International Foundation Year in Management and Economics

Academic English Skills

Academic English Skills aims to provide thorough training in the language and related academic skills which will enable international students to best achieve their academic potential at university. Our Academic English programme is validated by UK ENIC, the UK government agency responsible for providing information and expert opinion on qualifications and skills worldwide.

You will develop awareness and competency in a range of language-related academic skills, including the processes of academic writing, effective and extensive reading strategies, effective participation in seminars and delivery of presentations, and listening to and recording information effectively from lectures. You will also develop the accuracy and range of written and spoken language required to use language effectively and appropriately, with clarity and confidence in an academic context.

Alongside your classes, your studies will be supported by an online learning platform, providing you with a range of tasks and activities specifically designed to develop and extend your language and academic skills outside the classroom and to give you more control over your own learning.

Business

The module focuses on developing your understanding of strategic issues facing the business enterprise in the modern market economy, while facilitating your formative development by broadening your knowledge base, deepening your understanding of the topics studied and practising appropriate study skills.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: demonstrate an understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of business, displaying knowledge of commercial approaches and frameworks; demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles underpinning business enterprise and apply critical thinking skills to business concepts such as marketing, ethics, finance, and business structure; understand the application of marketing in business including topics such as the product lifecycle, the marketing mix, and market segmentation; identify and apply appropriate use of financial information to support business decisions and demonstrate understanding of graphical and tabular information.

Economics

This module aims for a sound foundation for future studies in Economics. It facilitates your formative development by broadening your knowledge base, deepening your understanding of topics studied and practising appropriate study skills.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: demonstrate understanding of the key concepts, theories and models in either Micro-economic or Macro-economic; demonstrate knowledge of the main tools of macro-economic policies; display understanding of key economic objectives of government policy, and the way in which economic policy outcomes impact Economies; apply understanding of key principles and concepts to current issues in the UK economy and/or Economies internationally; explain the principles of supply and demand and apply knowledge to perform aggregate analysis with some awareness of market structure and demonstrate understanding and application of graphs, mathematical equation and financial records in analysing and interpreting Economic data.

Collaborative Research Skills

Collaboration for Sustainable Futures (CSF) involves our international students developing and applying key skills required to be successful in a modern higher education context and beyond: Collaborating and building team-working skills, using appropriate research methods, reflective learning, independent enquiry and learner autonomy, and applying theory to develop create solutions to real-world problems. The module theoretical content is built around UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that organisations increasingly map their plans to. Students will work in groups across all IFY disciplines to first understand the relevance and aims of the goals, then how these apply in varied communities and contexts, before finally using their new skills and knowledge of sustainability to create a project that addresses a local issue. Throughout the module, students will be encouraged to apply what they have learnt in other modules to the problem they are seeking to address in their group, thereby bringing a cross-disciplinary approach to the issue at hand.

Core Maths 1

This course includes units reviewing basic arithmetic concepts important in science and algebra to generalise and solve problems. Graphical concepts will be introduced that support business decisions. Finally, you will be introduced to basic calculus methods to enable problem solving and decision making.

Core Maths 2

The overall aim of the module is to develop the techniques to promote logical thinking and confidence in solving mathematical problems and to develop your understanding of a range of statistical techniques and use these to analyse data.

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: use mathematical techniques to communicate meaning and solve problems; understand how to find solutions to an appropriate level of stated accuracy; use a scientific calculator to support calculations; deconstruct and/or reconstruct a problem to consider its component parts, linkages, connections and impact to develop a logical chain of reasoning; use, analyse and evaluate quantitative and qualitative information to make reasoned judgements and find solutions and show an understanding of statistical calculations.

Digital Technologies

This module will provide you with knowledge about the importance and application of IT, digital technologies, and information systems in organisations as well as its impact on organisational performance and competitive advantage. Furthermore, it will explain the importance of digital technologies in the creation of new products, services, and business models and how organisations can effectively manage and maximise digital technologies. This module will complement the other modules on this pathway and prepare students for various degrees in the School of Business Management and department of Economics.