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Level 3
Access Diploma in Science
COURSE OVERVIEW
Our Access Diploma in Science is a one-year intensive course designed to get you into Higher Education.
This course will seek to develop you as an independent, confident individual and will look to give you skills that cover all of academic university life. The Science pathway is focused on a career in a generally scientific role. We cover a mix of Biology, Chemistry and Maths, and our course is appropriate for most university level courses.
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.
The Science students are co-taught with the Medicine students in order to help students develop a broad perspective and understand the utility of science in many areas.
FURTHER INFORMATION
All learners must be 19+ on the 1st September and must have a GCSE grade C (Grade 4 or above) in Maths, English Language and Science.
You must also pass an interview to be offered a place.
If you are aiming for some careers you may need work experience to support your application.
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.
Successful completion of this course will allow you to enter most institutes of Higher Education, including HNC, HND & Degree pathways.
The courses are focussed to help progression on your chosen career path, whilst allowing you to explore science.
You will be fully supported with your university applications by your course leader and the College’s Progression Plus team. This will include an introductory and personal statement focussed workshop, drop-ins available with the Progression Plus team, personalised feedback on your personal statement, and a unique academic reference provided by your course leader.
The course is assessed with a mixture of exams, workbooks, presentations and essays.
Our goal is to provide you with a full range of the assessments that you will face at university, so our assessment schedule is fairly busy, but also fairly diverse.
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.
You may wish to purchase textbooks which we offer at a discounted price. These will vary depending on your route. Prices start at around £10.
You may also be required to purchase a labcoat. We sell these in College and they cost approx. £16 (subject to change).
There will normally be a couple of optional field trips and these may come with additional costs. These trips depend on numbers of students on the course, and availability of staff.
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 years directly before applying.
For some applicants, this will be their first level 3 course, if they are aged between 19 and 23 years of age, this will mean a level 3 entitlement offer, where no fee is charged.
For more information, please contact our Admissions team on 01243 786321.