Our Access to Higher Education courses are nationally recognised qualifications that are ideal for anyone looking to change their career or return to education.
The diplomas are the equivalent of three A Levels, providing you with an alternative route to university that is relevant to your future degree and career. Start your journey towards your dream career!
By embarking on an Access to Higher Education course, you will be starting your journey towards your dream career. You will study highly relevant content which will prepare you for your future studies and career, giving you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to hit the ground running in your next step.
Returning to education can be a daunting step; that’s why our diplomas have been carefully designed to meet the needs of those who haven’t studied for a while, whether you’re looking to benefit your current career or change it entirely.
After successfully completing the diploma, you can continue your progression by developing your skills and knowledge with a university degree.
What is Access to Higher Education?
Access to Higher Education is a qualification that prepares people who are returning to education that don’t have the traditional qualifications to study at university. They are designed to give you the skills and knowledge you need to start a university degree with confidence. Open to anyone aged 19 or over, Access to Higher Education courses are widely recognised by UK universities and come in a variety of subjects, from nursing and midwifery to public services.
How our Access to Higher Education courses work
Studying an Access to HE course with Open Study College gives you flexibility in that you can study from wherever you like, as long as you reside in the UK. While you will be able to work around your current lifestyle, be that work, caring for a family, or any other commitments, you will still be working around a timetable. This means that you will have deadlines when it comes to submitting assignments.
When you enrol, you will be provided with all your course materials, including information about your deadlines. You will use the skills forward platform to find out your assignment briefs, as well as using it to submit all of your work.
You will receive support from personal tutors, with whom you can have a one-to-one session online (using Zoom/Microsoft Teams) for each unit. At the beginning of each unit, you will receive an email introducing you to your new personal tutor. Your tutor will also provide you with feedback after end-of-unit assignments.
Want to learn more?
Watch our in-depth video on what an Access to Higher Education Diploma is and how you can study one online with Open Study College.
Frequently asked questions
After successfully completing your Access to Higher Education course, you will receive a diploma that is equivalent to three A Levels. With this, you can then apply to study for a university degree. We recommend that you check with your preferred university to ensure they accept the Access to Higher Education diploma before applying.
Access to Higher Education students are accepted to over 140 different universities each year, so there is a long list to choose from. If you have a preferred university, we recommend that you check that they accept the Access to Higher Education diploma before applying through UCAS.
You must be at least 19 years of age to enrol onto one of our Access to Health Education courses. It is also essential that you have GCSEs in English and Maths at levels 4 (C) and 3 (E) respectively. We also accept Functional Skills Level 2 English and Maths.
An Access to Higher Education course will take you two years to complete, the same length as it would take to complete your A Levels. You will study flexibly from wherever you like, with a timetable to help you stay on track, which can be shaped around your current life commitments.
The Access to Higher Education diploma can be used up to five years after they are achieved.
You can check how many UCAS points your Access to Higher Education course is worth with their UCAS tariff points calculator.
If you study an Access to Higher Education course with us, you can choose to study at a time and place that suits you. You will have two years to complete the course, using a timetable to help you stay on track, allowing you to fit your studies around your lifestyle.
This course is for UK residents only, meaning we are unable to accept enrolments from students outside of the UK.
We have two intake dates for our Access to Higher Education diplomas each year, one in January and the other in September. You can enrol at any time of the year and choose which cohort you wish to join depending on what suits you best.
What careers could you achieve with our Access to Higher Education diplomas?
The role of a police officer is to ultimately protect the public. They support those affected by crime and work in partnership with communities to enforce law and order. A police officer’s work improves the quality of life for those in their community and reduces their fear of crime…
Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals, considering various theories and ideas about how and why crimes occur. It plays an important role in establishing a more equitable, science-based understanding of crime, policy, and social justice.
Law covers every aspect of society – from the age you can take your driving test to the speed you can drive when qualified; from the minimum wage to the cleanliness of the water you drink.
The role of a firefighter is to respond to emergency situations and protect the people and environment involved. Firefighters work closely with the community to promote fire safety and ensure that public and commercial spaces meet fire safety standards.
Nurses play a vital part in our healthcare, and right now, qualified nurses are in high demand. It’s a career that allows you to make a difference on a daily basis.
Midwives aren’t just someone who delivers babies, they also play a vital role in the care of pregnant women. Of course, a midwife is there during labour to help the pregnant women in their care to safely deliver their babies, but they are also the main point of contact for a pregnant woman throughout their pregnancy and post-natal period too.
We are delighted that you are considering joining us to study and take pleasure in welcoming you to our family.
Open Study College is one of the UK’s leading distance learning colleges. We provide professionally recognised Access to Higher Education courses that enable you to study at your own pace, in your own environment either online or via printed materials sent to your home.
We understand that choosing a course is a big decision. That’s why we have a team of friendly, knowledgeable education specialists that can help you choose the right bookkeeping qualifications for you.
Over the past 15 years we’ve enrolled over 100,000 people on courses that have improved their education and their career prospects!
Our education specialists can answer any questions you may have, talk you through our finance options and get you enrolled over the telephone.
As a family-founded college, we think of our learners as extended members of our family. We’re all here to help you achieve your goals in life, whatever they may be.
If you’d like to speak to an education specialist about our online Access to Higher Education courses, simply complete the form here and you’ll get a call back at the requested time.
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