Access to Science – Biomedical Pathway.

To study an Access to HE Diploma you must be resident in the UK and have a UK postcode.

You must hold Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths, or be working towards them alongside studying your Access to Higher Education Diploma.

University Entry Criteria

It must be reiterated that each university will set its own admission criteria. So, you must check with your desired institution if your Access to HE Diploma and other qualifications will be accepted.

In many cases, to get started on courses at university, you will need:

• A certain number of credits passed with a merit or a distinction grade
• A face-to-face interview at the university
• Literacy and numeracy assessments provided by the university
• Course-related work placements or work experience
• GCSE Grade C/4 or above in Maths and English (or equivalent Level 2 such as Functional Skills/Key Skills, etc.)

It is your responsibility to check that your Access to HE Diploma will be accepted as part of these entry requirements for your chosen degree. Stonebridge will not be held accountable if completing this Access to Higher Education Diploma doesn’t secure you a position with a higher education institution.

Minimum Age Restriction

This course is ideally suited to those who have completed full-time education but have not achieved the grades required to get into university.

Average Completion Timeframe

The average time it takes our learners to complete the course is 9-12 months.

Assessment Requirements

A range of assessment methodologies are used, including: academic report, essay, scenario analysis, illustrated report, presentation (video and audio recording), revision guide, series of questions, work sheet, academic writing skills tasks.

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

Exams Required

There are no exams included in the assessment of the course.

Membership Required?

No membership is required to enrol on this course.

Additional Requirements

Learners must be actively studying for a minimum of six months before results can be ratified and certificates ordered. The six month period does not start until you have passed unit 3 of your course and you must be submitting assignments regularly (in line with the deadlines in your Individual Learning Plan) to meet this six month requirement. Certificates can only be issued once your course is paid for in full.

Certification Timeframe

You can expect to receive your certificate 12-16 weeks from your final assignment being marked and graded, depending on the time of year. You will be provided with regular updates throughout the certification process so that you are fully informed of your individual timeframes.

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

Module 1: Academic Writing Skills 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Be able to structure a written response 
• Be able to develop a structured response to a plan 
• Be able to present the response appropriately for audience and purpose 
• Understand how to apply academic writing principles to own work 

Module 2: Reading and Note Making 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand a range of reading strategies 
• Understand the use of language in terms of the purpose and context of a range of texts 
• Be able to use methods for developing notes from a range of sources 

Module 3: The Structure and Function of Cells 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand cellular structure and organisation 
• Understand cellular activity 
• Understand the cell cycle 

Module 4: Atoms, Bonds and Structure 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand atomic structure 
• Understand bonding, structure and properties 
• Understand intermolecular forces 

Module 5: Cell Division and Genetics 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand mitosis 
• Understand meiosis 
• Understand genetic variation 

Module 6: Moles, Equations and Acids 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the mole concept and perform related calculations 
• Understand chemical formulae and equations 
• Understand acids and bases 

Module 7: Nutrition and Digestion 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the concept of a balanced diet 
• Understand the structure and function of the human digestive system 

Module 8: Redox and Periodicity 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand oxidation and reduction 
• Understand periodicity 
• Understand the chemistry of Group 2 elements and compounds 
• Understand the chemistry of halogens and their compounds 

Module 9: Human Musculoskeletal System 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the human skeleton and how it relates to locomotion 
• Know how muscles contract 
• Understand the development of bone 

Module 10: Chemistry of Drugs and Medicines 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the key definitions used in medicinal chemistry 
• Understand the significance of the molecular structure of drugs upon their function 
• Understand analytic methods used for drug detection 
• Understand the importance of isomerism in drug action 
• Understand the common processes involved in drug design 

Module 11: Nervous System 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the basic structure and function of the nervous system 
• Understand the nature of nerve impulses 
• Understand the principles of synaptic transmission 

Module 12: Chemistry of Pollution 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the causes and effects of atmospheric pollution 
• Understand the effects of rising CO2 levels on the chemistry of the oceans 
• Understand causes and effects of pollution of the hydrosphere 
• Be able to evaluate sources of trace-metal pollution and their effects on local soils and/or water courses 

Module 13: Endocrine System 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand terms hormone and endocrine gland 
• Understand homeostasis and feedback mechanisms 
• Understand the action of hormones 

Module 14: Kinetics, Energetics, Equilibria and Acid-Base Equilibria 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand chemical kinetics 
• Understand energetics 
• Understand chemical equilibria 
• Understand acid-base equilibria 

Module 15: Infection and Immunity  

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the contributions of Snow, Semmelweiss, Pasteur, Jenner and Koch to the understanding of infectious disease 
• Understand how the human body responds to infection 
• Understand the cause and transmission of different pathogens 
• Understand how infections can be prevented by vaccination 
• Understand the mechanism of action of antibiotics 

Module 16: The Cause and Control of Disease 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand categories and causes of human disease 
• Understand the epidemiology of a named disease 
• Understand measures for disease prevention 

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

The assignments for this course aim to prepare you for your next step in higher education while providing the number of credits necessary to achieve your qualification. At the end of each unit of study, you will need to complete an assignment which your tutor will then mark and provide you with feedback and a grade to help you to progress. 

To successfully achieve this Access to HE Diploma you will need 60 credits in total. 45 credits are taken from graded units which are focused on the academic subject areas included in the course. The remaining 15 credits are from ungraded units included to help improve your academic writing and study skills.  

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

As part of your programme, you will also receive help as well as guidance with your university application and the research you need to do to get the most out of your diploma. 

Each unit of this course has been carefully selected to match the selection requirements of most universities with a science profile. The course also helps you prepare for university level study, as the work and assessments allow you to get familiar with academic reports and essay writing.  

What’s included:

• All study materials
• Study guide
• Full tutor and Admin support
• The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £96)