Engineering Foundation Year

Study level: Foundation year
Engineering student testing electronic circuit for a fan

Our Foundation Year courses offer an introduction to your chosen subject and are an ideal route to degree level qualifications, helping you develop the necessary skills for further study.

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time

Duration

1 year full-time

Course code

H100

Start date

July 2023

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
Contact us

Course overview

A highly-respected discipline, this qualification opens up a broad and diverse career path, from law to business and even medicine. Studying to be an engineer and gaining the right skills and the right qualifications, can lead you to frequent travel, passion projects and a fulfilling career.

This Foundation Year is ideal for those looking to start a career in the engineering industry. It provides you with opportunities to develop fundamental knowledge and skills in a range of mathematical and business principles, as well as the theories and concepts of electrical and mechanical engineering.

The course enables students who successfully pass to automatically progress to the BEng (Hons) Electro-Mechanical Engineering degree at CU Coventry, subject to meeting specific entry criteria.

Why CU Coventry

We offer a style of education which is flexible and designed to fit around your life, allowing you to benefit from a modern, forward-thinking higher education institution, reinforced by the quality and reputation of Coventry University. We aim to provide career-focused courses, wherever possible, coupled with placement opportunities to help prepare you for the world of work. We are dedicated to making higher education accessible and enjoyable to everyone, so we keep our fees low and made it a policy to cover one module at a time, allowing you to become a specialist in each topic before moving onto the next.

How can we help?

How can we help?

Chat with an advisor now or leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

What you'll study

If you want to start a career in the engineering industry, this course aims to provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed in a range of mathematical and business principles, as well as the theories and concepts of electrical and mechanical engineering.

If you successfully pass all modules, you can continue your studies with us on to year one of the Electro-Mechanical Engineering BEng (Hons) degree, subject to meeting specific entry criteria.

Modules

  • This module is aimed at creating a culture of careful learning and self-reflection. You will be encouraged to take ownership of your development and to recognise its strengths and weaknesses. You’ll be introduced to a range of skills that will aid you throughout the course and further study, such as time management, planning and resource management and interpersonal skills.

    Additionally, you will develop skills in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint etc.), team management, communication, planning skills and more. We will also cover plagiarism, referencing, library skills and professional standard skills, alongside lectures on ethics, health and safety and technical skills, so that you receive thorough, 360-degree training.

    Compulsory

  • This module provides you with fundamental mathematical knowledge and skills required to understand engineering and physical concepts. You’ll be equipped to turn real-world problems into mathematical problems and present mathematical and logical arguments. You will learn to use and apply algebraic methods and trigonometry, and cover key concepts crucial to the fundamental principles in engineering, including geometry, algebra, calculus, trigonometry and computation of volumes. We also work with you to develop key organisational skills and project management basics to aid your development and learning ability.

    Compulsory

  • This module aims to introduce students to the basic analysis and design of electric circuits using DC and AC power sources. To prepare students for this we will discuss the laws of electric circuits and electrical engineering. Assisted by our professional academics, you’ll have the opportunity to work with industry standard software to analyse techniques and identify and solve problems on electrical circuits. You’ll also learn the basic laws of magnetism as applied to electrical circuits.

    Compulsory

  • This module delves into the fundamental knowledge of mechanical engineering principles and concepts. Underpinned by the application of mathematics and physics, concepts covered include fundamentals of energy, design, manufacturing, materials and engineering mechanics. In addition, you’ll gain specific knowledge in mechanics, transport phenomena and thermodynamics.

    Compulsory

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

At CU Coventry, students learn through a variety of modes. The foundation year programme is focused on applied learning geared to high intensity teaching and study throughout the programme, requiring full commitment from students. The delivery of course content is a blend of lectures, tutorials and online mediums.

Unlike traditional institutions, there are no end of year exams. Instead, learning is assessed through coursework and phase tests, which is more reflective of a working environment.

Full-time
If you choose to study full-time you can expect up to 20 hours of learning activities per week, made up of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, online classes and independent learning.

Part-time
If you choose to study part-time you'll usually receive up to eleven hours per week of blended learning, including classes, tutorials and online learning. Outside of this, there will also be independent study and online support. Please note: part-time courses run subject to numbers.

Assessment

The learning outcomes of modules, assignments and projects will be clearly stated. Your work will be marked according to how well you achieve these learning outcomes and your final feedback will refer to each outcome, as well as providing an overall percentage grade.

Assessment methods vary and include, practical class and project performance, written practical reports, project thesis, oral presentations, tutorial tasks and assessments which take place at the end of each six-week block.

Course Breakdown:

  • Coursework
  • Interactive Assessments

Job ready

On completion, you will be able to:

  • Develop appropriate research and analysis techniques, alongside the ability to undertake reliable market research activities.
  • Showcase an understanding of the principles of engineering, along with comprehension of global, national and local contexts.
  • Apply appropriate presentation and evaluation tools to establish the significance of research data produced.

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2022/23 entry.

40 UCAS tariff points. All Foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at 4 - 9 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you don’t fulfil the entry criteria your application may be considered on an individual basis, taking into account any work experience, other qualifications and/or any training you have completed. Speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Chat with UK admissions

40 UCAS tariff points. All Foundation courses require 5 GCSEs at 9-4 including Maths and English, and at least one A2 level or a BTEC equivalent qualification.

If you don’t fulfil the entry criteria your application may be considered on an individual basis, taking in to account any work experience, other qualifications and/or any training you have completed. Speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on how to apply and travelling to and living in the UK.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

Chat with International admissions

Tuition Fees

We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK £8,050 per year £8,050
International £16,650 per year Not available

  • We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the government's Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

    If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

All our facilities are located at Mile Lane. Our building has been designed to enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish, and includes (subject to availability):

  • Indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a café
  • A library that includes loan laptops, over 115,000 eBooks and a silent study area
  • Open access IT suites and 83-inch teaching screens
  • Engineering lab, science lab and a moot courtroom
  • Student support and careers advice teams

Careers and opportunities

The strength of the course lies in preparing students for further study, cementing the core principles of business ready to expand on this knowledge at degree level.

If you successfully pass the Engineering Foundation year, you are guaranteed a place on year one of the Electro-Mechanical Engineering BEng (Hons) degree at CU Coventry.

How to apply

  • Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the CU Group. A copy of the 2022/23 contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the CU Group will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at CU Coventry.

    Tuition fees

    The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.

    For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.

    Accreditations

    Many of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the CU Group maintaining the same high standards of course delivery. 

    Facilities

    Facilities mentioned on this page may not be relevant for every course. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Placements and study abroad opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.

    Additional costs

    This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to), equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas.

Your next steps

Student life
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