Lifelong Learning Centre

The Interdisciplinary Science Foundation Programme (CFG0) is intended to widen participation so we are keen to receive applications from those with backgrounds that are under-represented within the student body. Applications are also encouraged from those who are returning to study with experience outside of full-time education.

All applications are carefully considered on an individual basis. Evidence is sought regarding:

• Academic experience and potential to succeed
• Interest and ability in Maths and Science study
• Levels of motivation and commitment
• Future goals and aspirations
• Ability to cope with the pace of the course

Our typical offer is CDD at A level or 200 UCAS tariff points and a good GCSE profile is expected including Maths, English and Science at grade C or above.

Applicants returning to study with experience outside of full-time education are usually interviewed and may be required to pass other forms of assessment if they do not have GCSE or level 3 qualifications.

Is this for me?

There can be good reasons why someone does not achieve their best at school or college. Your learning may have been disrupted by adverse circumstances, you may have had limited opportunities or support, you may have left formal education some time ago and gained experience, abilities and maturity that you did not have when you were younger.

Foundation courses at the Lifelong Learning Centre are designed especially for learners in such situations as part of the University’s commitment to being a diverse community that welcomes students from all backgrounds.

What we are looking for in applicants is less about prior qualifications and more about your capacity for hard work and dedication to realising your potential. Priority is given to applicants whose residual household income is less than £25,000 and who meet at least one of the following:

• you will be the first member of your immediate family (excluding older brothers or sisters or your own children) to achieve a degree
• you attended a school which achieved less than the national average of 5 A*-C passes at GCSE
• your studies have been adversely affected by circumstances in your personal, social or domestic life
• your permanent address is in a neighbourhood with low progression to higher education
• you grew up in public care

What will I be taught?

For information on the modules that you will study as part of this course please see the entry in the programme catalogue.

Will this cost more?

If you meet the criteria listed in the previous section your fees for the foundation year will be covered fully by the University and you will be eligible for financial support to help with living costs. This means that, even with the added foundation year, your overall programme should not cost any more than if you had progressed directly onto a degree.

If your residual household income is more than £25,000 or you have other queries about fees and finance, please contact the Lifelong Learning Centre to discuss the options that are open to you.

How will I be taught?

There is a strong emphasis in our foundation courses on helping you to develop skills for success. Teaching is imaginative and supportive to make sure that you are intellectually stretched and helped through any sticking points in your learning. Group sizes are small enough for you to engage actively and be well-supported by your peers. Members of the Lifelong Learning Centre staff team are available to offer help with all aspects of your progress and you will have periodic individual meetings with your personal tutor to help you realise your goals. We also provide continuing support once students transfer from the Lifelong Learning Centre to other parts of the University.

How will I be assessed?

Methods of assessment reflect those that you will find later in your degree programme in order to ensure that you are well-prepared for your continuing study. We see assessment as a key way of enabling you to learn by doing and make sure that feedback from tutors supports this process.

Better jobs and professional enhancement

A qualification from Leeds counts: our graduates are highly valued by employers. When you complete your degree programme, you will also become part of a network of highly employable graduates. From the very start of your foundation year there will be support to help you to use your time at university to maximise your opportunities for career development.