Frequently Asked Questions

NCUK is unique in higher education. NCUK is a consortium of leading universities dedicated to giving international students guaranteed entry to universities worldwide and helping them succeed when they get there. The NCUK is headquartered in Manchester, UK with the study centres across the globe. University Foundation College is the only NCUK partner in Qatar.

With a diverse set of qualifications available as well as opportunities for qualified students to progress directly to university, NCUK supports thousands of students each year on their academic journeys. As our qualifications are recognised by universities from within the NCUK Global Network and beyond, we are able to give students the best start and guarantee access to an NCUK University upon successful completion of their studies with us.

NCUK Guarantee –If you pass your NCUK qualification you are guaranteed a place at an NCUK partner university and have thousands of degree courses to choose from.

Every year students from over 100 nationalities study NCUK programmes:

• 90% of NCUK students successfully achieve a place at their first choice university.
• 80% of NCUK students gain a first or second class degree at university.

NCUK qualifications provide access to thousands of degree programmes. The range of programmes available to you will depend on the subjects that you study on the IFY, and on your final grades.

You can use NCUK’s University Course Finder to explore the full range of degree options that NCUK qualifications make available, and the grades you’ll require for access to each.

A foundation qualification is normally required by students who have completed high school outside of the UK education system and/or in a language other than English. This qualification will help bridge the gap between your local qualification and university study and is designed to give you the academic and English language skills needed to succeed at an international university.

Students from the British curriculum can also join the IFY with IGCSEs or AS Levels. Even if they have not completed 12 years of education, they may still be eligible to enrol. However, in such cases, progression after the IFY may be limited to universities abroad (not in Qatar), and a declaration form must be signed.

The NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY), delivered at University Foundation College, is academically equivalent to three A Levels and is widely accepted by NCUK university partners in the UK and other countries.

We also accept BTEC qualifications as an alternative to GCSEs or AS Levels.

Assessment for each module will be via a combination of coursework and examination. The assessment breakdown is generally 20% coursework and 80% exam.

Yes. After a process of research and selection, supported by our University Application Centre, you can apply through UCAS to UK universities, as well as other universities around the world that require a direct paid application. Each university course will have its own criteria for entry, and your final destination will depend on your grades in the NCUK IFY: the better you do, and the harder you work, the more choice you will have.

Foundation Year at UFC allows you to progress to prestigious universities for the remaining three years of your degree, even if you were not initially accepted due to insufficient qualifications. You can still improve your chances by completing our Foundation Year. Changing degrees or universities after starting your foundation year can be challenging, but our Foundation Year gives you an additional year to determine what you truly want to study in a three-year degree without losing a year. Also, our Foundation Year is often more affordable than the first year at many universities.

If you would like to learn more about the comparison between studying Foundation Programmes in Qatar and the UK, you can read the full article here.

Yes. NCUK Qualifications are recognised by universities in the UK and worldwide. The NCUK IFY qualification – taught at the University Foundation College – is recognised by UK NARIC as comparable to the UK’s ‘GCE A-Levels’, Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE), the Senior Secondary School Certificate of Education in Australia and the USA’s Advanced Placement programme.

NCUK’s academic quality procedures conform to the standards set out by the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) in its Quality Code (the QAA is the independent organisation that sets and monitors standards in UK higher education).

Students who successfully complete their NCUK qualification can gain guaranteed access to one of the NCUK Partner Universities.

Yes. The NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) is officially recognised as equivalent to A Levels.

UK NARIC, on behalf of the UK Government, has benchmarked the IFY as comparable to four major international qualifications, as confirmed in the UK NARIC benchmarking for NCUK IFY.

You can also find a detailed comparison between the NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) and A-Levels here.

NCUK awards the final certificate. Upon successful completion, you will receive a certificate showing that you have passed the programme and a transcript that details your module results.

NCUK’s International Foundation Year is accepted by leading universities worldwide allowing you to gain access to top-ranked international universities.

NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) grade equivalency is mapped against other common qualifications using UCAS tariff points, as detailed in the NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) Grade Equivalency.

NCUK’s bespoke English for Academic Purposes (EAP) module is designed specially to develop English language ability for international students. The module will support you in reading, writing, listening and speaking (the core components of language learning) and – unlike many English language assessments – it will also provide you with the study skills that you need to succeed at university.

The total tuition fees for the International Foundation Year are QAR 73,000. This includes a non-refundable deposit of QAR 10,000. The fees cover tuition, course materials, and academic support. There will be a non-refundable application fee of QAR 100. Additional fees of QAR 300 each may apply for English and Maths tests if required.