York University to set up pathway college to help international students

The partnership between York University and Kaplan, a global education company which runs language colleges in the UK, is to create up to 359 new jobs and an estimated annual £16.6 million boost for the York economy.

The university said it will control entry requirements, tuition and employ all teaching staff at the pathway college. Kaplan will provide support services for students before they arrive, through their time at the pathway college, and during their transition to their university degree.

Students can pursue foundation and pre-masters courses in business, law, social sciences, science, engineering and a range of other areas.

York University will accept the college’s first students in September 2016.

Initially, they will be based in an existing building on the Heslington West campus, before moving to a purpose-built piazza building on Heslington East from 2017.

The new building will provide teaching capacity for 1,400 students, which will include the International Pathway College and more space for the university’s management school.

An initial agreement with Kaplan is enabling 60 international students to prepare for York University degree programmes at Kaplan’s pathway college in London this October. York University’s vice chancellor, Prof Koen Lamberts said: “The International Pathway College demonstrates our vision to create the UK’s most rigorous university preparation programmes providing excellent preparation for life as a full-time student at the university.”