Guaranteed progression to Aston Business School undergraduate courses upon successful completion
The placement year gives you invaluable professional experience
We prepare students for a diverse range of careers in business and other industries
Learn how to create and sustain a successful business
"I chose to study here due to Aston's reputation for business, the location and the campus-feel. My highlight at Aston was balancing working hard with interesting subjects with making life long friends and celebrating well."
Katherine Brooks
Partner Manager/Business Analyst at Amazon
"I chose to study here due to Aston's reputation for business, the location and the campus-feel. My highlight at Aston was balancing working hard with interesting subjects with making life long friends and celebrating well."
Katherine Brooks
Partner Manager/Business Analyst at Amazon
Course outline and modules
The Foundation Programme in Business at Aston Business School allows you to study modules which guide you through the processes involved in creating, sustaining and growing a successful business. Plus, you’ll receive support in professional and study skills.
You will be taught at Aston University by Aston University staff involved in both research and practice.
This is a transition programme which aims to consolidate and build on your skills and knowledge from further education study to support your progression to a University environment.
This programme will give you access to all degrees in Aston’s Business School, which include:
- BSc Business and Management
- BSc Business Computing and IT
- BSc Economics and Management
- BSc Finance
- BSc Human Resource Management
- BSc International Business and Economics
- BSc International Business and Management
- BSc International Relations (Joint Honours)
- BSc Marketing.
You can also gain access to some degrees in Aston’s School of Engineering and Applied Science:
- BSc Logistics with Supply Chain Management
Course duration
- Foundation programme only: 1 year
- Foundation and 3 year BSc: 4 years
- Foundation and 4 year BSc (including placement or year abroad): 5 years.
Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programmes. Students from over 120 different countries chose to study with us every year. Based in the centre of Birmingham, Aston is not only a great place to study, it’s also a great place to live.
Choosing to start your Aston journey with our foundation programme in business will help you develop specialist knowledge to ensure that you are fully prepared to study your chosen undergraduate course. During your foundation year, you’ll have excellent support from academics and group projects will give you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and build a network of peers who will share your university journey. We also have a Learning Development Centre that can provide additional support and offer pre-sessional English language programmes.
Modules
You will study:
Core modules:
- Introduction to Data Analysis
- Business Model Generation
- Introduction to Accounting and Finance
- Professional Skills
- E-business
- Introductory Marketing
You will need to choose 2 further modules, one from section A and one from section B:
Section A:
- Leadership and Management
- Engineering a Sustainable Future
- Systems and Logistics Foundations
- Developmental Psychology
Section B:
- Developing New Products and Services
- Construction Project Management
- Transport Foundations
- Identities and Inequalities
- Security Challenges in the International System
*Availability of any optional modules will be subject to staff availability and a minimum number of students who express an interest in studying the optional modules.
Entry requirements
- GCSEs: 5C’s/4, including English Language and Maths
- A Levels: BCC
- IB: 28 points overall. Minimum scores of 5,4,4 at Higher level. Minimum scores of 5 in English and Maths at Standard level.
- BTEC: Extended Dip: DDM
- T Levels:
T-Level - Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction Grade M
T-Level - Digital Production, Design and Production Grade M
T-Level – Education and Childcare Grade M
T-Level – Onsite Construction Grade M
T-Level – Building Services Engineering for Construction Grade M
T-Level – Digital Business Services Grade M
T-Level – Digital Support Services Grade M
T-Level – Health Grade M
T-Level – Healthcare Science Grade M
T-Level – Science Grade M - Diploma: DD plus A Level grade C
- Subsidiary Diploma: D plus 2 A Levels Grade C
Progression Requirements onwards to the BSc courses:
40% in Foundation Programme to achieve progression onto all ABS programmes
- Economics programmes - GCSE: B/5 in Maths / IB: 6 SL Maths
- Finance - GCSE: B/5 in Maths / IB: 6 SL Maths
- Business Analytics - GCSE: B/5 in Maths / IB: 6 SL Maths
The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.
Learning, teaching and assessment
Our extensive employer links and focus on practical experiences to transfer to the workplace means you’ll get a blend of learning and teaching experiences that will equip you for your career as well as smooth transition onto a degree programme.
Learning and teaching
As with a university degree, you can expect to attend lectures and seminars, undertake group work and case studies, and complete both individual and group presentations which support your independent study.
Traditional teaching is enhanced by our virtual learning environment that is used to host a range of electronic supporting materials.
We pride ourselves on our teaching, which is recognised as Gold standard by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) – the highest possible accolade, and the benchmark by which the UK government evaluates the quality of university teaching.
Assessment
You will be assessed by a variety of methods including written coursework, exams and presentations. If you pass all the modules at the required grades, you are guaranteed a place on one of the degree programmes listed previously.
Personal development
Our foundation programmes are designed to give you a range of transferable and practical skills to succeed within your further studies – and ultimately your chosen career. We make extensive use of group working and presentations to prepare you for the reality of working life. This experience will develop your teamworking and negotiation skills.
Fees
UK students (2023/24)
Tuition fees: £9,250
Tuition fees for students are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. Any such increase shall always be in accordance with the law. When undertaking a placement year a placement year fee applies.
Frequently asked questions
- Why study a Foundation Programme in Business at Aston University?
If you don’t currently have the grades or subjects to progress straight onto an Aston Business School degree programme, the Foundation Programme will equip you with the ideal base of knowledge to get you into your chosen study and career path.
You’ll be taught by Aston University staff, refining your knowledge, professional and study skills to prepare you for your chosen degree programme. You can choose to then study one of our business programmes, with an integrated placement year, providing you with invaluable work experience, and even onto a Masters programme.
- How will I study on the Foundation Business Course?
Students will receive timetables that details the room and time of each subject. Each module will have a lecture that is delivers course content to all the students and seminar in smaller groups to provide more focused skills required for each module. Each module will have a total of four hours of teaching each week.
- Why Aston Business School?
Aston Business School is amongst the top 1 per cent of business schools in the world to have triple accreditation. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) rates us ‘Gold’ and we are first in the UK for ‘Value Added’, comparing our students’ entry grades with their final degree result, showing the quality of our teaching (Aston University, Guardian University Guide, 2020). All of this means we really value your learning experience and the skills you develop and demonstrate as part of your course.
Aston University is a diverse, close community and welcomes international students on many of our undergraduate programmes. Students from over 120 different countries chose to study with us every year and Aston is not only a great place to study, based in the centre of Birmingham it’s also a great place to live.
