Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Science)

What will I study The units chosen are those that provide the background to the health industry which enable students to have a broad understanding of the physiological and psychological subject areas covered in their future degrees.
The units you will study are likely to include:

Core Units: Psychology Understanding stress The brain and the nervous system Psychopathology - 3 credits graded Psychology of Criminal Investigation - 3 credits graded Sociology/Social Policy Class stratification Understanding poverty Understanding eating disorders Forensic science. Criminology Study skills Introductory Academic

All units are subject to change and may be withdrawn.

Students aged 19+ who have been out of education for at least one year post 18 study and aiming to go on to university to study for a Degree or equivalent in a range of professions such as journalism, sociology, social worker, psychologist, teacher. Students who are 18 without a year out of education, may be considered but they will need to have an interview with the course coordinator prior to the course starting. Please apply to the course and our Enrolment Team will ask the tutor to contact you if you will be 18 years old at the start of the course.

Due to the demands of this course it will not be possible to take any GCSEs alongside this course and students are expected to have achieved these already. GCSEs required for college and/or University entrance must be taken in the year prior to enrolling for the this course.

The course is organised into units. All units are compulsory and achievement in all units is required to pass the course.

Credits will be awarded for the successful completion of the coursework and timed assignments for each unit.

Sixty credits are available on the course and all are required to achieve the Access to HE Diploma.

This is a full time, academic course that requires a high level of attendance due to the intensity of the course and the assessments required. There will be a large amount of class work underpinning many of the units so attendance is compulsory to ensure that the knowledge, skills and behavioural elements are taught, learnt and assessed. The course usually runs over 3/4 days between 9am and 3.30pm but, in addition, students must be able to commit to a minimum 15 hours outside of the classroom to complete assessments.
The course lasts one academic year and students must be willing to agree to the attendance and work commitment required to complete this course

A range of subject knowledge focused on psychology, sociology and study skills plus a variety of options involving associated topics such as criminology, forensics and applied psychology, alongside academic and study skills.

A wide range of skills will be developed that provide the basics needed for progression to higher education level courses such as:

Communicating knowledge Critical thinking Decision making Problem solving Identifying processes and situations Forming conclusions Independent thinking Researching

Behaviours are those characteristics that are required by an employer and these are reinforced and developed within your Access to HE Diploma classes. They can include a variety of responses such as adaptability, resilience, collaboration, communication, punctuality and time management, teamwork, professional conduct and having a positive attitude, all which will be explored and refined throughout your course. The expectation is that students build upon their own experiences and background to develop the key behaviours to enable them to progress and pursue the variety of pathways available to them in the health industry. Professional behaviours associated with social, educational and health professions are taught throughout.

Students aged over 19 years old - may be eligible to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to fund the course fees. Unlock the potential of your future with the government-backed Advanced Learner Loan for an Access to Higher Education diploma. Thanks to a special write-off policy, once you complete your higher education degree, the loan for your Access course will be completely written off. This means your Access course could end up being entirely free!

Help may be available from the Student Bursary Fund towards costs of childcare, books and materials. Please contact the Student Support Team on 01604 734066 for more details.

You will need access to a laptop or computer to complete the course as all work is submitted online through Teams portal. You will be expected to purchase a scientific calculator prior to starting the course as this is essential for completing the activities during the course. There may be opportunities to take part in visits/trips and the cost will be approximately £20-30 and is payable during the year as and when trips happen. There will be the opportunity to experience guest speakers from various organisations to give you an idea of the various industries and occupations that are available to science students

Students who pay their course fees via the Advanced Learner Loan may be eligible to apply for financial support from the college bursary fund. The bursary applications open from mid August on the college website under the section: Support for Students, Bursaries & Finance. The bursary can cover childcare, transport, trips and stationery, but does not cover course fees.

A variety of occupations and pathways are available from the Social Science pathway but the majority of students enter the social work profession, journalism or study for a psychology degree with the intention of becoming a clinical psychologist or educational psychologist. Higher Education providers (universities) may expect student to have life experience and paid/voluntary experience in a relevant care or occupational setting prior to application to their courses.

GCSE English Language Grade C/4 or above and GCSE Maths at grade D/3 are required as these are the minimum required by most universities for degree pathways and students are expected to have achieved these already. Due to the demands of the Access to HE Diploma courses, it will not be possible to take any GCSEs alongside this study. GCSEs required for college and/or University entrance must be passed at the required grades prior to enrolling for the Access to HE Diploma course.

You should be 19+, out of education for one year post 18 and gained life experience. Higher education providers may expect you to have paid or voluntary experience in a health/social care setting but the expectations is that students have had a break between completing school or college at 18 and starting the Access to HE Diploma course.

Some psychology/teaching degree courses will expect all students to have grade 4 in maths and English prior to starting and for Primary teaching, a GCSE grade 4 in science will be required. We suggest that you contact your chosen university or course to clarify entry requirements.

Students must be aged 19+, out of education for at least one year post 18 and some subject areas may require a demonstration of life-experience outside of education.

Students who are 18 without a year out of education, may be considered but they will need to have an interview with the course co-ordinator prior to being made an offer of a place. Please apply for the course and our Enrolment Team will ask the tutor to contact you if you will be 18 years old at the start of the course.

We recommend that you attend one of our exciting open events so that you can look around the department, the college and meet the tutors. You are welcome to do this before or after you apply. These events have proved very successful in ensuring students and their families see the best of what the college has to offer such as our inspirational teaching areas, teachers, library facilities and places to eat.
Once you have applied our experienced Enrolment Team will consider your application carefully and will let you know, by email, if the College would like to make you a conditional offer based on you meeting the specified entry requirements. If your predicted grades or career aims suggest that an alternative subject area or course level would be more appropriate for you at this stage, we will contact you either by telephone, email or text. If you have told us that you have some additional support needs we will contact you to find out more so that we can help you.