Lectures

You will listen to and engage with academics who will introduce you to key facts and ideas in your subject. There may be mini-activities and pair work to complete during the session, and follow-up work afterwards. You may wish to take written notes but most lectures are now recorded, so you can access the information afterwards using our virtual learning environment (VLE).

Seminars

You will be encouraged to present and discuss your ideas in small groups and to debate with other students.

Tutorials

Your tutor will provide continuing academic support and guidance on a one-to-one basis.

Workshops

You will engage in problem-solving sessions facilitated by a member of academic staff; these sessions usually involve students working in groups.

Laboratory-based work

You will have a chance to get practical experience and apply the knowledge you have learnt in your lectures to a laboratory setting. Through these sessions you will learn to analyse real-life problems, which will equip you with the practical and analytical skills that are valued by employers. This mainly applies to modules in Engineering and Physical Sciences, Life and Environmental Sciences and Medical Sciences pathways.

Peer group learning

You may be asked by your tutor to direct a lesson or prepare a presentation with your fellow classmates. By interacting with the lesson material, you will remember the content more effectively.

Learning support

When you enrol at the Foundation Academy, you will be allocated a tutor in the college most appropriate for your pathway, who will provide help and advice with any study related issues, and will help you to monitor and reflect on your progress.

Assessment

Assessment at the Foundation Academy is by a combination of exams, laboratory work, coursework exercises, project work and written assignments, depending on the subject.

Assessment of your English language progress will be made by the University’s English for International Students Unit. If you have made satisfactory progress at the end of your first year at the Foundation Academy, and are progressing to an undergraduate degree programme at the University of Birmingham, you will not be normally required to take another English language test.

Progression

You are guaranteed a place on one of the University’s undergraduate programmes, providing you achieve satisfactory grades in the first year on the Foundation Academy programme (academic and English language progression requirements apply for each
programme).
 

Within your programme you will take two 20-credit modules in English language and study skills. These modules will largely be taught at the Foundation Academy Hub and English Language Centre based in Priorsfield, a beautiful historic manor house on the Edgbaston campus.

This gives you a dedicated study, social and welfare centre within easy reach of your residence and all the amenities of the Edgbaston campus. You will be learning in a supportive environment in small classes that are focused on individual needs. One-to-one tutorials are also available if you need them.

Core modules

Most students will take English and Study Skills for Academic Purposes in Term 1 and English and Study Skills for Specific Academic Purposes in Term 2.

• English and Study Skills for Academic Purposes
  This module will equip you with the English required for academic study at undergraduate level. It will help you to acquire key academic vocabulary and to master key academic grammatical structures. The module will also help you to develop the necessary skills for reading academic texts and writing academic assignments. It will enable you to perform successfully across all modules of the Foundation Academy programme, as well as preparing you for study in your future undergraduate programme.
• English and Study Skills for Specific Academic Purposes
  This module will further develop your ability to cope in an academic environment. It
  will focus on the academic English used in specific areas of study such as Arts,
  Social Sciences, Engineering and Sciences. It will also prepare you for the specific
  academic writing demands of your future undergraduate programme.

Options for high-level English language speakers

If you can demonstrate that you have a high English language competency you can choose to replace the aforementioned modules with Aspects of Britain in Term 1 and Advanced Academic Skills in Term 2. This will be by prior agreement.

•  Aspects of Britain
  This module will explore important aspects of British social, cultural and political life, helping you to read British newspapers and listen to the news with understanding. It will also give you enough understanding of British social and political life and culture to enable you to critically discuss various aspects of it, and relate this knowledge to similar aspects of life in your own country. In doing this, you will also improve your fluency and command of the English language.
• Advanced Academic Skills
  This module will prepare you for the academic demands of your future undergraduate programme, where you will be expected to employ an efficient and
  effective learning style. It will help you to identify weaknesses in your current learning style and enable you to develop better study and research skills. It will also help you to develop your critical thinking skills. In doing this, you will also improve your fluency and command of the English language.

Check whether you already meet the University’s English language entry requirements for the undergraduate subject you are aiming to progress to.

With the latest classroom technology, Birmingham offers an excellent learning experience. Most of our teaching rooms are equipped with touch-screen digital whiteboards and all have WiFi.

Our Main Library is one of the UK’s largest academic libraries, with access to over 2.7 million books and periodicals. A further eight libraries and resource centres offer specialist materials for every subject studied at Birmingham. To allow you flexible access, the Main Library opens late, up to midnight during term time. The Library
also houses a range of flexible learning and meeting spaces, from rooms for group work
to quiet corners for individual study.

Wherever you are on campus, you will be able to log on to the student portal. This is your personalised gateway to the digital campus, connecting you to email, news, online communities and the e-library, which alone provides access to over 16,000 periodicals, databases, websites and other resources.