Science - Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma

Most university admissions tutors will accept the Access to HE Diploma as an entry qualification for Higher Education, but there may be some degrees for which this certificate alone may not be acceptable. The suitability of the course for your ultimate career aim will be discussed at interview.

Progression from this pathway can be on to degree programmes such as Pharmacy, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Dentistry, Geology, Palaeontology & Evolution and more.

Please note that whilst your subject tutors and Personal Tutor will make every effort to support your application for a university place, progression onto a specific higher education course cannot be guaranteed. It can be a highly competitive process, and your tutors, together with the college Careers Advisers, will try to give you realistic advice as to your chances of progression. Alternative routes into the career of your choice can be discussed.

One of our past students, Andrew, who successfully completed the course and progressed onto university commented;
“I would definitely recommend the Access course to future students. The course is highly regarded and I received offers from all of my choices, with some of those offers being from Russell Group universities. Having researched a few different courses, for Science and Engineering students, Stockport is the best around as it is one of the few courses in the area to offer Maths at level 3. There are also plenty of different routes and options to suit your needs. Many thanks to the Access crew!”

Upon successful completion of this course you will be awarded an Access to Higher Education Diploma from Open Awards.

If you are aged 19-23, and have not yet completed a level 3 course (e.g. A-levels, BTEC level 3 Diploma, Access to HE Diploma), there are usually no fees to pay. This is because your course fees are covered by the Level 3 Learner Entitlement.

If you are aged 19-23 and have already completed a level 3 course, or if you are aged 24 or over, the Access Diploma fees will be covered by an Advanced Learner Loan and if you go on to complete a higher education course, Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe. Further information can be found at Advanced Learner Loan – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)