What is the Cambridge Foundation Year?
A brief overview of the Foundation Year
Watch our brief introductory video to get an idea of what the Foundation Year course is and how you might be eligible.
Hear from staff and students
Doing a Foundation Year can be an invaluable stepping stone to your future. Watch our video for more information.
The Cambridge Foundation Year is a "transition" year preparing you for University life and study in a number of Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences subjects. It's a completely free and fully funded one year course for talented individuals who have experienced educational disadvantage and therefore would not have achieved our typical undergraduate entry requirements.
This innovative route is designed for a new field of candidates to help them realise their academic potential through a full-time, residential programme fully embedded in the Collegiate University. The course is open to those ordinarily resident in the UK and applicants must meet eligibility criteria.
On the Foundation Year, you can expect a challenging academic curriculum in the arts, humanities and social sciences. This offers the best possible preparation for the rigours of a Cambridge degree course by broadening and deepening your knowledge and understanding as well as introducing you to the ways students learn at Cambridge. Foundation Year students will also benefit from being part of the University, including being part of a College community and having full access to all the University’s societies and facilities to pursue your interests.
Finally, you will get a nationally recognised Certificate of Higher Education and upon finishing the course you will have the option to continue to a number of suitable undergraduate degree courses at Cambridge.
The Cambridge Foundation Year is a "transition" year preparing you for University life and study in a number of Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences subjects. It's a completely free and fully funded one year course for talented individuals who have experienced educational disadvantage and therefore would not have achieved our typical undergraduate entry requirements.
This innovative route is designed for a new field of candidates to help them realise their academic potential through a full-time, residential programme fully embedded in the Collegiate University. The course is open to those ordinarily resident in the UK and applicants must meet eligibility criteria.
On the Foundation Year, you can expect a challenging academic curriculum in the arts, humanities and social sciences. This offers the best possible preparation for the rigours of a Cambridge degree course by broadening and deepening your knowledge and understanding as well as introducing you to the ways students learn at Cambridge. Foundation Year students will also benefit from being part of the University, including being part of a College community and having full access to all the University’s societies and facilities to pursue your interests.
Finally, you will get a nationally recognised Certificate of Higher Education and upon finishing the course you will have the option to continue to a number of suitable undergraduate degree courses at Cambridge.
The application process
You will study a specially designed multi-disciplinary course that focuses on developing your learning skills and preparing you for degree study. Click here to find out more about the course.
To be considered for the programme, you should meet one or more criteria from at least two of the categories outlined on this page. You can find our full eligibility guidelines here.
All students at Cambridge are a member of a College. Your College is not linked to your subject in any way. It is simply a place where you would feel most comfortable living. There are 13 Foundation Year Colleges. Find out more about them here!
Unlike other courses at Cambridge, the Foundation Year follows the usual UCAS deadline, so make sure you get your application in by 29 January 2025!
The Foundation Year Supplementary Application Questionnaire (FYSAQ) will be sent to you shortly after submitting your UCAS application. It enables us to collect information that is not part of the UCAS application but which is important to Foundation Year admissions, such as details on your eligibility criteria.
All shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete the Foundation Year Admissions Assessment as part of the admissions process. This assessment is designed to determine a candidate’s potential to thrive on the course.
As well as the admissions assessment, all shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview. Interviews take a similar format to supervisions at Cambridge and involve discussing an unseen source with the interviewer.
You will receive a final decision on your application around April or early May 2025. All aspects of the application process are considered holistically (there is no part of the process that is worth more than another) and each applicant is looked at individually.
What will you study?
The four streams
Textual sources
This essential stream aims to help students develop a critical approach to textual sources they might encounter in different disciplines. Examples of papers include a study of the Windrush Generation through poetry, an exploration of South Asian religions, and a study of Romantic art, literature, philosophy and history.
Material sources
This optional stream aims to support students to develop a critical approach to the different types of material sources that they might encounter in further study. Examples of papers include a study of the place of Richard III in history and culture, a study of the historical and political significance of spaces of worship and a study of portrayals of the human body in art from prehistory to the present day.
Languages
This optional stream aims to develop competence and confidence when working within a language other than English and provide an introduction to a range of ancient and modern languages. Examples of papers in this stream include a study of the history of the English language, a study of language learning in schools, and a study of the ways in which technology can shape language.
Data
This optional stream aims to help students develop a critical approach to the different types of data sources that they might encounter. Examples of papers include a study of the challenges of data and policy-making with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, a study of environmental change and society, and a study of the ways in which data can be used in sport and society.
Optional extra-curricular language learning
All Foundation Year students will benefit from optional extra-curricular language learning as knowledge of languages can enhance options in many courses you may wish to progress to.
You can find out more about the course streams on our website.
How will you study?
You will be taught through supervisions, seminars and lectures, with typically 14-16 hours timetabled teaching hours each week. This, combined with your independent study, will help develop your ability to take philosophical, reflective and critical approaches using a range of methods of analysis. You will mainly be taught by the Foundation Year teaching team which is made up of University of Cambridge staff with experience teaching and researching in Higher Education.
Supervisions
Supervisions are small-group sessions (typically 1-3 students) where you will have the opportunity to explore subjects deeply, discussing your own work and ideas and receiving feedback. You will have to prepare for these sessions, usually by reading, completing worksheets or writing an essay.
Seminars
These are usually for medium-sized groups (15-30 students), last between one and two hours, and provide the opportunity to discuss particular topics in more detail. You’re expected to contribute actively.
Lectures
These typically last around 50 minutes and are delivered to larger groups of students. Lectures help to introduce you to key concepts, history, or theories that will help you in your study and other taught sessions.
Progression
Watch our short video on progression opportunities after the Foundation Year
After you have completed the Foundation Year to the required standard, you can either progress onto one of 18 undergraduate courses here at Cambridge, or make an application to another institution. No matter your choice, rest assured that you will receive our full guidance and assistance in making those next steps. For the most up to date information please check our website.
Eligibility
Academic Requirements
In order to be eligible to apply to the Foundation Year, applicants must have or be projected to receive 120 UCAS academic tariff points. We accept a variety of qualifications within this academic requirement including A Levels, BTECs and Access to HE Diplomas. The full list of qualifications we accept is listed here.
Eligibility Requirements
Alongside the academic entry requirement, meet eligibility requirements relating to educational or social disadvantage and disruption and be ordinarily resident in the UK.
Our eligibility criteria reflect experiences that have been shown to negatively impact educational attainment. These criteria are a gateway to consideration for this programme and places are awarded on academic suitability.
The full criteria are available here. In brief, there are three categories: individual characteristics, family characteristics and school/college characteristics.
Individual characteristics
Examples include: You have been a young carer whilst in education, you experienced health issues that resulted in long absences, you became homeless whilst in education
Family characteristics
Examples include: You are or have been eligible for Free School Meals, you have a combined household income of £25,000 or less, you or your parents/ carers are eligible for Universal Credit.
School/ College characteristics
Examples include: Your school/college performed poorly in a school inspection, a school/college you have attended has below-average attainment, a school/college you have attended sends few people to Higher Education
Applicants must meet one or more criteria from at least two of the categories to be eligible. Care-experienced applicants and applicants from a forced migrant background, however, are automatically eligible. Evidence of eligibility is required during the application process and is gathered through the FYSAQ. Please check our full guidance document for a full list of our eligibility criteria.
If you are unsure about your eligibility, please first carefully consult the details here.
Enquiries about eligibility can be directed to foundation.year@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Support
There is a wealth of support available to our Foundation year students both within their College and the university as a whole.
University Support
The central University offers a wealth of support for students including the Access and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC), the University Counselling Service (UCS) and much more. An A-Z of support services and more detailed information can be found on the University's wellbeing site.
College Support
All students are allocated a personal College Tutor who can support you with personal, financial or more general academic problems. They can offer help or advice and signpost you to other services either within the College or outside it.
It is likely that your College will also have Tutorial Office staff, College Nurse, Chaplain, and Student Common Room Welfare Officers. Some Colleges even have an in College counsellor or Mental Health Advisor and others may have peer-to-peer support programmes set up. Have a good look around the College websites to find out what they offer.
Study Support
During the Foundation Year you will have a Director of Studies (DOS) to provide academic support and make sure you are on track with your studies.
If you’ve watched our progression video, you will know that you will be supported in making applications via UCAS to other courses (if you wish) and on your pathway to Undergraduate study at Cambridge. We want to make sure you are supported in whichever steps you choose to take after the Foundation Year.
We've written a detailed article about all the support you can expect the receive on the Foundation Year course. Click the link below to read it!
If you'd like to find out more about the Foundation Year, please visit our website.
We also have a YouTube channel where you can find FAQ videos and further information on various aspects of the application process.
The information in this article is correct at the time of publishing. For the most up to date information about the Cambridge Foundation Year, visit our website. Last reviewed January 2025.
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