Undergraduate foundation programmes

The Foundation in Arts and Social Sciences is a one-year introductory course that is designed to prepare students for an undergraduate degree.

About the course

The Foundation has two pathways, each of which leads to different groups of degree programmes:

  • Arts and Humanities
  • Social Sciences

Course structure

On the course, you will take four or five compulsory units and choose one optional unit. You can find the current course structure and unit descriptions in the Unit and programme catalogue.

Period of study

  • Duration of course: one year, full-time only
  • Attendance: normally two days per week at the university
  • Taught seminars: up to eight hours per week
  • Independent study: minimum of ten hours per week
  • Employment: maximum of 22.5 hours per week

View teaching dates

Skills gained

Skills you will acquire throughout your arts, humanities and social sciences courses will vary according to subject, but the key skills which are common to these subject areas are:

  • Communication skills, verbal and written
  • Time management, organising your workload, working to deadlines
  • Reading, interpreting, assessing and evaluating sources
  • Participating in discussions
  • Working independently
  • Finding out and articulating your own opinions
  • Thinking and acting creatively
  • Presenting ideas and information

How to apply

You need to apply for this course directly to the University. Application details are covered in the programme's admissions statement.

You do not have to commit to a pathway when you fill out the application form, but during the application process, you will be asked to indicate which pathway you wish to study. Both pathways share some units in common.

Part-time study

You should be able to study most of the degree courses offered in the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences part time, but check the individual degrees at the links above.

After the course

If you complete the course satisfactorily you will be guaranteed a place on an undergraduate degree within the University’s Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences

We cannot guarantee you will be able to progress to your first choice of degree, as this may depend on spaces available and your attainment on relevant assignments during the course. However, if your first choice is not available, we will do our best to ensure you are offered a satisfactory alternative.

Satisfactory completion of the course

The aim of the course is to enable you to progress to an undergraduate degree and so to complete the course satisfactorily you will need to demonstrate a capacity to succeed at undergraduate level. For most of our students this means achieving an average of 60% or above in each unit.

Applying for a degree

While on the Foundation in Arts and Social Sciences, you can also apply via UCAS to other universities and to degree programmes in other Faculties at Bristol. A number of students completing the Foundation have been accepted onto degrees in other subjects and at a range of other institutions. Foundation staff will support you in writing your UCAS application, and will provide you with an academic reference. 

Qualification

The course is a recognised programme of study that can also be used to apply for relevant degrees at other institutions or for personal or professional development. You will be awarded a Certificate in Higher Education, which is a nationally recognised award, on completion of the Foundation in Arts and Social Sciences.

Progressing onto a degree

You can progress from Arts and Humanities pathway to a degree in the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences.

Arts and Humanities courses

You may be able to combine two or more subjects; for example: Drama and English, Philosophy and Theology, or Czech and French. Details are available on the individual subject pages.

In order to progress to most language courses, including Classics, some proficiency in languages is required and you may need to take the language options within the programme before progressing to a degree.

It is not usually possible to progress to a Music degree unless you already have a Grade 8 Theory or Practical Award from ABRSM or Trinity, or an A-Level in Music, or are able to complete one of these in parallel with the Foundation in Arts and Social Sciences.

If you are interested in progressing to a degree in Modern Languages, Classics, Music, and have any questions about these additional requirements, please email: epjpd@bristol.ac.uk.

Social Sciences courses

You may be able to combine two or more subjects. Details are available on the individual subject pages.

In order to progress to a Law degree, students will also need to pass the LNAT exam to a satisfactory level: the exam needs to be taken by the middle of January before the law degree commences. If you are interested in progressing to a degree in Law, and have any questions about these additional requirements, please email: epjpd@bristol.ac.uk.

Career options

Choosing to study a social sciences course will give you the opportunity to acquire the transferable skills that employers value. You can enter a diverse range of occupations, which may or may not be specifically linked to the subject you choose to study for your degree.

Recent Bristol graduates have found work in a variety of fields.

Either pathway

  • Media careers
  • Library work
  • Journalism
  • Publishing
  • The charity sector
  • Various kinds of teaching

Arts and Humanities

  • The theatre
  • Arts administration
  • Writing successful novels, plays and poems
  • The music industry
  • Other creative industries

Law and social sciences

  • Politics
  • Work in industry
  • Commerce
  • Social work
  • Human resources
  • Law