Description
Gulf College (GC, the College) offers its General Foundation Programme (GFP) in alignment with the Oman Qualifications Framework (OQF). The programme entry standards are in line with the Oman Academic Standards for General Foundation Programmes (OASGFP).
Accordingly, the GFP covers three components, namely English, Information Technology (IT) and Mathematics (Math), as well as Study Skills which are integrated into the three modules. The GFP is managed by the Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS), while admission to the programme is managed by the Admissions and Registration Department (ARD) in the Centre for Admissions and Registration (CAR).
Programme Objectives
- To improve students' English language proficiency across the four language skills, as required for success in an English-medium programme;
- To develop students' subject knowledge and academic study skills in English, Mathematics, and Information Technology, in order to support their success in higher education;
- To enable students to progress to an undergraduate programme in Business or Computing upon acquiring the required skills and foundational knowledge; and
- To engage students in a range of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities that further prepare them for higher education and develop their sense of civic and social responsibility.
Admission Process
Applicants holding a General Education Diploma or equivalent qualification are eligible for admission to the GFP. The admission process is initiated at the Admissions and Registration Department (ARD) upon submission of all required documents. Where an applicant provides evidence of having met the required learning outcomes for English, Mathematics, and IT — such as IELTS, TOEFL, or ICDL certificates — they are eligible for exemption from the relevant GFP component.
For the English and Study Skills component: The English Placement Test (PT) consists of three sections, each marked on a percentage scale of 0–100%. Students who score between 0–39% will be placed in General English 01. Students who score between 40–84% will be exempted from General English 01 and registered in General English 02. Students who score 85% or above may sit an Exit Test; those who achieve 60% or above will be exempted from both General English 01 and 02.
For Mathematics: Students who score between 0–39% will be placed in Mathematics 1. Students who score 40% or above are exempt from Mathematics 1 and may sit an Exit Test for Mathematics 2 to seek exemption from the remaining Mathematics modules.
For the IT component: The IT component comprises one module assessed through a single Placement Test. Students who achieve a score at or above the cut-off point of 40% in the IT Exit Test are exempt from the GFP IT module.
Programme Aims
The Centre for Foundation Studies aims to provide students with an accessible and flexible route into higher education; to prepare students with the necessary English language skills by establishing an English-medium learning environment; to facilitate the development of underpinning knowledge, broad thinking, and life skills in order to support student success in higher education; to enable students to progress to an undergraduate programme in Business or Computing; and to support students in their personal, educational, and career development. These aims are designed to achieve the following strategic objectives: to provide a high-quality teaching and learning environment that enhances the student experience; to build GC's reputation as a provider of quality higher education in Oman, thereby enhancing stakeholder confidence; and to provide students with opportunities to develop GC Graduate Attributes, competencies, and employability skills through co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
What does the General Foundation Programme Contain?
Five modules are offered in the GFP. Students must complete all modules unless exempted through transfer credits, placement test results, or an approved valid certificate. New students entering the GFP are advised to begin their first semester with Mathematics 1 and General English 1, and to complete the remaining three modules during their second semester. Where a student holds an exemption from a module normally taken in the first semester, they may register for an alternative module, such as IT, during that semester. The programme equips students with the academic skills, professional competencies, and communication abilities required to progress to higher education programmes. The generic modules focus on developing essential personal and study skills, practical numeracy skills, and information technology skills. The English language modules provide firm grounding in the four language skills — Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking — along with presentation skills, and techniques for developing and producing academic research and reports.
What does the qualification lead to?
Upon successful completion of the GFP with an IELTS 5.0 equivalent, students proceed to Level 3, first year of the undergraduate studies.
What is the duration of the GFP?
GFP is a one year programme including 2 semesters. The duration of each semester is 16 weeks.
What is the duration of the GFP?
| GFP Modules | Number of weekly hours | Sub-modules /No of hours | Sub-modules /No of hours |
|---|---|---|---|
|
General English 01 |
16 hours |
Speaking & Writing (8 hours) |
|
|
Reading & Listening (8 hours) |
|||
|
General English 02 |
12 hours |
Speaking & Writing (6 hours) |
General English 1 |
|
Reading & Listening (6 hours) |
|||
|
Mathematics 01 |
4 hours |
*NA |
|
|
Mathematics 02 |
4 hours |
*NA |
Mathematics 01 |
|
IT |
4 hours |
*NA |
New intake starting with GE 01 and Mathematics 01 will have to do IT in the following semester. |
Students with hearing impairment do not take the Listening and Speaking sub-modules. Instead, they take twice the normal number of hours given to the Writing and Reading submodules, giving these students a total of 16 contact hours for General English 01 and 12 contact hours for General English 02. Further information about the content of GFP modules and Learning Outcomes is available in the relevant Module Descriptors.
| GFP Modules | Number of weekly hours | Sub-modules /No of hours | Sub-modules /No of hours |
|---|---|---|---|
|
General English 01 |
16 hours |
Speaking & Writing |
|
|
General English 02 |
12 hours |
Speaking & Writing |
General English 1 |
|
Mathematics 01 |
4 hours |
*NA |
|
|
Mathematics 02 |
4 hours |
*NA |
Mathematics 01 |
|
IT |
4 hours |
*NA |
Placement Test for GFP
There are placement tests for English, Maths and IT
Purpose
The main purpose of the placement test is to place the students in the right level and to give exemptions in GFP according to the Oman Academic Standards for GFP