BA or BSc study at the University of East London and other UK universities (subject to their own admissions criteria).
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The normal entry requirements for entry are a Senior High School Leaving Certificate or equivalent, including Mathematics at GCSE Grade C or above (our its recognised international equivalent). Students must have successfully completed at least 12 years of schooling in their home country.
In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then:
- IELTS 4.5 or above (or equivalent, with no component less than 4.0) is required and students would be expected to follow the programme over two semesters.
- when IELTS is at 5.5 or above (or equivalent, with no component less than 5.0), students may be allowed direct entry to the second semester of the programme.
International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education undergraduate programmes.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
What is the International Foundation Programme?
The University of East London’s International Foundation Programme in Business provides an alternative route into the Royal Docks Business School BA/BSc programmes. It is aimed at international students whose educational qualifications fall short of those required for direct entry into our Bachelor programmes. The International Foundation Programme in Business is hosted by the Royal Docks Business School in conjunction with the English Language Centre within our University.
In addition, students will gain an appreciation of the UK education system and an understanding of UK educational cultural norms and expectations.
Accounting at UEL
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Programme structure
The programme is offered in full-time mode only and leads to progression to any of the Royal Docks Business School’s BA/BSc programmes. Entry is for international students who hold the equivalent of a High School Certificate. The programme structure is of 120 credits at Level 0 delivered over two semesters, leading to the award of a University Certificate.
Students joining the programme in the second semester and completing all modules successfully will also be awarded a University Certificate.
The full programme, therefore, is two semesters long. You will take five core modules, including one double module. You will develop your English language and communication skills as well as your knowledge of the world of business.
All students will be tested in numeracy and English during induction, with tutorial support provided outside of the formal programme.
The modules you will study are:
Semester 1
- English Language Development (double module)
- Issues in Business
Semester 2
- Communication and Study Skills
- Business Management
- Business Analysis.
Learning environment
The programme will utilise various teaching and learning methods, including:
- Formal lectures to understand the relevant theory, so enabling comprehension of the basics and foundations of business.
- Seminars and workshops where you have the opportunity to investigate specific areas of interest within business and discuss these with your peers and lecturers
- Analytical and practical skills where you have the opportunity to contextualise and apply your knowledge.
- Meeting business professionals in class or on company visits
- Using our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to undertake on-line discussions, self-tests and communication with lecturers
Work experience/placement opportunities
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Assessment
The assessment strategy takes into account the different focus of each individual module on the programme and employs a range of assessment methods, such as individual coursework (essays, reports, literature reviews), group projects (reports, presentations and case studies), and formal examinations. The latter may be both ‘seen’, with the questions given to you in advance of the exam for completion during it, or ‘unseen’.
The range of assessment is designed to reflect the learning outcomes of each module. The programme team has been carefully designed to ensure that the assessment burden for each module is generally equivalent. Each module has a maximum of three components of assessed work, comprising individual or group assignments appropriate to the learning outcomes. More detailed assessment criteria will be made available in each Module Handbook.
Extenuating Circumstances
Where you are unable to complete an assessment on time or at all due to circumstances beyond your control, ‘extenuating circumstances’ may apply. This is a formal process that requires you to submit an acceptable reason for the non-submission of a piece of work by the due date and the following link explains the procedure in more detail: http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/extenuation.htm
Other assessment (‘formative’) has a developmental purpose and is designed to help you learn more effectively by giving you feedback on performance and on how it can be improved and/or maintained. The range of such activities may include:
- Tasks based on reflective thinking
- Research into competitor activity
- Peer assessment
- On-line discussion rooms and quizzes or self-tests
- Question and answer
- Group work
- Case study responses
Project work
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Added value
Successful completion of the International Foundation Programme will equip you with the appropriate communication, language and analytical skills to enable you to undertake study on an undergraduate UK honours programme in business-related subjects. It will also familiarise you with the key ideas and developments relevant to business management in a range of contexts and countries.
IS THIS THE PROGRAMME FOR ME?
The IFP is for you:
If you are interested in...
- Examples and narratives of successful business management
- Major trends in the business environment and their causes
- How customers behave and how to respond to them
- Management of people
- Using information for effective decision-making
If you enjoy...
- Applying new ideas to meet the practical demands of work
- Learning in a variety of ways and scenarios
- Working with others to address problems and issues
- Meeting new challenges and people
If you want...
- to gain entry onto a UK BA/BSc programme at the University of East London, so enhancing your employability prospects, improving your communication skills and extending your analytical capacity
Your future career
Successful completion of the International Foundation Programme will allow you direct entry to any of the Royal Docks Business School programmes at our university, so enhancing your career and employment prospects across the full array of business activities, including people management, marketing and accounting and finance. Students graduating from our University go on to work in a broad range of businesses in the private sector, including Blue Chip companies and SMEs, large public sector bodies and not-for-profit organisations.
How we support you
As a student on the International Foundation Programme, you will be provided with a personal tutor, who will be a permanent member of staff. Each module is allocated a module leader and the programme itself is led by a member of the School’s faculty, with dedicated administrative support.
Outcomes
Programme aims and learning outcomes
What is this programme designed to achieve?
This programme aims to provide international students with basic Senior High School qualifications the opportunity to develop:
- English language competence, using business-related vocabulary and learning materials
- Academic study skills
- Specialist knowledge in business and management
- Analytical competence in dealing with business-related issues and problems, commensurate with the level of award
- Communication skills, using a variety of media
- Skills required for continued self-managed study
- Effective use of a range of information sources
- The ability to work effectively both individually and as part of a team
- Numeracy skills,
What will you learn?
The International Foundation Programme will provide you with the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding specifically relevant to a UK undergraduate degree in Business or its related areas. It will also prepare you for the demands made on students studying within a UK university, including behavioural and cultural expectations.
Knowledge of
- how to use a variety of relevant software applications.
- business theory and practice
- a range of specialist vocabulary
- relevant conventions of academic English (both written and oral), including the difference between formal and informal registers
'Thinking' skills
- employ a range of academic vocabulary, both general and subject specific
- use study skills effectively as required for undergraduate study in a UK university
- use and apply relevant problem-solving techniques
Subject-Based Practical skills
- use a variety of information sources, both print-based and electronic
- prepare individual reports, essays and projects
- prepare group reports, essays and projects
- handle, interpret and analyse data
Skills for life and work
- communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, formally and informally
- work effectively within a team
- use information technology
- develop fuller analytical skills
Structure
The programme structure
Introduction
All programmes are credit-rated to help you to understand the amount and level of study that is needed.
One credit is equal to 10 hours of directed study time (this includes everything you do e.g. lecture, seminar and private study).
Credits are assigned to one of 5 levels:
- 0 - equivalent in standard to GCE 'A' level and is intended to prepare students for year one of an undergraduate degree programme
- 1 - equivalent in standard to the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
- 2 - equivalent in standard to the second year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
- 3 - equivalent in standard to the third year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
- M - equivalent in standard to a Masters degree
Credit rating
The overall credit-rating of this programme is 120 credits at 0 level
Typical duration
The expected duration of this programme is 1 year when attended in full-time mode. As above, students with a suitable standard of English can be admitted directly on to Semester 2.
How the teaching year is divided
The International Foundation Programme has 3 start dates per year. These are September, February and May. The undergraduate BA/BSc programmes’ teaching year begins in September and ends in June but some programmes also allow students to join at the start of Semester B, in February.
A typical student, in full-time attendance mode of study, will register for 120 credits in an academic year.
The month of entry to one of our degrees, beginning in September or February, will depend upon the nearest entry point to the completion of the IFP. Visa regulations also require that there is no summer break between the completion of the IFP and joining one of our degrees (or that of any other UK university. This means that were are unable to offer a September entry to the IFP for full-year students or a February start for those following the one-semester programme.
As illustrated below, this means that the full-year course only allows entry in February and May and the one-semester route only in September and May:
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Full year IFP entry (FYIFP) |
September 2010 |
February 2011 |
May 2011 |
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FYIFP degree entry |
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September 2011 |
February 2012 |
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1 semester IFP entry |
September 2010 |
February 2011 |
May 2011 |
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1 semester IFP degree entry |
February 2011 |
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September 2011 |
What you will study when
This programme is part of a modular degree scheme. All modules are core, that is compulsory. There are no option modules.
| Semester | Modules | ||
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| 1 |
English Language Development |
Issues in Business |
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| 2 |
Communication and Study Skills (20) |
Business Management |
Business Analysis |
Requirements for gaining an award
Students will be awarded an UEL Undergraduate Certificate on successful completion of the programme.
In order to progress to progress to a BA/BSc programme at the University of East London, you must have passed all your modules on the IFP programme.
Degree Classification
Where a student is eligible for an Honours degree, and has gained a minimum of 240 UEL credits at level 2 or level 3 on the programme, including a minimum of 120 UEL credits at level 3, the award classification is determined by calculating:
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The arithmetic mean of the best 100 credits at level 3 |
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2/3 |
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The arithmetic mean of the next best 100 credits at levels 2 and/or 3 |
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1/3 |
and applying the mark obtained as a percentage, with all decimals points rounded up to the nearest whole number, to the following classification
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70% - 100% |
First Class Honours |
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60% - 69% |
Second Class Honours, First Division |
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50% - 59% |
Second Class Honours, Second Division |
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40% - 49% |
Third Class Honours |
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0% - 39% |
Not passed |
Assessment
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching and learning
A range of teaching and learning methods will be used including lectures, small group tutorials, coursework and practical assignments.
Knowledge is developed through
- Lectures, using voting technology and other means to stimulate interaction
- Seminars, with case studies, exercises and discussions
- Private study to prepare for group discussion and presentations.
- Private study to prepare for assignments
- Reference and access to literature resources, including on-line academic and business journals and databases
'Thinking' skills are developed through
- Seminars and group work
- Case studies and associated problem-solving activities
- Structured group/seminar discussion.
- Linking of theory and practice in each module’s learning materials.
- Written assignments
- Presentations of prepared work.
Practical skills are developed through
- Researching presentations and projects, both group and individual.
- Undertaking data collection and analysis.
- Group work.
- Case studies and workshops.
Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through
- Report writing
- Presentations
- Participation in group/team work.
- Progressively increased independent study
Assessment
Assessment activities have been created to cover the learning outcomes for each module. Some of these will be introduced in the on-line learning materials and carried out in the workplace, others at the intensive or mid-semester workshops.
Knowledge is assessed by
- Group and individual presentations.
- Group and individual course work/assignments.
Thinking skills are assessed by
- Group work
- Presentations
- Assignments, which may based on case studies
Practical skills are assessed by
- Compliance with deadlines for assignment and any presentational requirements
- Preparing presentations
- Using our VLE.
Skills for life and work (general skills) are assessed by
- Presentations
- Assignments
- Report writing
- A variety of tasks including those undertaken on an individual basis or in a group
Quality
How we assure the quality of this programme
Before this programme started
Before this programme started, the following was checked:
- there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
- adequate resources would be in place;
- the overall aims and objectives were appropriate;
- the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements;
- the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements;
- the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms.
This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions.
How we monitor the quality of this programme
The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating:
- external examiner reports (considering quality and standards);
- statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate);
- student feedback.
Drawing on this and other information, programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation. The process is monitored by the Quality and Standards Committee.
Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists. The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions. The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed.
The role of the programme committee
This programme has a programme committee comprising all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (e.g. library/technician staff). The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality. The programme committee plays a critical role in the quality assurance procedures.
The role of external examiners
The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner. External examiners have two primary responsibilities:
- To ensure the standard of the programme;
- To ensure that justice is done to individual students.
External examiners fulfil these responsibilities in a variety of ways including:
- Approving exam papers/assignments;
- Attending assessment boards;
- Reviewing samples of student work and moderating marks;
- Ensuring that regulations are followed;
- Providing feedback through an annual report that enables us to make improvements for the future.
Listening to the views of students
The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme include:
- Mid semester feedback
- Module evaluations
- Student representation on programme committees (2 times a year)
- Examination reports
- Student/Staff consultative committee (meeting 3 times a year
Students are notified of the action taken through:
- circulating the minutes of the programme committee
- a newsletter published three times a year
- providing details on the programme notice board
Listening to the views of others
The following methods are used for gaining the views of other interested parties:
- Annual student satisfaction questionnaire
- Questionnaires to existing and former students
- School Business Advisory Board
Further Information
Alternative locations for studying this programme
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Location |
Which elements? |
Taught by UEL staff |
Taught by local staff |
Method of Delivery |
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Where you can find further information
Further information about this programme is available from:
- The UEL web site
- UEL Manual of General Regulations and Policies
- UEL Quality Manual
- Regulations for the Academic Framework
- UEL Guide to Undergraduate Programmes
- Royal Docks Business School web site
- Programme Handbooks and module study guides (available from UEL Plus)
- Current External examiners
- External examiner reports (available from UEL virtual learning environment (UELPlus or Moodle))
