Foundation Year in Business, Finance and Accounting

Two students studying on a laptop

Key information

UCAS code: N23F

Duration: 1 year

Attendance mode: Full-time

Fees: £5760 (more information)

Location: Clerkenwell campus

Start of programme: September 2026

Application deadline: January 2026

Entry year: Showing course information for 2026

Gain a solid foundation in business, finance & accounting, exploring key concepts & market dynamics.

Overview

Foundation Year in Business, Finance and Accounting Who is it for?

The Foundation Year is intended to provide a bridging role between pre-university study and the academic rigour of an undergraduate degree.

The Foundation Year gives you a fundamental knowledge of mathematics, statistics, economics, business management, finance and accounting to ensure that you are fully prepared to enter Programme Stage 1 of any of the Business Management, Finance, and Accounting and Finance - related degrees at Bayes.

Course objectives

  • Provide you with a foundational education in business, finance and accounting, including concepts, theories, methodologies and techniques to develop a basic understanding of organisations and markets, their major functions, their management and the changing external environment in which they operate.
  • Develop your skills to enable you to tackle problems through an appreciation of cultural, political, economic and technological issues.
  • Provide you with an interdisciplinary intellectual framework, together with a familiarity with both literate and numerate modes of thought, analysis and expression.
  • Develop your hard skills which deal with technical or administrative procedures related to an organisation’s core business and soft skills (people skills) linked to how people relate to each other: communicating, listening, engaging in dialogue, giving feedback, cooperating as a team member, solving problems, as well as personal self-reflection and self-awareness.
  • Equip you with the ability to work and think both independently, as well as part of a team, in solving problems faced by the business community.
  • Develop you into a responsible, ethical and socially aware business person or manager.

Teaching staff

Course director:

Dr Elisabetta Pellini

Senior Lecturer
photo of Elisabetta Pellini

Course content

You will study a number of core disciplines which are relevant to business, finance and accounting, you will also learn practical business skills, and you will learn analytical and critical thinking approaches which you can apply within the Foundation Year and your subsequent study.

Course structure

Term 1

Compulsory Modules
  • Fundamentals of Business and Management

    This module will introduce you to fundamental topics in Business and Management including units on: models of management, the business environment, managing people, leadership, corporate social responsibility, human resource management, corporate strategy, marketing, organisation structure, and managing operations.

  • Essentials of Quantitative Methods

    This module will introduce you to a wide variety of quantitative methods that are used for problem solving in the business and financial worlds.

  • Fundamentals of Finance

    This module will introduce you to the financial markets, various financial instruments and how to value these.

  • Fundamentals of Economics

    This module will introduce you to both micro and macroeconomics

Term 2

Compulsory Modules

  • Fundamentals of Accounting

    This module will introduce you to the principles that underlie financial accounting, the application of these principles in recording transactions and preparing financial statements, and the interpretation and use of financial accounting information

  • Business London

    – This module will introduce you to the historic role of the City of London and how this has developed overtime to maintain its place as a leading centre of global commerce.

  • Individual Project

    This module will actually start in the first term but most of your independent study will take place in the second term. The module will develop your skills in research, independent study and communication skills as you write a project that investigates a topic in business and finance.

Additional Second Term Modules

Core for Business Management students, elective for Finance and Accounting students, not available to Finance students.

  • Fundamentals of Business and Management II

    This module will extend your knowledge from the first term and will look at international organisational management. Topics will include the international organisation environment, managing people overseas, leadership across countries and cultures, corporate social responsibility, global human resource management, corporate multi-national strategy, international marketing, organisation structures, and managing cross border operations.

Core for Finance students, elective for Finance and Accounting students, not available to Business Management students.

  • Fundamentals of Quantitative Methods for Finance

    This module will extend your existing knowledge of mathematics to further develop your analytical and problem-solving skills. The programme of study will be divided into lectures in calculus, algebra and statistics. With these new skills you will be able to solve a wider variety of problems in the worlds of finance and business.

Download course specification:

Foundation Year in Business, Finance and Accounting [PDF]

Assessment methods

Assessment is carried out according to context and purpose and recognises that you may exhibit different aptitudes in different forms of assessment. You will therefore be assessed in a variety of ways which allow development of a range of learning and teaching styles. These will prepare you for the assessments you will undertake on progressing to the degree programme.

Most modules are assessed by both coursework and an exam.

Coursework can include:

  • Essays or reports which you can take home and complete with the aid of your notes.
  • Class tests.
  • Online quizzes and tests using the Virtual Learning Environment.
  • Individual and group presentations.
  • Group projects, sometimes based on case studies.
  • An individual project, which is a piece of work where research skills are developed.

The format and timing of coursework varies considerably between different modules.

The term ‘formative assessment’ refers to assessment where you are expected to act on feedback and take it into account in subsequent coursework or exams. Some modules contain a considerable amount of formative assessment, where you will need to carry out coursework at various stages during the module. In such cases the coursework comprises a succession of separate activities. Where a module includes several components to the coursework this does not imply that you are expected to put more effort into the module than would be the case for a module with a single piece of coursework, but you will need to spread that effort across a term.

Formal unseen written exams take place at the end of each term (or at the end of the year, if a module is taught over both terms).

Assessment methods

  • Course work
  • Oral presentations
  • Examinations

Overall workload

Most contact hours take the form of lectures but with additional tutorials to develop understanding.

Foundation workload

Study type

28%
Scheduled learning
72%
Independent learning

Term dates

Academic year

For a full breakdown of the current and forthcoming academic year view our term dates page.

Students in a study group reading a financial services booklet and using an iPad to collaborate on a project.

Careers

Graduates from Bayes go on to thrive in a wide range of careers. Those with a Finance background are well-equipped for roles in the financial industry, corporate finance, consulting, regulation, and government.

Business and Management graduates often pursue careers in consulting, marketing, operations, project management, and business development, with many also using the programme as a launchpad for entrepreneurial ventures.

Accounting and Finance graduates leave with strong analytical and professional skills, preparing them for careers in finance, auditing, and accountancy.

Alumni stories

  • Hear from our alumni. Discover the real experiences of learning at Bayes and how Bayes helped to boost our graduates' careers.

    Read all stories

Study abroad

Bayes Business School gives you the opportunity to spend a term or a year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions, which are located around the world in Australia, Europe, Asia and the Americas.

*Please note that the partner universities available is dependent on the study abroad programme you apply for and on your degree. The list of partner universities is also subject to change.

Asia and Australasia

Australia

  • Queensland University of Technology

    Located in the bustling city of Brisbane, QUT was the first Australian university to gain 'triple crown' accreditation (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB).

  • University of Queensland

    Located in the popular Australian city of Brisbane, the University of Queensland features in the top 100 of 3 of the major rankings (QS, THE and ARWU).

  • University of Sydney

    As Australia’s first university, the University of Sydney has an excellent long-standing reputation and is also ranked best student experience in Australia.

  • RMIT University

    Giving you the chance to study in Melbourne, Australia's 2nd largest city, RMIT is one of Australia's original educational institutions. Their well-established business school allows students to choose from a wide-range of subjects.

China

  • Renmin University of China

    Located in Beijing, Renmin Business School is both EQUIS and AACSB accredited. Their MBA programme is ranked in the top 50 in the world by the Financial Times.

  • Shanghai Jiao Tong University

    You will take classes from the Antai College of Economics and Management, which was the first business school in mainland China to have been triply accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. They have Bachelor programmes in Economics and Finance.

Hong Kong

  • Chinese University of Hong Kong

    CUHK was ranked the most innovative university in Hong Kong in 2016 (Reuters). The 137 hectare campus overlooking Tolo Harbour houses a range of facilities such as world-class libraries, art museums, music halls, a swimming pool, sports fields, tennis courts, squash courts, a water sports centre and gymnasiums.

  • University of Hong Kong

    HKU is consistently ranked in the top 50 world universities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings). You will be studying at their Faculty of Business and Economics.

  • Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

    HKUST is ranked 4th in the QS Asian University Rankings 2016. HKUST Business School was the first school in Asia to be awarded dual accreditation by AACSB and EQUIS. It offers 11 undergraduate business programmes.

Singapore

  • National University of Singapore

    NUS is ranked 1st in the QS Asian University Rankings 2016 and is one of the top 25 world ranked universities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings). More than 1,000 exchange students visit NUS each year.

  • Nanyang Technological University

    Nanyang is ranked 54th in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings. You will have the chance to study at one of Asia's most prestigious universities in the heart of Singapore.

  • Singapore Management University

    SMU was founded in 2000 by the government of Singapore, modelling itself on an American style university structure. SMU has over 180 exchange partner universities around the world.

South Korea

  • Seoul National University

    SNU was founded in 1946 as the first national university of Korea. SNU Business School was also the first business school in Korea to be certified by the Associate to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Vietnam

  • RMIT Vietnam Campus

    Living and studying at RMIT Saigon South campus in Ho Chi Minh City will give you great opportunities to get immersed into a dynamic, multicultural and intriguing city.

Europe

Austria

  • Vienna University of Economics and Business

    WU has triple accreditation, one of only two German-speaking universities belonging to this group. They have a well-established exchange programme, with around 240 partner universities around the world.

Denmark

  • Copenhagen Business School

    Copenhagen Business School often abbreviated and referred to as CBS, is a public university situated in Copenhagen. It is considered one of the most prestigious business schools in Western Europe and the world. CBS has been engaged in student mobility for decades and has a large number of partner universities all over the world. They send over 1,100 students to study at partner universities every year

France

  • ESCP Europe, Paris campus

    Like Bayes, ESCP is triple accredited (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB). The Paris campus is located in the centre of the city. The Masters in Management, from which you will take classes, is currently ranked 4th in the Financial Times rankings (2016).

  • ESSEC Business School

    Established in 1907, ESSEC is one of the leading institutions in Europe for business education. Their BBA was the first programme in France to receive the prestigious AACSB and EQUIS accreditations.

Germany

  • Technische Universität München

    TU Munich was named as the number one university in Germany in the QS World University Ranking 2016.

  • University of Mannheim

    The University of Mannheim Business School is highly ranked and has an excellent reputation. You will be studying modules from their Bachelor degrees in Business Administration and Business Education in either German or English.

Italy

  • Bocconi University

    Based in Milan, Bocconi is a triple accredited school (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB) and is ranked 6th in the Financial Times European Business Schools Ranking 2016.

  • LUISS Guido Carli

    LUISS Guido Carli is a private Italian university located in the heart of Rome. They are currently EQUIS and AMBA accredited and Luiss was actually the first Italian institution to have all its management programs accredited by EQUIS back in 2015, from the bachelor's degree program to the Master in Business Administration, as well as additional master's, specialization, doctoral, and business training programs. We are also currently ranked 59th in the QS ranking for Business and Management and our Master in Management is ranked 1st by the Financial Times based on career progress.

Norway

  • BI Norwegian School of Management

    BI is the only Norwegian university with triple accreditation and has student exchange agreements with more than 200 institutions in 45 different countries.

Spain

  • ESADE Business School

    The school is located in Europe’s most international city and Spain’s second largest city, Barcelona. Like Bayes, ESADE is triple accredited (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB).

  • IE Business School

    Situated in the heart of Madrid's financial district, IE Business School is ranked 1st in Spain and 5th in Europe (FT European Business School rankings 2015).

The Netherlands

  • Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

    RSM is consistently ranked in the top 10 business schools in Europe and has 'triple crown' accreditation (AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). You will study all modules in English.

The Americas

Argentina

  • Universidad Argentina de la Empresa

    Located in the heart of Buenos Aires, UADE has exchange agreements with 40 partner universities around the world. You will take modules from the undergraduate Global Management degree.

Canada

  • HEC Montreal

    Like Bayes, HEC Montreal is triple accredited (EQUIS, AMBA and AACSB) and was the first school in North America to achieve this. There are opportunities to study in French or English.

  • Smith School of Business - Queen's University

    Queen's Smith School of Business has a rich history dating back to 1841 and is consistently ranked as one of Canada's leading universities. It welcomes over 300 exchange students every year from more than 40 countries.

  • Ivey Business School, Western University

    Ranked in the top 100 for Financial Times MBA Rankings, Ivey School of Business provides a competitive combination of world-class teaching and modern facilities.

  • Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

    UBC is one of Canada's leading research universities and is consistently ranked in the top 40 of the world. Located 30 minutes from the heart of down-town Vancouver it attracts students from more than 140 countries world-wide.

  • University of Waterloo

    For 19 years in a row, Waterloo has been named Canada's most innovative university in the Maclean's annual university reputational rankings. The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science at Waterloo is among the top academic units for statistical and actuarial science in the world and is home to over 900 undergraduate students.

Chile

  • Universidad de Chile

    Based in the cultural city of Santiago, the Universidad de Chile is one of only 10 Latin American universities ranked among the world’s top 500. It is ranked 6th in the QS Latin American Ranking 2016.

USA

  • Emory University, Atlanta

    Located near downtown Atlanta, Emory University Goizueta Business School's BBA programme is currently ranked No. 15 by both Bloomberg BusinessWeek and U.S. News & World Report.

  • Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

    The Ross School of Business has one of the top undergraduate business programmes in the USA, ranked #4 (US News & World Report, 2016). You will take modules from their Bachelor in Business Administration.

  • Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

    Located in College Park, eight miles from The White House and downtown Washington, D.C. you will be studying at the Robert H. Smith School of Business whose undergraduate programme was ranked number 19 in the USA (2016 U.S. News & World Report).

  • McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin

    One of the largest business schools in the US, McCombs is ranked the 6th undergraduate business programme in the 2017 US News and World Reporting Ranking.

  • McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia

    The McIntire School of Commerce is regarded as one of the best business schools in America. Their UG programme is #5 in the USA (Bloomberg Business Week, 2016). They are partnered with a select number of business schools around the world, with Bayes being one of them.

Fees & funding

UK/Home fee

Tuition fee for September 2026

  • BSc tuition fee:

    £5760

    The Foundation Programme is for home fee paying students only.

* Tuition fees are subject to annual change.

Tuition fee increases

The foundation year is a one year programme.  On passing the foundation year, students will progress onto the main degrees where the fees will increase.  Details on these fees can be found on the main course pages.

Scholarships & bursaries

View our scholarships and funding

Entry requirements

The Foundation Programme is for home fee paying students only. If you think you may still be eligible based on your circumstances, for example you have EU Settlement/Pre-Settlement Status, Indefinite Leave to Remain or Refugee Status, please email bayesug@citystgeorges.ac.uk.

If you are an international student please refer to City St George’s International Study Centre for information about the International Foundation Programme.

Standard home offer

  • A Level
    BBB
    plus GCSE Mathematics grade 6 (B) and GCSE English Language or English Literature grade 4 (C).
  • International Baccalaureate (IB)
    30 points
    overall with minimum 5 in Standard Level or 4 in Higher Level Maths and English.
  • BTEC
    DDM
    plus GCSE Mathematics grade 6 (B) and GCSE English Language or English Literature grade 4 (C). We also accept combination qualifications of BTEC/CTEC plus A level.

UK qualifications

A-Level: BBB

  • We accept all foreign language A Level subjects, and such subjects are considered for entry even if it is the applicant’s native language.
  • If you are studying General Studies or Critical Thinking these subjects will not be included in any offer condition.
  • For A-Level applicants we also require a minimum of grade 6 (B) in GCSE Mathematics and grade 4 (C) in GCSE English Language or English Literature.

IB: 30 points overall with either 4 in Higher Level or 5 in Standard Level in both Mathematics (either Maths Analysis & Approaches or Maths Applications & Interpretation) and English.

International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme – We welcome IBCP applicants on a case-by-case basis.

BTEC: DDM plus a minimum of grade 6 (B) in GCSE Mathematics and grade 4 (C) in GCSE English Language or English Literature.

OCR Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDM plus a minimum of grade 6 (B) in GCSE Mathematics and grade 4 (C) in GCSE English Language or English Literature.

Combination A Level plus BTEC/CTEC: Either A Level grade B plus BTEC/CTEC grades DM or A Level grades BB plus BTEC/CTEC grade D.  We also require a minimum of grade 6 (B) in GCSE Mathematics and grade 4 (C) in GCSE English Language or English Literature.

English language requirements

If your first language is not English, we require evidence of English language proficiency. Minimum requirements are:

  • GCSE: Grade C or 4
  • IGCSE: Grade C
  • O-Level: Grade C
  • A-Level: Grade C
  • Language Cert International ESOL: Language Cert B2 Communicator High Pass
  • IELTS (Academic, UKVI or IELTS Indicator): 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in any sub-test
  • IELTS One Skill Retake: Must be taken within 60 days of previous IELTS test. Accepted for one sub test where all other components and the overall score have been met
  • TOEFL (Test centre or iBT Special Home Edition): 92 overall (24 Writing, 23 Reading, 22 Speaking, 21 Listening)
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: 59 overall with minimum of 59 in each sub test
  • International Baccalaureate: Grade 5 at Standard level or Grade 4 at Higher level
  • Cambridge English Advanced (also known as Certificate in Advanced English): Grade C (180 overall) at CEFR Level C1 with minimum 170 in each sub test
  • Cambridge English Proficiency (also known as Certificate of Proficiency in English): Pass qualification (all grades accepted)
  • Cambridge English First (also known as Certificate of First in English): Grade A (180-190) at CEFR Level C1
  • Vitnemal: English grade 5
  • French Baccalaureat: 14/20 in English
  • Malaysian GCE O Level (SPM-1119 syllabus only): grade A

Student life

Study at Bayes and take advantage of all that London has to offer - from entertainment and nightlife to West End theatres, museums and world-famous shopping districts and markets.

See our Undergraduate Student Life page for further information.

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Apply

All applications should be made through UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Applications are made via Apply, UCAS's online application system.

Terms and conditions

Students applying to study at Bayes Business School are subject to City St George's, University of London's terms and conditions.

More information about applying to Bayes

Apply via UCAS

  • Institution code: C60 (Bayes Business School and City St George's, University of London)
  • Course code: N23F (Foundation year in Business, Finance and Accounting)

You can find more information at UCAS and in the UCAS Handbook.

Apply via UCAS | N23F

Contact us

Speak to one of our staff from UG's programmes teams.

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