
The Foundation Programme provides a broad introduction to businesses, how they are governed,maintained and financially managed, and the laws to which they must adhere.
Entry requirements
Students without a background in law, finance or governance start with the Foundation Programme set at Level 4 (equivalent to first year undergraduate level). It is a Level 4 qualification, set at the same academic level as a first-year undergraduate degree.
The path to becoming Chartered begins with the Foundation Programme
It is the first step to a career as a governance professional or company secretary. The Foundation Programme provides the relevant skills and knowledge to help prepare you to meet the demands of Part One of the Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme. This is especially useful if you do not have the academic or professional experience to enter the Qualifying Programme at Part One. The Foundation Programme is your first step on the path to a career as a governance professional or company secretary.

Benefits of studying at Glamis Business School
Students
Course content
The Foundation Programme covers the following subjects:

- Business environment – how businesses are organised and run and how the external environment affects business activities
- Law – an introduction to corporate and business (commercial) law and the legal framework within which businesses operate
- Company compliance and administration – introducing legal, ownership and management structures for companies, how companies are incorporated and routine company compliance and governance obligations
- Finance – the basics of bookkeeping and how to understand the components of financial documentation as well as the principles of financial decision making
Fast-track your career
We have 2 intakes for our CGI (ICSA) Foundation course.
The first intake starts in February to prepare students for the June examinations.
The second intake starts in August for the November examinations.
Our course is delivered in 11 weeks with a total of 51 hours.
Registration with CGI (ICSA)
Subscription fee
Your first year (or half year) student membership subscription is included in the registration fee, but if you are still studying the Foundation Programme when this expires, you will need to renew your subscription.
Examination entry fee
Once you are ready to take your exam, you will need to pay the examination fee before the close of the exam entry deadline. For June exams the deadline is usually in March and for November exams it is usually in September.
Assessment
This qualification comprises four modules and is assessed via one 3-hour (with 15 minutes’ reading time) closed-book examination which is set and marked by the ICSA institute. Students must pass this examination to be awarded the qualification. The pass mark is 50%.