UK Study Pathways Explained | Foundation vs IYO vs Pre-Master’s 2026

Okay, let's start.

So, hello everyone. Good morning, good e

good good afternoon and good evening.

Thank you so much for joining our

webinar today. My name is Jawi and I'm

the recruitment proposition manager at

In London. Um, today we're going to walk

through everything you need to know

about our Into UK pathway programs. what

they are, who they are for and how they

can open the door to a top UK university

degree.

So firstly, I want to give you a quick

overview of what we will be going

through today. We will start with the

three core UK pathway programs, the

international foundation, the

international year 1 and the premasters.

Then we will take a step back and

visualize how each of these fits into

your students full start journey so you

can really picture the timeline. We will

also go through some cost estimates to

help with financial planning. After

that, our assistant director of

recruitment, Katherine, will share some

exciting recent updates from IN2,

including new products and policy

changes you will want to know about. And

of course, we will close with the Q&A.

If you have any questions, please feel

free to type them in the chat or speak

out during the Q&A session. After the

webinar, I will share the recording and

the slides we used today with you. So

you can always come back come back to

watch it again or share it with your

team members.

So what exactly is a pathway program?

Think of it as a bridge, a carefully

designed stepping stone between a

student's current level of education and

the entry requirements of a UK

university. These are specialized

intensive preparatory programs that

combine academic subject teaching, study

skills development and English language

training all in one. They exist because

the international education system is

incredibly diverse. A student coming

from Malaysia, Nigeria, China or Brazil

may have excellent qualifications, but

those qualifications don't always

directly translate to UK Alevel

equivalency. The pathway program solves

that problem. And crucially, upon

successful completion at the required

level, students have the guaranteed

progression to their chosen UK

university degree. The journey looks

like this. A student comes from their

home country education system, completes

a pathway program, and then they move on

directly into a UK university degree,

whether that's a bachelor's or a

master's.

Now, who exactly is the pathway program

designed for? There are four main types

of students who benefit most. First,

students with an academic gap. either

their qualifications aren't directly

recognized by UK universities for entry,

which is very common across many

education systems globally, or they

don't have strong enough grades for

direct entry to a bachelor degree and

need a second chance. Second, students

whose English level needs to be raised.

Maybe they are currently at is 5.0 or

4.5, but need to reach 6.0 0 or 6.5 for

their target university. During the

study at into pathway programs, we have

the dedicated academic English module to

help students to improve their English

level, help them to be better prepared

for their upcoming bachelor or master

degree study. More importantly, for our

guaranteed progressions, as long as the

students English mod grades meet the

progression requirements, they do not

need another to progress to our partner

universities. Third, students who want

to switch subjects, for example, a

student who studied arts at high school

but now wants to pursue a business

degree. And fourth, students who simply

want preparation and confidence. They

may technically qualify for direct entry

to a UK bachelor degree, but want that

extra year to get used to UK academic

culture, teaching styles like tutorials

and lectures and independent study

before diving into a full degree.

Pathway programs serve all of these

students.

So now let's talk look at the first

program in detail the international

foundation. This is a level three

qualification which means it's

equivalent to UK A levels and it's

designed for students who have completed

around 11 to 12 years of schooling that

could be SPM in Malaysia IGCSE or

similar secondary qualifications from

around the world. The program typically

runs for one academic year about nine

months. For some in centers, there's

also an accelerated two-term option

available for stronger candidates.

During the foundation year, students

study a combination of sub subject

fundamentals relevant to their intended

degree path pathway. options include

business, art and design, medicine,

computer science, law, engineering,

science, social sciences along with

academic English throughout. At in

centers, we provide two to five term

course options to suit students with

different English language levels. There

are two types of progression routes. If

the student is studying at a into

international study center that's

physically located on or near a

university campus, they receive a

guaranteed direct progression offer into

year one of that university's bachelor's

degree. If they are at an inch choice

center, apart from the guaranteed offer

we provide, they gain access to over 100

UK and overseas partner universities

through the UKcast application process,

which gives the student a bit more

flexibility. Either way, the total study

journey from foundation to a full owner

degree is four years if the student is

taking a standard three-term foundation

program. And in Scotland, students will

have guaranteed progression directly

into year two of a 4-year undergraduate

degree. In total, it will be four years

as well.

Let's break down what that four-year

journey actually looks like. In year

one, the student is on the foundation

train program building subject

fundamentals, developing academic

English skills, and learning how to

conduct research and write academically.

This is entirely delivered by inu in a

supportive environment with smaller

class sizes and dedicated pastoral care.

Then from year two onwards, the student

is officially enrolled at the

university. This is the official start

of their bachelor's degree. Year two is

their first year of university. Year

three depends their knowledge and if

year four is the final year of the

bachelor degree culminating in a

dissertation and final exams. At the end

of that journey, the student graduate

with a full UK owners degree which is

internationally recognized and highly

valued by employers worldwide.

Students may also apply for the sandwich

course which means they will have the

opportunity to undertake an additional

year either studying abroad or placement

year between second year and final year

of their undergraduate study.

This second program is the international

year one. This is a level four

qualification equivalent to the first

year of a university degree itself. This

program is for students who are a step

ahead. Perhaps they already have A

levels or have completed a foundation

program elsewhere, but they just missed

the direct entry grades or they have

strong academic but need additional

English language support to meet the

university's requirement. The IO

delivers the actual firstear university

curriculum, the same content that other

students are studying at the university,

but in a smaller, more structured class

environment with integrated English

support built in at an in center. And

because the IO is equivalent to year one

of the degree, students who successfully

completed progress directly into year

two of the bachelor's program at the

university. This means the total study

journey is only three years, exactly the

same as a domestic student doing a

standard three-year degree. Our

international year one program also

accepting students from other

qualifications. the entry requirements

is slightly higher than our foundation

programs. So for student who have

finished the high school from their home

country and met our entry requirements,

they can choose apply for the IVO

instead of the foundation program to

save a year of time and money. Again, in

Scotland, students will have guaranteed

progression directly into year three of

a 4-year undergraduate degree. So in

total, it will be three years as well.

So how does that three-year journey map

out? In the pathway year, the students

complete the international year 1

program at an into international study

center or an inch choice center. They

are studying the full first year

university curriculum but with the added

benefit of smaller group sizes and

integrated English language development.

Then in year two they join the

university as a second year student

sitting alongside with the direct entry

students and in year three they complete

their final year modules see their exams

and submit their dissertations and at

the end they receive the same award as

any other graduates a bachelor of art or

bachelor of science owner degree from

their UK universities no asterisk no

qualification difference it's a full

degree And for the um international year

one when students progress to the

university they will also be able to

have some sandwich options as well which

means they can add an additional year

for study abroad or placement year in

between their year two and year three

study at the university.

Now let's move to the post-graduate

route. The premasters program. This is a

level six qualification and it's

designed for students who already hold a

bachelor's degree or diploma but face

one of several challenges for direct

master's entry. Perhaps their

undergraduate degree is from a system

that's not directly equivalent to a UK

bachelor's. Perhaps their grades aren't

quite at the level the university

requires. Or perhaps they are switching

disciplines entirely. For example,

moving from an engineering background

into business. The premasters is

flexible in duration. It can range from

one term to a full academic year

depending on the students profile and

needs. During the programs, student

focus on research skills, advanced

academic writing, subject specific

modules and English for academic

purposes. All the tools they will need

to thrive at M's level. Upon completion,

the progress they progress into a

one-year master's degree, making the

total journey just two years.

The two-year premasters to master's

journey is one of the most efficient

route we offer for student who want to

study master degree in the UK. During

the pathway year, students build up

their research method methodologies,

learn how to structure essays and

dissertations, and work to raise their

English to the IT 6.5 level or

equivalent required for most

post-graduate programs. Then in the

university year, they enroll directly

into a one-year M's degree. Within just

two years of starting their pathway,

they walk away with the full UK

post-graduate master's degree. This is

an incredibly attractive and

timeefficient option for ambitious

student.

And I also want to take a moment to

highlight a really important feature of

many of our INQ pathway programs, the

ICAS route, which stands for integrated

confirmation of acceptance for studies.

What ICAST means in practice is that the

pathway program and the university

degree are combined onto a single

student visa. This is a huge practical

advantage. Students don't need to apply

for a second visa between their pathway

year and their degree. It's all on one

document, one study plan from day one.

It also means students do not need to

return home between their pathway and

degree programs which eliminates

eliminates a lot of stress, cost and

logistical complexity. Another benefit

is that the ICAS route accepts a wider

range of English language qualification.

It's long not limited to IATS only and

students on the ICAST route are

permitted to work up to 20 hours per

week during term time just like standard

student visa holders. This is a really

seamless and reassuring experience for

students and their families.

So now that we have covered all three

pathway programs individually, let's

compare them side by side. So it's easy

to advise students on which route is

right for them. The foundation is for

students who have completed year uh

completed 11 to 12 years of education.

Your high school levers it takes one

year and it leads to year one of a

bachelor degree. A total of four years

to graduation. The international year

one is for students with stronger

academic foundation perhaps A levels or

equivalent who are ready for degree

level content but need additional

support or miss direct entry

requirements. It's also one year but it

skips straight to year two of the

bachelor degree meaning just three years

to graduation in total. And the

premasters is for degree holders looking

to enter M's program. It's often one

year or less and leads into a one-year

master's degree, a total journey of two

years. The key question to ask any

student is what level of education have

you completed and what's your target

degree? That will almost always point

you to the right program immediately.

So now let's look at how these three

roots compare visually against a direct

entry pathway. You can clearly see that

the foundation route add one preparatory

year before year one of a three-year

degree giving a four-year total. The IO

route also takes one year but but

because it replaces year one of the

bachelor degree the total is still three

years matching the direct entry

timeline. And the premasters sits at the

post-graduate level adding one prep year

before the master's year for 2year

total. What this chat reinforce is that

our pathway programs aren't just

consolation routes. They're structured

proposed for journeys that lead to the

same prestigious UK degree outcomes just

with the right preparation built in.

And let's talk about the costs because

this is often one of the first questions

students and family would ask. These are

illustrative figures in British pounds.

Please do note that their estimates and

extra cost will vary depending on the

specific university location and the

students lifestyle. For tuition, pathway

program fees typically range from around

12,000 to 22,000 per year. Undergraduate

degree tuition at UK universities for

international student generally falls in

the 18,000 to 30,000 plus range annually

and post-graduate programs are typically

between 20,000 to 35,000 per year on top

of tuition student need to budget for

living cost in London that's typically

around 166,000

per year while the rest of the UK tends

to be more affordable. at around 12,000

per pound per year. I'd always recommend

encouraging students and families to

check the specific university and entry

center websites for the most upto-date

fee information and to explore

scholarship opportunities which can

significantly reduce their costs and

also if the student has decided to study

in the UK we would encourage them to

confirm their places with in as soon as

they can so they can start looking for

some more affordable accommodation opt

options as well to save some money.

Here is a map showing all of our entry

centers across the UK so you can see

where they are located. We have eight

international study centers as well as

three choice centers including into

Manchester, Sterling International Study

Center and In London. Of course, these

centers will offer a wide range of

pathway programs depending on a

student's need such as university

ranking, degree subject, financial

budget, and preferred location. We can

always help them to find the most

suitable pathway program at one of our

into UK centers.

Before we move on to our update section,

let me summarize the key takeaways from

everything we have covered so far about

the UK pathway programs. So, first

flexibility. Whatever a student starting

point, there's a program designed to

bridge the gap to their university

goals. Second, support pathway program

aren't just academic. They're structured

to support students culture adoption,

well-being, and confidence as they

transition to UK university life. Third,

guaranteed progression. The clear

structured route to top UK degrees

expect by formal progression guarantees

upon successful completion from the IN2

center. And fourth, choice. Student have

control over the pace of their journey

whether they want to fast track or take

the time they need to feel fully

prepared and now I will hand it over to

Katherine some exciting updates from INU

recently.

>> Thanks Jawe. Hi everyone I'm Katherine

assistant director for UK student

recruitment. Um so onto the next slide

please Jawe. I think you'll have to

steer for me.

Um so we as Jave mentioned we've had

some recent exciting changes uh

happening at INU with some new programs

new policies

um trying to make things more

streamlined and more accessible for our

students um in the future. And so as you

will all have experienced within the

industry itself within international

education things have changed a lot

recently. Student journeys are becoming

more complex. Um there's lots of shifts

in immigration and regulatory um

policies and environments. Um uh ongoing

geopolitical uncertainty which is very

pertinent at the moment um and changing

in the demands um from students and

where they want to study. So we want to

be able to still continue to meet the

expectations of students who want more

flexible and personalized pathways. um

families that want reassurance and

support um and universities that need

partners who can extend uh reach and

diversify recruitment. Um so next slide

please shall we?

So what we're doing um in order to meet

these demands um is trying to open up

access even further to international

education by making it more simple,

clear and supportive. Um next slide

please.

So what we've been doing recently

includes changes to our IELTS

requirements which is the first major

change I'll discuss. Um so you'll see on

the table below um for our different

groups of study centers um our new IELTS

requirements. So we have um simplified

and standardized the IELTS requirements

that are now in place for our

international foundation programs. So

this new mod model now benchmarks the

three-term international foundation

IELTS as 5.0 for the majority of our

programs and we've also um standardized

our subskll requirements a little bit

further as well. Um so previously many

of our programs at three-term foundation

level may have required a 5 a 5.5 in

IELTS um where now we are a 5.0 O um in

the majority of our subject areas. Um

and you can see in the table below the

the differences there um with some lower

requirements in subsklls for some of our

centers.

And just a caveat that uh we do still

have some exclusions for this. So

programs that lead to uh university

degrees with a higher IELTS requirement

at maybe a 7.0 0 for example, which

would be very consistent among health um

and medicine related programs. So they

do still remain higher. Um but all of

the information is available on our

partner portal.

And then also just to mention that when

a student chooses an ICAST program, uh

the entry requirements may still remain

higher due to UKVI restrictions on the

minimum IELTS for degree level programs.

Next, please.

We've also had a recent update to our

under 18s policy. So, because um we do

accept students who are under 18 onto

our pathway programs, um we do have um

policies in relation to accommodation

and guardianship in place. Um these have

changed a little bit. Um the biggest

change is that now students are able to

stay in purpose-built student

accommodation and they can arrange it

directly um with the accommodation

provider. Um and the option um is that

the students would require a

guardianship but we will be partnering

with a guardianship provider and we can

arrange all of this on the students

behalf.

Um there is we've also extended from um

students who are under 18 to live um

with a close family member as long as

they're over the age of 21. So

previously um this policy was in place

where only a student could live with a

parent or guardian over the age of 21.

But this has been expanded um to now

allow a close family member. And what

UKVI defines as a close family member is

a grandparent, a stepparent and an aunt

or uncle, brother or sister. So there

are um there is more flexibility now

with this policy. Um just to note that

this policy isn't fully operational yet.

So um we haven't got our new terms and

conditions or new contracts in place but

more information uh will be coming on

this at the end of March. So do stay

tuned for the final final updates on

when this is completely live.

And then recently we've also had some a

range of new products. Um so both ICAS

and standalone products. Um so in in

business we've had a range of uh ICAST

international year 1 programs both at

exit and Newcastle University

international study centers. Um next

slide please. I'll go through these

quite quickly and there's just a couple

that I want to pick out in particular.

Um, so new products also include art and

design at Manchester and then we have

our extended international year one at

the Queens University Belfast

International Study Center. And I do

just want to pick this one out

separately as it is a slightly different

model to everything to the the three

main program types that we've discussed

already in the session. So the extended

international year 1

this is an accelerated 12-month pathway

program where the first term is an

academic focused foundation bridge. So

the students come in with um GCSE or

equivalent entry requirements onto a

one-term foundation bridge uh and then

they progress directly onto our

international year 1 program after that.

So this is aimed at high achieving

students um who have similar um academic

qualifications to students who would

normally study on a foundation program

but have higher English language

requirements. So it is a new program

type for us at INU. Um and it really uh

makes for an interesting 12 month

pathway. So normally uh our

international year 1 or foundation

programs are a 9-month program. So this

is a 12 month program because we have an

additional term of foundation study at

the start. So uh students can fast track

from foundation through international

year 1 and to the second year of their

degree program um within a very similar

timeline to a student studying on

international year 1 or even direct

entry.

And we have those subjects available in

business, finance and engineering.

Um and let's go on to the next one

at in engineering. Then we also have a

range of foundation and international

year 1 new ICAST programs in at

University of Exit in chemical

engineering, biomedical engineering and

robotics. Um and similarly at Newcastle

um we've expanded our range of

engineering ICAST programs um to include

aerospace, chemical, civil, electrical,

mechanical and naval.

And the next one

and computer science. So this is a very

exciting update that we launched um in

around November time of 2025. Um, so

we've increased or expanded our computer

science portfolio now to include

international year 1 programs at Exiter

Newcastle and City St. George's

University of London. Um, so we now do

have a wide range of international year

1 programs in computer science joining

our existing programs at Sterling and

Queens. Uh so if you do have students

who are interested in this subject area

um you can be assured that they'll find

uh a program uh with us at in at one of

our centers. So it's a very exciting and

uh yeah exciting and interesting subject

area at the minute. Um one of the

increasing more more popular subjects.

And next please. Uh and then we have

some uh additional new products. So very

exciting um international year one in

law at city St. George's University in

London. This is the only international

year 1 program in uh law in London. Uh

so this is a very exciting new product

for us within the portfolio. Um the law

school at city had four British prime

ministers who studied there. Um and the

programs are accredited by the bar

standards board for the general council

of the bar. So that is a very um

exciting new program for us um in law

particularly in London.

um into London then we have launched our

uh into qualification um so formerly um

our uh foundation programs were uh

accredited by NCUK and we're now

delivering the program ourselves under

our in qualification

um but the the changes still um the

changes mean that we still have our

guarantees um with the same university

progression opportunity unities and we

have seven global top 150 universities,

nine Russell Group universities and 20

plus universities in London. Um so for

students and Jawi can I'm sure explain

it a little bit better than me and but

for students who want um a choice uh as

students who want uh flexibility after

they complete their um foundation

program uh into London is a great option

as they have uh a choice to study at a

lot of different universities uh all

over the UK. Uh Jawe do you want to jump

in and explain the choice at London a

little bit more?

>> Yeah sure. Um before that I just quickly

I want to give you an update about the

grant guarantee progression for into

London as well with the I new IQ

qualification in business foundation and

science engineering foundation. Now into

London offers guaranteed progression to

Queen Mary University of London as well

which is a really really good university

very top ranked university Russ

University in London so it's a very

attractive option for international

students I believe and uh so yeah for

the choice center as into London as a

choice center when student come to study

with us they will have some guaranteed

progression options which as long as

student meets the guaranteed progression

requirement and they will be able to

progress to these universities. But

apart from these guaranteed

progressions, they also have other over

100 UK universities and overseas

universities they can apply for. They

are also accepting our pathway

qualifications from in London. During

their study at In London, we have a um

placement team. The placement manager

will help student for one-to-one

meetings to discuss their application

plan and provide lectures to help

student to understand how to use the

UKCAST application, how to fill the UK

application form and how to write a good

personal statement. And um our academic

English teacher will also review the

students personal statement and give

them feedback to make sure they are

providing the best one when they apply

to the universities. And based on the

students application results through

UKCAST, the student then decide which

university they want to progress to for

their bachelor degree study and master

degree study. This is the choice and

they give students a

much wider range of flexibilities when

they considering which university to

progress. The good thing for uh choice

center is that before the student come

to the UK they don't need to commit to

any universities they can come to study

with us spend a year um of the pathway

program study at into London and during

their study we have the education fair

for student to meet the admission team

and recruitment team from a lot of

highranked Russ universities and other

universities in the UK and we will also

arrange um day trips to the university

campuses to help the student to

understand what the university looks

like and what we where they study at the

university. So they can make the

decision after fully considered and

investigated the UK education systems

and universities.

>> Great. Thanks Joey.

>> Welcome. So now maybe we can move on to

the Q&A session.

>> Sure. If you have any questions,

>> we've got a question in the chat already

around an offer letter for into

Manchester. Um, without seeing the full

offer letter, I can't give exact advice

on what is required, but I'm guessing

with into Manchester that we do probably

require the IELTS for UK VI um as it

will be a below degree level program.

Um, so yeah, it but you can check that

with your um regional manager or drop us

an email afterwards if you'd like us to

check anything. Um, but I would assume

that would be a UK vi IELTS require

requirement.

Feel

free to um turn your microphone on if

you'd prefer to ask a question or you

can continue to drop them into the chat.