Engineering and Science Foundation

The academic structure of foundation course includes both compulsory core modules and a choice of route modules. Key facts about the course are summarised below:

• Core modules

• Route modules

• Key facts

Core modules

Foundation English Skills 1: Develop your ability to read academic texts, write extended texts, write subjective notes, listen effectively in class and participate in classroom debate.

Foundation English Skills 2: Improve all your abilities developed in part 1 with greater accuracy, speed, coherence, organisation and presentation.

Study Skills in the British Environment: Use your study time more effectively, improve your use of, and range of, information sources and prepare comprehensive essays in your own time to given deadlines.

Project Study: Complete a self-study project on a topic that you will take, in consultation with your tutor, from the academic discipline that you plan to study at degree level. Includes word processing skills.

Pure Mathematics 1: Understand and interpret straight lines and linear equations, set theory and probability, statistics, linear programming, indices and logarithms and experimental laws.

Route modules

Where there is a choice between (a), (b) or (c) choose one option.

a) Applied Mathematics 1: Vectors, forces and equilibrium, relative motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, friction and work, energy and power.
or
b) Chemistry 1: Formulae, equations and moles, atomic structure, introduction to redox systems, thermodynamics and bonding.

a) Applied Mathematics 2: You will learn about advanced vectors, forces as fixed vectors, centres of gravity/centres of mass and particle dynamics.
or
b) Chemistry 2: Equilibria, acid-base equilibria, kinetics and organic chemistry.

a) Physics 1 (properties of matter and waves): Sound, reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction, electromagnetic waves, strengths of solids, fluids, heat and gases and the structure of the atom.
or
b) Biology 1 (cell biology): Biological molecules, cellular structure, cell division, movement through cell membranes, enzymes and metabolic pathways.

a) Physics 2 (electricity and magnetism): Electrical current and charge, potential difference, resistance, capacitance, transistors and amplifiers, electrical fields, gravitational fields, magnetic fields and electromagnetic fields.
or
b) Biology 2 (physiology): Cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, osmoregulation, control and co-ordination, and reproduction.

a) Pure Mathematics 2: Further algebra, co-ordinate geometry, trigonometry, differentiation, integration, numerical methods and vectors.
or
b) Further Studies in Biology and Chemistry: Genetics, ecology and plant biology plus inorganic chemistry, oxidation/reduction reactions and transition element chemistry.
or
c) Computing: HTML, website design, the use of Javascript to promote website
interactivity and an introduction to the programming language Java 1.5.

Foundation course key facts