If you are an international student and have not followed an educational system comparable to the one in Malta (in terms of curriculum, years of study, etc.), then you need to complete a Foundation Course that will prepare you for admission to the desired undergraduate course at the University of Malta.

The Foundation Studies Course is a one-year full-time programme.

The Foundation Studies Course currently has six streams:

• Humanities
• Business Studies, Business Studies (Tourism)
• Science (Physics) (Chemistry)
• Engineering and ICT
• Medical and Dental Sciences
• Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy) ( Nursing) (Podiatry) (Applied Food and Nutritional Sciences)

To be accepted on the Foundation Studies Course you need:

• a Secondary and/or high school certificate issued abroad
• to have studied in an educational system that is not comparable to the Maltese one (in terms of curriculum, years of study, etc.)
• one of the following qualifications in English:

A minimum IELTS overall test score of 5.5, with a reading and writing score of at least 5.0.

TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) with an overall score of 59, and a minimum score of 17 in the reading and writing components.

Cambridge First Certificate at grade C or better.

Qualifications which allow you access to an undergraduate course in the selected discipline in the country where such qualifications originate.

The Foundation Studies Course will:

• provide you with the knowledge as well as the personal and interpersonal skills and organisational framework upon which to base your future studies
• engage and stimulate you while giving you the appropriate support needed to move from a fully structured educational environment in high school to the knowledge, skills and attitudes required of degree students
• enable you to progress successfully to academic programmes of study by offering specific training and support in those core areas where you may require further assistance.

Each stream in the Foundation Studies Course includes a different set of core subjects, but English is a fundamental element in all of them.

If you opt for the Humanities stream, you will follow History, Psychology, French, Philosophy, Social Sciences and Communications.

The Business stream covers Accounting, Economics, Psychology, Communications, and Mathematics. In addition, the Business Tourism stream also covers Identity and cultural heritage and statistics for tourism. 

When you choose the Science (Physics) and Engineering stream, you will study Mathematics and Physics. If you opt for the Science (Chemistry) one, you will study Organic and Inorganic Chemistry and Mathematics. If you choose ICT, you will study Mathematics, Physics and Computer Programming. Should you decide on the Medical, Dental and Health Sciences stream you will study Human Biology, Biochemistry, and Anatomy (including Cell Biology and Genetics). (For a detailed description of the content of the programmes of study, please refer to the respective Programme of Study). 

One of the great advantages of studying at the University of Malta is that the language of instruction is English.

Students who successfully complete the Foundation Studies Programme will be awarded the Certificate in Foundation Studies. This entitles you to enrol on undergraduate courses at the University of Malta as well as at other universities.

The streams prepare students for various degree courses at the University of Malta in the fields of Arts, Finance, Management and Economics, Media and Knowledge Sciences, International Relations, Social Wellbeing, European Studies, Tourism, Engineering, Science (Physics), Science (Chemistry), Information and Communication Technology, Built Environment (Architecture), Medicine, Dentistry, and Allied Health Sciences eg., Nursing, Podiatry, Occupational Therapy, Dental Technology and Dental Hygiene. Click here for the full list of undergraduate courses.

The Foundation Studies Programme is taught at the main campus of the University of Malta (Msida).  

When you follow the Foundation Studies Programme of the International School for Foundation Studies you have access to the same facilities as undergraduate and post-graduate students at the University of Malta, such as the library, science and computer laboratories, sports venues, a multi-faith room, and others.

The University of Malta also offers a Counselling Unit, Disability Support Unit, Students’ Advisory Service, and Chaplaincy. There are also various student organisations which cater for social, cultural, political, and special interests, as well as a University Students’ Council, which also intervenes in matters that directly concern students.