Part-time and foundation year courses

If you don’t have the formal qualifications for immediate entry to a degree course, you can take a foundation course. Sometimes known as extended degrees, foundation courses help you prepare for degree-level studies and gain the necessary academic background. On successful completion, you’ll then progress to the first year of your relevant degree course.

Our foundation years are aimed at widening participation. Additional entry criteria apply to these courses such as the neighbourhood where you live, the performance of the school where you completed GCSEs, and if you grew up in public care.

Find out more about our foundation courses.

The following part-time courses are designed to be studied alongside work and other commitments:

• BSc Business Management and Leadership
• BA Child and Family Studies
• BA Interdisciplinary Studies with Preparation for Higher Education Foundation Year
• BA Learning and Teaching with SEND
• BA Professional Studies (also offered full-time)

Part-time courses are only available to UK students (not international students).

Find out more about undergraduate study at the University of Leeds.

Created in partnership with employers, our apprenticeships help you develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for your chosen career. As an apprentice, you’ll gain a degree from the University of Leeds while continuing to work.

• BSc Chartered Manager accredited by the Chartered Management Institute.
• Nursing Associate Foundation Degree accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
• MSc Geotechnical Engineering Degree Apprenticeship
• MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeship
• Executive Leadership Apprenticeship

Find out more about our apprenticeships.

The alternative entry scheme is for you if you’ve been out of formal education for three years or more and don’t meet the typical requirements for entry to these courses because you don’t have formal qualifications like A-levels, or GCSEs in English and maths.

The scheme applies to all foundation courses (except the Gateway to Medicine and Social Sciences foundation year courses), all part-time courses and the full-time BA Professional Studies course. Every year, about 100 learners join the University of Leeds through this scheme.

We’ll automatically check your eligibility for the scheme when you apply for your course. You don’t need to send a separate application for this.

If you’re eligible, instead of the GCSE requirement, you’ll complete our online maths and English tests. We’ll give you sample papers and online resources, and offer you one-to-one and/or workshop support to help you understand the exam subjects. You can choose from face-to-face and/or online support to suit you.

Instead of having A-level or BTEC-level qualifications, we may ask you to write a 1,500 word essay on a subject related to the course you’re applying to.

Please note that some undergraduate degrees, such as Medicine and Nursing, require GCSE qualifications so the alternative entry scheme may not be suitable in such cases. Our admissions team can advise you about this when you apply to the foundation course.