Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies

This Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies qualification award is a full-time one-year bridging program taking international students from 12 years of high school education and preparing them for their undergraduate entry. It is a pre-bachelor’s degree that provides graduates with 120 credits, which is equivalent to 2 GCE A Levels. All unit content is drawn from the (UK) national program of study for their A-level counterparts and assessed at a Level 3 standard.

The assessment is highly controlled whereby NCC Education produces all the assessment and marking schemes, with examinations marked by NCC Education in the UK (and that would include all the science units) whilst assignments are marked by the center and moderated by NCC Education staff again here in the UK.

NCC Education is a provider of examinations and qualifications which are regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations (OFQUAL) in England, and that this aforementioned award is classed as a pre-university qualification (the same academic level as a United Kingdom (UK) ‘A’ Level or an International Baccalaureate qualification on the international stage).

The Office for Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL) is a non-ministerial government department, which ensures with regards to educational Awarding Organizations that:

• regulated qualifications reliably indicate the knowledge, skills, and understanding students have demonstrated;
• assessments and exams show what a student has achieved;
• users can have confidence that the qualifications are valid;
• students and teachers have information on the full range of qualifications regulated.

Confirmation of NCC Education’s status as an OFQUAL regulated UK Awarding Organization can be found on the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

L3IFDHES is designed for international students who have studied usually in a 12-grade system and who need to complete extra study to meet the UK’s Higher Education entry requirements. The L3IFDHES prepares students linguistically and socio-culturally to enter the first year of a United Kingdom degree course.

Candidates must pass six core units and two of eight elective units to be awarded the Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies certificate. Details of core and elective units can be found in the qualification specification.

Subject areas

• English language
• Computing
• Business
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Further mathematics

To complete the qualification a student must study and pass eight units.

The qualification consists of six core units:

• Developing English Language Skills – This module helps students to develop English language skills to be able to communicate effectively beyond simple everyday contexts. It aims to improve one’s reading, writing, listening and speaking and enables students to acquire a broad range of knowledge that can be used to confidently and effectively communicate in English. It guides students through Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate levels of English language study.
• Advanced English Language Skills – This module enables a student to put into practice the language acquired and develop this into an advanced user of English. Students will make extensive use of the four skills of speaking, reading, listening, and writing, as well as extending the knowledge of complex grammar and advanced vocabulary.
• English for Academic Purposes – This module helps students to develop the understanding and use of key linguistic skills where necessary to engage effectively in an academic environment.
• Study and Communication Skills – This module equips students with the essential study skills needed to succeed at the university level. Students will learn the basic skills necessary to conduct independent research, write academic papers, give formal oral presentations and apply what has been taught during lectures to their studies.
• Culture Studies – This module will enable students to gain awareness and increased understanding of other cultures and their own alongside the impact of a more digitized world on those cultures. The content aims to help students to define and describe the concept of culture and use this as a framework to critically analyze their own and other cultures. Students will be able to apply their understanding of culture to other aspects of their course and to their plans for further study and work.
• Foundation Mathematics – This module builds upon student’s knowledge of mathematics whilst introducing new topics appropriate across a range of academic disciplines and for their future career.

A further two units must be taken from a choice of eight electives:

• Introduction to Computer Science – This module provides a basic introduction to a range of IT topics including the organization of a computer system, the relationship between hardware and software, applications of computers, databases, networking (with a focus on the Internet), graphics, and multimedia.
• Introduction to Programming – This module exposes students to the extensive practical use of the modern programming language Visual Basic, to illustrate the classic programming principles of sequencing, selection, and iteration in the context of object-oriented computer programming.
• Introduction to Business – This module provides an introduction to the purpose, types, and organization of businesses. Students become familiar with a range of business concepts such as basic marketing practices.
• Introduction to Accounting and Economics – This module introduces the key principles of accounting and economics. Students become accustomed to concepts such as market structures and monetary policy and also learn how to produce simple financial statements.
• Further Mathematics – This module provides students with an understanding of different mathematical concepts and ideas, building on the work covered in the Foundation Mathematics module. It will allow students to develop further algebraic techniques on a broad range of mathematical topics, building towards areas often seen and used in university courses.
• Physics – This module equips students with a fundamental background of the principles of physics. It focuses on Newton’s mechanics, electrostatics, and electrodynamics. The principles of thermal physics and magnetism are also introduced.
• Chemistry – This module enables you to gain an understanding of the three main branches of chemistry: inorganic, physical, and organic. Theoretical concepts will be illustrated using several practical laboratory sessions.
• Biology – This module introduces the fundamental ideas of how the human body works. Starting with the cell as the building blocks of life and then looking at each of the major body systems. The purpose of this is to give the underpinning knowledge which will prepare students to study health-related subjects at higher levels.

International students enrolled at STARS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY for the first academic year will be studying a “Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies” offered by a UK Awarding Body – NCC Education, as an entry qualification (pre-bachelor degree) directly into the undergraduate programs. Upon completion of the first year, students may choose to be enrolled at one of the 500 prestigious universities abroad that recognized the qualification for undergraduate programs like:

and many other modern and life-important progressions. Or else, studies may be continued at STARS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY for the following dual program:

• International Accounting & Audit in partnership with ACCA and Oxford Brookes University (Advanced Diploma in Accounting & Business from ACCA + BSc Degree in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University);

The Level 3 International Foundation Diploma for Higher Education Studies (L3IFDHES) qualification is recognized by UCAS, Department of Education, Department for Business Innovation and Skills, E-Skills UK (for Computing qualifications), Council for Administration (for Business qualifications)).

This qualification is designed for students and falls under the oversight of the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) here in the UK. NCC Education has also worked closely with BEIS to develop a high-level statement which consists of a set of commitments to operating in line with a number of quality assurance principles, similar to some of those that OFQUAL would have applied if it had regulated a similar qualification, and which underpin the delivery of qualifications and services which have been developed solely/mainly for use outside England.

The L3IFDHES program is also listed on the Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS is a UK - based organization whose role is to operate the application process for British universities. The majority of UK universities and higher education colleges use the UCAS service, therefore, all students planning to study for an undergraduate degree in the UK must apply through UCAS-including home students (British and EU students) and international students (non-EU).

Many UK Universities acknowledge that the NCC Education L3IFDHES is a suitable and an accepted entry qualification used by international students to enter undergraduate degree programs. This program is also accepted by universities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland as a university undergraduate entry qualification. Over 500 universities have confirmed that they accept this qualification and award as a pre-university qualification; which meets the requirements of an undergraduate bachelor’s degree.

The NCC Education L3IFDHES sits at level 3 on the UK Qualifications and Credit Framework and is regulated by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (OFQUAL).