What is a Foundation Programme? And why do it?
View(s):What do you do after O/L’s? The ‘traditional’ answer and the next step many would take would be A/L’s. Whilst sitting for A/L’s has been the norm to date, things are changing. With the world moving faster day by day and life becoming a rat race, there are alternate routes you can take to get to a Degree Programme, while saving you a whole year of studying as well.
That alternate route, which has now become very popular and many students are opting for, is the Foundation Programme. The Foundation Programme is a one year course, introduced by universities in the UK, which have now gained popularity and spreading throughout the world, intended to prepare you and bring you up to the qualification and knowledge levels required to be accepted to do a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree at an international university, especially in the UK.
Foundation Programmes are open to all students who are planning to do a Degree of some sort, some even without sitting for their A/L’s. Students for whom English is a second language may also have to sit for an English language course. Foundation Programmes can be common, designed to prepare you for a degree in any field which does not require any specific knowledge, i.e. Business, Management, IT, Arts etc. For Degrees which require a minimum knowledge in a specific field, i.e. Medicine, Engineering etc., you could do a Foundation Programme specially designed for that particular field, which would prepare you and help you gain access to a Degree in that specific field.
The advantages of following a Foundation Programme include;
Increased chances of admission to the University / Degree of your choice
Better English speaking and comprehension skills, ensuring you are able to keep up with the course work
Entry qualification to an array of degree programmes and giving you the preliminary knowledge you require to pursue the Degree of your choice
All of which give you a firm ‘foundation’ to build your future on.
The Colombo International Institute of Higher Education (CIIHE), which has now evolved to be the parent company of the Colombo Institute of Research and Psychology (CIRP), which in turn was founded 8 years ago to fill the void in professional, internationally recognized qualifications in Psychology in Sri Lanka and has gradually grown to be the leader and trendsetter in its field, offers a International Foundation Diploma which will fully prepare you for any degree programme of your choice, either here in Sri Lanka or abroad.
CIIHE consists of two faculties and four schools, plus CIIHE College. The two faculties, titled the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences and the Faculty of Business & Management, delivers academic programs at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, while CIIHE College aims to provide Professional and Vocational qualifications. The Faculty of Health & Life Sciences includes the School of Psychology and the School of Health & Sports. The Faculty of Business & Management includes the School of Hospitality and the School of Business.
The CIIHE Foundation Diploma (IFD) is a Level 3, pre-degree academic qualification. Taking 12 months to complete and only available on a full time basis, IFD is equal to A/L’s in terms of an entry qualification for Undergraduate Degree Programmes. The CIIHE foundation programme is unique, in that it contains a wide variety of options for you to choose from, where along with the two compulsory modules (Math & Academic Writing), you are able to select two elective modules. Designed in line with Ofqual and RQF structure and quality standards, the regulatory bodies of British Higher education.
The subjects you study during this program are very different to what you would study for A/L’s (or even any other Foundation program offered in Sri Lanka), where Instead of studying subjects that have no value after you have pass the A/L’s, CIIHE has designed the curriculum aimed at preparing students to be successful in their university education. For example, one of the main issues students face when they enter the first year of the Degree is their lack of skills in academic or scientific communication. Most of our students are good in their English, but academic writing is not just English, but how to use English in academic formats, along with referencing and in-text citations etc.
Students who have completed the CIRP International Foundation Diploma, awarded by CIRP, have a range of options to complete their Diploma of Higher Education in the Psychology, Business or Hospitality Streams, which can be topped as a Bachelor’s. Students could also transfer to a range of Degrees in Psychology, offered by Coventry University in the UK, under the Progression Agreement for BSc (Hons) in Psychology and a range of other Degrees awarded.
CIIHE also offers the ‘Changemaker’ Scholarship, a unique opportunity for those of you who have excelled in Studies, Sports or Aesthetics, to complete your higher education Free of Charge. Enrollments are now on for the February, 2019 intake. ‘Early Brid Discounts’ are available, ending on the 15th of January.
For more information, talk to one of our Student Counsellors on 0112 507071 / 2, visit our campus at No. 230, Galle Road, Colombo 04 and talk to one of them personally, or ‘Like’ us on Facebook at ciiheinternational, or even email us on info@ciihe.com and we will be more than happy to help you get going on your path to a successful future.