Access to HE Diploma (Health and Human Sciences) Level 3 OCNLR

When & Where

16 September 2025 - 19 June 2026 ( 420 hours, 35 weeks )
Afternoon, Tuesday, Wednesday
View course timetable
North Kensington Centre

Quick Facts

Availability Yes
Tutor Multiple
Course Code K25SHEF04A
Suitable For 19 year olds and up are permitted on this course

What you will learn

The Access to Higher Education Diploma is a Level 3 qualification which prepares people without traditional qualifications for study at university to a range of qualifications including: • Nursing and Midwifery • Health and Human Sciences The qualification gives you the relevant academic subject knowledge needed for higher education study and the opportunity to develop study skills to help you to succeed. You will also develop your practical skills, making use of the state-of-the-art science laboratories at our North Kensington Centre, brand-new for 2022. This is an intensive programme that will provide you with the foundation knowledge of the healthcare profession and human anatomy and physiology. You will also learn important study skills relevant to studying science, including undertaking effective research, collecting and analysing scientific data and writing experiment reports and essays. Additional modules will help you develop your study and research skills and assist with your personal development for further study. The qualification is well established and widely accepted by universities, qualifying for UCAS tariff points that are comparable to the tariff points for three A-Levels. The number of Tariff points for the Access to HE Diploma varies between 48 and 144 points, dependent on your grade profile. The Access to HE Diploma (Health and Human Science) is an ideal course for adults (anyone aged 19+) with a keen interest in the study of healthcare allied professions in Higher Education. The course is suitable for students with a wide range of previous educational or career experiences who now wish to pursue further study in healthcare.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Biology: cells, human tissues and systems, nutrition and digestion, the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, the endocrine system, the musculoskeletal system, the reproductive system
Health studies: health and wellbeing, mental health and illness, stress and health, communication skills in a professional settings, the role of the health and social care professional, health promotion and health education,
Skills units: finding and reading information, essay writing, speaking and listening, exam skills, preparation for he

On successful completion of the course, you will achieve the following qualification: Access to HE Diploma (Health and Human Sciences) [OCNLR]

Class format and activities

Assessment includes assignments, exams, presentations, observation of practical work and practical reports. Each unit studied will use one or more of these assessment methods. In order to ensure that you make the best possible progress on your course, you will have regular feedback from your tutor, in a constructive and supportive environment.

Entry requirements

You must be aged 19 or over and have GCSE English and Maths at Grade A-C / 4-9. You also need to have studied Science at Level 2 (GCSE level). In some cases, we will accept a Level 2 equivalent qualification (such as functional skills) but this will depend on your progression intention, as some universities will not accept GCSE equivalent qualifications. If you are not sure whether you meet the entry requirements, please submit an enquiry and one of the teaching team will discuss this with you. If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5/7, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.

What you need to know before you enrol

The course runs from the beginning of September to the end of June and your timetable will normally be over two or three days a week. Excellent attendance and punctuality will be required to complete the course successfully. Due to the volume of scientific ideas and principles covered, as well as their applications, students should be prepared to allow a minimum of 6 hours per week of individual study outside of lessons. This requires dedication and commitment if you are going to succeed. We endeavour to prepare students for the demands of a university degree course in just nine short months. It is therefore essential that you think about how you are going to balance work, family and social life with your studies. Applicants are expected to show a high degree of verbal and written communication skills.

What you need

You should arrive to your lessons prepared to learn with pens, pencils and a writing pad. You should also invest in a ruler, some graph paper and a scientific calculator. All other resources and materials you need will be provided. In the event of teaching moving online, you will need a computer with internet access for online lessons via MS Teams on a daily basis.

What you can do next

On successful completion of the course you will be able to progress on to a degree programme at University or any higher education study in a range of healthcare fields such as Nursing or Midwifery. Once you have a degree you could work in branches of nursing (adult, children, mental health or learning disability) and then branch out into a range of specialist career paths, such as Health Visitor, Oncology Nurse, Substance Abuse Nurse, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Midwifery consultant, research and management, smoking cessation counselling and specialist midwifery in teenage pregnancy or HIV. Other previous graduates have gone on to work in children's centres or become consultant midwives.