Natural Sciences (Life and Physical Sciences) with Foundation Year BSc
Our integrated Science, Technology and Engineering (STEM) Foundation Year degrees are aimed at students who wish to study a STEM subject, such as physics, but don't have the traditional entry requirements.
The course is run on the University of Leicester campus like any other, and you will be studying alongside other students who applied for, and slightly missed out on, a place on a course similar to yours. In the first year of this course you will all be working towards passing a foundation year (year 0), which will enable automatic progression onto year 1 of any of our BSc (or MSci) Natural Sciences courses.
- By completing the Foundation Year you will automatically progress onto the first year of your chosen degree.
- The course strongly emphasises the development of essential professional and personal skills, which are necessary throughout your studies and beyond.
- During your Foundation Year you will join our student community and be able to enjoy all aspects of the University of Leicester student experience. You will be able to join the Students’ Union, use our academic and leisure facilities, live in our accommodation and access all our support services.
- You will have a personal tutor to support you.
Careers and employability
"I can't credit Natural Sciences enough for where I am now in my career; not only did it give me the knowledge to progress to study an MSc, it provided me with invaluable skills in problem solving, working with people and time management skills I use every single day in my professional life"
Siobhan, Forensic Scientist for the Metropolitan Police - graduated in 2015
Our programme has been designed and recognised for its innovative approach to employability, winning the Embedding Employability element of the UK Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017 (the only Natural Sciences programmes to receive this accolade). We use a combination of group-work and open-ended authentic assessments (known as problem-based learning) to support our students to develop key scientific graduate skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and leadership. This provides excellent preparation for further study and the world of work and is reflected in our excellent employability statistics, with our students earn an average salary of £26,000 six months after graduating.
Over the last decade graduates from our Natural Sciences courses have gone on to work in a wide range of sectors and industries including
- Forensic science
- Medicine
- Academic research
- Data analytics/management
- Consultancy
- Teaching
- Scientific support (sales, recruitment, conference planning, technical support)
- The Civil Service
- Science communication (museum, broadcasting and publishing sectors)
- Engineering
- IT project management
- Sustainability
- The NHS (testing, clinical trials)
Hear more from our alumni
Career Development Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Career Development Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.