Program Overview

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Business - Management, Economics and Finance (International Year Zero)

September 2025 entry

Studying business can prepare you for a wide range of future careers in the modern business world, including management, consultancy, marketing, and financial services.

This programme introduces you to university teaching and research, with the aim of preparing you for an undergraduate degree in economics, financial economics or management.

You will be introduced to a broad range of business concepts and theories, as well as areas like psychology and research skills that are vital for a future business career. You will also be able to select from a wide range of optional modules in economics, international relations, statistics, philosophy, and medieval history, allowing you to gain a wider breadth of knowledge.

Start and End Dates

• Start date: 8 September 2025
• End date: 5 June 2026
• Duration: Nine months, full time

School

• International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI)

Course Type

• International Year Zero

This is the University’s own pre-degree programme which prepares international students for undergraduate study in the UK, and at the University of St Andrews in particular.

Course Dates

The schedule for this programme differs slightly from the standard University semester dates. From the programme start date to end date there will be teaching, in-class revision or assessment weeks, and independent learning weeks. There will also be winter vacation and inter-semester weeks, and a Spring vacation week in Semester 2. Detailed information is provided in programme handbook, and may be subject to change.

Who is this course for?

This course is designed specifically for international students who are academically able, but whose high school qualification is not recognised for application to an undergraduate degree at the University of St Andrews.

Entry Requirements

Academic Requirements

• See typical academic requirements for an International Year Zero programme. If your qualification is not shown, please note that you can demonstrate that you have met the academic requirements with a high school transcript from your final year at school.
• Any high school qualification you use as evidence of your academic ability should be from the last year you attended high school and dated within the previous three years.
• You should apply before your final results are available, as the University can make you a conditional offer based on your past exam performance and predicted grades.

English Language Requirement

• All International Foundation applicants must submit a Secure English Test (SELT) as evidence of their English language ability, unless they do not require a student visa to study in the UK.
• See a list of approved English language tests and required scores for this programme.
• You do not need to have your result when you apply, as this can be a condition of an offer made by the University.

Prior Study

• No, but strong grades in mathematics or related subjects that demonstrate a secure grasp of numeracy would make your application more competitive.

Application Requirements

• The University will ask you to provide the following documents as part of your application:
  • Your most recent high school transcript
  • A personal statement
  • An academic reference from your high school on their letterhead or from a school email
  • Your official English language test result

Application Deadline

• The deadline for applications is Monday 14 July 2025.
• You only need to provide your high school transcript and personal statement when you submit your application. You can provide your academic reference and your English language evidence later.

Course Details

This programme will introduce you to business, management and economics, giving you an opportunity to explore your strengths and interests in these fields.

Modules

• The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2025 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.
• In Semester 1, all students will study the same five modules:
  • Foundation Business: provides an introduction to a broad range of business concepts and theories. It analyses the goals, processes, and operations of business enterprises.
  • Research and Writing for Business 1: develops greater familiarity with a wide range of primarily business-related topics. You will learn how to organise your writing, structure correct sentences, use formal academic vocabulary, and use correct academic style.
  • Foundation Psychology 1: gives a brief overview of different approaches to psychology and covers the many different ways in which mind and behaviour can be studied.
  • Foundation Academic Thought in Arts and Science: enhances understanding of the key philosophical and analytical principles underpinning academic study.
  • Communicating in Academic Contexts 1: helps you develop and practise productive and receptive academic spoken communication skills to use within the International Foundation programme and in your undergraduate programme.
• In Semester 2, all students will study the same two compulsory modules:
  • Research and Writing for Business 2: builds on the key academic subject knowledge, skills and strategies covered in 'Research and Writing for Business 1', but with an increased focus on learner independence.
  • Communicating in Academic Contexts 2: helps you further develop and practise productive and receptive academic oral communication skills that you will need to draw on in your degree programme.
• In addition, you will take two introductory academic modules from the following list:
  • Foundation Economics
  • Foundation International Relations
  • Foundation Mathematics
  • Foundation Medieval History
  • Foundation Philosophy
• Plus two introductory academic modules from the following list:
  • Foundation Art History
  • Foundation English Literature
  • Foundation Management
  • Foundation Psychology 2
  • Foundation Statistics

Teaching

• Classes take place Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm. You will spend approximately 16 hours per week on focused learning activities. During this time, you will experience a mixture of live lectures, and seminars or tutorials. Seminar classes are typically scheduled in groups of no more than 16 students.
• As well as your timetabled classes, you will be expected to complete approximately 20 to 25 hours of independent study each week. As a fully matriculated student, you have access to the University’s libraries and study areas, but you will also work with the University's online learning tools (Moodle and Microsoft Teams).
• Students are expected to do the following to prepare for classes and consolidate their learning:
  • Read and take notes from online or hard copy textbooks, articles, and other sources as required
  • Undertake additional research and self-study through the University library and online
  • Complete a range of homework tasks, individually and in groups
  • Engage with feedback on both formative and summative assessments

Assessment

• There are assessments as part of each module. These may include:
  • Academic essays
  • End-of-module examinations (in-person or online)
  • Multiple-choice tests
  • Presentations
  • Group projects
  • Leading and participating in seminars
  • Research report
• You will have regular coursework assignments in both semesters, and some of these will contribute towards your final grade. You will also have two sets of examinations, one set at the end of each semester. You will receive feedback on practice tasks and tests to help you prepare for the assessments.

Fees

• The tuition fee for 2025 entry is £26,380. This fee includes:
  • Access to all University facilities
  • A transfer from Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, or Leuchars train station, when you first arrive
  • The use of course books, handouts and other course materials

Accommodation

• The International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute recommends that you request an en suite single room with either a self-catered or catered package. We aim to place you close to your classes and with other International Foundation students, but will always guarantee you a place in accommodation as long as you apply before the deadline.
• University accommodation is guaranteed for International Foundation students.

Scholarships

Kinnessburn Scholarship

• Students who successfully complete their International Foundation programme (IFP) at the University, with the required merit grade, and who move onto a degree at the University of St Andrews, will be eligible to apply for the Kinnessburn Scholarship.
• This scholarship is awarded to two students annually in July. It provides a partial fee waiver for each year of study on an undergraduate programme at the University of St Andrews, and an Ambassador's role to support future IFP students.

Undergraduate Scholarships

• During their first semester, students on the International Foundation programme will receive a conditional offer for a degree programme at the University of St Andrews. With this offer, students can apply to any of the undergraduate scholarships for which they are eligible.
• The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to students each year.

Your Future

Studying your degree at the University of St Andrews

• Students on this programme can progress onto the following degrees:
  • Economics and Financial Economics
  • Management
  • BA International Honours
• To progress onto a degree at the University of St Andrews, students must achieve a minimum grade of 11.0 in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) modules, and a minimum grade of 7.0 in all other modules. Results are graded on the University's 20-point scale.

Your undergraduate offer

• Students entering the Business - Management, Economics and Finance (International Year Zero) programme in September 2025 will receive a conditional offer in Semester 1 for a place on their intended degree programme at the University of St Andrews starting in September 2026.
• When you successfully complete the programme with the required grade listed above, your offer to enter the degree programme at St Andrews will become unconditional.