A Foundation Year is an additional year at UEA, providing opportunities to develop your academic skills and knowledge before joining your undergraduate degree course.
The DEV Foundation Year comprises two degrees:
- BA Global Development with a Foundation Year
- BA Geography with Global Development with a Foundation Year
We have now been running the course for four years and it is well-received by students.
Here more from our students below.
Joe
When I finished my A-Levels I was unsure what I wanted to study at university. Having worked for about five years I decided university was what I wanted to do, but I was conscious of how long I’d been out of education for and was unsure if I’d be able to manage getting back into academic study.
Doing the Foundation Year bridged the gap between a long time out of education and throwing myself back into studies. The Foundation Year was a relaxed and comfortable environment to get to grips with studying for a degree; particularly for me, it really helped me to get my head around writing academic essays and referencing. Unlike going straight into a first year, I had greater room to make mistakes with my studies and learn from them, something I have really benefitted from since.
Looking back, I feel so grateful that I made the decision to do the Foundation Year, I gained a lot of confidence in my ability going forward while also helping convince me that studying is the right thing to do. It also helped me begin to refine my interests, so going into the first year of my degree I was able to choose modules that I knew I would really enjoy, with lecturers that I had come across in my Foundation Year.
I really recommend the Foundation Year for anyone. It sets you up to go into your degree with the confidence and knowledge that you can do it.
After successfully completing the Foundation Year, Joe chose to study on the BA Global Development with Anthropology.
Lottie
In my Foundation Year in the School of global development, I was able to study a wide breadth of topics including subjects as politics, natural disasters and gender. Not only did this help in truly finding where my interests lie, but it meant that I made a lot of friends in DEV.
The structure of the year was fantastic; being able to engage with such a mix of material and content meant that the lectures were always very engaging yet challenging. Being in a smaller year group also meant that support from the lecturers was always available. They were able to really take an interest in my personal development which was substantial for me in a year of so much change. I have established great relationships with my foundation year lecturers who continue to direct me to opportunities even four years after they first taught me; this indicates the extent to which they really care for you and your studies.
I would highly recommend doing a foundation year, it both equipped me with the academic skills necessary to complete my degree while also allowing me the time and knowledge to shape my degree into something I am truly passionate about. I’ll be using my degree to go into secondary school teaching and will I definitely promote this pathway to people who are interested in a university level education.
After successfully completing the Foundation Year, Lottie chose to study on the BA Geography and Global Development.
Naomi
The biggest advantage of this additional year was that it helped me get ready for my degree programme by developing my knowledge, abilities and self-assurance I needed to be successful in my chosen field. It helped to bridge the gap between the knowledge and skills that I had when I left sixth form and what I needed to succeed in my chosen degree program.
This year gave me the chance to study in a university setting and collaborate closely with my peers and teachers, which helped me develop confidence in my academic skills. I was given access to additional academic and pastoral assistance, such as workshops and supervisors, which made it easier for me to succeed in the remainder of my degree. I could not have asked for a better supervisor than Dr Sophie Bremner who not only guided throughout my foundation year but has been an amazing mentor throughout my entire degree.
Ultimately, it was a fantastic year which not only prepared me for the rest of my degree by providing a valuable introduction regarding what would be expected of me but allowed me to connect with a lot of great people and develop lifelong friendships.
After successfully completing the Foundation Year, Naomi chose to study on the BA Global Development with Economics with Overseas Placement.
Pat
I only found the global development foundation year when my results were lower than I wanted and initially, I was unsure what it was. Deciding to take it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
The Foundation Year allowed me the opportunity to explore what subjects I was interested in. It allows you to experience and make the most of the wide range of modules the School of global development has to offer. It encourages you to personalise your degree to what you find most interesting; for me, I discovered I loved studying global development alongside politics.
Furthermore, it offered me the opportunity to adapt to university far better than going straight into first year. It gives you a head start on your degree by helping you develop your knowledge of the different styles of work and assessments found at university; in particular, it greatly improved my essay writing.
More important than all of this was the support the global development foundation year offered me. It has incredible support systems and truly caring lecturers. They always had time to help support me whether I was struggling with work, unwell or even just struggling at university in general. They truly want the best for you and my university experience wouldn’t have been the same without it. It is incredibly personable and pushes you to make the most of university. I genuinely cannot speak highly of it enough and wouldn’t be making the most of my university life at UEA right now without it.
After successfully completing the Foundation Year, Pat chose to study on the BA Global Development with a Year Abroad.
Sam
I chose to do a foundation year prior to my degree because I hadn’t studied social science topics before and I wanted to get a grounding in global development concepts as well as practice academic referencing, essay writing and presentations.
Throughout the Foundation Year, my expectations were exceeded. My confidence grew as, with support from lecturers, I started to understand how university works and how you can achieve the best results, all the while learning something you are deeply interested in.
The Foundation Year had such a positive impact on the rest of my academic studies; I was taught to question the dominant trains of thought. I was also taught throughout the Foundation Year about academic skills and thus learned how to achieve consistently top marks, which still impacts my learning two years on.
The Global Development Foundation Year tutors and lecturers are attentive, dedicated and invested in each student’s experience and progress. I was able to take advantage of one-to-one advisory meetings wherein I could discuss my work and any concerns I had. Similarly, the lecturers make it their priority to ensure students have the support they need.
After successfully completing the Foundation Year, Sam chose to study on the BA Global Development with a Year Abroad. For her Year Abroad, Sam is studying in Mexico and Japan.