Degree Foundation Course
This is a one-year programme designed to enable students to get direct entry to South Bank University on their degree courses. Students can specialise in three main areas of study leading to one of the following degree courses:
1. Engineering
2. Computing
3. Business SEMESTER I SEMESTER II 1. Maths 1 1. Maths 2
2. Communication& Study skills 2. Computing 2
3. Computing 1 3. Communication 2
4. Options 4. Options Options: 1. Introduction to Programming 2. Physics 3. Finance 1 & Finance 2 Entry Qualifications Students should normally be aged 16 years or over. They must possess four GCSE's or their equivalent qualification at grades C and above one of which must be in Maths, plus a reasonable knowledge of the English language. Duration of Course The course is made up of two semesters, with one starting in September and finishing in June and the second semester starting February and finishing in December. See the full list of fees & start dates Syllabus MATHS I Assessment: By in-course assessment and final examination. Aims 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental processes of arithmetic.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of basic algebraic notation and competence with elementary algebraic processes.
3. Apply fundamental arithmetic and algebraic processes to a range of business calculations.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of functional notation and use this in plotting and interpreting graphs of linear functions.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of matrices and perform elementary operations on them. COMMUNICATIONS I Assessment: By in-course assessment and final examination. Aims 1. Understand how to gain access to written and graphic information and use it to present reports.
2. Understand the use and application of aural and oral skills in business communications.
3. Understand the conventions of written English as used within business organisation.
4. Have an awareness of the factors involved in the understanding and presentation of views and opinion.
5. Understand the role of communication as it relates to the operational aspects of an organisation.
6. Have an awareness of the various needs for information within organisations and how to present this appropriately.
7. Understand the varying needs for information within organisations and how to present this appropriately.
8. Understand the factors that may have an impact on communication within groups. MATHS II Assessment: By in-course assessment and final examination. Aims 1. Apply fundamental processes to arithmetic to problems set in a computing or a commercial context.
2. Have an elementary understanding of number systems other than denary.
3. Demonstrate competence in dealing with a range of algebraic techniques.
4. Demonstrate the ability to handle graphs of quadratic and other related functions.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of elementary statistics. Demonstrate an understanding of sets and of elementary operations upon them. COMPUTING I Assessment: By in-course assessment and final examination Aims a) To enable learners to take responsibility for the evaluation, selection and development of IT systems in their own area of work;
b) To develop awareness of the ways in which IT can enhance the quality and efficiency of work tasks & the working environment. COMMUNICATION & STUDY SKILLS Assessment: In course assessment and final end of year examinations. Aims 1. Understand how to gain access to information.
2. Understand the use of aural and oral skills in basic business communication.
3. Understand the basic conventions of written English.
4. Understand the role of oral skills in discussion and presentation of information.
5. Understand the channels of communication within an organisation.
6. Have a basic understanding of the various methods of communication used within organisations.
7. Understand the need for effective interaction between people within an organisation and the outside world. OPTION 1 - INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING Assessment: By in-course assessment and final examination. Aims 1. To demonstrate competence in the use of a procedural programming language.
2. To analyse business problems and to develop an appropriate solution to it using the chosen programming language.
3. To demonstrate the use of a variety of techniques for testing and debugging programs. These should include the use of test plans for valid and invalid data, and the use of trace techniques to monitor the values of variables.
4. To demonstrate an awareness of the importance of a program and of system testing to ensure that each program and also the suite of programs function correctly under all conditions.
6. To produce documentation, both user and technical, to support the suite of programs.
7. To evaluate the final solution to the business problem. OPTION 2 - PHYSICS Assessment: By in-course assessment and final examination Aims 1. To acquire a systematic body of scientific knowledge and develop an understanding of physics including its power and limitations.
2. Develop experimental and investigative abilities.
3. Develop an understanding of the nature of physics ideas and activity in addition to the basis for scientific claims.
4. Develop an understanding of the technological and environmental applications of physics and of the economic, ethical and social implications of these. OPTION 3 - FINANCE I Assessment: In course assessment and final end of year examinations. Aims * Plan and control personal finance
1. Sources and costs of personal finance.
2· Personal assets and liabilities, income and expenditure.
3· Personal taxation.
4· Simple cash flow statements.
5· Use of spreadsheets.
6· Covering any personal activities which allow the Outcome to be verified while respecting Confidentiality. * Construct and monitor a budget for a business project
1· Direct and indirect costs.
2· Fixed and variable costs.
3· Apportionment of overheads.
4· Budgetary techniques and conventions.
5· Project planning. * Understand and interpret financial statements
1· Sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, non-profit-making organisations, local authorities; retail, service and manufacturing businesses.
2· Trading account, profit and loss account, balance sheet, manufacturing account, appropriation account, cash flow statements.
3· Measures of financial performance.
4· Form of financial reports.
5· Sources of financial statements and reports.
6· Accounting terminology. * Identify and assess the financial needs of an organisation and how they are met.
1· Sources of finance - duration, costs, advantages and disadvantages.
2· Interest rates.
3· Financial markets.
4· Corporate taxation.
5· Government grants and assistance.
6· Stakeholders' interests.
Gearing accepted tolerance for financial ratios FINANCE II Assessment: In course assessment and final end of year examinations. Aims 1. To develop skills and understanding in accounting which are relevant to the learner's immediate and future employment.
2. To develop the learner's understanding of accounting as a source of financial information for the evaluation of problems and decision-making.
3. To prepare the learner for further and more specialised accounting studies including, if required, an NVQ in Accounting. * Operate day-to-day financial systems
1· Types of financial documents - orders, delivery notes, invoices, credit notes, vouchers.
2· Structure of the accounting equation.
3· Rules of double entry.
4· Division of the ledger.
5· Stock control procedures and stock valuation methods.
6· Manual and computerised systems. · Extract, summarise and evaluate data from a financial system.
1· Trial balance.
2· Correction of errors.
3· Aged debtor analysis.
4· Customer statements.
5· Credit control.
6· Analysis of sale based on product/geographical area. * Prepare financial statements for a range of business organizations.
1· Profit and loss account and balance sheet for sole trader.
2· Modified statements for partnerships and limited companies including appropriation account.
3· Modified statements for service, manufacturing and non-profit-making organizations.
4· Accounting concepts and conventions.
5· Depreciation.
6· Bad and doubtful debts. | 
