This Business and Economics foundation pathway will develop the academic skills and subject knowledge you’ll need to progress to an undergraduate degree in a related subject.

All students on this pathway will take a compulsory Business and Society module. This module will teach you about the global and local values, culture and behaviours that define the different disciplines in the field of business studies. You’ll cover a variety of topics, including business ethics, industrial relations, entrepreneurship and business imperialism.

You’ll learn about the relationship between business, ethics and society with a dedicated compulsory module designed to introduce you to the different disciplines involved in business studies.

You will also take a core academic English module delivered by experts from King’s Foundations, which will enhance your language skills within an academic context. It will further develop your academic skills in using sources, structuring assignments, writing essays and delivering presentations.

The rest of your foundation in business and economics will be dedicated to your optional modules. You’ll be able to choose two optional modules in any combination. For example, you can combine Business Management with Economics or study Social Sciences alongside Maths for Business & Economics.

Different module combinations lead to different degrees. For example, if you combine the Economics module and the Maths for Business & Economics module, you will be eligible for all of the degrees at KBS as well as other degrees such as Maths, Economics and Psychology.

If you take the Social Sciences and Business Management modules, you can pursue a degree at KBS with no maths requirement or explore other areas of the university, including social sciences, international development, and geography.

You can see a full list of available optional module combinations on the Teaching & structure tab.

As a full-time, 120-credit programme all students undertake a minimum of 15 hours of live, face-to-face study per week, in addition to an average of 20 hours of self-study, which includes preparation for live sessions, revision, homework, completion of assignments and any other work set by your teachers. Please note that while there are normally no live classes during Reading Weeks and holidays, you are expected to use these periods to work on your assignments and complete other self-study to address any areas for development.

This programme is typically taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, classes, and practicals. We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment. 

The extended component will be studied online. You will be expected to participate in live classes online and undertake self-directed study tasks in your own time, for up to 35 hours per week. Tasks set for self-study will include interactive resources on our digital learning platform, as well as preparation for live sessions, revision, homework, completion of assignments and any other work set by your teachers.

All students on the Extended King's International Foundation programme are allocated a personal tutor who will play a key role in helping you to get the most out of your studies, providing support and encouragement for your time at university. Personal tutors provide you with the opportunity to periodically take stock of your learning, academic progress and general wellbeing as you progress through your studies, offering guidance on how to seek further support, if needed, and how to access the range of opportunities available to you as a King's student.

You will receive dedicated support when making your university application with enhanced support to progressing to a UG programme at King’s

The nature of assessment varies by module. Most modules are assessed through coursework and finalexaminations. In addition, some modules are assessed through presentations and practical laboratory examinations.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.

English for Academic Purposes 

This module provides you with the skills you need to express yourself through speaking and writing within a variety of academic contexts in the arts, humanities and social sciences. It also aims to develop reading and listening skills within those same contexts. The module focuses on understanding your strengths and weaknesses, reflecting on and redrafting work using feedback, and working effectively under pressure. The module helps you develop an ability to understand and make effective use of academic articles, books and lectures while avoiding plagiarism. It also teaches you to structure and write critical assignments, and to give academic presentations.

Academic Communication Skills for Humanities, Social Sciences and Business

This module is designed to develop your ability to express your ideas clearly, coherently and appropriately in specific academic contexts, both orally and in writing, with a focus on Humanities and select Social Sciences disciplines. It will also give you an understanding of different academic genres and of the discoursal features of academic texts in a range of disciplines and develop your critical thinking skills so that you are able to put forward logical, evidence-based arguments and evaluate those of others.

Business & Society

This module explores the interplay between business, ethics and society. It aims to teach students about the global and local values, culture and behaviours that have and will define the different disciplines involved in Business Studies, from Economics to Management. The lectures will put forward theoretical and conceptual questions, exemplified through business case studies. Students will then explore these ideas more practically in their seminars, applying critical thinking and learning to work in teams and using feedback as a key for success.

Maths for Business & Economics

This module will provide you with an in-depth introduction to major mathematics and statistics topics required for successful undergraduate study in the areas of Business Management and Economics. The module explores the principles of algebra and functions, exponentials and logarithms, matrices, differentiation, probability and statistics, and will focus on their application in business and economics. The module is delivered through a combination of theoretical lectures and problem-solving seminars. These will support you in manipulating your knowledge of key concepts so that you are able to apply them and discuss them in familiar contexts. This will also support you in beginning to understand more complex applications.

By the end of the module, you will:

• Have the mathematical background knowledge to start an undergraduate programme in a Business- or Economics-related subject.

• Have the understanding of mathematical techniques to solve simple problems in these subjects.

• Understand which mathematical techniques are appropriate for any given simple problem.

• Be equipped to suggest ways to model mathematically simple concepts in the economic sciences.

Business Management

The aim of this module is to provide you with an understanding of the world of business and of the environment in which it operates, with particular reference to UK and international businesses.

The module takes you through major functional areas of business: marketing, human resource management and finance. Current issues in the world of business will be addressed, including the importance of entrepreneurship, the role of big business, corporate social responsibility, and the impact of technological change.

In Term 1 you will learn how to analyse financial reports and learn how to apply concepts of group dynamics in a team setting. In Term 2 you will learn about key concepts of marketing, before going on to examine broader business issues, from corporate social responsibility to globalisation.

You will apply your knowledge of business concepts to real-world business cases, developing your critical thinking and analytical skills.

Economics

Societies today face a variety of complex and sometimes unprecedented challenges. More than ever before, economic prosperity and stability at the national and regional level is shaped by global events, processes, and crises. At the same time, advancements in AI and other technologies are fundamentally altering the complexion of economic life in many places. For citizens and policymakers alike, then, economic understanding has never been more important. In order to meet the challenges of the present age, high levels of economic literacy and imagination will be vital.

This module offers a foundation in economics that supports progression onto a range of KCL degrees, whether in economics, political economy, PPE, international development or other cognate disciplines. Covering the basics of microeconomics and macroeconomics, the module adopts a critical and pluralistic approach. This means that it aims to equip students with a solid understanding of basic economic theory whilst also engaging key criticisms and debates surrounding it, arising both within the discipline of economics itself and in the wider public sphere. Through this, the module seeks to develop an approach to economic understanding that is closely attuned to the issues and challenges that define the contemporary world.

Social Sciences

Social science is the study or the science of societies. The Social Sciences examine what it means to be 5a social being, ranging from the minutiae of human behaviour and social identities, to large scale social movements, demographics, economics and politics.

In this module, we will study how human behaviour can be understood and what it is exactly that makes people behave the way they do and interact with one another in society in different settings and in different social contexts; such as in public and in private, among family and friends, the media, and paid and unpaid work. In a nutshell, the module will increase your understanding of societies. While we focus on the global context, you will also become more familiar with British society and British culture and this increased understanding will make it easier for you to get on in your undergraduate degree.

The application deadlines for this programme are:

• Extended King’s International Foundation: 6 March 2026 (23:59 UK time)
• King’s International Foundation: 6 March 2026 (23:59 UK time)

After the priority application deadline, if the programme becomes full before the final deadlines to be stated at a later date, we will close the programme to further applications.

Programme dates

• Start date: 28 September 2026
• Extended start date: 17 August 2026
• Programme finishes: 28 May 2027

King's International Foundation - £28,150 (2026-2027)
Extended King's International Foundation - £32,600 (2026-2027)

Tuition fees are subject to annual increases, in line with King's terms and conditions.

Upon accepting an offer for the King’s International Foundation Programme, you are required to pay a deposit of £6,000 to secure your place by the deadline, which will be stated in your offer. If you do not pay the deposit or provide evidence of financial sponsorship by the deadline stated in your offer, your offer will expire, and King’s reserves the right not to reinstate the offer.

This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an offer (unconditional or conditional) to study with us and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King’s.

Payments are made online through the King's Apply portal.

All students need to pay the deposit, with the exception of sponsored students. If you are being sponsored by an employer or your government, for example, you will need to provide a valid Financial Guarantee letter. Please contact our Admissions team if you have any questions.

Application fee: £75

Our King’s International Foundation Programmes require a non-refundable application fee before you can submit your application to be considered. This step is built into the application process. Please note that payment of an application fee does not guarantee that you will receive an offer for your chosen programme, as many of our programmes are competitive.

If you apply for a pathway and receive a rejection your application fee will not be refunded. If you then choose to apply for a different pathway you will need to pay another application fee.

Please ensure that you carefully read the information about your chosen pathway and modules before applying.

Note: if you receive an offer, our King’s International Foundation Programme will also require a deposit to secure your place. This is in addition to the application fee; however, the deposit is used as a partial payment of the tuition fees upon enrolment. Your offer letter will include details of any deposit you must pay, deadlines, and payment methods. You should not make a deposit payment unless instructed to do so as part of an offer.

Find out more about how to apply for the International Foundation Programme.

In addition to your application and tuition fees, you can also expect to pay for:

• Accommodation and living costs
• Travel costs for travel around London and between campuses
• Books if you need your own copy or they are required for your module
• Library fees and fines
• Society membership fees
• Personal photocopies
• Printing course handouts
• Stationery
• Graduation costs

Please see our student Terms and Conditions for further fee details, including our refund policy.