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Studies in Science with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

excluding critical thinking and general studies. The subject range must not match that required by the discipline which you wish to study at degree level. Applicants taking Science A-level (in England) will be required to achieve a pass in the practical element in addition to the standard A-level grade requirement.

60 credits overall including at least 45 credits at level 3 with an overall Distinction and no credits below Merit.

UCAS Tariff

128

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Biological sciences

Applied science

Mathematics

Physical sciences

This extended degree is a science conversion course designed for high-achieving students who wish to progress to a degree in a scientific discipline, but have not taken the prerequisite science and mathematics subjects at Level 3.

During the foundation year, you'll receive an intensive introduction to the academic skills that are necessary for success as a STEM undergraduate. You'll develop your knowledge and understanding of the facts, concepts, and principles in chemistry, mathematics, and either biology or physics. You’ll also gain skills for academic and scientific enquiry through practical, laboratory, and fieldwork.

On successful completion of the foundation year, subject to meeting the specific requirements for progression, you’ll continue to year one of your chosen degree course. You could progress onto a range of degree courses in science, computing, engineering, or mathematics.

Please note, this course is not a progression route for those interested in studying medicine or healthcare.

The foundation year course is designed specifically for students from a widening participation background and therefore does not accept students with previous higher education experience, including other foundation years.

The foundation year is taught by the Lifelong Learning Centre. The Lifelong Learning Centre provides a supportive environment to help you make the transition to degree-level study. We’ll work with you during your foundation year to provide guidance and help to identify the degree pathway most appropriate for you.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Leeds

Department:

Lifelong Learning Centre

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

55%
Mathematics

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biological sciences

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

86%
UK students
14%
International students
32%
Male students
68%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
12%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
B
A

Applied science

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

32%
UK students
68%
International students
61%
Male students
39%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
B

Mathematics

Teaching and learning

59%
Staff make the subject interesting
68%
Staff are good at explaining things
71%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
54%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

71%
Library resources
73%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
52%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
60%
Male students
40%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
16%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

Physical sciences (non-specific)

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
59%
Male students
41%
Female students
88%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Biosciences (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£21,000
high
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

13%
Natural and social science professionals
9%
Business, research and administrative professionals
7%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

These stats refer to the prospects of graduates from general courses in biosciences. About a quarter go into further study and for those who go into work, bioscience, teaching and finance jobs are the most common types of employment. But you can go into most careers with this kind of degree — the majority of jobs for graduates don’t ask for a particular degree subject - and you will acquire a wide range of skills valued by many employers. If you want to find out more specifically about the prospects for your chosen subject, it might be a good idea to go on open days and talk to tutors about what previous graduates from your chosen subject went on to do.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Mathematics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£22,600
med
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education
76%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

26%
Business, finance and related associate professionals
25%
Business, research and administrative professionals
9%
Administrative occupations: finance

Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.

Physical sciences (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£22,000
med
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

11%
Natural and social science professionals
11%
Business, research and administrative professionals
10%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

There are only couple of hundred graduates a year in this subject, almost all of whom attended Cambridge, so bear that in mind when you review the stats. Around a third of last year's graduates went on to further study when they finished their course, primarily doctorates. Graduates who went into work tended to go jobs in science and engineering, computing, or business - a broad range of options demonstrating the broad training this degree provides.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Biosciences (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£21k

£21k

£26k

£26k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Mathematics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£26k

£26k

£31k

£31k

£38k

£38k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here