Intensive International Foundation for Engineering (IIFE)

About the Course

This specialised, intensive 14-week course prepares students for academic study on selected undergraduate courses in the School of Engineering and Design. This course is ideal for students who have marginally fallen below the undergraduate entry requirements or who need more support in their English skills and would like to attend a foundation course related to their degree programme.

To Apply for IIFE:

Before applying for this course you should have applied for the relevant Undergraduate Engineering course. Once you have done this you can apply online here. Or you can download an application form (PDF) and email it to iplc@brunel.ac.uk

Aims

The aim of this course is to develop students’ skills to prepare them for their academic study on their chosen undergraduate course in the School of Engineering and Design. The programme provides a comprehensive syllabus, including core subjects in Maths and Academic English and a specialised module that directly relates to students’ chosen undergraduate course in the field of Design, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. The programme is taught in small class sizes to ensure students receive full support to develop their academic skills. The intensive nature of the course allows students to complete the foundation course in 14 weeks, rather than the usual one year foundation programmes.

Enquiries

International Pathways and Language Centre
Brunel International Admissions Office,
Brunel University,
Uxbridge,
Middlesex, UB8 3PH,
United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0) 1895 265889
Fax: +44 (0) 1895 269700
E-mail: iplc@brunel.ac.uk

Special Features

The opportunity to attend an intensive 14-week course, rather than the usual year round foundation programmes
A preparatory programme: to improve your academic skills, or refresh your knowledge prior to your academic study.
Flexible start dates, with direct entry in June or earlier if you want to benefit from extra academic English language courses
Passing the course guarantees progression onto one of a wide range of Engineering undergraduate courses at Brunel (see 'Course Content' for full details)
Specialist modules directly related to your degree, helping students to improve skills and knowledge needed for their undergraduate course.
Focus on the use of Academic English to prepare students for their undergraduate studies
Small classes (around 20 students per class)
Based on Brunel's campus - discover the University and make friends before starting your undergraduate course.
Airport Pickup, Orientation and Social programme included in cost

Academic features - School of Engineering and Design

The opportunity to study at Brunel which is ranked in the top ten for General Engineering in the Guardian University Guide 2011
Engineering and Design is one of the largest Schools in the University with over 60 members of staff involved in teaching and research, an undergraduate population of over 800 and a postgraduate population of over 200.
Accredited degrees including accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) which provide a fast-track route onto your chosen field in Engineering.
The opportunity to undertake high-quality, paid work placements within prominent companies and organisations.
Excellent employment opportunities – recent Brunel Engineering graduates have gone on to work for prestigious companies such as Vodafone, Qinetiq, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, GE Energy, The Ministry of Defence and Thales.
Exceptional facilities and resources, with software and hardware contributed by our prestigious industrial partners.

Course Content

This course aims to provide students with the required academic skills for their chosen undergraduate course in the School of Engineering and Design. The course is taught over a period of 14 weeks, in which you will take all the core components and one of the specialist components subject to your undergraduate course.

All students will take the following core components:

Mathematics: Covering Differentiation, Angles and Trigonometric Functions, Integration, Complex numbers, Series and Ordinary Differential Equations.
English for Academic purposes: Covering Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening skills. These will be taught in conjunction with the Engineering components.

Students will pick one other core module, depending on the course they wish to go onto:

Mechanical and Design Route

Student will cover: Engineering Materials, Statics of Particles, Rigid Body Statics, Friction, Kinematics of Particles, Vibrations and Stress & Strain. Choosing this route will allow them to go onto study one of the following Undergraduate courses:

Electronic and Computer Engineering Route

Students will cover: Analogue and Digital Processes, Electrical Components, Digital Systems, Analogue Systems, Waveforms and Computer Systems. Choosing this route will allow them to go onto study one of the following Undergraduate courses:

Teaching and Learning

Our purpose

The aim of the International Pathways and Language Centre (IPLC) is to provide international students with an alternative pathway onto their academic courses. IPLC’s purpose is, therefore, to provide high-quality teaching to develop students’ skills to prepare them for their academic study.

Classes are taught in small groups of no more than twenty to ensure students receive full support to develop their academic skills and build their confidence to progress onto their future academic studies.

Hours

The IIFE course is a full-time, intensive programme taught over a period of 14 weeks. Students will be taught for a total of 20 hours per week.

How will I be taught?

Classes will follow a similar format (in smaller groups) to those of undergraduate courses in Engineering and Design to introduce international students to studying at Brunel. These include:

Lectures
These provide a broad overview of key concepts and ideas relating to your course and give you a framework from which to carry out in-depth study.

Laboratories
These are normally three hour sessions where students can develop, understand and practise using industry standard equipment. They provide an informal environment in which you can explore new ideas and apply what you have learnt in lectures with the help of a tutor.

Workshops
In a workshop, you will work on more complex problems with guidance from a member of staff. This might involve producing an artefact or a design solution. These allow you to develop new intellectual and practical skills and also serve to reinforce material learnt in lectures.

Tutorials
In tutorials, classes will include up to six students. This will be an opportunity to look at your academic knowledge and to develop personal skills, such as communication ability and study skills.

One-to-one
These sessions with provide you with one-to-one supervision for English for Academic purposes. This will provide you with an opportunity to develop key academic skills in preparation for your future studies, including communication ability, note-taking, presentations and academic listening and reading.

Assessment

Several methods of assessment are applied on this course, including examinations, written work, presentations and project work. All of these methods are common place on undergraduate courses in Engineering and Design and will help prepare students for their future study at Brunel:

Engineering Module: 100% Exam based
English for Academic Purposes Module: Assesed Oral Presentation, Extended Reports and Timed Unseen Essay.
Mechanical/Design Module: Written Examinations 75%, Engineering Project 25%
Electrical/Electronic Module:Written Examinations 75%, Engineering Project 25%

Employability

During the IIFE programme you will develop the key academic and practical skills you will need to succeed on your undergraduate programme, which in turn will prepare you for future employment.

After successfully completing the IIFE programme, you will transfer onto one of the programmes in Engineering and Design, (see the course content section for details of available courses). These are highly regarded courses, and you will have the option of selecting a course with one or more of the following features:

Accredited degrees, including accreditation by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) providing a fast track route onto your chosen field in Engineering
The opportunity to undertake a high-quality, paid work placements with prominent companies and organisations as diverse as Dyson Appliances, Panasonic UK, British Airways, Coca Cola, Pentagram, DCA Design Consultants, Rolls-Royce, Audi, Motorola (Singapore), Sony and Philips.
Excellent employment opportunities – recent Brunel Engineering graduates have gone on to work for prestigious companies such as Vodafone, Qinetiq, Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, GE Energy, the Ministry of Defence and Thales.

Careers

Students graduating from disciplines in Engineering and Design have excellent opportunities in a wide choice of career paths, including automotive design and manufacture, North Sea oil production, mining and mineral processing, nuclear power, water authorities, TV production, accountancy, banking, insurance, financial consultancy and managerial roles within the electrical industry to name just a few.

Graduates have gone on to join prestigious companies such as:

Apple Computers
GlaxoSmithKline
Microsoft
Ford
Vodafone
Virgin Atlantic

Fees for 2012/13 entry

The 14 week IIFE course costs £3,900

Students also have the option of taking extra English before starting their courses:

IIFE + English Language starting on the 11 January + £7,820
IIFE + English Language starting on the 8 February + £6,920

This fee is the same for international and EU students. It does not cover accommodation or the cost of the undergraduate course.

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements for 2012 Entry

This course is designed for International students who either live in a country whose educational systems are not directly compatible with the UK, or who have fallen just below the course requirements for their undergraduate course. It is not open to Home or EU students. In order to apply you should have:

A very good pass for your high school certificate, including a good pass in mathematics, or an equivalent qualification.
You must also meet the English language requirements for the course shown below - If you do not meet the direct entry requirements then you can choose to take the IIFE plus either 13 or 17 additional weeks of English language tuition.

English Language Requirements

Direct Entry

IELTS: 5.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
TOEFL Internet test: 71 (Reading 4, Listening 9, Speaking 16, Writing 13)
Pearson: 51

13 weeks English plus IIFE

IELTS: 5.0 (min 5.0 in all areas)
TOEFL Internet test: 61 (Reading 4, Listening 9, Speaking 16, Writing 13)
Pearson: 44

17 weeks English plus IIFE

IELTS: 4.5 (min 4.5 in all areas)
TOEFL Internet test: 52 (Reading 4, Listening 9, Speaking 16, Writing 13)
Pearson: 41

Please note that we cannot accept the TOEFL paper test, the BrunELT English Test or any non UKBA approved test for entry onto the IIFE course.

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.

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