International Foundation Programme Business, Law and Social Sciences

Year of Entry 2025/26
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International Foundation Programme

Business, Law and Social Sciences

The International Foundation Programme is for international students and is designed to help you transition on to one of a range of undergraduate degrees at Sheffield Hallam University.

Everything you need to know...

  • Pound sign

    What is the fee?

    International/EU: £12,950

  • Time

    How long will I study?

    7 Months / 1 Year

  • Location

    Where will I study?

    City Campus

  • Date

    When do I start?

    September 2025
    January 2026


Course summary

Aimed at international students, this foundation course prepares students for a range of degrees including Business, Law, Hospitality, Tourism, Finance, Built Environment and Psychology. The programme ends in late July, meaning you can stay in the UK as you prepare to begin your undergraduate course in September, with advice given about obtaining a visa.


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How you learn

You will learn through active participation in all of your classes. There will be a variety of class types you will participate in, and a range of assessments.  We will help you to become a confident, active and independent learner, whether working alone or collaborating with others, and help you to thrive in your new learning environment.  

You will learn through:

  • Seminars
  • Lectures 
  • Workshops 
  • Labs 

You will be assessed through: 

  • Presentations
  • Seminars 
  • Written essays & reports 
  • examinations 

Course leaders and tutors

Brett Clifton
Brett Clifton
Senior Lecturer In Tesol

I've been teaching English for academic purposes for many years, first in China, and now here at Sheffield Hallam. I've recently been working cross-college on course … Read more

Applied learning

In addition to the core modules, social and cultural activities are available to help you adjust to studying at Sheffield Hallam and living in the UK. Activities include visits and events organised by our International Experience Team, the opportunity to participate in our mentoring support scheme, career talks and subject-specific peer study group meetings. This helps you to build your confidence, improves your use of English and is a great opportunity to make friends. To help you develop a sound understanding of the discipline, we arrange visits to local companies wherever possible.


Where will I study?

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

City Campus

City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.

City Campus map | City Campus tour 


City Campus map
Location

Howard Street
Sheffield
S1 1WB

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Adsetts library

Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

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Equipment and facilities

On this course you will be introduced to the range of facilities and software available at the University that you will use in your future course.

Entry requirements

All students

English language requirements

To enrol on the course, you are required to have an IELTS certificate from an approved centre. You can apply for the IFP while you are waiting for your results.

For September entry, an overall IELTS 4.5 is required, with a minimum of 4.0 in all skills.

For January entry, a minimum IELTS 5.0 is needed, with a minimum of 4.5 in all skills.

Academic entry requirements

Good high school graduation grades which includes Maths.

Find out which qualifications we accept from your home country.

You may be required to provide examples of creative work to support your application.

You must be 18 years old when you enrol on the course. September applicants must be 18 years old by 1st September and January applicants by 1st January.

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.


Modules studied may differ depending on when you start your course.

Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

Modules studied may differ depending on when you start your course.

Final year

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Academic English In Context
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(70%) , Practical(30%)
Developing Your Academic English
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(70%) , Practical(30%)
English For University
Credits 20
Assessment Practical(100%)
Introduction To Business And Finance For International Foundation Year
Credits 40
Assessment Coursework(70%) , Practical(30%)
Social Science And Law For International Foundation Year
Credits 20
Assessment Coursework(100%)

Fees and funding

International students

For the two-term programme starting in January the tuition fee in 2025/26 will be £12,950. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time.

Additional course costs

The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

General course additional costs

Additional costs for Sheffield Business School (PDF, 255.6KB)

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.

 

How do I apply?

To apply for this course, complete an application form.

Application form (PDF) (PDF, 5.8MB)

 Email your application to ifp@shu.ac.uk, or send it to Direct Admissions - IFP application, Surrey Building, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB.

Why choose us?

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Teaching

We are Gold rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and student outcomes

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Employment

94% of our management graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating

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Excellence

Graduate from Sheffield Business School – rated in the top 6% globally for excellence in teaching and research

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