Social Sciences(with a foundation year) BA (Hons)
Source: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences-with-a-foundation-year-ba-hons/september-2026 Parent: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/social-sciences-with-a-foundation-year-ba-hons
Social Sciences (with a foundation year) BA (Hons)
Build your wide-ranging academic foundation. Study today’s challenges and the structures that shape them while gaining the skills to succeed on your path.
Select your start date
Key information
-
Duration
4 years full time - ### Typical A-level offer
CCD - ### UCAS code
Y002 - ### Start date
September 2026 - ### Location
Why choose this course at Sussex?
By starting your degree studies at Sussex with our Foundation Year, you develop a wide-ranging understanding of the social sciences, from current issues affecting the globe to the structures that shape our societies.
You experience a range of subjects in the Social Sciences through modules in geography, anthropology, international relations, development, law, politics and sociology. Successfully completing your Foundation Year guarantees that you’ll be able to continue studying your choice of degree from a wide range of subjects in the Social Sciences at Sussex.
You’ll build essential skills in critical analysis, developing arguments and self-expression through a dedicated programme of support and development. No matter which social sciences subject you go on to study, our experienced staff will help you develop the academic knowledge and practical skills you’ll need to succeed throughout your degree and in your future career.
- 11th in the UK for Social Sciences (The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026)
The Foundation Year gave me the chance to get comfortable with university life and learn a wide range of multidisciplinary subjects.”Katie Savage\ Social Sciences (with a foundation year) BA, now on the Geography BA\
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Modules
- Silver The student experience and student outcomes are typically very high quality.\ This rating was awarded in 2023, for four years. (Teaching Excellence Framework 2023)\ Find out more about our approach to teaching and supporting you to thrive
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
- Academic Development for Social Sciences 1
- Local Lives: Identifying Global Studies
- Order and Disorder A: Understanding Law, Politics and Sociology
Spring teaching
- Academic Development for Social Sciences 2
- Global Issues: Researching the Global
- Order and Disorder B: Understanding Law, Politics and Sociology
Options
Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.
While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.
Autumn teaching
- Analysing Media, Film and Music
- Arabic Beginners A
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 1A
- Business in Society
- Chinese Beginners A
- Cradle to the Grave A: welfare and wellbeing across the lifecourse
- Foundations in Psychology: Applied Psychology
- French Beginners A
- German Beginners A
- Introduction to Product Design 1: Process
- Italian Beginners A
- Japanese Beginners A
- Making History A
- Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics: Maths
- Reading Literature 1
- Spanish Beginners A
Spring teaching
- Arabic Beginners B
- British Sign Language and Deaf Culture 1B
- Business in Action
- Chinese Beginners B
- Cradle to the Grave B: Welfare and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse
- Foundations in Psychology: Social Psychology
- French Beginners B
- German Beginners B
- Introduction to Product Design 2: Practice
- Italian Beginners B
- Japanese Beginners B
- Leading Social Change: Communication and Activism
- Making History B
- Practicing Media, Film and Music
- Quantitative Methods for Business and Economics: Statistics
- Reading Literature 2
- Spanish Beginners B
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.
Entry requirements
Is a Foundation Year for you?
We welcome students with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, including:
- those who aren’t sure which subject, or branch of a subject, they’d like to specialise in
- those who don’t have the right combination of subjects for direct entry into Year 1
- those who don’t meet the expected requirements for direct entry into Year 1
- those who are returning to education after some time away.
You will need to demonstrate your potential to do well on a demanding degree, including the potential to succeed in your chosen discipline.
The following sets out some of the most common academic qualifications. However, each application is reviewed on its individual strengths and merits.
A-level
| Typical offer | CCD |
| Contextual offer | View contextual offer Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make contextual offers as part of our Access and Participation Plan |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above (or grade C). |
| Extended Project Qualification | We take the EPQ into account when considering your application and it can be useful in the summer when your results are released if you have narrowly missed the conditions of your offer. We do not routinely include the EPQ in the conditions of your offer but we sometimes offer alternative conditions that include the EPQ. If you wish to discuss this further please contact us |
Additional UK qualifications
Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects (including A-level mixes)
| Typical offer | M3 M3 M3 If you have one A-level and two Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects we would expect you to have grade C at A-level and, M3 and M3 in two Pre-Us. If you have two A-levels and a Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject we would normally expect you to have grades CC at A-level and M3 in Pre-U. |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above (or grade C). |
International Baccalaureate
| Typical offer | 27 points overall from the full IB Diploma. |
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and one A-level
| Typical offer | Grade D in A-level and Merit, Merit in Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma. |
| Contextual offer | View contextual offer Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make contextual offers as part of our Access and Participation Plan |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 (grade C) or above. |
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and two A-levels
| Typical offer | Grades CD in A-levels and Merit in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate. |
| Contextual offer | View contextual offer Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make contextual offers as part of our Access and Participation Plan |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above (or grade C). |
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma)
| Typical offer | MMM |
| Contextual offer | View contextual offer Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make contextual offers as part of our Access and Participation Plan |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above (or grade C). |
Scottish Highers
| Typical offer | CCCCC |
T Level
| Typical offer | Pass T Level with overall grade Merit including grade C in the Core component |
| Contextual offer | View contextual offer Not everyone has the same support to get to higher education – we help you reach your potential. When we receive applications through UCAS, we consider all factors and will sometimes make contextual offers as part of our Access and Participation Plan |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade 4 or above (or grade C). |
Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced
| Typical offer | CCC from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate and two A-levels |
| GCSEs | You will need evidence of a broad range of GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade C or above (or grade 4 in the new grading scale). |
International Baccalaureate
| Typical offer | 27 points overall from the full IB Diploma. |
European Baccalaureate
| Typical offer | 70% |
Additional international qualifications
Australia
| Typical offer | Relevant state (Year 12) High School Certificate, and a least 75% in the ATAR or UAI/TER/ENTER. Or a Queensland OP of 10 . |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Austria
| Typical offer | Reifeprüfung or Matura with an overall result of 2.7 or better. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Belgium
| Typical offer | Certificat d'Enseignement Secondaire Supérieur (CESS) or Diploma van Hoger Secundair Onderwijs with a good overall average. |
| Additional requirements | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Bulgaria
| Typical offer | Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie with excellent final-year scores (normally 4 overall with good grades in key subjects). |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Canada
| Typical offer | Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 60% from 6 grade 12 U, U/C or M courses British Columbia Certificate of Graduation BCCCC from 5 grade 12 courses We also recognise the High School Diploma from other provinces -including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick- where we look for strong performance in grade 12 subjects, and the Diplome d'Etudes Collegiales (DEC) from Quebec. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
China
| Typical offer | We assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Croatia
| Typical offer | Maturatna Svjedodžba with an overall score of 3.4 overall |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Cyprus
| Typical offer | Apolytirion of Lykeion with an overall average of 15/20 |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Czech Republic
| Typical offer | Pass in the Maturita with a score of 3 or better in each subject. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Denmark
| Typical offer | Højere Forberedelseseksamen (HF) or studentereksamen with a good overall average. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Finland
| Typical offer | Pass Ylioppilastutkinto with overall final result between EEMM - EMMM |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
France
| Typical offer | French Baccalauréat with overall final result between 12/20 and 13/20. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Germany
| Typical offer | German Abitur with an overall result of 2.5 or better. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Greece
| Typical offer | Apolytirion with an overall average of a least 15/20 |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Hong Kong
| Typical offer | Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) with grades of 4,3,3 from three subjects including two electives. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Hungary
| Typical offer | Erettsegi/Matura with a good average |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
India
| Typical offer | Standard XII results - 65% from ISC Indian School certificate of Education (CISCE) - 65% from SSC All India Senior School Certificate Examination (CBSE) - 65% HSC Higher Secondary Certificate ( Maharashtra ) |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Iran
| Typical offer | Where direct entry is unsuitable, we'll automatically consider you for one of our Foundation Years. Or you might want to apply to one of our International Foundation Years at the international Study Centre on Campus. Visit isc.sussex.ac.uk/our-courses/international-foundation-year or www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/foundation-years |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Ireland
| Typical offer | Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher Level) at H3 H3 H3 H4 H4. |
| Additional requirements | Including essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Israel
| Typical offer | We assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Italy
| Typical offer | Italian Diploma di Maturità or Diploma Pass di Esame di Stato with a Final Diploma mark of at least 71. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Japan
| Typical offer | We assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Kazakhstan
| Typical offer | Applicants with Nazarbayev Intellectuals Schools (NIS) Grade 12 Certificate may be considered. Thegrades in the offer will match the published A level requirements for each course. |
| Additional requirements | Where courses have specific subject requirements, these will be expected to be studied at Advanced level. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Latvia
| Typical offer | Pass Atestats par Visparejo videjo Izglitibu with an overall average of 60% from 4 final state/school exams. |
Lithuania
| Typical offer | Brandos Atestatas including an average score of 70% from at least three state examinations (other than English). |
Luxembourg
| Typical offer | Diplôme de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Malaysia
| Typical offer | Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) with grades of BCC, Matriculation with a least a grade of between 2.5 or UEC with an overall average grade B3 (65%). |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Netherlands
| Typical offer | Voorereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO). |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Nigeria
| Typical offer | We assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Norway
| Typical offer | Norwegian Vitnemal den Videregaende Opplaering - Pass with an overall average of at least 3.5. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Pakistan
| Typical offer | You can apply for direct entry to Year 1 if you are completing at least two years of Bachelor degree studies. You'll normally need to complete a Foundation year after taking Intermediate Certificate or the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). You might choose one of our International Foundation Years at the International Study Centre on campus. |
Poland
| Typical offer | Pass Matura with least 3 Extended level subjects in the 65th percentile. |
| Additional requirements | Please note: Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Portugal
| Typical offer | Diploma de Ensino Secundario normally with an overall mark of 14/20 |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Romania
| Typical offer | Diploma de Bacalaureat with an overall average of 7 to 7.5 |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Russia
| Typical offer | Applicants who have good grades in the Attestat o Srednem Obrazovami (Certificate of Secondary Education) and who have successfully completed the first year of a Russian University degree, with a minimum GPA of 4.0, will be considered for admission to the first year of our bachelor’s degree courses. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Singapore
| Typical offer | A-levels, as well as certain certificates and diplomas. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Slovakia
| Typical offer | Maturitna Skuska or Maturita with honours. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Slovenia
| Typical offer | Secondary School Leaving Diploma or Matura. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
South Africa
| Typical offer | National Senior Certificate with very good grades. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Spain
| Typical offer | Spanish Título de Bachillerato (LOGSE) with an overall average result of 6.5. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Sri Lanka
| Typical offer | Sri Lankan A-levels. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Sweden
| Typical offer | Fullstandigt Slutbetyg/Högskoleförberedande Examen with a total of 2,500 credits to include C grades in the majority of subjects. |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Switzerland
| Typical offer | Federal Maturity Certificate. |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
Turkey
| Typical offer | We'll consider students who have taken the Lise Diplomasi or Lise Bitirme, with a score of at least 4/5 or 80/100 in their final year, on a case by case basis for direct entry to year 1. Where direct entry is unsuitable, we'll automatically consider you for one of our Foundation Years. Or you might want to apply to one of our International Foundation Years at the international Study Centre on Campus. Visit isc.sussex.ac.uk/our-courses/international-foundation-year or www.sussex.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/foundation-years |
| Subject-specific knowledge | Evidence of academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. |
| Please note | Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
USA
| Typical offer | Students who have a High School Diploma and SAT or ACT tests only would be eligible to apply for our Foundation Year |
| Additional requirements | Evidence of your academic ability in essay-based humanities and social science subjects. Our entry requirements are guidelines and we assess all applications on a case-by-case basis. |
My country is not listed
If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us
English language requirements
IELTS (Academic)
6.0 overall, including at least 5.5 in each component
Check your IELTS qualification meets all of our language requirements
IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.
We accept IELTS One Skills Retake.
Other English language requirements
Proficiency tests
Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English (CAE)
169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill
Find out more about Cambridge English: Advanced.
We would normally expect the CAE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.
You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test.
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
169 overall, including at least 162 in each skill
Find out more about Cambridge English: Proficiency.
We would normally expect the CPE test to have been taken within two years before the start of your course.
You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test.
Pearson (PTE Academic)
59 overall, including at least 59 in all four skills.
Check your Pearson (PTE Academic) qualification meets all of our language requirements
Find out more about Pearson (PTE Academic).
Please refer to our English language requirements above, and as listed for each of our undergraduate courses, to find the appropriate English level for the course you are applying for.
PTE (Academic) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.
We do not accept the PTE Academic Online test.
TOEFL (iBT)
80 overall, including at least 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking, 17 in Writing.
Check your TOEFL qualification meets all of our language requirements
Find out more about TOEFL (iBT).
TOEFL (iBT) scores are valid for two years from the test date. You cannot combine scores from more than one sitting of the test. Your score must be valid when you begin your Sussex course.
The TOEFL Institution Code for the University of Sussex is 9166.
English language qualifications
AS/A-level (GCE)
Grade C or above in English Language.
Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE)/ AS or A Level: grade C or above in Use of English
GCE O-level
Grade C or above in English.
Brunei/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.
Singapore/Cambridge GCE O-level in English: grades 1-6.
GCSE or IGCSE
Grade C or above in English as a First Language (grade 4 or above in GCSE from 2017).
Grade B or above in English as a Second Language (grade 6 or above in GCSE from 2017).
Ghana Senior Secondary School Certificate
If awarded before 1993: grades 1-6 in English language.
If awarded between 1993 and 2005: grades A-D in English language.
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE)
Level 4, including at least 3 in each component in English Language.
Indian School Certificate (Standard XII)
The Indian School Certificate is accepted at the grades below when awarded by the following examination boards:
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) – English Core only: 70%
Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - English: 70% or Grade 3
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)
English A or English B at grade 5 or above.
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
Grades A – C in English
Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) 119/GCE O-level
If taken before the end of 2008: grades 1-5 in English Language.
If taken from 2009 onwards: grade C or above in English Language.
The qualification must be jointly awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).
West African Senior School Certificate
Grades 1-6 in English language when awarded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Country exceptions
Select to see the list of exempt English-speaking countries
If you are a national of one of the countries below, or if you have recently completed a qualification equivalent to a UK Bachelors degree or higher in one of these countries, you will normally meet our English requirements. Note that qualifications obtained by distance learning or awarded by studying outside these countries cannot be accepted for English language purposes.
You will normally be expected to have completed the qualification within two years before starting your course at Sussex. If the qualification was obtained earlier than this we would expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have maintained a good level of English, for example by living in an English-speaking country or working in an occupation that required you to use English regularly and to a high level.
Please note that this list is determined by the UK’s Home Office, not by the University of Sussex.
List of exempt countries
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Canada**
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Kingdom
- USA
** Canada: you must be a national of Canada; other nationals not on this list who have a degree from a Canadian institution will not normally be exempt from needing to provide evidence of English.
English language support
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for your degree, you may be able to take a pre-sessional course
If your qualifications aren’t listed or you have a question about entry requirements, contact us
Fees
Home students
£5,760 per year
Channel Islands and Isle of Man students
£5,760 per year
In 2025/26, fees for Home students and Channel Islands and Isle of Man students are £5,760 per year. The University of Sussex keeps fees for Home students and Channel Islands and Isle of Man students in line with UK Government-approved levels. These have not yet been confirmed for 2026/27. In line with our terms and conditions, the University charges fees at the maximum levels set by the UK Government.
The UK Government has announced its intention to increase the tuition fee cap for the 2026/27 year. For more information see the UK Government’s web page.
International students
£23,500 per year
If you’re an international student, note that fees for the foundation year are at standard lower rate but fees for courses you can choose to continue your studies can be at the lower or higher level. This means your fees could rise from lower to higher level after the foundation year, depending on your choice of course.
Living costs
We know the rising cost of living is on everyone’s mind, and affects us all in different ways. Our guide to living costs has been designed to help you plan and budget for life as a Sussex student.
Learn more about typical living costs
Scholarships
Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to regardless of financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique people.
£5,000 in the first year of full-time study
Find out more - Climate Leaders Scholarship
£3,000 cash per year of full time study.
Scholarships recipients will be supported to develop a high level project plan and provided with mentoring support.
Find out more - Sanctuary Scholarship (Undergraduate)
- Full 'Overseas' tuition fee waiver
- £16,440 per year of undergraduate study (up to 4 years)
- Sussexsport membership
- Guaranteed continuation of housing
Find out more - Sussex Bursary
£1,000 in your first year of study (either Year 1 or Foundation Year).
£500 in your subsequent years of study.
Find out more - Sussex Pakistan Scholarship (Undergraduate)
£4,000 discount on the first year of tuition fees
Find out more - Sussex Turkey Scholarship (Undergraduate)
£4,000 discount on the first year of tuition fees
Find out more - Undergraduate Enrichment Award
£6,000 over 3 years of study
Please note: Foundation Year courses are not eligible for USA federal Direct Loan funds. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid
Next steps
Successfully completing your Foundation Year means you’re able to take a range of degrees at Sussex. The current list of courses available is:
- American Studies and Politics (with a study abroad year) BA (Hons)
- Anthropology and International Development BA (Hons)
- Anthropology BA (Hons)
- Anthropology with a Language BA (Hons)
- Childhood and Youth: Theory and Practice BA (Hons)
- Climate Justice, Sustainability and Development BA (Hons)
- Criminology and Sociology BA (Hons)
- Criminology BA (Hons)
- Criminology with Psychology BA (Hons)
- Education BA (Hons)
- Education with Psychology BA (Hons)
- Geography and Anthropology BA (Hons)
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- International Development with a Language BA (Hons)
- International Relations and Anthropology BA (Hons)
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- International Relations BA (Hons)
- International Relations with a Language BA (Hons)
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- Law with Business and Management LLB (Hons)
- Law with Criminology LLB (Hons)
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- Politics and Philosophy BA (Hons)
- Politics and Sociology BA (Hons)
- Politics BA (Hons)
- Sociology and International Development BA (Hons)
- Sociology BA (Hons)
- Sociology with a Language BA (Hons)
- Sociology with Media Studies BA (Hons)
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A-level - contextual offer
DDD
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma and one A-level - contextual offer
Grade D in A-level and Merit, Pass in Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate and two A-levels - contextual offer
Grades CD in A-levels and Pass in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma) - contextual offer
MMP
T Level - contextual offer
Pass T Level with overall grade Pass including grade C in the Core component