Program Overview

Foundation Year in Sciences

Programme Overview

The Foundation Year in Sciences is designed to equip students with all the skills required to succeed at the university level, and to be successful in any undergraduate programme in sciences.

Programme Details

• Programme duration: 1 year
• Delivery language: English
• Deadline to apply: 22 August 2025

Programme Description

During the Foundation Year, students will study Optics and Electrokinetic and will review mathematics studied in high school in detail, learn to run experiments, and how to report on them. Students will acquire basic knowledge of programming in the Computer Science course. The Methodology course will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, and teach students how to manage their time. In the Active Science course, students will build on their knowledge and skills to manage a scientific project of their choice. They will also study a foreign language (French for non-French speakers).

The teaching methodology involves lectures and tutorials, laboratory sessions, projects, written technical reports and oral presentations.

Throughout the Foundation Year in Sciences, students will interact with the students from the Bachelor in Physics and be part of events organised by the Sciences and Engineering Department

At the end of the Foundation Year in Sciences, students will be prepared to enter any science-based undergraduate programme.

Admission Criteria

Admission to the programme is very selective; the following are minimal criteria to apply for admission into the Foundation Year:

• Ministry of Education curriculum:
  • General stream/Art stream: minimum average of 80%.
  • Advanced stream/Elite stream/Science stream: minimum average of 75%.
• Other high school systems: high school certificate equivalent to the UAE Ministry of Education high school with minimum average of 80% or equivalent
• Languages requirements
  • Ministry of Education curriculum:
    • Minimum score of 80% in English subject in High school
  • For curriculums studied in English Language:
    • No English requirement needed
  • For other curriculums:
    • Valid academic IELTS certificate with minimum overall band of 5.5 with a validity of 2 years or TOEFL score of 530, IBT TOEFL certificate with minimum score of 71, CBT TOEFL of 197 with a validity of 2 years or equivalent (can be applicable for national curriculum)
• Mathematics competencies
  • High School grade in Mathematics at or above 80%
  • SAT Mathematics with a score at or above 600
• Competencies in one other Science subject (Physics, Chemistry or Biology – including SVT)
  • Subject taken in school with minimum 80% (or equivalent) in Grade 10, 11 or 12

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

• Programme tuition fees: 34,500 AED per semester (approximately US $ 9,400)
• Payment of fees: click here
• The fees presented for each program do not include administrative fees. Terms and conditions apply

Scholarships

• HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Scholarship for Emirati students
  • Admitted Emirati nationals and children of Emirati mothers’ are awarded a full scholarship covering tuition and study related fees for their Bachelor Programmes (and Foundation year, if any)
• Academic Excellence Scholarships (for the 1 st semester of enrolment)
  • 15% scholarship on tuition for the 1st semester of joining
  • New joiners with excellent academic results in high school are eligible following the below criteria. Starting from the second semester, they can apply for the 25%-75% academic excellence scholarship scheme.
• Academic Excellence Scholarship (starting from the 2 nd semester of enrolment)
  • 25%-75% Academic Excellence Scholarship
  • Based on the academic results obtained during the previous semester at SUAD, students are eligible to the academic excellence scholarship granted semester by semester. The scholarship scheme is progressive (25% to 75% and the minimum average grade to be eligible is 12/20. A specific scholarship is available for the 2nd semester of the Foundation Year. For more information, please contact
• Other Scholarships
  • 10% French Curriculum Schools Scholarship for the 1 st semester of enrolment
  • Sponsored scholarships
  • Preferential rate: 10% Family discount

Undergraduate Study Programmes

• Bachelor in Applied Foreign Languages
• Bachelor in Economics and Management
• Bachelor of Geography and Planning
• Bachelor in History: Concentration in International Relations
• Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology
• Bachelor in Law
• Bachelor in Mathematics, Specialisation in Data Science for Artificial Intelligence
• Double Bachelor in Philosophy and Sociology
• Bachelor in Records Management and Archival Science
• Bachelor in Physics
• Foundation Year in Intensive French
• Foundation Year in Sciences
• Foundation Year in Records Management and Archival Science
• French Evening Classes