Access course
Encyclopedia
The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma is a qualification which prepares students - usually mature students, although the minimum age to be able to study for an access diploma is actually nineteen - for study as an undergraduate at university
. The diploma is designed for people who would like to study in higher education
but who left school
without the usual qualifications, such as A-Levels. Once completed, the access diploma is held in the same standing as A-Levels, allowing holders to study for BA
degrees, BSc
degrees, HNC
s, HND
s, LLBs and other undergraduate degrees.
Each year, around 20,000 Access to HE students apply to universities across the UK.
There are over 1,000 different courses leading to the Access to HE Diploma and courses are available in most further education colleges in England and Wales.
Access courses are generally tailored as pathways; that is, they prepare students with the necessary skills and imbue the appropriate knowledge required for a specific undergraduate career. For example, there are 'access to law', 'access to medicine' and 'access to nursing' pathways that prepare students to study law, medicine and nursing at undergraduate level, respectively.
The first access courses were established in the 1970s. Many of these courses were set up to encourage entry to teacher training by people with a wider range of backgrounds than the traditional types of students who were attracted to teaching. Over the years, the success of these early courses led to the development of courses in other areas.
In the 1987 white paper
Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge, the government identified Access to HE as 'the third recognised route to higher education', and sought to extend Access to HE provision through a national framework for the recognition of Access to HE courses.
A national framework has been in existence since 1989. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the Access to HE regulatory body, has been responsible for this framework in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since it was established in 1997.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. The diploma is designed for people who would like to study in higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
but who left school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
without the usual qualifications, such as A-Levels. Once completed, the access diploma is held in the same standing as A-Levels, allowing holders to study for BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees, BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
degrees, HNC
Higher National Certificate
A Higher National Certificate is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom.In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the HNC is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel, and in Scotland, an HNC is a Higher National awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority...
s, HND
Higher National Diploma
A Higher National Diploma is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. This qualification can be used to gain entry into universities, and is considered equivalent to the first or second year of a university degree course....
s, LLBs and other undergraduate degrees.
Each year, around 20,000 Access to HE students apply to universities across the UK.
There are over 1,000 different courses leading to the Access to HE Diploma and courses are available in most further education colleges in England and Wales.
Access courses are generally tailored as pathways; that is, they prepare students with the necessary skills and imbue the appropriate knowledge required for a specific undergraduate career. For example, there are 'access to law', 'access to medicine' and 'access to nursing' pathways that prepare students to study law, medicine and nursing at undergraduate level, respectively.
The first access courses were established in the 1970s. Many of these courses were set up to encourage entry to teacher training by people with a wider range of backgrounds than the traditional types of students who were attracted to teaching. Over the years, the success of these early courses led to the development of courses in other areas.
In the 1987 white paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...
Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge, the government identified Access to HE as 'the third recognised route to higher education', and sought to extend Access to HE provision through a national framework for the recognition of Access to HE courses.
A national framework has been in existence since 1989. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the Access to HE regulatory body, has been responsible for this framework in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since it was established in 1997.