Keele UniversityInternational Study Centre
Structure of degrees at Keele University
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The Academic Year
On your degree, the academic year is organised into two semesters of approximately 15 weeks each; 12 weeks are for teaching and three weeks for assessment. There are breaks of three weeks at Christmas and four weeks at Easter.
As a student on the Foundation Diploma or Pre-Masters, you will follow the International Study Centre's own timetable during your course. Upon successful completion of the ISC course you will progress onto your degree and to the semester timetable.
Undergraduate study
Keele has a unique and innovative approach to undergraduate study. You have the benefit of being able to study for a Dual Honours or an interdisciplinary Single Honours degree.
See your choice of undergraduate degrees from the Foundation Diploma at the ISC.
Dual Honours
Keele's Dual Honours degrees allow you to study two subjects, in equal amounts, to degree level. Each subject (known as a ‘Principal’) has a core course that will give you the same depth of knowledge as you would gain in a Single Honours course in that subject. You will cover the essential elements of each subject and still have the choice of option courses in each.
Optional Modules
The University has always encouraged students to broaden their knowledge and so Keele degrees allow you to tailor your studies to your individual requirements through a wide range of options in the second and third years of study. In the third year, you will study more advanced and specialist modules - informed by the research interests of teaching staff, industry trends and market requirements.
Skills for your career
All Keele degree courses include employability skills that will be of practical use in your future career. As well as developing subject-specific skills, Keele degrees will equip you with a wide range of transferable skills and leading edge knowledge highly valued by prospective employers.
Keele degrees broaden not only your studies, but also your career prospects. By studying a Dual Honours or interdisciplinary Single Honours degree, you will show that you are a flexible thinker, capable of working within and across different subjects. Employers are looking for people who can appreciate the wider context in which they work.
Degrees awarded
Students are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA Hons - if their two Principal courses are in humanities and/or social science subjects. All students who study a science subject are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc Hons.
Postgraduate study
Masters courses combine compulsory and option modules, and a substantial dissertation/project element. A Masters programme requires at least 1,800 hours of study over 12 months; about 30 hours per week.
See your choice of postgraduate degrees from the Pre-Masters at the ISC.
Teaching
Most of the teaching is through seminars with a high level of student participation. You will be expected to have done substantial reading on the topic of that seminar and to be willing to express your ideas and make a case for your views.
If you have not studied in the UK at undergraduate level, you may find your first seminar quite different from the teaching you have previously experienced. Although your tutor will be an expert in that subject, they expect you to challenge ideas and to debate issues. As an international student you will be able to bring a different perspective to issues and your tutors will encourage you to express your experiences and your views. In some cultures it is not polite to question or challenge the tutor – but in the UK we encourage this. The Pre-Masters course is the best preparation for postgraduate study at Keele.
Assessment
Your work will be assessed through the taught part of your Masters course by a combination of coursework and examination. One-third of the assessment for a Masters programme is through the original research project or dissertation.