Undergraduate Foundation Programme in Business and Social Sciences

Academic English Skills aims to provide thorough training in the language and related academic skills which will enable international students to best achieve their academic potential at the partner University.

This module provides a grounding in core accounting and finance, developing financial thinking and ability to apply concepts to real-world contexts. It equips students with analytical skills to prepare and interpret financial statements and cash flow forecasts, evaluate financial performance using ratio analysis, and apply key financial management principles such as time value of money, risk and return, and capital investment appraisal techniques. By building a clear understanding of financial concepts and evidence-based reasoning, the module provides a solid foundation for future undergraduate study.

This module provides a foundation of business strategy and marketing within contemporary organisations, combining core concepts and practical application. Students analyse internal and external factors affecting strategic direction and performance, and develop evidence-based strategic priorities and marketing recommendations, including segmentation, targeting, positioning, and the marketing mix. The module also develops professional communication skills and promotes responsible management through ethical, sustainability, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), supporting future academic progression and employability. 

This module provides a grounding in core microeconomics and macroeconomics, developing economic thinking and ability to apply theory to real-world contexts. Students learn analytical skills to interpret economic data, how individuals, firms, and governments make choices under conditions of scarcity, and how these choices shape economic outcomes. By building a clear understanding of key economic concepts and evidence-based reasoning, the module provides a solid foundation for future undergraduate study in business- and economics-related fields. 

This module provides a grounding in core HR & organisational behaviour, developing understanding of how people are managed in contemporary workplaces and how organisational choices shape employee behaviour and performance. It equips students with the conceptual and analytical skills to interpret workplace scenarios, evaluate people-management approaches across areas such as recruitment, development, reward, and employment relations, and consider how organisational structures influence how work is coordinated and controlled. 

This module provides a grounding in core quantitative methods, developing quantitative reasoning and ability to apply statistical ideas to real-world contexts. Students learn analytical skills to summarise and present data, calculate and interpret probabilities, and draw inferences using estimation, hypothesis testing, and correlation and regression. Learning may be supported by statistical software such as SPSS to reinforce understanding and practical interpretation. By building a clear understanding of statistical concepts and evidence-based reasoning, the module provides a solid foundation for future undergraduate study in business and data-informed fields. 

This module provides a grounding in core business law, developing students' legal awareness and their ability to apply legal rules to real-world business contexts. It equips students with analytical skills to interpret the legal system and sources of law, evaluate contract formation and contractual terms, assess vitiating factors, and identify appropriate remedies and consumer protection considerations. Students also consider how different business structures shape legal responsibilities and risk. By building a clear understanding of legal concepts and evidence-based reasoning, the module provides a solid foundation for future undergraduate study and progression into business-related pathways where legal literacy is essential.

_{*Students pursuing a Business Law joint degree will take the Business Law module worth 15 credits, which replaces one of the other 15-credit modules depending on the degree pathway they have chosen.} 

This module introduces key concepts and approaches in international relations and how they help us understand power, cooperation, conflict, and global interdependence. By exploring major theoretical perspectives and applying them to themes such as international security, development and inequality, human rights, and global trade and finance, students develop foundational knowledge and analytical thinking skills. The module also builds essential academic skills in critical reading, teamwork, and producing structured, evidence-based written arguments using appropriate referencing conventions, supporting successful undergraduate study in international relations and related fields. 

This module introduces key concepts and approaches in law and how they help us understand rules, justice, and the operation of the legal system in society. By exploring the nature and sources of law, the structure of the English legal system, courts and legal personnel, and the use of cases in legal reasoning, students develop foundational legal knowledge and analytical thinking skills. The module also builds essential academic skills in reading legal materials, constructing structured arguments, and using appropriate referencing conventions to support undergraduate study in law, business, or related fields.

This module introduces key concepts and approaches in law and how they help us understand rules, justice, and the operation of legal institutions in society within a Scots law context. By exploring concepts of law, sources of law, civil and criminal process, legal personnel and lay participation, and the use of cases in legal reasoning, students develop foundational legal knowledge and critical thinking skills. The module also builds essential academic skills in reading legal materials, evaluating sources, constructing structured arguments, and using appropriate referencing conventions.

This module introduces key concepts in politics and explores how they help us understand power, governance, and decision-making in society. Through the study of topics such as power, the state, democracy, elections, and political parties, students develop an understanding of how political systems operate and how citizens participate in political processes. The module also develops essential academic skills, including interpreting political information, constructing clear arguments, and using appropriate academic conventions to support undergraduate study in politics, international relations, business, or related fields.

This module provides key concepts, approaches, and disciplines of social science and how they help us understand society, human behaviour, and social change. By exploring themes such as education, media, crime, globalisation, and power, students develop foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills. The module also builds essential research and communication skills to support undergraduate study in social science or related fields.

This module introduces the broad and diverse field of Education Studies and provides an foundation to develop a deeper understanding of education. The module explores key topics including the nature of education as a field of study, examining what education is and how knowledge about education is developed. It also considers the wider context of education by exploring the political, historical, and economic factors that shape curriculum, schooling, policy, and globalisation. In addition, the module examines educational achievement through psychological, sociological, and philosophical perspectives, addressing themes such as learning, diversity, and gender.

This module provides a grounding in core psychology by developing students' understanding of key concepts, approaches, and terminology, and their ability to interpret and explain behaviour using psychological reasoning. It introduces learning processes, major approaches to personality, biological foundations of behaviour, core research methods, and ethical considerations in psychological research. The module also develops research literacy, evidence evaluation, and introductory statistical skills where appropriate, enabling students to communicate clear, evidence-based arguments in academic writing.

Students develop the foundation in core psychology, psychological thinking and ability to apply theory to real-world contexts. The module provides an understanding of key ideas in social, cognitive, and developmental psychology, alongside the research methods used to investigate psychological questions. Students develop skills in evaluating evidence, considering reliability and validity, and interpreting basic quantitative information where appropriate. By building a clear understanding of psychological concepts and evidence-based reasoning, the module provides a solid foundation for future undergraduate study in psychology and related fields. 

This module provides a grounding in core quantitative methods, developing quantitative reasoning and the ability to apply statistical ideas to real-world contexts. It equips students with analytical skills to summarise and present data, calculate and interpret probabilities, and draw inferences using estimation, hypothesis testing, and correlation and regression. Learning may be supported by statistical software such as SPSS to reinforce understanding and practical interpretation. By building a clear understanding of statistical concepts and evidence-based reasoning, the module provides a solid foundation for future undergraduate study in business and data-informed fields.

This module introduces the key concepts, approaches, and disciplines of social science and how they help us understand society, human behaviour, and social change. By exploring themes such as education, media, crime, globalisation, and power, students develop foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills. The module also builds essential research and communication skills to support successful progression to undergraduate study in social science or related fields.

Progression to year 1 of a 4-year degree

• All Accounting degrees
• Economics & Maths and Stats BA (Hons)
• Finance & Maths and Stats BA (Hons)
• Primary Education BA (Hons)
• Law LLB
• Speech and Language Pathology BSc (Hons)
• Sport & Physical Activity BSc (Hons)

Progression to year 1 of a 3-year degree

• Business Administration BBA (Hons)

University interview and pre-approval required before you can receive an offer. Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) clearance and interview required for progression

• Primary Education BA (Hons)

Pre-approval required pre-ISC offer, personal statement and interview required. Degree includes work placement and interview may be required for progression.

• Speech & Language Pathology BSc (Hons)