Course description
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.
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.
The Access to HE: Paramedics Level 3 Diploma course will help you access a degree in paramedic science or paramedic practice.
Paramedics have:
- excellent driving skills
- the ability to think and act quickly under pressure
- practical skills and the ability to follow procedures
- excellent communication skills
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 personal commitments
- Funding with the Advanced Learner Loan available.
Course Fees £3384
Remember: if you go to university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the Government.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
To be eligible for a place on this programme, you must have a GCSE at grade 4 (C) or above in maths, or a Functional Skills Level 2 qualification. This applies to our Engineering pathway as well as our Science B pathway (with Physics) and Science C (with maths).
It is advisable that you have a grade 4 (C) or above in English 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 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, and this will also be checked at interview.
- Applicants must be aged over 19 and have been out of full-time education for a year.
- 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.
If you don't meet the entry criteria, don't worry! We have a range of one-year, Pre-Access courses available to help you get started.
There is also a wide range of support available at the college for students, including financial support.
Training Course Content
Most paramedics work for NHS ambulance services. You'll deal with a range of situations, from minor wounds and substance misuse to serious injuries from fires and major road, rail and industrial accidents.
Your day-to-day tasks could include:
- checking a patient's condition to decide what action to take
- using electric shock equipment (a defibrillator) to resuscitate patients
- carrying out surgical procedures like inserting a breathing tube
- giving medicines and injections
- dressing wounds and applying supports for broken bones
- delivering babies
- working closely with the police and fire services
You'll usually work 37.5 hours a week on shifts, including nights, weekends and bank holidays.
You'll wear a uniform including protective clothing.
You'll work on an ambulance, or as a specialist you may work on your own, using a car, motorbike or bicycle.
The job is physically and emotionally demanding.
Course Fees £3384
*Fees: We are waiting for the Government to announce this year's fees for Access courses. As a guide, the fee has remained unchanged at £3384 for the past three years. We will let applicants know this year's fee when released in April 2023.
The funding rates for Advanced Learner Loans, which can be used to pay for Access to Higher Education courses, are also released in June 2023.
Remember: if you go to university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the Government.
Level 3 Entitlement fee remission: If you are aged 19–23 and this will be your first eligible, full Level 3 course, then you may be able to do this course for free.
Course delivery details
Teaching will take the form of lectures, discussions, group work and self-directed learning. Credits are gained for a variety of tasks such as quizzes, case studies, essays, reports, presentations and timed assessments.
If you do not already have relevant work experience, you will be encouraged and expected to seek a voluntary placement to gain relevant workplace experience to support your higher education application.
Assessment on the Access to HE Business Professions programme is via a combination of exams (approximately 30%) and coursework (approximately 70%).
Assessments are a mixture of:
- essays
- structured questions
- projects
- presentations
- examinations
Expenses
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.
Nursing Bursary for those going on to degree-level courses:Nursing students starting university will benefit from guaranteed, additional support of at least £5,000 a year to help with living costs. The funding will be given to all new and continuing degree-level nursing, midwifery and many allied health students from September 2020. Read more about how it is expected to benefit more than 35,000 students every year.
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.
Activate Learning
Activate Learning is a forward-thinking education group that aims for far-reaching, progressive change and impact through learning. We work with learners as individuals, helping them make the choice of course and career pathway that’s right for them. Our mission is to provide work-ready talent for business, and...