Foundation Studies

English for Academic Purposes

Develops skills for understanding, writing, reading and speaking English. Attention is paid to accuracy, grammatical structures, spelling, punctuation and word use. Tasks include group discussions and formal presentations, note-taking, extended reading and formal comprehension exercises, paragraph and note-form summaries and preparation of research reports.

Accounting

Provides introduction to accounting methods and concepts. Topics include cash and accrual accounting, budgeting, cash flow, depreciation, assessment of performance, accounting systems, job costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, financial statements for sole traders, partnerships and companies.

Art

Provides a practical knowledge of visual arts and understanding of arts in context. Through a number of practical assignments and the production of a portfolio, students develop ideas, observe, analyse, interpret and evaluate images.

Biology

Develops an understanding of biology and the skills to apply biological knowledge to solve problems, design and perform experiments, and to interpret and present evidence. Topics include structure and function of the cell, responses of plants and animals to biotic and abiotic factors, genetics and evolution (primates and hominids).

Chemistry

Provides science students with the skills and confidence to test their ideas experimentally. Topics include atomic theory, chemical bonding and shapes of molecules, chemistry of transition elements, metal hydroxides, halogens and selected ions, analysis of laboratory solutions and commercial products, energy involved in physical and chemical changes, Aqueous Chemistry, oxidation-reductions and applications, spectroscopic identification of organic compounds.

Classical Studies

Gives an introduction to the history, literature, art, architecture and politics of ancient Greece (600-400BC) and Rome (753 BC to 14 AD). Develops vital skills for university level study, including critical thinking, analysis and writing argumentative essays.

Economics

Covers a wide range of economic issues, from basic economic concepts and principles, to policy options available to governments, and probable consequences of economic decisions. Topics include relative scarcity and production possibilities, demand, supply and the market, market structures, including monopoly, externalities, public goods and government intervention, equity and efficiency, financial markets, aggregate demand and supply and the macroeconomic economy.

Geography

Covers the formation of natural features and develops skills involved in interpreting topographic data. Analysis of cultural processes (urban growth, migration, development and sustainability), the study of human actions that modify natural processes, and analysis of the outcomes.

Information Technology

Provides a broad knowledge of computer technology, common application software, programming, word processing, spreadsheets and databases. Topics include computer hardware, computer software, operating systems, business applications, problem solving techniques used for programming.

Mathematics with Calculus

Provides a solid foundation for university subjects requiring a prior knowledge of Mathematics with Calculus. Topics include calculus, algebra, trigonometry, geometry.

Mathematics with Statistics

Provides students with a broad range of mathematical knowledge and skills and is a prerequisite for many university courses. Topics include algebra and graphing functions, exponentials and logarithms, correlation and progression, probability and set theory, random variables and their distributions, time series, linear programming, mathematical modelling, numerical equation solving, binomial, poisson and normal distributions.

Physics

Develops students’ theoretical knowledge, problem-solving skills and experimental techniques. Topics include light, waves, kinematics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, atomic and nuclear physics.