The Science Foundation Year

The Science Foundation Year is the first of an integrated 4-year programme leading to a wide range of single and joint honours degrees at Royal Holloway. You can read for a degree in any of our science departments after its completion.

The programme has been designed to enable students in the following groups to enter Royal Holloway:

• Mature Students: The typical applicant here will have left school some years ago and have had a job, but they are now looking to complete a degree to further their career prospects.
• Students with a mixture of vocational experience and qualifications that are inappropriate for a direct entry to a science degree.
• A-level students who have completed non-science A-levels but now wish to read for a science degree. However, if you have two or more science A-levels then you should apply for direct entry to a degree and not the Foundation Year.
• Overseas students who have good written and spoken English, but whose science knowledge is not sufficient for direct entry to Royal Holloway.

About the programme

The Science Foundation Programme is taught through Strodes College in Egham. Staff at Strodes are highly qualified with many years of experience in teaching courses leading to higher education. Each students’ course of study may vary slightly depending on their background and experience and their proposed degree subject specialisation.

Studying on the Science Foundation Year has many advantages. Firstly, you are a student of the University of London from the start. This means that you have access to all facilities in Royal Holloway, such as the library, Computer Centre, Students' Union and the many clubs and societies. However, you also have access to all these facilities at your FE college as well. Secondly, successful completion of the programme guarantees a place on the science degree of your choice. Finally, if you wish to live on campus, Royal Holloway guarantees you a place in hall for the Foundation Year and the first year of your degree proper.

Students on the Foundation Year have ranged in ages from 18 to 55. They have come from a number of backgrounds, but at the end have gained the necessary skills to read for a University of London degree.

How to apply

Applications should be made through UCAS using the relevant course code:

B908	Biomedical Sciences
C708	Biochemistry & Molecular Sciences
C808	Psychology
C908	Biological Sciences
F308	Physics
F608	Geology
F808	Geography
G108	Mathematics
G408	Computer Science

Further details may be obtained from:

Dr Tony Stead, Science Foundation Year Admissions Tutor (School of Biological Sciences)

+44 (0)1784 443761