Undergraduate Pathway in Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Psychology

Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Psychology at Brunel are a vibrant community of students and academic staff who are engaged in exploring the world we live in and engaging with ways of changing it for the better. The college is committed to delivering excellent research led teaching and in preparing its students to lead successful lives and to have brilliant careers.

Your Pathway to Brunel University London

High School

Fees*

2023/24 Foundation Studies

EU/UK

£9,250

International

£16,100

*All Brunel University London Pathway College course fees may be subject to a review. Brunel University London fees are a guide only and are subject to change.

Pathway progression

Upon successful completion of your pathway programme you will progress onto Brunel University London. Find out more by watching the video below.

Location

Duration

Two Semesters

Intakes

January, September

Foundation Studies

Typical Modules

  • Composition & Style 
  • Critical Thinking
  • Interactive Learning Skills & Communication
  • Intercultural Studies (double module)
  • Principles of ICT
  • Research Methods
  • Exploring the Social World
  • For Psychology route, Maths will replace Composition & Style
Please note: an ILSC Module will be included in the timetable for students that do not meet Brunel University London's direct entry English requirement. This is to ensure students meet Brunel's English entry requirement prior to progression.

Course outline

The principal aim of the programme is to enable students to linguistically and academically negotiate the transition from school to university and be prepared for the demands of an undergraduate degree programme in an appropriate Humanities & Social Sciences discipline.

The programme syllabus is designed around the acquisition of core academic skills and literacy development that underpins successful higher education outcomes: academic research, ICT, critical thinking and the promotion of self-awareness.

In-course written, reading, listening and oral assessment is built in to modules through general interaction between tutors and students through small group tutorials or individual tutorials/appraisals.

Assessments

Modes of assessments include essay/report writing, oral presentation (group or individual), in-class quizzes or take-home exercises. These form of assessments is considered fundamental to a student’s ability to communicate ideas and evidence with clarity, relevance and logic in a planned and organised manner. Plain writing style, syntax and grammar are core skills that can be enhanced to support the maturing of individual students’ composition and thus academic and transferable proficiency.

Oral presentations, whether part of formal or informal assessment practice, are encouraged within all modules as they promote, among others, transferable skills and can identify those students who may be plagiarising material. It is advised, however, that they should not make up more than 60% of the final module mark unless as part of the learning rational.

Oral group presentations should ideally contain no more than five (5) students, unless specific reasoning is applied. Time limits must be upheld by tutors so as to ensure all students have the same opportunity to perform. Final summative examination normally adheres to closed-book, invigilated, timed conditions and takes place during allocated exam periods of a programme.

This is an intensive programme with a minimum 16 hours per week and a corresponding number of ongoing assessment tasks designed to provide a scaffolded structure for students at this entry level to Higher Education.

This pathway leads to the following Brunel University London degrees:

Anthropology

Communication and Media Studies

Creative Writing

Education

English

Film Studies

Games Design

Global Challenges

History

Journalism 

Politics

Psychology

Sociology

More programmes