Access to Higher Education Diploma - Humanities and Social Sciences (English, History, Sociology and Psychology)

The aim of the course is to give mature learners (19 years and over) a second chance at education by developing personal confidence and achievement, the ability to study, and guidance to help decide their future. The course will provide a thorough grounding in the key concepts and theories they will meet during their further studies or training. Students gain an insight into a variety of subject areas and support is offered to those students wanting to apply for university. Teamwork and oral skills are promoted through group discussion during seminars, which helps prepare students for employment by encouraging interaction with colleagues.

The College of West Anglia is a longstanding and successful provider of Access courses. The course runs in two formats. There is a course that runs during the daytime and a part-time alternative, run on weekday evenings and some Saturdays.

You will need:

• A GCSE at grade 4 (C) or higher in English Language

If you do not have this above, you should consider completing our part-time Pre-Access courses in Humanities first.

What can I do after this course at CWA?

The College of West Anglia offers many opportunities to continue studying from entry level through to degrees at University Centre West Anglia. Some of the courses available for those who have successfully completed this course include:

• BA (Hons) History and Sociology (King's Lynn)
• BA (Hons) English Studies (King's Lynn)
• BA (Hons) Psychosocial Studies (Psychology and Sociology) (King's Lynn)
• BA (Hons) Psychosocial Studies - Part-time (King's Lynn)

Fee information

All our Access to Higher Education courses have a course fee which could be waived if you are aged 19-23 at the start of your course and have not completed a level 3 (or above) course before.

Otherwise, you could also consider applying for the Advanced Learner Loan to cover the cost of the course. If you complete an Access course and then progress onto and complete a degree (with us or elsewhere), you will not be required to pay back the remaining amount of your Advanced Learner Loan!

Advanced Learner Loan Information

Adult (19+) learners

Depending on your age, course, educational history and personal circumstances, there may be options available for you to receive a course fully-funded by the government. Our fee calculator will help give you an idea on whether you'll be able to have your course fee waived or covered by an Advanced Learner Loan.

Complete our fee calculator

Learners with an active Education, Health & Care Plan

If you are aged 19 - 24 at the start of your course and have an active Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP), any course up to and including level 3 will be fully-funded by the government. This means you will not have a course fee to pay and any equipment considered essential to complete your course will be provided by the college.

What qualification will I achieve?

Our access courses are validated by the Cambridge Access Validating Agency (cava.ac.uk) and the qualification is universally recognised as demanding and rigorously assessed.

How is my course assessed?

The course will be split into modules which are individually assessed. Later modules build on the skills developed in the earlier ones. Assessment varies depending upon your subject choices. The course director will give you further information about assessment on the pathway you choose. There is a great deal of time and support given by the programme lecturers to build confidence and success rates for all students.