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Science

Access to HE Diploma (Humanities and Social Sciences)

  • Course Type: Access to HE

What can this course lead to?

Examples of HE programmes that students progress to include:

  • Criminology and probation
  • Social work, sociology and social policy
  • Education and teaching
  • Psychology and counselling
  • Policing, law and politics
  • History, archaeology, and anthropology
  • English language and literature
  • Media and journalism
  • Languages
  • Business management
  • Games design

Who is it for?

The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma (Humanities and Social Science) is specifically for motivated individuals aged 19 and over who have the ambition to study a degree, progress in their current career, or simply build knowledge and new skills.

The Access to HE Diploma is a QAA-recognised Level 3 qualification accepted by most UK universities nationwide as a standard entry qualification for undergraduate degree courses. If you lack relevant Level 3 qualifications and wish to study at University, an Access to Higher Education Diploma is a fantastic solution to help you achieve your goals.
The Diploma is validated by the Cambridge Access Validating Agency (CAVA). To find out more about CAVA, please visit www.cava.ac.uk.

What is covered?

The Humanities and Social Sciences course is very broad and combines social science subject units (psychology and sociology) with humanities (English and history), which are all covered in the first term. Additional study units include study skills and critical thinking to help you make the most of your time on the course and to become an effective undergraduate at university.

During the second term, you complete a dissertation unit where you will conduct your own individual research project around a topic that interests you. In addition, you will select from a range of optional units to tailor the course to your progression needs and interests. These optional units could include additional psychology, sociology, English or history, but also new topics such as criminology, politics and law, counselling, journalism and media or philosophy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

GCSE English grade A*/9 – C/4
GCSE Maths grade A*/9 – C/4


Foreign equivalents and Functional Skills Level 2 can be considered on a case by case basis.
If you do not hold the relevant qualifications, you may wish to consider the full-time preAccess course (https://www.peterborough.ac.uk/courses/pre-access-science-and-social-science-2/) or first undertake part-time GCSEs in English/maths/science.

Start date: 01/09/2025

Course Code

PAC3HU5AF$

Duration

1 Year Full-time

Fees

£3022.00

Full-time courses are fully funded for 16 to 18-year-olds. For age 19+, various funding options are available.

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