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International Foundation Programme in Business, Humanities & Social Sciences (Accelerated)

Academic Year 2021/22

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance processes. All degrees are awarded by Queen's University Belfast.

Programme Title

International Foundation Programme in Business, Humanities & Social Sciences (Accelerated)

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

University Foundation Certificate

Programme Code

NTO-AIF-BH

UCAS Code

HECoS Code

100079

ATAS Clearance Required

Mode of Study

Full Time

Type of Programme

Undergraduate Certif

Length of Programme

1 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

120

Exit Awards available

INSTITUTE INFORMATION

Teaching Institution	INTO Queen's
School/Department	INTO
Quality Code https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code Higher Education Credit Framework for England https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england	Level 3
Subject Benchmark Statements https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf
Accreditations (PSRB)
The British Council	Date of most recent Accreditation Visit 11-05-18

REGULATION INFORMATION

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

None.

Programme Specific Regulations

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
English Language Requirements:

For the International Foundation Programme in Business, Humanities and Social Sciences (Accelerated) candidates will normally be required to have an English Language test score, taken within the last two years, of IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each sub-skill. (Marginal cases, e.g. IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in writing and no less than 5.0 in the remaining sub skills can be referred to Centre).

General Academic Requirements:
Students must normally have successfully completed 12 years of school education (or the local equivalent to meet the same standard) with good grades. Students with only 11 years of education will normally be Referred to Centre, the exceptions being Vietnam, China, and Hong Kong (see Country Specific Requirements A.1 below)

Minimum Academic Requirements from Internationally Recognised Examinations:
Students who have completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) with a minimum 22 points may be accepted. Applicants with the IB Careers-Related Programme will not be accepted.

Students who have studied UK GCSE, IGSCE or O-level will need to be approved via the Refer to Centre route before they can be accepted, the exception being students who achieve a minimum of 5 subjects at CCCCC including Maths and, preferably, English. Note that such students may have slightly limited university options following the IFP.

Students who have a minimum of an E grade at UK A2 level or 2 x E Grades at UK AS Level may be accepted; such students may have slightly limited university options. Native Language AS-Levels/A-levels are not accepted.

The International Foundation programme is acceptable for entry to undergraduate degree programmes at Queen’s, with the exception of Agricultural Technology, Medicine, Dentistry and Social Work.

For Non Standard Entry - Refer to Centre (RTC):
Applications from countries not listed and applications which fall marginally below the stated entry requirements will be referred to the Centre for a final decision.

Age restrictions:
All students commencing courses for the March start date must be 16 years old by 01st March of that calendar year.

Entrance requirements are kept under review and are subject to change.

Applicants are advised to check the latest information online at;
http://www.intostudy.com/en-gb/universities/queens-university-belfast/courses

Award:
To be eligible for the award, all students must take and satisfactorily complete (pass) modules to a value of 120 CATS points.

The pass mark for all academic modules is 40%.

The pass mark for the English Language and Study Skills (ELSS) module is 50% overall (IELTS 6.0), with a minimum of 40% in each sub-skill (IELTS 5.5).

The English Language and Study Skills module is assessed using an INTO ELSS examination (benchmarked against CEFR and IELTS). Results are reported as a percentage with 35-39% being equivalent to IELTS 5.0, 40 -49% equivalent to IELTS 5.5; 50-59% equivalent to IELTS 6.0, 60-69% equivalent to IELTS 6.5, and so on.

Re-sits:
A student who fails a module at the first sitting shall be permitted one further attempt to achieve a pass for that module. The module will normally be retaken at the next available opportunity. The maximum mark available for academic modules retaken in this way will be a pass mark of 40%.

The ELSS module mark is not capped on re-sit.

Students who fail any module at the second attempt will be reviewed and may be required to withdraw from the programme.

Progression:
Holders of the International Foundation may progress to Year one of the University degree only if they have achieved, as a minimum requirement, the level of performance in both academic modules and English Language and Study Skills as specified in the progression requirements for specific degree programmes.

Students who successfully complete (pass) the International Foundation Programme and meet the published progression requirements for a specified degree are guaranteed progression onto the first year of that undergraduate degree programme at Queen’s University Belfast, (except for those courses where the normal progression guarantee does not apply).

They may also qualify to apply for entry to other universities in the UK and elsewhere.

Further course information can be found online at

http://www.intostudy.com/en-gb/universities/queens-university-belfast/courses

The International Foundation programme is acceptable for entry to many undergraduate degree programmes at Queen’s, with the exception of Agricultural Technology, Medicine, Dentistry and Social Work.

Students with protected characteristics

None.

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF PROGRAMME

The specific objectives of the programme are to:

1. Provide international students with a high quality pre-undergraduate education and learning experience within which the measured and validated outcomes are of a quality to secure entry to undergraduate degree programmes of Queen’s University Belfast.

2. Prepare international students for study at undergraduate level in Queen’s University or other Western, English-medium universities and to create opportunities for students to progress to undergraduate study at Queen’s University Belfast.

3. Provide a qualification that is of a quality to secure progression elsewhere for those students who either do not meet the entry criteria for Queen’s or wish to follow their undergraduate course at another university.

4. Enhance the English language ability of students to enable them to communicate and study effectively and confidently at undergraduate level at Queen’s or in another English medium university.

5. Assist international students to acclimatise and become accustomed to student life in the UK and to provide practical experience of the learning, teaching and assessment methods found in Queen’s and in other UK universities.

6. Develop the students’ subject knowledge and the learning, intellectual, practical and linguistic skills required for successful study at undergraduate level.

7. Inculcate a commitment to good practice in academic work and provide students with the necessary personal, interpersonal and key skills to enable them to develop as independent, self-directed learners.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

1. Critically analyse, evaluate and interpret information, utilising up-to-date academic literature.
2. Analyse information and make reasoned judgements.
3. Access and evaluate information independently.
4. Comprehend abstract concepts.
5. Develop reflection and communication skills.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Cognitive skills are developed throughout the programme by teaching staff working with students posing problems aimed at exercising and developing knowledge in each unit. Throughout the programme, elements of applied work form a focus for the development of cognitive skills. As well as taking part in lectures and seminars students also form part of learning groups which meet regularly under guidance to discuss progress and problems. Independent enquiry, critical evaluation and interpretation, abstraction and assimilation are key elements in all modules and are further reinforced in the Study Skills component of the English Language and study Skills module.

Methods of Assessment

Self-assessment and reflection are developed by formative feedback particularly on tutorial presentations.
Assessment of cognitive skills, both summative and formative, occurs in the form of course assignments, oral presentations, project work and examinations.

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

1. Present knowledge and demonstrate expertise in a coherent, effective and meaningful form.
2. Construct and evaluate arguments, and to reach conclusions.
3. Present quantitative and qualitative information in a form appropriate to different intended audiences.
4. Appropriately use ICT: including PowerPoint, Excel, word-processing, e-mail, internet and subject-related software.
5. Prepare and communicate ideas in written, presentational and graphical forms.
6. Work both independently and in groups and to demonstrate organisation and time management skills.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Transferable skills development permeates the teaching and learning on the International Foundation programme. Successful completion of projects and coursework across modules requires students to gather additional information from a range of sources, select and assimilate relevant information and to complete tasks within deadlines.

ICT skills are consolidated throughout the course as an aid to report writing, visual presentation, literature searching and data handling.

Methods of Assessment

Although not formally assessed, qualities such as self-reliance, good time management and the ability to undertake independent study are fostered and encouraged throughout the course.

Assessment of coursework requires students to use a range of media (e.g. essays, PowerPoint or similar presentations, case studies) to demonstrate their learning.

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an awareness/knowledge of mathematical facts, principles and statistical techniques relevant to a variety of discipline areas and use them to solve real life problems.
2. Interpret results and develop concepts in probability and statistics relevant to a variety of discipline areas.
3. Demonstrate an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of contemporary issues in business, humanities and social sciences.
4. Analyse and combine information from a variety of sources and apply economic, business and political concepts to practical situations and topical issues.
5. Engage with academic texts using effective reading and note-taking strategies; produce academic writing that is accurate at both discourse and sentence level; understand policies and expectations related to academic integrity; listen and react to lectures & other types of classroom discourse; participate confidently in seminars, presentations and classroom discussions.
6. Appreciate many of the constituent aspects which make up society and how society impacts upon our everyday lives.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

The following learning, teaching and assessment methods are used to enable students to achieve and demonstrate these outcomes:
Knowledge-based subject-specific learning and teaching is provided through lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, directed reading, independent learning activities and computer-based learning materials.

Methods of Assessment

Students’ knowledge and understanding will be assessed through a combination of unseen examinations, formal essays, class tests, individual and group projects, as well as individual and group oral presentations. Tutor moderated assessment will contribute to the assessment of group work components.

Summative and formative assessment is used throughout. Summative assessment takes a variety of forms. In several modules formal examinations are used to gauge and assess understanding and the acquisition of knowledge. Work required for summative assessment (whether in the form of examinations, individual essays, individual or group presentations) is benchmarked at UK National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 3.

Formative assessment will take three main forms; (i) regular assignments in most of the modules aimed at promoting subject-specific understanding, logic, accurate written and (where required) graphical representation of information, and good presentation (ii) frequent and regular discussion of key theories and academic readings to develop understanding, logical argument and critical assessment and (iii) timely feedback on the content and performance of student presentations.

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Apply knowledge and understanding, cognitive and transferable skills within each subject module as well as across modules at programme level.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students’ subject specific skills are developed through lectures, seminars, tutorials, group-work, presentations and report writing.

Methods of Assessment

Students will be assessed through examinations, assignments and projects.

MODULE INFORMATION

Stages and Modules

Module Title	Module Code	Level/ stage	Credits	Availability		Duration	Pre-requisite			Assessment
				S1	S2			Core	Option	Coursework %	Practical %	Examination %
English Language and Study Skills	IFYF001	1	30	YES	YES	14 weeks	N	YES		40%	0%	60%
Foundation Economics	IFYF003	1	30	YES	YES	14 weeks	N		YES	40%	0%	60%
Foundation Politics and International Relations	IFYF004	1	30	YES	YES	14 weeks	N		YES	40%	0%	60%
Foundation Business Studies	IFYF014	1	30	YES	YES	14 weeks	N		YES	40%	0%	60%
Further Mathematics for Engineering and Science	IFYF015	1	30	YES	YES	14 weeks	N		YES	40%	0%	60%
Foundation Mathematics (Business, Science, Engineering and Architecture)	IFYF019	1	30	YES	YES	14 weeks	N		YES	40%	0%	60%

Notes

If students choose to study Module IFYF015 (Further Maths) they must also study IFYF019 (Foundation Mathematics). Please note that the British Council accredits the ELSS module for this programme.