During the Social Sciences Foundation Year, you’ll begin to develop the academic writing and independent learning skills necessary to study a scientific discipline. You’ll also begin to learn the basics of thinking and writing in social sciences.
Leading directly on to our highly regarded sport, health and social sciences courses, this one-year foundation programme will equip you with the skills you’ll need to progress on to a full degree. You'll be introduced to the expectations of university life and be supported in taking your first steps in - or returning to - higher education.
On this practical, career-focused foundation year, you’ll begin by studying a broad subject area, aimed at helping you to build your work-ready skills and personal development, while focusing on what it means to be a professional in the fields of sport, health and social sciences.
You'll then have the opportunity to delve further into your chosen pathway, exploring theoretical and practical foundations, and approaches to learning, while gaining an understanding of professional practice and career development in that subject area.
Who this course is for
The Health, Sport and Social Sciences Foundation Year is perfect for those who wish to study for a full honours degree in the areas of social sciences, sport, or health but might not meet the entry requirements. Upon completion of the foundation year, students will be able to progress directly on to the first year of one of our sport-, health-, or social sciences-related undergraduate degrees.
FOUNDATION YEAR
CORE MODULES
Work-Ready Professional Skills
Wellness, Recreation, Society
OPTIONAL MODULES - Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
Investigating in the Social Sciences (Social Science Pathway)
Mental Health, Wellbeing and Wellness (Social Science Pathway)
Coaching and Physical Activity (Sport and Health Pathway)
Human Body, Fitness and Wellbeing (Sport and Health Pathway)
YEAR ONE
CORE MODULES
Police and Social Control
Psychology Launchpad
The Social Toolkit
Behaviour and the Brain
YEAR TWO
CORE MODULES
Neuropsychology
Diversity in the Social World
From Cradle to Grave
OPTIONAL MODULES - Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
Punishment, Resistance and Desistance
True Crime in the Information Age
FINAL YEAR
CHIP
Psychology Project
Psychology Professional Practice
OPTIONAL MODULES - Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
Working with Gender and Sexuality in Criminal Justice
Radicalisation to Terror: Ideology, Threat and Political Violence
You will be assessed by:
Written assessments
Written exams
Portfolios
Workshops
Individual presentations
Group presentations
Fieldwork
As part of this course, you will study one module at a time, giving you the chance to build a deeper understanding and see the results of your hard work more quickly. With regular assessments and feedback, rather than exams all at once, you’ll also benefit from improved focus, and a more manageable workload.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
Southampton, Solent University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
For information about applying to Solent as an International applicant, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/how-to-apply/entry-requirements/help-for-international-students
Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four components |
We understand that each student is unique. At Solent we encourage individuality and have adopted a balanced approach to Admissions, by considering exam results alongside portfolios / interviews or auditions.
Our contextual offer scheme allows offers below our standard academic entry criteria to those who have faced challenges which has impacted their performance and predicted higher grades, by taking into account additional selection criteria such as a strong portfolio, interview or audition.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2026/27 additional costs are not yet available. For guidance, previous additional costs have been:
Compulsory costs
Foundation year: Students who work with children or vulnerable adults will be required to undertake DBS criminal records checks as part of their enrolment. This is compulsory and is payable by the student at a cost of £60. The DBS check is organised by the University
The L2 and L3 Counselling Skills certificates external qualifications will incur an additional cost of £20 for L2 and £60 for L3 (correct at November 2024)
Optional costs
The course offers optional trips to all students to the USA and Strasbourg. The USA trip is around £1,400 to £1,500; the Strasbourg trip is around £500.
There will also be occasional trips to courts, police training, etc where students must pay for their own transport and subsistence. Study trips occur throughout the year, and although optional, prove very popular.
Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries
Email:clearing@solent.ac.uk
Phone:023 8001 1722
Email:admissions@solent.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0) 23 8201 5066
Email:student.funding@solent.ac.uk
East Park Terrace
Southampton
SO14 0YN
At Southampton, Solent University
