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Get the skills and experience you need to study an undergraduate degree in the humanities and social sciences.
This programme provides international and EU students with a direct route to undergraduate study at Queen Mary or other UK universities. All modules are taught by our expert academic staff, and you’ll have full access to all student facilities, including welfare, library, social and sport.
This one-year programme will allow you to progress to any degree in the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen Mary – including law, business management, economics, international relations, politics, comparative literature, linguistics, languages, film studies, history and geography. You can also apply to other UK universities after your foundation year.
Compulsory modules include English language and study skills and an independent research project, and you'll also study modules in three further academic subjects based on your chosen pathway. You'll develop solid knowledge in your chosen academic specialties, and improve your ability to use academic English effectively at undergraduate level.
Start your International Foundation Year (IFY) in either September or January. Your modules will be assigned based on which degree you want to study after the IFY.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Doing the foundation course was a very fun and enjoyable experience which allowed me to develop great relationships with friends and teachers, which set me on the right path to life as an undergraduate student.
You’ll receive approximately 17 hours of contact time per week in semester one and 15 hours per week in semester two, comprising lectures, smaller seminar groups and one-to-one tutorials.
You will complete a further 20 to 25 hours of independent study each week.
Assessment typically includes a combination of coursework (writing tests, reports, presentations, seminar skills) and/or examination.
The School offers excellent on-campus resources to aid your studies, including:
The International Foundation Year (IFY) accepts applicants with a wide range of different qualifications. The grades you need to enter the course will vary depending on the qualification you have completed. For country-specific details, please refer to our detailed entry requirements.
You will need to provide the following documentation as part of your application:
When you apply for the IFY you will choose a degree that you plan to study after completing the foundation year.
On successfully completing the IFY, and subject to meeting the progression requirements, you are guaranteed a place on your chosen degree programme at Queen Mary.
All IFY applicants will be required to provide a valid UKVI Academic IELTS (or accepted equivalent) test score which meets the minimum requirements for their chosen pathway.
We accept a wide range of European and international qualifications in addition to A-levels, the International Baccalaureate and BTEC qualifications. Please visit International Admissions for full details.
Find out more about our English language entry requirements, including the types of test we accept and the scores needed for entry to the programme.
You may also be able to meet the English language requirement for your programme by joining a summer pre-sessional programme before starting your degree.
See our general undergraduate entry requirements.
Queen Mary offers a generous package of scholarships and bursaries, which currently benefits around 50 per cent of our undergraduates.
Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students. Specific funding is also available for students from the local area. International students may be eligible for a fee reduction. We offer means-tested funding, as well as subject-specific funding for many degrees.
Find out what scholarships and bursaries are available to you.
We offer specialist support on all financial and welfare issues through our Advice and Counselling Service, which you can access as soon as you have applied for a place at Queen Mary.
Take a look at our Student Advice Guides which cover ways to finance your degree, including:
The International Foundation Year (IFY) offers a route to undergraduate degrees in a vast range of disciplines.
Recent graduates have gone on to gain degrees in:
All Queen Mary students have access to the Careers and Enterprise Centre, who can offer:
Learn more about .
The School of the Arts combines innovation, discovery and excellence in education and research in Drama, Film, Modern Languages, English & Comparative Literature, Creative Writing, Linguistics and Liberal Arts. We rank in the top 100 worldwide for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024)
With our commitment to social justice, inclusivity and social mobility, our collaborations with external organisations, prominent writers and performers, and our facilities that support both academic and practice-based learning, an education in the School of the Arts equips our students with critical thinking and practical skills, unleashes their imagination and enables them to reach the levels of excellence needed in today’s industries.
We regularly host prominent writers and performers and collaborate with leading organisations such as the V&A, the Barbican, the Live Art Development Agency and Shakespeare’s Globe.
We are renowned for the depth and impact of research - which leads our teaching. We rank 1st for drama and in the top 10 for film in the UK for the quality of our research (REF2021). Our multilingual community brings together brilliant minds from across the world to share a wealth of expertise combining research excellence with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility.