Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 222
FOUNDATION YEARS
Social Sciences Foundation Year
The course offers
• A
chance to sample social science subjects
at university level before making a final choice
of honours courses
• I ntensive modules which provide the requisite
background for specific honours courses for those
without the necessary qualifications
• A
ccess for non-traditionally qualified students
to a wide range of social sciences courses
• A
broad grounding in academic principles
and methods
Entry requirements
To enter the Social Sciences Foundation Year,
you must normally have:
• at least 160 UCAS tariff points or
• the equivalent in other qualifications or
• relevant work experience
and
• GCSE English Language at grade C, or
• IELTS 5.5 (with 5.0 in all subtests)
and
• a level 2 numeracy qualification.
For progression to a numerate discipline after the
Foundation Year, GCSE Mathematics at grade C or
above is required.
How to apply
All applications must be made through UCAS.
Students should apply for a specific subject with a
Foundation Year (see the codes in the fact file box).
Over the summer, prior to entry to Keele, you will be
asked to decide provisionally which two dual honours
subjects or single honours course you expect to take
after the Foundation Year. You can discuss options
with a Foundation Year tutor before arriving at Keele
and may be able to change your choice following
discussions with Foundation Year staff.
Course content
You will take the core skills modules in writing for
Social Science Students, Seminar Skills, Academic
Development, IT and Critical Thinking. In addition,
modules are taken which are related to each of
the subjects to be pursued in the remaining three
or four years of the degree programme. The
choice of modules is individual to you and made in
consultation with a Foundation Year course tutor:
Writing for Social Science Students
and Seminar Skills
Social science students must be able to communicate
efficiently and professionally, using the conventions
of their disciplines, to a wide range of specialist
and lay audiences. This includes writing documents,
giving oral presentations, participating in seminars
and interpreting the work of others. These
modules provide training in a wide range of forms
of communication, laying the foundation for the
communication skills required in future years.
Academic Development
This module provides opportunities for you to
consider your learning process as well as relevant
information and advice about the process of
studying. The programme aims to look at the whole
learning experience and individual approaches
to studies. By the end, you will have had the
opportunity to develop skills in a variety of study
processes, consider strengths and weaknesses in
relation to your studies, reflect on what influences
your learning and consider how you can make the
best use of the available resources.
Information Technology
You will take two modules in IT, one in each semester:
Word Processing, Presentations and the Web,
and Spreadsheets, Databases and Computer Ethics.
Critical Thinking
You will take the module Critical Thinking which
provides grounding in a range of thinking skills.
Option modules
A range of other modules is available which provides
a broad coverage of a particular subject area,
including foreign languages. If you have a free choice
of modules available after satisfying the relevant
prerequisites for your degree courses, then you can
choose one or more of these modules to broaden
your general knowledge or pursue specific interests.
Key Information
Contact
For further information,
please contact:
Dr Jonathan Cope
Social Sciences
Foundation Year Tutor
Foundation year Centre
Keele University,
Staffordshire ST5 5BG
T: 01782 734433
E: [email protected]
222