Mrs Mariam Mckenna making a presentation at the ceremony in Accra. Picture: BENEDICT OBUOBI

Northern Consortium of UK launches pre-university training programme

Juliet Akyaa Safo Education Apr - 27 - 2019 , 11:49

The Northern Consortium of the United Kingdom (NCUK), an association for institutions of higher education, has launched its International Foundation Year (IFY) programme in Ghana for high school students.

The programme was launched in Accra on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 in partnership with Global Heritage Professional College (GHPC), a research institute in Ghana, with the aim of providing pre-university training for students who want to obtain bachelor’s degrees in the UK or in other countries.

IFY programme

The Regional Director of NCUK, Mrs Maria Mckenna, who launched the programme in Accra, said the IFY was targeting students who had completed high school and had the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 5.0 or its equivalent.

“The programme is also open to students who want to improve upon their British Curriculum A-level results, with the minimum age being 17 years,” she said.

She said the programme guaranteed access to over 4,000 degree programmes, including faculties of Engineering, Business, Architecture and Medical Sciences.

“The NCUK gives you specialist English language, study and cultural skills that are an essential part of your degree course,” she said, adding that “the IFY was a faster option which takes just nine months to complete.”

Subjects

Mrs Mckenna said the IFY included three academic subject modules plus an English Language for Academic Purposes Module, taught over nine months.

She called on interested persons to access their website for further information, adding that students who had already completed the NCUK’s international year one programme were guaranteed access directly to the third and final year of a UK degree in one of the eligible NCUK universities.

Cost

The Director of the GHPC, Mr David Atsutse, said the total fees for the IFY programme in Ghana was £6,000 per annum, which was highly subsidised and far cheaper compared to the £12,000 being charged in the UK and other universities abroad.

He said the September 2019 academic year would start with courses in Business and the Humanities before the gradual introduction of the sciences in subsequent years.

The Deputy Manager of the GHPC, Mr Isaac Sewor, also described the programme as foundation course and urged students to apply for the programme.