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The International Foundation Year is a university preparation programme designed to improve your English language and academic skills. The pathway programme will help you transition into university learning.

After successful completion, providing you meet the entry requirements, you can progress to the first year of your undergraduate degree at the University. The skills you develop mean you can achieve success in all your ventures; in your degree, in your career and in the world. In 2023, 94% of students who completed their International Foundation Year at the University of Sussex International Study Centre were offered a place at the University of Sussex.

Who is this programme for?

The University of Sussex International Foundation Year in Business, Humanities, Science and Engineering is suitable for students who do not meet the entry requirements for direct entry to an undergraduate degree at Sussex or who would like some extra support.

You will study a combination of core and subject-specific modules that focus on teaching you the English language, study skills, employability and academic areas most relevant to your chosen degree at Sussex. The teaching styles on this course mirror those at the University, so you will be familiar with Sussex's learning styles before you even start your degree.

Leading to: Childhood and Youth: Theory and Practice BA (Hons)

Childhood is understood differently across cultures and history.

On this course, you’ll question what it is to be a child, and what children and young people need from the professionals supporting them. To help you explore these questions, we offer an exciting interdisciplinary approach – from sociology, history and digital technology, to philosophy, anthropology and psychology.

During your studies, you’ll:

• Find out how social pedagogy influences holistic and child-centred approaches to engaging with young people
• Study constructions of childhood
• Discuss contemporary issues, debates and challenges in global childhood
• Develop an understanding of child psychology and education
• Have the opportunity to tailor your studies to your interests with electives and pathways.

Through two placements, you’ll experience different practice settings. These might include a nursery, a play scheme, a youth club, a children’s charity or a school.

You’ll be taught by active researchers who are passionate about their subject. Our multidisciplinary Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth influences policy. It informs the work of those working at the forefront of practice with children and young people, nationally and globally.

This degree is for you if you want to make a difference to the lives of children and young people. When you graduate, you’ll have the critical academic and research skills needed for a range of future career paths. These could include youth work, social work, health care, education or social policy.