International Study Centre

Undergraduate Foundation Programme in Business, Economics, Accounting & Real Estate

If you have dreams of a career in business, whether it be economics, accounting or real estate, our programme could be the first step on your academic journey.

Student studying in library

Kickstart your career today

The Undergraduate Foundation Programme in Business, Economics, Accounting & Real Estate will prepare you for undergraduate study in a related field at Aberdeen. Equivalent to the first year of a four-year Scottish degree, our pathway programme gives you the start you need to graduate in the same amount of time as a domestic student.

What will I study?

This three-term programme has been designed to complement your university studies by introducing you to the learning culture of Aberdeen, all whilst helping you settle into life in the UK. You will study a range of modules, both academic and language based, to gain the skills you need for academic success at university. 

Term 1

This module covers:

  • introduction to book-keeping and double entry accounting conventions
  • accounting equation, transaction, recording and trail balance production
  • depreciation, bad dept and stock adjustment
  • sale of assets
  • matching principles
  • difference between cash and profit

This module covers:

  • microeconomic concepts and principles
  • equilibrium in markets
  • demand and supply
  • analysis in terms of totals, averages and at the margin
  • government regulation of economic activities and the provision of some goods and services
  • normative and positive analysis
  • societal welfare

Term 2

This module covers:

  • why some nations have high rates of inflation
  • analyse why unemployment is higher in some countries
  • macroeconomics
  • economic and recession and depression

This module covers:

  • the capitalist revolution
  • technology, population, growth and innovation
  • globalisation
  • scarcity
  • firms, demand and markets
  • supply, demand and markets
  • business ethics

Term 3

This module covers:

  • the role of financial institutions, such as the London Stock Exchange
  • the characteristics of assets
  • time value of money
  • personal financial planning

This module covers:

  • what makes organisations such a powerful feature of the modern world
  • an exploration into the ways in which organisations depend on the activities of individuals to maintain them
  • the structures and managerial practices that people work together with effectively

This module covers:

  • introduction to statistical software
  • sorting and classifying data
  • averages and variability
  • probability and decision making
  • probability distributions
  • sampling distribution
  • estimation
  • hypothesis testing

Progress to your degree

After completing your Undergraduate Foundation Programme and achieving the necessary grades, you can transition to the second year of your chosen undergraduate degree. Undergraduate degrees at the University of Aberdeen are referred to as Masters of Arts, or MA degrees. A Scottish MA is equivalent to an undergraduate degree. By completing this pathway, you will be able to progress to the following degrees:

Degree Programme NameAwardOverall GradeEnglish GradeGrade Module
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