If you live in England, you might be able to do this course for FREE, see ‘Additional Information’ tab for more details.
Apply today and our team will confirm if you could qualify for free place, with no obligation.?
Are you interested in a rewarding career in healthcare? If you are aged 19 or over and aspire to go to university to study a healthcare-related degree, an Access to Higher EducationDiploma is the route for you.
This course is the fast-track route to the healthcare profession you have always wanted! Gain the skills and qualifications you need to get onto a healthcare course at university next year. This will allow you to kickstart your career in the NHS or other related healthcare organisations.
An Access course is for mature students (19+) who have been out of full-time education for one or more years and would like to go on to higher education but do not have the formal qualifications needed.
If you pay with an Adult Learner Loan and progress directly to university after this course, the government will write off your loan!
Your opportunities for progression are vast, including degrees in nursing, paramedic science, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Benefits of studying with Activate Learning:
- Designed exclusively for adults (19+)
- Supportive environment provided through tutors with subject expertise and includes guidance webinars for every module.
- One year programme equivalent to three A Levels, allowing you to achieve the qualification you need to progress to university.
- Widely recognised and accepted qualification by UK universities. This is validated and moderated by Ascentis under licence from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
- Help and guidance on writing your personal statement and completing your UCAS application
- Flexible learning enabling you to study whilst working and around personal commitments
- Funding with the Advanced Learner Loan available.
Each year, around 95% of our Access to HE students progress to university on completion of their programme, going on to over 100 different universities across many different degrees and disciplines.
Remember: If you go on to study at university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the government.
What you'll learn
The main aim of this course is to prepare students for study at university. Students will receive subject specific study skills preparation, as well as tuition in subjects that are relevant to their chosen degree course. You will study modules covering: biology, psychology, professional healthcare practice, human physiology and health studies.
- Non-Academic: Preparing to Progress 3 credits (Ungraded) Preparing to progress Booklet
- Non-Academic: Academic Writing 3 credits (Ungraded) Academic Writing Booklet and essay
- Psychology: Introduction to Psychology 3 credits (Ungraded) 2000-word essay
- Psychology: Stress and Wellbeing 3 credits (Graded) 2000-word essay
- Psychology: Psychological Perspectives and Behaviours 6 credits (Graded) 3500-word essay
- Psychology: Psychological Investigation 6 credits (Graded) 3500-word Research Report
- Human Physiology: Introduction to Cell Biology 3 credits (Ungraded) 2000-word assignment
- Human Physiology: Aspects of Human Physiology 6 credits (Graded) 3500-word assignment
- Human Physiology: Human reproductive Biology 3 credits (Graded) 2000-word assignment
- Human Physiology: Practical Investigation Human Physiology 6 credits (Graded) 3500-word assignment
- Professional Healthcare Practice: Introduction to PHP 3 credits (Ungraded) 2000-word essay
- Professional Healthcare Practice: Health Promotion 3 credits (Graded) 2000-word essay
- Professional Healthcare Practice: Society and Community Healthcare Provision 6 credits (Graded) 3000-word essay and presentation
- Professional Healthcare Practice: Research Project 6 credits (Graded) 3500-word Research Report
As well as developing subject knowledge, you will improve your communication, personal and study skills through a core programme that also provides one-to-one tutorial support.
Activate Learning has helped over 3,000 Access to HE students progress on to university. OFSTED rated us ‘good’ in December 2017, with many outstanding features for our Access programmes.
How you'll learn and be assessed
Teaching will be delivered by way of self-directed learning with access to regular tutor support. Additional webinars and online forums for group discussions are also available throughout your studies. You will be assessed through coursework. All assessments are internally and externally verified through a rigorous and robust process to ensure all grading is consistent, fair and provides developmental feedback.
You will study modules in Study Skills, Psychology, Biology and Sociology. Credits are gained through the coursework. We would advise for you to check with your chosen University to ensure they accept these units for your chosen course before you apply.
One subject will be covered at a time and a tutor with specialist subject knowledge will be assigned to guide and support you on your learning journey. Although the workload of the course is intensive, it is structured in a way that recognizes the pressures on adult learners. Many students successfully balance a healthy work/home life whilst studying the course and Activate Learning has helped over 3,000 Access to HE students’ progress on to university.
Progression
An Access to HE Diploma will help you to progress to study at university. It will also help you improve your employment prospects. As well as developing subject knowledge, you will improve your communication, personal and study skills through a core programme that also provides one-to-one tutorial support.
This particular pathway is designed for anyone wanting to progress into a career in the NHS or other health related organisations. You can progress on to higher education to study for some of the various roles that come under the banner of the allied health professions (AHPs):
The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) comprise of 14 distinct occupations including: art therapists, dieticians, drama therapists, music therapists, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners (ODPs), orthoptists, osteopaths, paramedics, physiotherapists, podiatrists, prosthetists and orthotists, diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers, and speech and language therapists.
Entry requirements
Although there are no formal entry requirements for this course*, for university, you will need to have a GCSE at grade 4 (C) or above in both English and maths, or a Functional Skills Level 2 qualification.
*The Engineering and some Science pathways do require you to already have achieved a grade 4 (C) in Maths. These pathways will also require an additional entrance assessment which will be held on campus.
It is advisable that you have these qualifications prior to starting your Access level 3 course as the skills you will have gained from studying these qualifications will really help you on this programme.
*Please note: If you wish to go on to study a medicine degree, most universities require five GCSEs, including English, maths, and science at grades 7–9 (A–A* equivalent).
Applicants must be aged over 19
Applicants must have been out of full-time education for one year
Applicants are advised to contact their university of choice to confirm the criteria
Some degrees require that you have some relevant paid or voluntary work experience
You will have a numeracy and literacy assessment to check your suitability to study at Level 3 and may have the opportunity to re-take either a maths or English GCSE alongside this course*
*Please note, it will not be possible to resit both English and maths GCSE alongside an Access to HE programme
If you don’t meet the entry criteria, don’t worry! Some campuses offer a Pre-Access course to get you ready, or our part time GCSE maths and English classes, available at all sites, could support you to readiness for an Access to HE programme.
There is also a wide range of support available at the college for students, including financial support.
Additional information
Once you submit your application to us and we have seen proof of your maths and English qualifications, you will receive an initial literacy and numeracy test by email to check your suitability to study at Level 3. Don’t worry, most students are successful at this!
If you pass, you will then receive an offer for the course and the most relevant funding information to you.
Funding Options:
To be eligible for funding, you will need to live in England. Anyone in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland will need to self-fund the course.?
Level 3 Entitlement fee remission: If you are aged 19-23 and do not hold a prior full Level 3 qualification, you may be eligible to study the course for free. This would also depend on your location within the UK, but we would check this for you during your application process.?
19+ Advanced Learner Loan:?If you are aged over 23, or you are 19-23 with a full Level 3 qualification, you can fund the course with the Advanced Learner Loan supplied by Student Finance England. This loan will be wiped from your records if you progress to university and complete your studies! If you do not progress to university or a higher education course, you will not need to start paying back the loan until you earn over £25,725.00.?
