Program Overview

International Foundation Programme

Overview

Our International Foundation Programme (IFP) is an intensive year 13 academic programme that offers international students direct entry to a wide range of UK universities.

Course Durations and Start Dates

• Duration | Starts | English Requirement (Minimum) | Available At
  • 1 year | September 2025 | IELTS 5.0 and successfully passing the college interview process. | Abbey College Cambridge, DLD College London
  • 18 month | January 2026 | IELTS 4.5 and successfully passing the college interview process. | Abbey College Manchester
  • 2 year | September 2025 | IELTS 4.0 and successfully passing the college interview process. | Abbey College Manchester

Why Study International Foundation Programme?

Unlike many foundation programmes, our destinations are not limited to a choice of one or two partner universities. This means students are free to progress to a wide range of UK universities, including many UK top 20 ranked and Russell Group institutions.

How are International Foundation Programmes taught?

The programme offers a range of subject-related pathways, which give access to complementary subjects at university. Each pathway is made up of a number of modules, depending on which pathway you choose you might have a choice of modules, they may be all compulsory, or a mix of elective and compulsory modules.

Each module is assessed individually, with three assessment points through each term and an opportunity to resit modules if necessary. Students achieve an overall score based on all their individual module assessments.

Progression from the International Foundation Programme

Our foundation students can progress to a wide-range of top-ranked universities. University destinations in 2023 included Durham University, the University of Bath, King’s College London, the University of Manchester, City, University of Warwick, and the University of York.

International Foundation Programme Destinations 2023

• Rank | University | No of Students
  • 7 | Durham University | 3
  • 8 | University of Bath | 3
  • 9 | University of Warwick | 1
  • 10 | Loughborough University | 1
  • 11 | University of Exeter | 2
  • 12 | University of Glasgow | 1
  • 14 | Lancaster University | 2
  • 15 | University of York | 2
  • 17 | University of Southampton | 4
  • 18 | University of Sheffield | 1
  • 21 | University of Surrey | 1
  • 23 | University of Manchester | 7
  • 24 | University of Leeds | 4
  • 27 | King’s College London | 11
  • 30 | Royal Holloway, University of London | 5
  • 34 | University of Reading | 1
  • 37 | Newcastle University | 2
  • 42 | University of the Arts London | 1
  • 43 | Nottingham Trent University | 2
  • 46 | Queen Mary University of London | 13

International Foundation Programme Subjects

• COURSE | ABBEY COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE | DLD COLLEGE LONDON | ABBEY COLLEGE MANCHESTER
  • Advanced Mathematics & Economics | | Y |
  • Art & Design | | Y |
  • Biomedical Science | | y |
  • Business & Economics | | Y | Y
  • Business & Mathematics | | | Y
  • Business Management & Economics | Y | |
  • Computer Science & Mathematics | | Y |
  • Creative Art | | |
  • Economics & Mathematics | | | Y
  • Engineering | Y | Y | Y
  • Environmental Science | | | Y
  • Fashion Management | | Y |
  • Humanities | | | Y
  • Medicine | y | |
  • Science | Y | |
  • Social Sciences | Y | |
  • Sport | | | Y

Special Features

An exclusive agreement gives our Fashion Management and Art students the option to progress on to study at the London, Milan, or Paris school of the prestigious Istituto Marangoni. Students can also progress onto fashion programmes at other top universities.

Our Medicine pathway is accepted by the medical schools of Aston University, Brunel University, the University of Buckingham, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), the University of Nicosia, St George’s University Grenada, Queen Mary University of London (Malta campus), the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and the American University of Antigua.