Foundation Programme

Foundation programmes are for school-leavers who do not meet the entry requirements for the undergraduate programme. The foundation course is a one-year programme that aims to help students who need additional English language and academic preparation for entry for undergraduate courses. Some foundation courses guarantee progression to that institution if the student successfully completes the course and achieves high enough grades.

Foundation programmes provide two intakes which are in September and January. Students who start the course in January can also progress to the undergraduate programme in September in the same year. See the below table for more details

QualificationEntry requirementsCourses
Foundation Course
  • Age at 17
  • Completed Secondary 5 / 6
  • Current two years of school report
  • Successfully completed high school examinations
  • IELTS 5.5 or above ( depends on programme)
  • In Ireland, there are institution offering foundation courses such as Dublin International Foundation College (DIFC), students have a wide range of study options for successful transition into the University of their choice.
  • Each University may have their own foundation courses. The international foundation course of Trinity College Dublin accepts students from secondary 5 with an excellent academic performance.