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Access to Higher Education
Access to Higher Education

Access to Higher Education (Health and Human Sciences Diploma)

Level 3
Cheltenham

Course Overview

Full Time
Certificate

ABOUT THE COURSE

If you are a mature student (19+) who missed the opportunity to go to university, our Access to Higher Education course is designed specifically for you.

Gloucestershire College is the first stop on your journey to university, with excellent tutoring to give you the qualifications you need to progress, and personalised support throughout your university application. Our three Diplomas can lead to rewarding careers in midwifery, nursing, social work and teaching, in addition to many other career options. Students may also have the opportunity to take GCSE English OR GCSE Maths alongside the course, if you do not already have both of these.  You must have one (either English or Maths) at level 2 to start the course.

The Access to HE Diploma is included in the UCAS tariff and is equivalent to the standard of other Level 3 qualifications (including A levels) used for entry to higher education.

CREDITS

The Access to HE course is a one-year (September to July) course that offers 60 credits overall (45 graded and 15 ungraded). 

STUDY HOURS

Students who already have GCSE Maths and English (or Level 2 Functional Skills Maths and English) will have:

  • 10 taught hours per week in college, usually spread over two days or one full day and two half-days.
  • 20 self-study hours per week.
  • Designated Study Skills and support from a personal tutor are included in the course hours.
  • All classes begin at 9.30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. (weekdays only).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

  • Assignment based coursework.
  • Class tests.
  • Assessment is continuous over the year and usually occurs at the end of each unit (about six weeks of study). 

PROGRESSION OPPORTUNITIES 

In previous years, Access to Higher Education students achieved university places at University of Bristol, Exeter, Cardiff, Warwick, Liverpool John Moores, Goldsmiths College London, Birmingham City, Nottingham and SOAS. They also progressed to a variety of local universities including University of Gloucestershire, University of the West of England and University of Worcester.

Recently, students have progressed to a variety of courses, including: Adult Nursing; Mental Health Nursing; Paediatric Nursing; Midwifery; Diagnostic Radiography; ODP; Occupational Therapy; Veterinary Science; Speech and Language Therapy; Psychology and Criminology; Social Work; Pharmacology; Neuroscience; English Literature and Language; Law; Bio-Medical Science; Zoology.

Our Science Diploma offers students the ability to apply for: Veterinary Science; Medicine and Dentistry.

DIPLOMA CHOICES

Gloucestershire College offers three different Diplomas (pathways); your choice will depend upon your proposed future plans for higher education and employment. The three options are:

HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES: This is the Diploma pathway that is ideal for you if you are interested in studying Nursing, Midwifery, Radiotherapy, Diagnostic Imaging, Sports Therapy, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy or any Allied Healthcare subject at university. You will take three main subjects: Biology (mandatory subject), Psychology and Sociology.  Chemistry is also available within this Diploma.

Units you will study in each subject:

STUDY SKILLS

Preparation for Higher Education

3 credits

Sourcing and Reading Information

3 credits

Speaking and Listening Skills

3 credits

Reading and Comprehension of Texts

3 credits

Essay Writing

3 credits

 

BIOLOGY – MANDATORY SUBJECT ON DIPLOMA

The Digestive System

3 credits

The Cardiovascular System

3 credits

Disease and Immunity

6 credits

Human Tissues and Systems

3 credits

 

PSYCHOLOGY

Introduction to Psychology

3 credits

Human Memory

3 credits

Conformity and Obedience in Social Settings

3 credits

Mental Health Conditions 

3 credits

Health Psychology

3 credits

 

SOCIOLOGY

Introduction to Sociology

3 credits

Sociology of Health

3 credits

Research Methods in Sociology

3 credits

Social Stratification

3 credits

Socialisation

3 credits

 

CHEMISTRY

Particles and Formulae

3 credits

Periodic Trends

3 credits

The Mole Concept

3 credits

Chemical Kinetics

3 credits

Organic Chemistry – Aliphatic Compounds

3 credits

                 

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE: This is the Diploma pathway for you if you are interested in studying a wide range of subjects. You may want to study History, English, Creative Writing, Journalism, Psychology or Sociology (as well as many other options) at university. The course offers students a range of study choices. You will choose three main subjects from Psychology, Sociology and Literary Studies (depending on your higher education pathway).  You will complete a six-credit Extended Project as part of this Diploma.

Units you will study in each subject:

STUDY SKILLS

Preparation for Higher Education

3 credits

Speaking and Listening Skills

3 credits

Essay Writing

3 credits

Sourcing and Reading Information

3 credits

Reading and Comprehension of Texts

3 credits

Extended Project

6 credits

 

PSYCHOLOGY

Introduction to Psychology

3 credits

Human Memory

3 credits

Conformity and Obedience in Social Settings

3 credits

Mental Health Conditions

3 credits

Health Psychology

3 credits

 

SOCIOLOGY

Introduction to Sociology

3 credits

Sociology of Health

3 credits

Research Methods in Sociology

3 credits

Social Stratification

3 credits

Socialisation

3 credits

 

LITERATURE

Short Fiction

3 credits

Interpreting Poetry

3 credits

A Shakespeare Play

3 credits

Studying a Play

3 credits

Studying a Novel

3 credits

               

SCIENCE: The Science pathway is ideal for you if you want to study a science based course at degree level, such as Environmental Science, Biological Science, Forensic Science, Chemistry, or Animal Science. The course offers students a range of study options. You will choose three main subjects including Higher Mathematics (mandatory subject) plus two other choices from Chemistry, Physics and Biology (depending on your Higher Education pathway).

For progression to medicine, dentistry and vet science you must organise work experience or voluntary work in a relevant field - this is essential to help you achieve a university place. Upon completion of the course in July, all students will be equipped with the necessary study skills for study in Higher Education.

Units you will study in each subject:

STUDY SKILLS

Preparation for Higher Education

3 credits

Speaking and Listening Skills

3 credits

Reading and Comprehension of Scientific Writing

3 credits

Sourcing and Reading information

3 credits

Report Writing

3 credits

 

MATHS – MANDATORY SUBJECT ON DIPLOMA

Algebra

3 credits

Arithmetic and Algebraic Methods

3 credits

Functions and Graphs

3 credits

Trigonometry

3 credits

Data Analysis and Probability

3 credits

 

BIOLOGY

The Digestive System

3 credits

The Cardiovascular System

3 credits

Disease and Immunity

6 credits

Human Tissues and Systems

3 credits

 

CHEMISTRY

Particles and Formulae

3 credits

Periodic Trends

3 credits

The Mole Concept

3 credits

Chemical Kinetics

3 credits

Organic Chemistry – Aliphatic Compounds

3 credits

 

PHYSICS

Motion, Energy and Waves

3 credits

Waves

3 credits

Electricity

3 credits

Fields in Physics

3 credits

Thermal Properties of Matter

3 credits

 

UCAS APPLICATIONS

An important element of the course is tutorial support and help and guidance with the UCAS process for university applications.

WHERE WILL YOU STUDY?

All Diploma pathways are only offered at our Cheltenham campus.  There is sufficient parking on campus at reasonable daily rates.

ADVANCED LEARNER LOAN

The named diplomas on Level 3 Access to Higher Education meet course eligibility requirements for a 19+ Advanced Learning Loan. See college website or ask at Student Services for more details.

Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a higher education course. This means you do not have to repay it.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AGENCY RECOGNISED COURSE

The QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) has managed the scheme for recognition and quality of Access to Higher Education courses since 1997.  This course is QAA recognised.  The role of the QAA is to make sure that Access to HE courses provide a good preparation for higher education for adult students and that the standard for the award of Access to HE Diplomas is maintained across England and Wales.

The QAA license Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) to act as awarding bodies and award the Access to HE Diplomas to successful students.  The 11 AVAs work with further and higher education providers to develop, approve and monitor Access to HE courses in accordance with the requirements of our Access to HE Recognition Scheme.

AWARDING ORGANISATION

Our awarding organisation is OCN London.  As a licensed Access Validating Agency (AVA), OCN London have developed Access to HE Diplomas in over 40 subjects and have been continually rated as low risk through QAA’s monitoring processes.

  • Typical Entry Criteria

    • GCSE English Language or Maths at Grade 4 or above

    Or

    • English or Maths Functional Skills Level 2

    You must be aged over 19 at the start of the academic year.

    Entry to the course is subject to satisfactory completion of an online Professional Course Assessment and attendance to a mandatory briefing session to assess your suitability.

  • Access to Higher Education Diplomas are specifically designed for learners to progress onto University level courses. These can include Higher National Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, Bachelor of Arts Degrees, Bachelor of Science Degrees, Nursing/Midwifery or Teaching Degrees.

Shortlist and Apply

Please select the specific course you would like to apply for.

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What You Will Pay

Our departments are the training ground for generations of artists, writers, police officers, athletes and other amazing people!

Please select a course to see pricing information.

Don’t let fears of returning to the classroom stop you from improving your career prospects!

Whatever role you want to end up in, our Access to Higher Education course will prepare you for studying at university level. When you’ve completed it, you’ll be ready to study a Higher Education course with us, or with a university of your choice.

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Hannah Young

I aspire to become a Midwife but did not have the qualifications to study at university, so the Access to HE course was most suited to my career path. “My lecturers are a constant source of encouragement and motivation. All classes are well planned and inclusive, and I appreciate the flexibility. Having two children means it can be difficult to juggle childcare but all work is uploaded to the intranet, which allows us to catch up on anything missed. Studying at GC has been life-changing for me and I’m so pleased I took the leap back into education. I have applied to university and hope to study Midwifery full-time at either the University of the West of England or the University of Worcester next year.

Hannah Young

Razia Patel

I chose to study Access to HE to enable me to study for my degree in physiotherapy at university. The combination of biology, physics and psychology in the science pathway provides good foundation knowledge for a career in this field. My course tutors exude genuine enthusiasm about their teaching, which inspires me to love what I am studying. I am excited about becoming a physiotherapist. It took me many years to figure this out and I could not have started my journey in a better environment! The study skills sessions in particular, and frequent contact with my personal tutor, has helped transform my dream into a real journey – all you have to do is take the first step.

Razia Patel

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