Access programmes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Access to HE courses offer a route into higher education (HE) for those who do not have the educational qualifications which are usually required for entry to HE. These courses provide the underpinning knowledge and skills needed for university-level study, and lead to the award of the Access to HE qualification, which is of an equivalent standard to Level 3 qualifications, such as A levels.

The possible pattern of study varies between courses, but Access to HE courses are commonly available as full-time, one year, courses or part-time courses which can be studied over two or more years, sometimes including evening study. Most courses are delivered in further education colleges, although some adult education centres, community centres and universities also offer Access to HE courses.

Prepare for higher education

Some Access to HE courses provide preparation for particular HE programmes (eg "Access to Teaching"; "Access to Nursing"; "Access to Social Science"); others are more general ("Access to HE") and can lead to a variety of studies in HE. Courses include study of a combination of specific subjects relevant to the progression route as well as more general skills, usually including English, mathematics and IT.

In some instances, there may be specific links to individual programmes at particular universities or colleges, but the Access to HE qualification is recognised across the UK, and successful Access to HE students may apply to any HE institution.

student by doorAssessment methods

Students' progress and achievement on Access to HE courses is assessed by a variety of methods, according to the subject area (Access to Art and Design courses are assessed differently from Access to Science courses, for example) and may include essays, presentations and unseen, timed assessments. Each course specifies the detailed requirements for successful completion and the Access to HE qualification is awarded to all students who successfully complete the course.

Find out more

Details about individual courses are available from the course provider, or from the access courses database. More details can also be provided by the authorised validating agencies (AVAs), which validate and certificate Access to HE courses. AVAs are licensed and monitored by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). AVA contact details, and details of the QAA Recognition Scheme for Access to HE, which defines the regulatory framework for Access to HE, can be found on the Access to HE website.

The Access to HE Diploma

The Access to HE Diploma is a new qualification which is being phased in between 2007 and 2009 to replace the current Access to HE certificate. By 2008-09, all QAA-recognised Access to HE courses will lead to the Access to HE Diploma. Individual courses will lead to awards which are named according to their intended progression route, such as Access to HE Diploma (Business Studies); Access to HE Diploma (Humanities); Access to HE Diploma (Health Studies). The Diploma is a credit-based qualification and all courses will have a standard completion requirement of 60 credits, including at least 45 credits at Level 3 (the remainder at Level 2). Full details can be found on the Access to HE website.

Preparing for an Access to HE course

Many colleges offer "pre-Access", "Return to Learn"' or other short courses which allow potential Access to HE students to find out whether they are ready for Access to HE; whether this is the course which will be best for them; and what subjects they might want to study. The college or university providing the Access to HE course will also be able to advise on appropriate ways of preparing for an Access to HE course.

Further options

There are various other preparatory courses provided by colleges and universities. The Open University, for example, runs a series of short introductory courses through their Openings Programme which are designed to provide preparation for Level 1 of Open University undergraduate study. Each course covers a different subject area and gives access to an Open University course in that subject area.