Undergraduate Foundation Programme (ICC)
Duration: 10 months
Overview
Who is this programme for?:
The ICC undergraduate foundation programme is designed for international students who want to study for an undergraduate degree at a British university. You may need to complete a foundation programme if either of the two conditions below apply to you:
- You have finished school in your own country, but your school-leaving certificate does not qualify you for direct entry to a UK university
or - You have been partly-educated in an English-medium school in Britain or elsewhere, but have not achieved the A-level, IB or AP grades needed for university entrance because of language difficulties.
The ICC undergraduate foundation programme is a 10-month programme combining academic and language study for students whose academic background does not allow them to enter a British university directly. Since the ICC undergraduate foundation course started in 1985 over 2000 of our students have gone on to degree courses at British universities.
A distinguishing feature of the programme is that language teaching and learning is directly linked to the material covered in academic subjects, so that students learn to understand and use the language required for the subjects they intend to study at university.
Click here to view the 2013-14 Undergraduate Foundation Course ICC Brochure (pdf; 664kb)
"Studying in the UK was a difficult challenge for me; however, ICC helped me not only with how to study in a higher educational institution in the UK, but also with many other things, such as making many multicultural friends and adapting to the UK culture."
Sukhyun Hwang,
Winner of Progress Prize ICC 2010-11
Studying BA Economics and Chinese at SOAS
Students who successfully complete the ICC programme can continue their undergraduate studies at SOAS if they meet the normal entry level standards of the department and will receive a 5% discount in all 3 years of undergraduate study. However the ICC certificate award from the University of London is recognised by all British universities as an entrance qualification for undergraduate degree programmes and the Academic Advice Unit in the department helps students with every stage of the university application procedure. Listing of the destinations of students who finished the programme in July 2012.
All teaching is done by SOAS staff on the Central London campus, within walking distance of the SOAS Hall of Residence and the West End of London.
Programme Aims
- to help you gain entry to degree programmes at British universities in the humanities, social sciences, law and business-related studies
- to give you the linguistic and academic skills you will need to be successful on a degree programme
- to make a wide range of academic subjects accessible to you through subject-based English language tuition
- to give you the chance to experience a year of life and study in London
Features of the Programme
A distinctive feature of teaching and learning in the Department is the integration of language and subject teaching to consolidate and develop the language skills and academic knowledge you will need to successfully complete an undergraduate degree programme in the UK.
The ICC undergraduate foundation programme aims to provide:
Academic study
- intensive study of academic subjects in much more depth than is usual in most countries' school systems
Critical thinking skills
- analysing concepts
- assessing & interpreting evidence
- examining connections between ideas
- asking critical questions
- forming opinions & developing arguments within your subject areas
Dates and Fees
Dates 2013-14
ICC Tuesday 17 September 2013 – Friday 27 June 2014
ICC Plus Monday 29 July 2013 – Friday 27 June 2014
Term Dates
Summer Vacation Term 29 July – 6 September 2013
Introductory Course 17 – 24 September 2013
Autumn Term 30 September - 13 December 2013
(Reading Week: 4 - 8 November)
Spring Term 6 January – 21 March 2014
(Reading Week: 10 - 14 February )
Summer Term 22 April – 27 June 2014
Fees 2013-4
Tuition ICC £13,850 (September entry)
ICC Plus £15,950 (July entry)
Application £90 (non-refundable)
Details of Accommodation Fees
All fees must be paid in full before the start date of the programme. For instructions how to pay see below or contact us
Entry Requirements and Application
July and September entry points
ICC has entry points in late July and mid September. Students who need to focus on their reading and writing skills before they start the academic subject courses will be asked to join the programme in July
Academic Qualifications
You should have successfully completed high school in your own country with good grades in a range of subjects.
Language level
You need to have an intermediate level of English before starting the course. Preparatory English language programmes in the department start in September, January and April and during the summer there is a range of summer courses offering academic subject study together with English language classes.
Entrance Test
After you apply, you will be asked to take an entrance test and interview either in London or in your own country. If you already have the following English language qualifications, you will not have to do certain parts of the test.
- TOEFL iBT 76 with 17 in writing
- GCSE English Language grade C
- IELTS 5.5 with 5 in the writing section
- Cambridge First Certificate in English grade C
- ICC applicants who require a student visa must achieve CEFR B1 level in an approved English test - for example IELTS 4.0 in each sub-score, TOEFL iBT L9, R4, S16, W13.
Application Procedure
Please print and fill out the ICC Application Form 2013 -14 (pdf; 44kb) then you can e-mail it to us at ifcels@soas.ac.uk
OR post it to:
Head of Department
International Foundation Courses & English Language Studies (IFCELS)
SOAS (University of London)
23/24 Russell Square
London WC1H 0XG
UK
To pay your application fee:
Students and agents can now pay the 90.00 GBP application fee online. Please note that this method will generate an online receipt for the transaction, and will not issue a corresponding invoice.
Go to the SOAS Online Store IFCELS Application Fee
Structure
Summer vacation term
Students who need to improve their reading and writing skills before tackling the academic courses on ICC, will be asked to take the summer vacation term.
Using a combination of intensive language study, frequent controlled practice and close monitoring by an English tutor, students will achieve a sound basis of reading and writing skills which will enable them to approach their future study programme with confidence. A feature of the term is regular one-to-one tutorials with the teacher in order to address a student’s individual problems and a focus on drafting, proofreading and redrafting writing to achieve grammatical accuracy.
The Summer Vacation term is 6 weeks long and students have 18 hours of classes a week.
Number of hours
From September, students have a total of 19 hours of classes a week, and you will be expected to study at least as many hours outside class reviewing and preparing for classes, reading, completing homework tasks and writing course assignments.
Types of classes
There is a range of class styles - students attend lectures, small group tutorials of 10 students and English language classes with a normal maximum of 12 students.
Timetable of classes
From September to June, classes are taught over 3 terms, each 10 weeks long. There is a reading week (a week without classes) in the middle of both the Autumn and Spring terms to give students a chance to catch up with their reading and work on their assignments.
There are practice exams ("Mocks") at the end of the spring term and final exams take place in the last three weeks of the academic year.
Subjects of study
All students on the undergraduate foundation programme study:
2 compulsory units
2 optional academic units drawn from this list
A Student's Perspective
Sare DemirWhen I actually started my studies on the foundation course at SOAS, it confirmed in my mind that I had made a very good choice.
