Foundation Year vs. Pre-Foundation High-level (PHL): Which Is Right for You?

TMU offers two preparatory tracks with similar-sounding names and very different audiences. Here's how to tell which one fits your situation.

Foundation Year — the first year for every TMU student, in every major Foundation Year is the first year of study at TMU for all students, across every major — Computer Science, Law, Accounting & Finance, Management, International Business, Economics, Marketing, English Philology, and Preschool/Primary Education alike. It's built around strengthening English and math to the level required for TMU's English-taught coursework, alongside study skills and critical thinking, before every student moves into their major's specialized second-year coursework.

Pre-Foundation High-level (PHL) — for current 10th and 11th graders PHL is a different program entirely: a two-year track for students still in secondary school (grades 10 and 11) who want to get a head start. Students in PHL attend specialized TMU-aligned courses alongside their regular secondary schooling. Completing PHL with an IELTS score of 6.0 or higher guarantees admission directly into the second year of the relevant TMU faculty — effectively skipping both the entrance exam and the Foundation Year.

The core difference Foundation Year is the first year of study at TMU itself — every enrolled student goes through it, regardless of major. PHL is a head-start track for students who haven't finished secondary school yet, completed before they formally enroll, and it can save an entire year by the time they do.

Which one should you choose?

• Already graduated secondary school, applying to TMU now → you'll begin with Foundation Year as your first year, whichever major you choose
• Currently in grade 10 or 11, want to start earlier and skip a year later → PHL, completed before enrollment

If you're a parent of a 10th or 11th grader weighing this decision, the earlier PHL starts, the more of the two-year runway your child gets — it's worth reaching out to admissions before the school year is too far along.