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.
On the Access to HE Diploma (Science) pathway you will gain scientific knowledge of a wide range of areas including: the main body system; cell division and genetics; the nervous system; disease and immunity.
Your psychology studies will look at human behaviour and let you experience and explore various theories and methods.
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
The Science pathway involves studying chemistry, human biology and psychology. Chemistry provides a general introduction to the three classical branches: physical, inorganic and organic chemistry.
Human biology starts with a general overview of the main body systems, followed by the studying of cell division and genetics, reproductive and nervous systems and homeostatic mechanism regulated by the endocrine system.
You will also examine some of the theories and methods in psychology and explore human behaviour. In addition to subject knowledge the course can help boost your communication and study skills.
There will also be the opportunity to gain GCSE maths and English as part of your programme.
Course delivery details
Your studying will involve a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, research projects, and laboratory practicals.
In the case of psychology, credits are gained for a variety of tasks such as essays, reports, oral presentations and timed assessments.
Assessment on this programme is through 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...