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Level 3
Access Diploma in Humanities & Social Sciences [Progress to Teaching, Social Work, & Social Science degrees]
COURSE OVERVIEW
Our Access Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences will give you insight into a range of fascinating topics in the disciplines of psychology, sociology and English literature.
You will learn about the human brain and human behaviour, based on published psychological research. In sociology, we will use key perspectives, such as Marxism and feminism, to explore the purpose of institutions such as education and religion in society, while the English literature module allows you to analyse different types of text, from poetry to Shakespeare, gaining the core skills of this subject.
You will also be developing a wide range of academic study skills on the course, from essay writing to using ICT, leading you towards the Independent Academic Study unit, where you will have the chance to experience what producing a dissertation will be like, once you move onto university.
Lessons include various different teaching and learning activities and styles, which supports your progression to studying at a higher level. There will be some lecturing, plenty of group and class discussions and debates, as well as individual, pair and group tasks around problem solving, creating, analysing and evaluating the studies, theories and texts you will be learning about.
FURTHER INFORMATION
You must be over 19 on the 1st September and must have a minimum GCSE grade C (Grade 4 or above) in English Language and Maths. You will also be invited to an interview with a course teacher, to discuss your individual needs and progression routes.
Universities prefer Access applicants to have gained a reasonable amount of relevant work experience and/or life experience, when they apply for a degree level course. This means, for example, volunteering in a primary school if primary teaching is your planned progression route. If you are planning to apply for a degree in social work, for example, you will need to have gained some amount of experience working in a care setting (e.g. a care home, hospital, youth club etc.).
It is also important to ensure you will realistically be able to manage the course workload alongside any other commitments in your life. Being a mature student is extremely challenging but also highly rewarding if taken up at the right time and with the right plans and support in place. You will need approximately 30 hours per week (term time) to manage the course workload.
The Access Diploma in Humanities and Social Sciences is intended to provide progression for those who have been out of education for some time on to a variety of degree level courses. Full support will be given in completing your UCAS application.
The Humanities and Social Sciences pathway can lead to degrees in social work, teaching, and a wide range of subject degrees.
You will be fully supported with your university applications by your student tutor and the college’s Progression Plus team. This will include an introductory and personal statement focused workshop, drop-ins available with the Progression Plus team, personalised feedback on your personal statement, and a unique academic reference provided by your student tutor.
The range of assessment methods includes essays, presentations, work booklet, and timed assessment. There is no end of course exam. The course is credit based and each unit has a number of credits attached to it; 45 of the 60 credits will be attached to graded units on a Pass, Merit, Distinction basis.
Every assignment issued will have a set deadline that needs to be met and there will be a one to one or sometimes small group tutorial opportunity before submission. These tutorials should be prepared for by producing a plan for the assignment, noting any questions you need answering and where appropriate bringing some draft work that can be reviewed by the subject lecturer.
There will be some textbooks and literature texts that are required for the course. These are yet to be confirmed but we will endeavour to select those books that are quite readily available at cheaper prices (second-hand), so as to keep costs to a minimum.
The college has some funding each year for 19+ students to access, where eligible, that can help pay for things like books and travel expenses. An application to this funding can be made once you join the course in September.
There is a course fee, which most students cover with the Advanced Learner Loan. This can be applied for online from June onwards and is not awarded based on income; eligibility criteria include being over 19 years of age and having lived in the UK for 3 or more years directly before applying.
For some applicants, this will be their first level 3 course and, if they are aged between 19 and 23 years of age, this will mean a level 3 entitlement offer, where no fee is charged.
If you have any queries before applying, it is recommended that you email madeleine.bailey@chichester.ac.uk for an informal chat.