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.


The knowledge and skills you learn on this course will prepare you for studying Part One of the Qualifying Programme. In the end of this course, you will gain a better understanding of:
- how businesses are organised and run and how the external environment affects business activities.
- the fundamentals of corporate and business (commercial) law and the legal framework within which businesses operate.
- legal, ownership and management structures for companies, how companies are incorporated and routine company compliance and governance obligations; and
- the basics of bookkeeping and how to understand the components of financial documentation as well as the principles of financial decision making.
The ICSA Foundation Programme is aimed at individuals wishing to achieve Chartered professional status with ICSA or those wishing to pursue roles/careers in company secretarial, governance, risk and compliance-related fields
Course content
The Foundation Programme covers the following subjects:

Exams
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%.
Fees payable to ICSA
Registration fee: Your initial registration fee includes your student membership for one year (or half a year, depending on when you register), access to ICSA study support resources – including past exam material and study support webinars – and an e-copy of the study text.
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 the last week of March and for November exams it is usually in the last week of September.
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.
Benefits of studying at Glamis Business School
Fast-track your career
Our ICSA Foundation course starts on 20 March 2021 and we will prepare students for the June 2021 examinations. Our course is delivered in 11 weeks with a total of 66 hours.
FEES

Registration fee - full year subscription

Registration fee – half year subscription (1 Feb – 31 July)

Examination entry fee £157 Subscription fee
Read about the benefits of student membership which your subscription brings on https://www.icsa.org.uk/join-us/student-membership