The Foundation Studies Certificate runs full-time over an academic year. There are 30 weeks divided into 3 terms, with student contact hours of max. 20 hours per week. Where possible these will be timetabled between 9.15 am and 1.15 pm to facilitate participants with family or work commitments, however this cannot be guaranteed. A further 5 - 8 hours of own-time study are required to meet the demands of the course. It is important to bear this in mind when considering the Foundation Course.
Currently some students do not participate in full-time mode. These students take only single subjects and attend the Institute in part-time mode. This mode offers participants more flexibility in taking up a course of study such as this.
Upon satisfactory completion of all modules on the Course a student is entitled to be awarded a WIT Certificate in Foundation Studies. Students who complete individual modules are entitled to be awarded single subject certificates leading eventually to the full award. Some students in previous years have taken single subjects over a period of time of more than one year.
Reflections on the course:
If anyone had said to me this time last year that I would be doing Leaving Cert. Maths I would have laughed. Well not only am I doing Leaving Cert Maths - and loving it, but I’ve five other subjects that I enjoy. This Foundation Course has been fantastic for me.I left school reluctantly just before my sixteenth birthday and it has been a dream come true for me to return to education. Mind you, it has taken a long time for me to pluck up the courage to do it. But I am glad that I did. I have met some really nice people and this is only the first step for me.
I have to express my thanks to all of the tutors who were so helpful to me and my fellow students. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is considering returning to education. It is not only about working hard, but it’s great fun too! Angela Curtin