The International Foundation Programme (IFP) of the University of London, UK, is one of the world’s most widely accepted foundation programmes. More than 120 educational institutions in the world are teaching the IFP to equip students with the necessary fundamental knowledge to gain entry to universities in the UK and other countries, namely the US, Australia, and Canada.

Founded in 1836, the University of London (UoL) is one of the oldest and largest universities in the UK. British people are proud of their Golden Triangle, formed by University of Oxford, Cambridge University, and University of London. Currently, UoL includes 17 independent member institutions with outstanding global reputation, such as The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), ranked 2^nd in the world for social science and management subjects (QS World University Rankings 2021); and King’s College London, one of the top 25 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2016 and 2017).

Designed for high school students who wish to study abroad or take up international university programmes, the International Foundation Programme (IFP) of UoL will equip students with the necessary foundation knowledge, skills, and qualification – the “passport” to enter the international undergraduate programme. Some of IFP’s outstanding features include helping the learners cut down on studying time and costs. Unlike other pre-university programmes, the IFP courses are completed in one year rather than two years. Instead of travelling to the UK or Singapore to take pre-university courses, Vietnamese students can now directly enter the IFP at British University Vietnam (BUV) and receive the degree awarded by University of London. BUV is among 120 educational institutions globally, and the only institution in Vietnam awarded the Recognised Teaching Centre status by the University of London.

Upon completing the IFP, students can study abroad at top universities in the UK and the world or enter the BSc (Hons) Banking and Finance at BUV and receive the degree directly awarded by the University of London.  

The subjects of the IFP are designed by experts from top universities under UoL. Students will take four subjects to gain solid foundation knowledge about Accounting, Mathematics and Statistics, Economics, Pure Mathematics, International Relations, and Business Management. Students who complete the IFP will be able to satisfy the standards for academic ability, and learning skills needed to confidently integrate into the educational environment of an international university.

Students can be trained to develop exceptional abilities such as multidimensional approaches, assessment and evaluation of obtained knowledge, and critical thinking. These skills are helpful for their studies in undergraduate programmes, in the working environment, and their daily lives.

“Before taking the IFP, I knew little about economics, finance, or corporate relations. After taking the course in one year, I have had a good understanding of the overall and solid foundation of the specialised knowledge that I am going to study, as well as the studying and teaching methods at an international university,” said Hoang Tien Dat, a graduate of the IFP in 2020. Having followed the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) at Nguyen Sieu High School, he realised that the IFP at BUV is an appropriate continuation for his personal goals and learning plan. He is studying the Finance and Banking major of the University of London at BUV.

British University Vietnam (BUV) is the first and only international university in Vietnam granted to deliver degrees by two prestigious universities in the United Kingdom: University of London and Staffordshire University. BUV’s mission is to provide high-quality British training programmes and degrees, as well as a world-class educational environment for Vietnamese students, creating a new generation of discoverers, explorers, and creative thinkers who are well educated and ready to thrive in the 4.0 era.