Bloodstock and Equine Performance Management with Foundation Year

If you aspire to have a career in the thoroughbred or sports horse industry, our specialist Bloodstock and Equine Performance Management course will teach you all you need to know about training, breeding, racecourse management and enterprise.

Industry experience is at the heart of this degree with a work placement in Year 2, and visits to leading racing businesses. Our graduates have secured high profile positions in the racing industry, including organisations such as Godolphin, Juddmonte, The Jockey Club, Weatherbys and The National Trainers Federation and you could join them.

Course structure
This degree course with a foundation year incorporates an extra year of study at the start of your course, so that you can progress with confidence. It will develop the skills you need for your later studies. It is particularly suitable if:

You don’t have the grades for immediate entry onto a three-year course
You have non-traditional qualifications or experience
You’re starting university after some time away from education
You’re looking for more support during the transition into university study

YEAR 0-Foundation
YEAR 1
YEAR 2-(15 week work placement)
YEAR 3

In Year 0 of your four year programme you will be developing your academic and team-working skills and gaining confidence in written work; handling numerical and statistical data, and ICT. You will be introduced to a range of rural land use topics including, learning about the agricultural year; mapping; laboratory skills, and you will have the opportunity to gain competence in a range of practical skills. The year will help you to make the transition to being an independent learner, and perhaps an entrepreneur. Successful completion of the foundation year will allow you to proceed onto Year 1 of the course.

Gain a solid grounding in all aspects of the horse racing industry through lectures, seminars, visiting speakers and field trips. Modules will be assessed through a range of methods including examinations, reports, business plans, case studies and presentations.

Work placement
You will complete a 15-week work placement in YEAR 2 of the course. Students have completed placements at prestigious companies such as Highclere Stud, France Galop, Arena Racing Company, Colin Tizzard Racing and the Event Rider Masters Limited.

The Research Project is an integral part of the course and provides essential experience in both design and execution of a piece of research. You can choose to focus on either science or business and you could also see your Research Project featured in one of the many academic journals that regularly publish our students’ work.

N.B. The Integrated Foundation Year is suitable for applicants who have taken level 3 qualifications (A-levels, BTEC etc.) in the UK. Overseas students who have not studied in the UK and completed their secondary education in their country, should look at taking an International Foundation Programme in order to meet the entry criteria for the degree programmes offered by the RAU.

For up to date module information, please see our website: https://www.rau.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate

The programme has a variety of assessment styles to encourage the application of knowledge in ways appropriate to the industry or to develop core graduate skills. Many of the assessments occurs via coursework or practical assessment rather than traditional examinations. Coursework exercises include (but are not limited to) written essays and reports, practical application of skills, reflective portfolios and oral presentations which may also include using audio visual media. Where examinations are utilised, these are generally ‘seen’ scenarios whereby the paper is made available to students 2 weeks before the assessment date or open book where students can take their course notes into the exam room. The open book or seen exams are looking for students to analyse, evaluate and apply, rather than just to retain knowledge.