Public Services including Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

University of South Wales

United Kingdom, Cardiff

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University of South Wales

United Kingdom , Cardiff

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

F430

Campuses

Pontypridd

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 17,200 / year

Next Intake September-2026

Public Services including Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

About

This Foundation Year programme is designed to prepare you for further study at degree level through various modules covering essential academic and IT skills that will help you as you progress through university. You will develop your knowledge in public services approaches and ethos, including policing and crime, as you study a variety of modules that look at contemporary issues and the media.

Study Skills
This module will teach you the required skills to progress to higher education study whilst developing your academic reading, writing, speaking and examination abilities.

Investigative Project
You will independently research a topic of your choice before planning, evaluating and presenting your findings.

Digital Capability
Develop your confidence using the digital tools required for higher education including blackboard, google scholar and Microsoft

Contemporary issues within Policing and Crime
An introduction to the causes and symptoms of contemporary criminality, looking at areas including mental health, technology, status and power.

Serious and Violent Crime
This module explores characteristics and behaviours of those engaged with serious, organised crime. You will examine how these crimes impact society and learn about police investigations.

Crime, Media and Culture
You will gain an overview of key themes and approaches in the field of media and cultural studies with a reference to understandings of crime in modern Britain.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Academic Qualifications

Applicants who have completed a Diploma of Technician / Technical Diploma in a relevant subject can be considered for year 1 entry of an undergraduate degree
Applicants who have followed the IB Diploma curriculum can be considered for undergraduate entry – the normal UCAS tariff will be applied
Applicants who have followed the A-Level curriculum can be considered for undergraduate entry – the normal UCAS tariff will be applied

Undergraduate Advanced Entry

Students who have completed a 2 year Diploma or Associate Degree from a recognised institution can be considered for advanced entry onto the 2nd year of an undergraduate degree programme

If your qualification is not covered above or you do not meet the set criteria please contact us and we will see how we can assist you.

English Program Requirements

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Career

Career paths

Civil service and local government  
Uniformed public services: Policing, fire and rescue services, ambulance services, armed forces 
Policy development and design  
Charitable and voluntary organisations  
Social and academic research

Careers and Employability

Graduate Careers

Our Public Services foundation year prepares you to confidently progress onto the BA (Hons) Public Services degree, leading to diverse career opportunities across the public sector—one of the UK's key areas for graduate employment.

Recent graduates have landed roles as prison officers, trainee paramedics, firefighters, police officers, and call handlers, as well as positions in rescue services and the armed forces. You can also explore non-uniformed roles like civil service, local government, housing, youth work, policy development, social research, and charitable work.

Careers Support

You’ll have access to advice from our careers and employability service throughout your studies and when you graduate. This includes one-to-one appointments with faculty-based career advisers either in person or virtually through video call or email. We also have online resources to help explore career options and ensure you present yourself well to employers. These include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, an interview simulator, and application help. We also have over 2,000 registered employers targeting business graduates, so we’ll sign you up to receive weekly email alerts for jobs that match your interests too.

Industry partners

We team up with top organisations to make sure your course is always in tune with what employers need.

Each year, we work with big names like the National Crime Agency, the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner, and the Welsh Government to keep our curriculum cutting-edge.

You’ll also benefit from our connections with emergency services, local authorities, and charities, who offer placements, practical projects, and guest speakers. This means you'll get hands-on experience and insider knowledge that will set you apart in the job market. 