Studying International Business and Management with Foundation Year (BSc) will enable you to learn a wide range of relevant, highly transferable and sought-after skills. These skills will help to prepare you for an exciting global career in a multinational corporation.
This course is designed to provide you with access to our main International Business and Management degree if challenging circumstances mean that you have not been able to meet the standard entry requirements.
We are looking for applicants who have the drive and motivation, and ultimately want to progress to a professionally-orientated qualification that is consistently ranked highly in major UK league tables. We will help you to develop valuable skills such as teamwork, presenting, time management, problem-solving, decision-making, and also build your confidence.
During the Foundation Year you will be part of a small community working closely together on group projects. The course also involves working with external organisations to give you a better understanding of how business works. You will complete projects in the third term working with organisations to identify an issue or challenge.
If you successfully complete the Foundation Year, you will automatically join our direct entry students following the course structure for our International Business and Management BSc.
Entry requirements
This course is only available to applicants based in the UK who are eligible for Home Fee Status and meet our Widening Participation criteria. You will normally be in Year 13 at the time of applying or have very recently completed your schooling
This course is designed for students who would otherwise not be able to meet our standard admissions criteria. You will be considered for direct entry instead if your predicted grades meet the contextual offer level for our main WBS degrees.
You must meet one of the Widening Participation criteria below:
Be a care experienced applicant who has been a 'looked after child' for at least 3 months.
Be an 'estranged student' under the age of 25 who is studying without the support and approval of both of their parents due to a breakdown in their relationship - this might be their birth, step or adoptive parents, and sometimes wider family members.
Have been granted refugee status or are under 'humanitarian protection' in the UK. You must have studied A Levels or equivalent qualifications in a UK state school or college.
Live in an area which has a high level of deprivation (Index of Multiple Deprivation, 0-20%).
Completed your studies at a school/schools where performance of students was below the national average and eligibility for Free School Meals was higher than average.
Were eligible for Free School Meals at some point during the past six years as verified by UCAS.
If you are experiencing (or have experienced) other disadvantaging circumstances you may express this in an Extenuating Circumstances form, however we are only able to consider applicants who also meet the Widening Participation criteria above. This must be sent within two weeks of application (excluding holidays).
A level typical offer
You will need to complete and pass three full A-Level courses.
You will also need grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, 6/B in GCSE Mathematics and 4/C in five other GCSE subjects. Applicants with grade 4/C in GCSE English Language and grade 6/B in GCSE English Literature will also be considered.
We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
International Baccalaureate (IB) typical offer
You need to complete the full IB Diploma with three subjects at Higher Level and three subjects at Standard Level.
You will also need grade B or 6 in GCSE English Language, B or 6 in GCSE Mathematics and C or 4 in five other GCSE subjects. Applicants with grade C or 4 in GCSE English Language and grade B or 6 in GCSE English Literature will also be considered.
We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
BTEC
You need to complete and pass your BTEC/A level qualifications. We will consider any combination equivalent to three A levels, including the BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma.
You will also need grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, 6/B in GCSE Mathematics and 4/C in five other GCSE subjects. Applicants with grade 4/C in GCSE English Language and grade 6/B in GCSE English Literature will also be considered.
Scotland Advanced Highers
Complete and pass your Advanced Highers. You will also need grade B in National 5 English and Maths, and grade C in five other National 5 subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate
WELSHBACCALAUREATEINFO
Access to Higher Education Diplomas
We will consider applicants returning to study who are presenting a QAA-recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma on a case-by-case basis.
We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
Warwick may make differential offers to students in certain circumstances, such as those who have participated in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the University’s contextual data criteria. These offers are usually one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.
Do you offer foundation programmes?
All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme, for selected courses only. Further details are available in the standard offer and conditions for the IFP.
Can I take a gap year before starting my course?
Yes, Warwick welcomes applications for deferred (gap year) entry.
Will I need to interview for this course?
This is a competitive course and after reviewing your predicted/achieved grades, personal statement, reference and Widening Participation criteria, shortlisted applicants will be invited to a Selection Day. As part of the Selection Day, you will learn more about the course and participate in a group task and interview. This is a compulsory part of the process for those shortlisted and we will use this to make final decisions.
Our Foundation Year prepares you for degree-level study at WBS, giving you the opportunity to develop your knowledge about business, improve key skills we have found to be important to success during the undergraduate degree, and spend a year getting used to the university environment. The eight core modules have been designed to build on numerical skills learnt at school as well as newer topics such as creativity, accounting, finance, marketing and operations management. You will be able to work on academic practices like research, critical thinking, and university level writing.
Personal development is also important for success at university and you will have lots of opportunities for improving presentation, organisational, communication, time management, and teamwork skills.
You will join first year students on one core module in your second term to experience learning with international students from different backgrounds. This will help you to prepare for progression onto BSc International Business and Management the following year.
Note that the module catalogue is subject to change for future years of study, as we evolve our courses in response to the latest developments in academia and industry.
Foundation Year
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Throughout the rest of your degree, you’ll study CORE modules - designed to give you essential business knowledge and the skills employers are looking for. Each year builds your confidence, skills and independence:
Year 1: Structured, supportive learning to help you settle in and master the basics building on what you’ve learned in your Foundation Year
Year 2: Start to apply and embed your knowledge to real‑world challenges through case‑based learning
Final Year: Step up as an independent learner, sharpening your expertise and preparing for life after graduation
Year 1
Year 2
You will take four electives over terms 1 and 2 from across the Business School’s portfolio including the following examples (which also enable you to follow a focused route such as finance, accounting, or data science). You may also choose to take one or two electives from other University departments:
Year 3
You will take your study or work placement in your third year returning to complete your degree in Year 4. You can either study or work for a full year at the same place, or you can split your time to provide you with a varied experience (this could include study for one semester, work for the second or vice versa).
You will complete one core module IB2PY0 Year Away in Context for which you will reflect on your placement year and conduct a critical evaluation of your own personal experiences. You will demonstrate an awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the wider cultural and business-related issues in the relevant countries/industries/sectors in which you have taken your year away.
Year 4
You will complete your degree by studying six electives from a range of applied topics within the Business School, or one or two from other University departments.
You will take three electives in Term 1, followed by three electives in Term 2 and the core modules below:
You will complete your degree by studying six electives from a range of applied topics within the Business School, or one or two from other University departments. Examples of WBS modules you may take (which can also count towards a dedicated route) are:
Additional Modules
Year 2 Optional Modules
Year 4 Optional Modules
Fees and funding
Tuition fee
£9,790
On 26 November 2025, the UK government announced that the tuition fee cap for UK undergraduate students for the 2026-27 academic year would increase to £9,790 from the 2025-26 rate of at £9,535.
Students who qualify for government-regulated fees are classed as ‘Home’ students for fees purposes. In future years, fees for continuing students may be subject to an increase in fees in line with any inflationary uplift as determined by the UK Government (if permitted by law or government policy).
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount. For students starting their course after 1 August 2023 (on Student Finance England’s Plan 5), you will repay when your income is over £25,000 a year.
Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold or you stop working, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.
Access thousands of part-time opportunities through our agency Unitemps (such as office work, retail jobs or helping at events)
Choose to apply for a job as one of our Student Ambassadors to share your own experience at events like Open Days
There are many different funding routes available, including a number of bursaries and scholarships for full-time undergraduates. If you struggle to meet your essential living costs, our Student Funding team will be on hand to offer advice and support.
Provides additional financial support for qualifying Home students from lower income families of up to £2,500 for eligible students
This bursary is paid directly into your bank account in three equal termly instalments to help with the costs of studying
There is no application for this bursary as your details will be provided directly from the student support awarding bodies (Student Finance England, Student Finance Northern Ireland, and Student Awards Agency Scotland)
A number of scholarship opportunities are open to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.
If you experience financial difficulties during your studies, you may be eligible for Hardship Funding from the University, in the form of an Emergency Loan and/or a non-repayable award
There are no Departmental scholarships available for our Undergraduate courses, however there are other scholarships which you may be eligible for. Please see our scholarships web pages for more information.
Tuition fee
If you are an overseas student enrolling in 2026-27, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:
Band 1 – £27,870 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
Band 2 – £35,530 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Mathematics, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)
Overseas Tuition fees for 2027-28 academic year have not been set. In future years, fees for continuing students may be subject to an increase in fees in line with an inflationary uplift. Please check our website for updates about 2027-28 fee rates before you apply.
If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance, you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees, please visit our Student Funding webpage for guidance for students ordinarily resident outside of England.
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality, residency status, course, and previous level of study. The information below is based on the package of financial support available to students starting their course in 2026.
Eligible European Union (EU) Undergraduates can apply for a loan to help with the cost of Tuition Fees. Eligible EU students who meet additional residency criteria may also be eligible for a loan to assist with living costs.For more information please see Student Finance for Undergraduates - EU StudentsLink opens in a new window.
Access thousands of part-time opportunities through our agency Unitemps (such as office work, retail jobs or helping at events)
Choose to apply for a job as one of our Student Ambassadors to share your own experience at events like Open Days
If you are an international student, you may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.
A number of scholarship opportunities are open to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.
If you experience financial difficulties during your studies, you may be eligible for Hardship Funding from the University, in the form of an Emergency Loan and/or a non-repayable award.
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module Catalogue.
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2025/26 year of study) Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
Core text books
Printer credits
Dissertation binding
Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Are there any course specific costs?
Please check with the department.
Teaching and learning
You will learn in a variety of ways including:
In-person and online lectures (using our groundbreaking SmartStage)
Seminar and Workshops for more interactive learning
Online (asynchronous) structured learning using a range of materials including videos, blogs, and quizzes
During the Foundation Year you will mainly work in seminar-style classes with up to 25 students for at least 12 hours per week, equipping you with the skills, knowledge and depth of understanding that you will need to continue learning independently between sessions. In Term Two you will study a module alongside students from BSc Business and Management and International Business and Management students which will prepare you for working with a diverse group of students. After successfully completing the Foundation Year you will progress to Year One where class sizes vary by module. Lectures typically include all students on a module whereas seminars and workshops are smaller groups to allow for interaction in groups and individual support.
This varies by year, but you will have approximately 12 to 15 hours per week of:
In-class time
Online structured learning
Student support and feedback hours
You will be assessed mainly through examinations, but also through a combination of other assessments such as:
Individual assignments
Case study analysis
Online quizzes
In-class tests
Groupwork
Presentations
The final degree classification for International Business and Management (with Foundation Year) is determined by your third and final year marks and each contributes 50%. If you choose to complete a placement year, your final degree classification is determined by your third, fourth and final year marks, each contributing 40%, 10% and 50% respectively.
You will spend a year learning abroad or working (or combining the two), with a guaranteed study placement at one of our partner institutions (subject to meeting first year requirements).
We have partnered with over 40 institutions in over 20 countries around the world for your year abroad. Current partnerships are offered in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, North America, Singapore, South Korea and various countries across Europe.
Alternatively, you may choose to work overseas. Previously our students have completed work placements with companies such as:
Clarins
Colgate-Palmolive
IBM
L’Oréal
Peugeot
In your fourth year you will return to WBS to complete your studies, confident and empowered by your overseas experience.
Careers
Graduates from Warwick Business School have gone on to work for employers including:
Our CareersPlus and Employer Relations team provides specialised careers services solely for Warwick Business School students including:
1-2-1 careers coaching
Career planning and preparation workshops
Employer events and networking opportunities
Work placements and internships
Bespoke employer events organised specifically for our students have seen the likes of Deloitte, EY, JLR, L’Oreal, J.P.Morgan, Barclays, IBM, Google visit Warwick Business School, providing students with great networking opportunities and links to top local, national and international brands.
Events and group workshops
You can also attend group workshops and employer events throughout the year. Our workshops cover all aspects of the job application process, from creating your CV to preparing for interviews and assessment centres. Tailored sessions, such as ‘What job is right for you?’ can help you to plan your future career and actions.
Past examples include:
Writing an effective CV
How to network with employers skills workshop
Internship and Placement Year events with employers
Careers Fairs and informal networking opportunities with employers
Sector events with industry speakers, for students who want to pursue a career in a specific sector such as Marketing, Audit, Consulting, Technology, Consumer Goods and Retail, Finance and Banking
Our Student Opportunity (Careers) department offer a wide range of workshops, from developing confidence and interview techniques to learning how to articulate what you have to offer in order to impress potential employers. Online resources are also available, including training in drafting CVs and covering letters, practice aptitude and psychometric tests, practice online interviews, and other resources to help you research job opportunities. The myAdvantage databaseLink opens in a new window also advertises job, placement and internship vacancies that are from employers who are targeting Warwick students for their recruitment.
Life at Warwick
This is where your journey begins. Our campus is the heart of it all. It’s more than just a campus - it's the places you visit, the people you meet, the fun that you have; the experiences you have here will be transformative.
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities.
Our campus is where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus
Follow our students around campus on our social channels to see their experiences first-hand.
Teaching facilities
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs. You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas
Different study spaces offering you flexible individual and group study spaces, computers, printing and scanning facilities, multimedia resources and more
Supporting you
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Whether you live in a campus residence or in partnership accommodation off campus, you’ll be part of a community to get the most from your experience at Warwick.
Societies and sports play a huge part in community life at Warwick. With over 300 to choose from, getting involved is one of the easiest ways to make friends and share in experiences. Whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Your university experience is defined by far more than your course or the career path you follow. At Warwick, it’s where you discover who you could become.
74th
Warwick is ranked 74th in the world and top 10 in all major UK league tables
Our alumni community still call Warwick home. From a few hundred in 1965 to more than 310,000 alumni, and it's ever-growing.
As Warwick graduates, our students have access to employability support for two years after graduation, including access to careers appointments, job vacancies and professional networks.
If you’re interested in the bigger picture, comfortable challenging assumptions and want a degree that will open doors, then WBS is the place for you. We will give you the foundation for change and prepare you for your future career. Are you ready to make your mark in the world of business?
Warwick Business School (WBS) offers students a dedicated and supportive learning environment within the University of Warwick campus. Its facilities include state-of-the-art lecture theatres, group study areas, and digital resources designed to enhance the academic experience. Students benefit from WBS-specific computing and support services, ensuring access to the tools needed for coursework and research.
For tailored support, WBS provides dedicated careers guidance, wellbeing services, and student support networks, helping students balance academic, professional, and personal growth.
This information is applicable for 2027 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our web page 'Important information to consider before making an application' in advance of applying to Warwick.
Next steps
Experience campus at an Open Day. Can't visit? Receive regular email updates or ask current students and staff questions about life at Warwick.
