NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY)

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.

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.

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.

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 equivalent to A-Levels. On behalf of the UK Government, UK NARIC validates that the IFY is comparable to four major international qualifications, including A-Levels. For more information, please click here.

For guaranteed entry at an NCUK University you must meet the following requirements:

• 96 NCUK points on the subject modules; and
• All students must achieve a minimum of overall grade C with no less than grade D in each EAP skills component (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking). Even if grades are adequate in subject modules, without an EAP grade D in all components we cannot guarantee a place at an NCUK Partner University.

If you achieve between 72 and 88 points with a grade A-C for EAP, NCUK may be able to place you on to a limited number of degree programmes.

This guarantee is subject to the following exclusions:

• The guaranteed entry requirements do not apply to students applying to study dentistry or medicine. These programmes have limited availability as well as additional requirements in the application process (e.g. interviews and admissions tests such as UCAT). For more information please find the NCUK Medicine brochure here.

Yes. NCUK is well known for the quality of its university admission advice and works very closely with our University Application Centre. We will support you through every stage of the application process to NCUK partner universities across the world.

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.

See how NCUK International Foundation Year grades compare to other common qualifications and gradings based on UCAS tariff points by clicking here.

The fees for International Foundation Year is QAR 73,000.