About Foundations units

Foundations units from Cliff College cover essential topics such as Evangelism and Christian Mission, Pastoral Practice and Growing in Leadership. The majority of teaching and learning for these units takes place online, with some units offering in-person seminars at Cliff College's campus in Derbyshire. These seminar days will also be accessible online.

Each unit offers a combination of video content, reading and independent study and online learning exercises. You will also be asked to contribute to discussion boards where you will be able to share your thoughts, learning and research with other students taking this unit. These discussion board contributions, along with a creative written assessment and a recorded presentation, will form the marked elements of your unit.

Find out more about Foundations units at our upcoming online event:

Each unit is taught in ten sessions over ten weeks, with a further five weeks to prepare and submit your assessment. The units can be taken individually or as part of the Foundations: Mission and Ministry pathway. The following units will be available in 2024-25.

* these units are available as part of the Foundations: Mission and Ministry pathway

Cliff College is an approved partner of The University of Manchester. These units have been developed by Cliff College and lead to the award of undergraduate credit from The University of Manchester.

Foundations: Mission and Ministry pathway

The Foundations: Mission and Ministry pathway is a combination of six Foundations units, taught over two years.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where do I study?

Anywhere! These units have been specially designed so that you can take them wherever you are in the world. The majority of the teaching and learning happens online, on our dedicated CliffX learning platform. In every unit, there are two seminars that bring all students together at the same time. You can join these via video-conference, from wherever you are in the world. If you are in the UK, you are very welcome to join us for these seminars in person at Cliff College.

2. When do I study?

The majority of each unit is ‘asynchronous’, which simply means that you can engage with it at any time you like. The learning material and activities is available on CliffX, and you can log-in and complete as little or as much as you like in one session. The two seminars which are part of every unit are ‘synchronous’, which means that all students do gather together at the same time for these sessions. You can join them in person or online, and the dates and times for these are advertised alongside each unit. You do need to put those times in your diary, because attending these synchronous sessions (either on campus or online) and interacting with the tutor and others students is an essential part of the learning.

3. When do the units run?

These units run according to a schedule, which you can find on our website. Typically, units will launch in September, January and April.

4. How will I access the learning?

All teaching and learning resources are accessed via our dedicated CliffX learning platform. If you’ve never completed any online learning before, don’t worry, because we have a series of guidance videos to get you started, and our dedicated IT support team is also on hand to help. You will receive a login to the CliffX platform, from which you can access the unit learning materials, complete all online activities, view the reading material in our online library, and submit your work for assessment.

5. How long will it take me to complete?

Each unit is typically arranged into ten sessions. The first and last sessions are taught as live seminars, and the other eight are released online on a week by week basis. You don’t have to complete each week’s learning within the week it is released, though. We recognise that you may be studying alongside many other things, and some weeks you might have more time than others. You do, however, need to complete the learning in time for the assessments. The dates for these are given to you at the beginning of the unit, but the final assessment is typically due around five weeks after the end of the teaching.

6. How many units can I take?

Each unit in this portfolio is standalone. We typically deliver one or two units at any one time. You can take as many units as you wish to take.

7. What will I get for completing a unit?

In addition to the knowledge and skills you will gain from your study, successful completion of a unit will lead to the award of 10 FHEQ Level 4 credits by The University of Manchester. You will be issued with a transcript from the University detailing this credit.

8. Can I transfer the credit into the BA Theology and Mission degree programme?

Some of the units you can take are matched with units in the first year of the undergraduate programme. It is therefore possible to apply to transfer the credit for these units (10 credits at Level 4 FHEQ), as part of an application to the undergraduate degree. We would normally accept a maximum of 60 credits from the Foundations portfolio (6 units). So, if you are planning to do this – or if you begin to think this may be an option for you as you study – please do speak with our Admissions Officer at the earliest opportunity.