The Foundation Degree in Government

What they are?

Foundation degrees are work based degrees with a successful track record in the public, private and charitable sectors of improving organisational performance and developing careers. The Foundation Degree in Government is the premier Foundation degree for the Civil Service. For students they’re the way to get ahead and translate their years of experience into a qualification. For employers they’re the way to greater productivity and stronger organisational performance and are named in the Leitch Report as one of the ways forward in higher education.

Participating organisations

Foundation degrees are proven in practice. Public sector organisations with students participating in the Foundation Degree in Government include:
DWP • DIUS • HO • MoJ • CO • DEFRA • ONS • HMRC • Teacher Training Agency • GO London • CPS

Information for students and employers

For much more information about the Foundation Degree in Government including FAQs, click on the links below.

Information for Employers

Information for Students

How it works

The Foundation degree in Government is based on a framework of work-based learning which makes maximum use of e-learning and minimises time spent away from the office. To deliver it we have formed partnerships with the University of Chester and the University of Portsmouth both of which have excellent reputations in this field. Time spent at the selected university is minimal and so we emphasise the decision of which to attend should be based on the induction dates that best suit a students circumstances not the geographical location of the university.

Now recruiting

New induction dates have just been announced. Note that the induction takes place in
London over the two separate dates shown below and are not interchangeable.

• 23 May and 19 June 2008*
• 30 September and 29 October 2008**
• 12 December 2008 and 27 January 2009*
• 11 March and 20 April 2009**

*University of Chester
**University of Portsmouth

Download the application form

The Universities

The University of Chester and the University of Portsmouth both enjoy prodigious reputations nationally for running work-based learning. To learn more about them and how they deliver the Foundation Degree in Government, please click on the links below.

The University of Chester

The University of Portsmouth

Further Information

For any questions or to discuss anything about the Foundation Degree in Government, please contact
Alison Newton
01344 634 790, gtn 3803 4790
alison.newton@nationalschool.gsi.gov.uk