Program Overview

Program Overview

The Economics with a Foundation Year for Elite Athletes is a 4-5 year full-time program that includes a foundation year, an undergraduate course, and an optional placement year. This program enables entry into any of the university's Economics courses for students who are classed as elite athletes and have not met the qualifications required for direct entry.

Program Details

• The foundation year is designed to help students realize their university ambitions and prepare them for degree-level study in a supportive learning environment.
• The program is part of the Business and Humanities stream, which includes other foundation courses such as Business with a Foundation Year (elite athlete only) and Social Sciences and Humanities with a Foundation Year.
• Students on this course will be full members of the university, enjoying access to the Students' Union, clubs, societies, sports facilities, and support departments.

Why Complete a Foundation Year

• Completing a foundation year within the Business and Humanities Stream enables students to progress onto the first year of Economics or any other course, provided the relevant progression criteria are met.
• A foundation year can be a valuable attribute to overall degree success, opening doors to courses that may have previously looked closed and providing a sound base for establishing a successful academic career.
• The foundation course is taught in-house by university staff.

Elite Athlete Pathway

• The foundation program offers the opportunity for students performing at a very high sporting level who are looking to join one of the university's performance programs and study at Loughborough but do not have the required qualifications due to sporting commitments.
• The Elite Athlete Foundation Programme is ideal for students who wish to combine their sports training with academic study.
• The university generally defines 'elite athlete level' as competing at junior international level or higher, or expecting to do so within the next 12 months.

Entry Requirements

General Entry Requirements

• The entry requirements for each course should be read alongside the university's general entry requirements, which give further details on acceptable subjects, alternative UK and international qualifications, and minimum English language requirements.
• Contextual admissions: The university's admissions process uses contextual information to provide insights into the context in which academic qualifications have been achieved.

United Kingdom

• Typical A-level offer: BBC
• Typical IB offer: 30 points overall
• Typical BTEC offer: BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: DDM
• GCSE: A minimum of 5 GCSE grades 9-4 (A*-C) including Maths and English Language
• Other: T Level - Merit Overall, B in Core Component

International Requirements

• Country-specific requirements are detailed for various countries, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, European Baccalaureate, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Tuition Fees for 2026 Entry

UK Fees

• Full-time course per annum: £5,760

International Fees

• Full-time course per annum: £23,950

Additional Costs

• While the cost of tuition covers lots of things, it doesn’t cover everything. For instance, this course doesn’t cover the cost of any stationery, printing, books, or re-assessments which you might need.

Foundation Course Pathways

Upon successful completion of this foundation course, students will be able to progress onto the following courses:

• Economics and Finance BSc
• Economics and Management BSc
• Economics BSc

Course Statistics

• 79% of students say staff value students' views and opinions about the course.
• 86% of students say teaching staff have supported their learning well.
• 90% are in work or doing further study 15 months after the course.