Access to Higher Education Diploma (Humanities, Social Science, Teaching, Business and Law )

An alternative route to University or Higher Education for students aged 19+ who have been out of education for at least a year. This course is designed to give adult students, who may have left school early or have been out of education for a number of years, the opportunity to develop academic skills, confidence and knowledge before applying to university.

The Access course is a nationally recognised Level 3 qualification, which is validated by the awarding body OCNLR (The Open Network College London Region). The course requires 80% attendance and the successful completion of 45 Level 3 credits and 15 Level 2 or 3 credits. The Access Diploma is awarded at a Pass, Merit or Distinction.

Entry Requirements

Although no formal entry requirements are stipulated, it is strongly advisable to have English GCSE at Grade C or above, before starting this course. Candidates are required to attend an interview and provide a satisfactory reference. Before the interview, you will take a literacy screening test to confirm your written communication skills are at a level to cope confidently with the written demands of the course. This course requires a high level of commitment. Because the programme is so intensive you are expected to attend all classes and complete research and assignments outside class time.

Before applying for the course you should research universities and be aware of their individual entry requirements; for instance, entrants to degree courses in primary education are required to have GCSE Science, Maths and English at Grade C or above. Many universities stipulate that you must have achieved GCSE Maths and English at Grade C or above in order to obtain a place.

We expect to provide an opportunity to study Maths GCSE alongside the Diploma for those students whose Maths skills fall just below the Grade C standard at GCSE. All students study English as part of their programme; for those who specifically require English GCSE, early enrolment onto the Evening GCSE is advisable as it will not be provided as part of the course.

Course Duration

Part-time over one year (September start). The course is flexible enough to fit around your work and/or family commitments. Study is likely to be spread over three days and you will need to set aside time for study at home.

Content

The programme is made up of a mixture of specialist subjects and a core support programme. Specialist subjects include Sociology, Education Studies, Psychology, English Literature, History, Law and Business. The majority of our students intend to study Humanities, Psychology, Social Sciences, Business, Law and Teaching at University. The core support programme is intended to equip those who may have little or no recent experience of studying with the essential skills to do so. The core element is compulsory and includes: Academic Skills, IT, and English. Experienced personal tutors support individual and group learning in a balance of group and 1:1 tutorial sessions.

Progression

To a wide range of university courses.

Additional Information

All universities require a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 and many require credits to be achieved at Merit or Distinction level. To apply please follow the link to the right of this page.