The Student Room Group

Can you apply to a university with a foundation degree from another universities?

I'm considering doing a foundation degree in order to study physical sciences/engineering, since it's difficult to find an Access course that meet most universities' requirements. However, should I wish to apply to a different university for the bachelor's how likely would other universities accept the foundation degree?
From the look at the entry requirements, most foundation degrees tend to be tailored towards the degrees at their own specific university.

Does anyone have experience of doing this for universities in the EU or abroad?

The foundation degree is also expensive compared to other Level 3 qualifications, so I'd like to avoid costly mistakes where possible.
Original post by MindMax2000
I'm considering doing a foundation degree in order to study physical sciences/engineering, since it's difficult to find an Access course that meet most universities' requirements. However, should I wish to apply to a different university for the bachelor's how likely would other universities accept the foundation degree?
From the look at the entry requirements, most foundation degrees tend to be tailored towards the degrees at their own specific university.

Does anyone have experience of doing this for universities in the EU or abroad?

The foundation degree is also expensive compared to other Level 3 qualifications, so I'd like to avoid costly mistakes where possible.

Are you an international student?
Do you mean foundation degree or foundation year?
FY possibly, but non standard and by no means guaranteed.
FD possibly but its at the discretion of the uni and you would seek a transfer from Y2.
You are better off with A levels.
Original post by 999tigger
Are you an international student?
Do you mean foundation degree or foundation year?
FY possibly, but non standard and by no means guaranteed.
FD possibly but its at the discretion of the uni and you would seek a transfer from Y2.
You are better off with A levels.

No, I'm a mature home student with previous degrees. I'm trying to get a career in a field that unfortunately requires another set of degrees, and is recommended that I apply to top end Russell Group universities to get in.
I essentially don't have the A Levels, and the recent Access course did not have enough credits in the right subjects for the courses. I was wondering whether doing another Level 3 qualification would help secure me a place. If so, would a foundation year allow me to transfer between universities in a short amount of time.
Original post by MindMax2000
No, I'm a mature home student with previous degrees. I'm trying to get a career in a field that unfortunately requires another set of degrees, and is recommended that I apply to top end Russell Group universities to get in.
I essentially don't have the A Levels, and the recent Access course did not have enough credits in the right subjects for the courses. I was wondering whether doing another Level 3 qualification would help secure me a place. If so, would a foundation year allow me to transfer between universities in a short amount of time.

If you already have previous degrees, then on what basis do you expect to get funding for additional ones?
I dont believe there is any funding except maybe part time?
Any non standard method is down to the discretion of the uni concerned.
I would do A levels, notwithstanding they would finance a second degree.
Original post by 999tigger
If you already have previous degrees, then on what basis do you expect to get funding for additional ones?
I dont believe there is any funding except maybe part time?
Any non standard method is down to the discretion of the uni concerned.
I would do A levels, notwithstanding they would finance a second degree.

I've looked at the bursaries and scholarships for most universities I want to go to, and the chances of me getting more than £1-2k knocked off my tuition is slim to none. Student loans are out of the question, because they don't offer funding for a second set of degrees e.g. second bachelor's, second master's second PhD, even if I have never used them before. That leaves me with self funding; it will be a struggle, but I think it's achievable.
Funding aside, I am looking at Access courses as well as A Levels, considering they are considerably cheaper than one year at uni (4 Access courses and 8 A Levels vs 1 year at uni). The thing that I am more concerned about is the amount of time, and whether I can do everything I need in the shortest time possible. It's going to be challenging to do entire A Levels within 1 year as well.
Original post by MindMax2000
I've looked at the bursaries and scholarships for most universities I want to go to, and the chances of me getting more than £1-2k knocked off my tuition is slim to none. Student loans are out of the question, because they don't offer funding for a second set of degrees e.g. second bachelor's, second master's second PhD, even if I have never used them before. That leaves me with self funding; it will be a struggle, but I think it's achievable.
Funding aside, I am looking at Access courses as well as A Levels, considering they are considerably cheaper than one year at uni (4 Access courses and 8 A Levels vs 1 year at uni). The thing that I am more concerned about is the amount of time, and whether I can do everything I need in the shortest time possible. It's going to be challenging to do entire A Levels within 1 year as well.

If you are self funding then that is different. Just pay for a degree with foundation year.
The most effective method imo is A levels.
Why do you need it in the shortest time possible? You cna ofc sit A levels at the next available opportunity and its up to you to have done the work.

Anyway back to your question. Yes you can, but it is non standard and down to the discretion of whichever uni you apply to. The most flexible and effective method imo is A levels. GL.
The shortest time possible - because I'm not particularly young, and I know the field I want to go into require decades for an opportunity to secure a full paying role. I also have other life goals that I wish to pursue e.g. kids, and the field doesn't particularly allow for that. I have also spent a year doing an Access course that can only partially help because of the subjects involved. Considering I need time to self fund, it means I have a lot to juggle with, especially if I need to do a PhD on top along with an integrated master's to the bachelor's (roughly amounting to 7-9 years before I even set foot in the door).
Reply 7
What A levels (or equivalent) do you have at the moment? From recollection (I've known a couple of people look to go into maths/ physics/ engineering type degrees without the right qualifications) its not as straightforward as some other courses. Many universities take access courses to enter their foundation programmes which is very time consuming. It might be that an open university route or sitting maths A level proves both less time consuming and better preparation for the degree.
What course/career are you hoping to get into?
What was your access course in? Usually an extra A level or two on top of an access diploma will be more than enough for entry (and more widely accepted than a foundation year).
Original post by ajj2000
What A levels (or equivalent) do you have at the moment? From recollection (I've known a couple of people look to go into maths/ physics/ engineering type degrees without the right qualifications) its not as straightforward as some other courses. Many universities take access courses to enter their foundation programmes which is very time consuming. It might be that an open university route or sitting maths A level proves both less time consuming and better preparation for the degree.

Business, Maths, Geography; AS Psychology, AS Literature. The A Level Maths wasn't exactly stellar. The A Levels were taken more than 10 years ago
I'm thinking of doing an online Access course in either Physical Sciences or Engineering along with A Level Maths (might read up on further maths as well). I'm looking into the Engineering course just to be sure whether I'm OK with engineering over Physical Sciences.
Original post by PQ
What course/career are you hoping to get into?
What was your access course in? Usually an extra A level or two on top of an access diploma will be more than enough for entry (and more widely accepted than a foundation year).

The sort of courses I am looking into are Natural Sciences with concentration on chemistry and physics (with possibly mathematics as well, depending on the degree program). I wanted to do something that involves more innovation, what works in practice, and mathematical problem solving than what is available in terms of jobs out there that would allow it. I presume my best bet would be to focus on a physical science or engineering degree for this. Having looked at engineering in practice though, I'm kind of put off by the amount of regulations in the industry, along with the neverending office politics. So, I'm leaning a lot more towards research based roles considering how much more scope there is for independent thinking and innovation. I'm still not completely sure whether engineering is for me as a subject, so I'm considering it through the engineering Access course.

My Access course was in the sciences, but it wasn't an even 15 credit split over the 3 sciences; most of it focused on biology and chemistry, which would have been great for degrees in the medical or biological fields (including Natural Sciences specialising in Biological Sciences). Unfortunately, they don't involve a lot of mathematical problem solving even in research. Also, my impression of it is that it involves a lot of judgement and ridiculous amounts of regulation (probably for a lot of good reasons).

Most universities I have spoken to said they are OK with an A Level in Maths, but I wasn't sure whether I have enough Physics though.
Original post by MindMax2000
Business, Maths, Geography; AS Psychology, AS Literature. The A Level Maths wasn't exactly stellar. The A Levels were taken more than 10 years ago
I'm thinking of doing an online Access course in either Physical Sciences or Engineering along with A Level Maths (might read up on further maths as well). I'm looking into the Engineering course just to be sure whether I'm OK with engineering over Physical Sciences.

Sounds a great challenge! How does the Access course work out in terms of time and money? Are you doing all this on top of a full time job?
Original post by ajj2000
Sounds a great challenge! How does the Access course work out in terms of time and money? Are you doing all this on top of a full time job?

I'm kind of self funding a full set of expensive degrees up to MSci level (the PhD I can get some financing for) with little to no financial support in a very challenging subject area, on top of doing another Access course and at least one other A Level (both self funded) over the course of 8-9 years, whilst having to think about jobs, family, kids, retirement planning, and buying a house. I don't think it's a challenge that sounds particularly appealing.

Access courses take 1 year, or shorter if you're doing it online and you can complete it faster. Offline Access courses can be found in your local college. If it's your first Level 3 qualification (e.g. A Levels, IB, BTEC, Cambridge Pre-U...), then you get full funding from the Student Loans company, otherwise you will have to self fund, and they normally cost up to £3500. Online courses can be cheaper (£1500-1800) depending on where you look. If you're looking for something alternative to 3 A Levels, it's something I recommend mature students to look into.
The class time for offline courses are 15 hours a week + at least 15 hours of self study time. Online courses are self paced. When I first done my offline Access course, I have managed to maintain a 15 hours for work, but then I was on pace for 45-60 hour weeks with occasional late nights for pending deadlines. You will get a number of deadlines for work to be handed in throughout the course, so time management can be critical. If you don't have kids, then it's a lot easier, but not always. If you have done intense degrees before e.g. master of science or master of research, then the Access course should be OK for you.

No, I'm currently working part time, but I am thinking of earning more more on the side. Even with a high paying full time job e.g. £50k pa, it's going to take you a quite a while to save the money you will need to pay £40k in tuition fees + 4 years of living expenses.
Original post by MindMax2000
No, I'm currently working part time, but I am thinking of earning more more on the side. Even with a high paying full time job e.g. £50k pa, it's going to take you a quite a while to save the money you will need to pay £40k in tuition fees + 4 years of living expenses.



Wow - thats a hell of a challenge. So - 8-9 years until you get the undergrad masters? Would moving to Scotland for 3 years be a possibility? Do they have cheaper rates for second undergrad degrees if a Scottish resident?
Original post by ajj2000
Wow - thats a hell of a challenge. So - 8-9 years until you get the undergrad masters? Would moving to Scotland for 3 years be a possibility? Do they have cheaper rates for second undergrad degrees if a Scottish resident?

Sorry, no. 8-9 years including the PhD, because the jobs require it generally. I'm not sure whether moving to Scotland helps you fund for your second undergrad, but it's difficult there as well considering Scotland, Wales, and Ireland don't really accept English Access courses as I have found.
I have also looked into the universities in Finland and Denmark, which can offer free tuition for EU residents, but I am not sure whether that's for their first degree or any number of degrees (many websites don't say). I also don't seem to meet their international equivalent entry requirements (they accept BTEC, A Levels, and IB).
I have came across Glasgow that do their own, but I am not sure whether it's their version of a foundation degree as oppose to an Access course that allows you to go to any university you want in the country.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by MindMax2000
Sorry, no. 8-9 years including the PhD, because the jobs require it generally. I'm not sure whether moving to Scotland helps you fund for your second undergrad, but it's difficult there as well considering Scotland, Wales, and Ireland don't really accept English Access courses as I have found.

I think your timelines wouldnt suit the residency requirements for Scotland. I think the low rates do apply for second degrees (second undergrad) but well worth checking before moving!

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