Nursing Professions

Course Overview

Type of Course and Awarding Body

Access to Higher Education Diploma

Level

Level Three

What's it all about?

Our Access to Higher Education Diploma is a fantastic way to help you get into university. You can apply for a degree while studying on the programme and ideally, you would be able to progress immediately on successful completion of the diploma.*

Do you have an optimistic approach to life? Are you patient and sympathetic to people? Are you methodical? Do you have experience of working in health care and want to progress further but don't have the necessary qualifications or evidence of recent study? You will get plenty of experience to use these skills in nursing and other health-related professions.

Our course helps you prepare for further study towards your career in the health professions and gain confidence by learning, and in some cases reviewing, the core subjects you will need.

* Due to competition for higher education you should be advised that you may need to achieve the Access course with good grades and have relevant work experience.

Progression

You can use this qualification to gain entry to higher education or colleges of health studies and degree level nursing or midwifery. Due to the strong competition for places, some university courses may also require additional experience or qualifications and will be taking in to account the grades achieved on the access course. Previous students have also progressed to a large number of related higher education programmes eg social work, occupational therapy, teaching and social sciences. Successful completion of the course also enhances employment opportunities within the health and social care professions.

Entry Requirements

Access courses are principally aimed at mature students who have been out of education for some time and can provide:

evidence of recent clinical/social care related work experience
a positive reference from work experience
functional ability - level 2 literacy and level 1 numeracy
evidence of recent study and aptitude to study at this level
a high degree of motivation towards studying at this level and commitment to progress on to higher education.

The introduction of grading emphasises the importance of being well prepared to study at level 3.

You will be invited to attend an interview and will take part in diagnostic assessments to assess your suitability for the course. You may also be asked to attend a pre-access course as a condition for offer.

Duration

One year

Business Benefits

Updating of written English skills and mathematics are invaluable, particularly for those without a formal qualification. Information technology skills such as spreadsheets, databases and powerpoint presentation are also useful within the employment market. Past students have also cited oral presentation and interview skills as crucial for developing confidence and enabling them to be successful in gaining employment and higher education places.

Are there any exams?

You are assessed through portfolio activities, essays, oral presentations, discussions and examinations. Achievement of the exam techniques unit is mandatory. Many of the students have had a break from education and at the beginning of the course there is a focus on developing study skills in relation to those required to be successful in higher education. Whilst many of the assessment activities are completed in the classroom, you should be prepared to carry out a significant of amount of home study. Group tutorials and one-to-one tutorials are an important part of the programme.

You will be awarded a number of credits at either level 2 or 3, with a minimum of 60 credits including 45 credits at level 3 being required for the award of the Access to Higher Education Diploma. All level 3 units are graded with merit and distinctions. Higher education insitutions may offer places conditional on achieving higher grades in some units.

Course Content

What does the course involve?

This area of study aims to prepare mature students for application to diploma and degree-level nurse education or some other health-related courses. Successful completion of this course satisfies the minimum statutory entry requirements for nurse education and other higher education courses.

Some higher education institutions may require additional entry criteria for degree-level study. This will need to be confirmed with individual institutions.

The programme covers:

human biology
health studies
sociology
study skills
information technology
GCSE English equivalent
GCSE Maths equivalent.

When can I study?

Monday - Wednesday, 9.15am - 3.00pm or Wednesday - Friday, 9.15am - 3.00pm

Course Facts

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Start Date:

September

Course Type:

Full-time

Location:

Goschen Centre

Material Fees:

£40

Level:

No level information available

Course Code:

CAN

Certain "part-time" courses may become "full-time" courses if additional courses are taken.

If you are aged 16-18, due to Government funding, tuition fees may not be applicable for your course (Please note: this does not apply to foundation degrees or access to higher education courses, and other courses not eligible for public funding).

Please note that fees quoted apply to courses starting in the academic year 2011 / 12 (August 2011 - July 2012). There may be a slight increase in fees for courses starting 2012 / 13.

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