NCC International Foundation Year in Sri Lanka at Universal College Lanka

TL;DR The NCC International Foundation Year at Universal College Lanka is a full-time pre-university qualification that takes ten months and is built for students who have finished their O/Levels. The tuition fee on the Uplift record is LKR 650,000. NCC Education UK awards it, and the course record says students can move straight into Year 1 of a degree once they pass.

Not every student wants to wait for A/L results, and not every student is sure which degree they want. A foundation year sits between the two. You finish school-level study, build the academic habits a degree expects, and choose a subject stream before you commit to a full degree. This guide explains how the NCC International Foundation Year works at Universal College Lanka, who it suits and what to check before you apply.

What the programme is

The NCC International Foundation Year is a one-year, pre-university qualification. It is delivered full-time at Universal College Lanka and awarded by NCC Education UK, an awarding body with centres in more than 50 countries.

To complete it, a student must pass 120 credit hours. These are made up of four compulsory modules and two or three elective modules from one of four streams: Computing, Business, Science or Engineering. The stream you pick decides which electives you study, so it is worth thinking about the degree you have in mind before you enrol.

The programme is open to O/Level completers. Students who have already finished A/Levels but want stronger preparation for university study can also enrol.

Who can join

Entry has two parts, and a student needs to meet both.

Academic entry

The programme asks for GCSE or IGCSE O/Levels with a minimum grade of C, or 5, or an equivalent, in each subject. The passes must include Mathematics and English. If your O/Level results include both, you meet the academic gate on the Uplift record.

English entry

English can be met in one of three ways: an IELTS score of 4.5 or above, an equivalent English language qualification, or a pass in the NCC Education English Placement Test, which applicants can sit instead. A student who does not hold IELTS does not have to arrange it first.

What you study

Every student takes four compulsory modules.

• Developing English Language Skills, which builds reading, writing, listening and speaking

• Research and Study Skills for University Study, covering critical thinking, academic writing and time management

• English for Academic Purposes, a step-by-step route into academic English and presentation skills

• Mathematics for University Study, which revises school mathematics and applies it to practical problems

The electives depend on your stream.

Computing and business streams

The Computing stream offers Introduction to Computer Science, Introduction to Programming with Python and Digital World. The Business stream offers Introductory Business and International Economics. Business students who enjoy numbers and Computing students who like logic puzzles both find the module list a gentle introduction to their field.

Science and engineering streams

These streams draw on Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Further Mathematics for University Study. They suit students who expect to move into a science, health-related or engineering degree and want the maths and lab-based thinking in place first.