I’ve just finished my Access to HE Health course after 2 years of long-distance study. When I started the course I wasn’t expecting myself to finish because I have been out of education for almost 6 years, but I have to say the tutors are the best! They are always there for you no matter what….or how silly the question is 😂. I will be recommending this to anyone and thank you Open Study College. For anyone out there who wants to go to University but don’t have the grades to get there, this is definitely the course for you. Out of 5 choices that I have applied for through UCAS 4 Universities has given me a conditional offer and I’m now on track to undertake my Master of Chiropractic degree course in September!

Access to HE Diploma Health
Course Code
OSC1383
Study this Access to HE Diploma Health course with us and transform your career. Take your first steps towards university and become a nurse, midwife, paramedic, or healthcare professional without needing to complete A Levels.
- Enrol now for September 2023!
- This fully recognised Access to HE Diploma Health course is ideal for anyone looking to change their career or return to education.
- This course is the equivalent to three A Levels, allowing you to progress to a health-related degree at university after completing your course.
- Start your journey towards your dream career in nursing, midwifery, paramedic science, or another healthcare profession.
- You don't need to sit any exams as part of your course, you are assessed via your assignments.
- You'll also receive a guide to help you with your UCAS application.
Course overview
Please note: we have spaces available for our September 2023 intake, enrol early to avoid disappointment!
During your studies on this Access to HE Diploma Health course, you’ll study a range of healthcare-related subjects that will ease you into your degree.
In the first year of this course, you’ll cover the basics of how to write a report and reference your work, as well as exploring the subject of human biology and various factors that affect human health.
In your second year on the course, you will learn more about psychology, the fundamental principles of values-based healthcare, and how you can promote the health of your patients.
This course is designed to provide in-depth, relevant learning materials with the end goal of studying a healthcare degree in mind. After completing this Access to Higher Education Health course, you’ll feel fully prepared to study your chosen healthcare degree at university.
Beyond your Access to HE Diploma HEALTH
This Access to HE Health course is perfect for anyone hoping to become a nurse, midwife, paramedic, or healthcare professional. The equivalent of three A Levels, this is Access to Higher Education course will help you get on track to progress to university. We will also provide you with a guide on how to apply to university via UCAS.
To find out more about this Access to HE Diploma in Health, download our guide here.
Course Duration
It will take two years to complete this course. Please note, you will be provided with an assessment timetable which will detail your assignment release and deadline dates.
Course Outcome
On successful completion of this course, you will receive your Access to HE Diploma Health.
Entry Requirements
You must be at least 19 years old, and you will need to have a minimum of a grade C or 4 in GCSE English and at least a grade 3 or E in GCSE Maths.
Assessment
Written assignments including essays, presentations, and reports.
Course content
This course requires you to complete nine units over a two-year period.
- Researching opportunities for progression to higher education.
- Opportunities available in higher education.
- Exploring your own aspirations.
- Implications of following a higher education course.
- Importance of work experience.
- Key resources and planning your learning.
- Extracting key information from credible academic sources.
- Academic writing.
- Referencing.
- Academic integrity.
- Characteristics of human cells and tissues.
- Process of gaseous exchange and blood circulation.
- Process of digestion.
- Importance of homeostasis.
- Factors that cause disease and their effects on human physiology.
- Genetic factors and disease.
- Environmental factors in human health.
- Structure and function of the body’s defences.
- Abnormal immune responses.
- Learning styles.
- Exploring your personal development.
- Reflecting on your performance.
- Basic operations with whole numbers, integers, fractions and decimals.
- Percentages.
- Using numbers in everyday situations.
- Metric and imperials systems of units.
- Basic rules for indices and numbers expressed in standard form.
- Scientific nature of psychology.
- Psychological perspectives.
- Work of prominent psychologists.
- Ethical issues in scientific investigation of human and/or animal behaviour.
- Fundamental principles of values-based healthcare.
- Values of care and application in a health setting.
- Values-based healthcare from a personal and non-personal perspective.
- Professional behaviours in health care.
- Definitions of health.
- Factors influencing concepts of health and illness.
- Epidemiology in relation to health promotion.
- Delivering health promotion.
- Health promotion activity.
Extra info
Entry requirements
You will need to be over 19 to enrol on this Access to Higher Education course.
You will also need to have a minimum of a grade C or 4 in GCSE English and a minimum of a grade E or 3 in GCSE Maths to be able to enrol on this Access to HE diploma. Copies of your official certificates from the awarding body must be provided as part of the enrolment process before your place is confirmed.
Students with Functional Skills qualifications instead of GCSEs will not be considered.
Once you have enrolled, you will need to complete a short telephone interview to confirm your place on the course. During this interview, we will discuss your university choice and ensure you have checked that you meet and have understood the requirements.
You will need to have access to a laptop, computer, or tablet to complete this course.
If there is a particular university course you would like to study after you have completed this Access to HE diploma, it is your responsibility to ensure that this course meets your chosen university’s entry requirements for the course.
The minimum number of independent study hours you are required to do each week is 20 hours. It is important that you are able to fit this study time around your other commitments.
Unit credits
Each unit carries a certain amount of credits. This information is required when you make your university choice. Here are the full details on unit credits.
Course duration
Your course will run for the duration of two years. Each unit will run for a specified amount of time and assignment deadlines for each unit will be detailed in your student guide when you enrol – you will be provided with your assessment timetable when your course begins.
The next intake for this course begins January 2023. You will need to enrol before December 31st to ensure you receive your course materials on time.
You can enrol online or speak to a course adviser at any time of year. We have two intakes each year, one in January and one in September. Once you have enrolled, we will provide you with access to your course materials when the cohort begins.
Assessment
There are no exams on this Access to Higher Education course. You will be graded solely through your assignments, which will include essays, presentations, and reports.
Your assessments will be handed out on set dates according to the course timetable. Each assessment will have a fixed deadline.
You will be graded across five units, allowing you to achieve 60 credits in total.
Study method
This course will be studied entirely via distance learning, meaning you will complete your learning either from home or a place that suits you. Full tutor support will be available via email, so if you have any questions or need some guidance, your tutor will be here to help. You will also have access to mentor sessions with your tutor through audio or video
While you will have the flexibility to study from a place that suits you, you will have an assessment timetable that includes assessment deadlines that you will need to adhere to.
The study method you choose depends on your personal learning style. Your options are:
- Study pack: if you choose the study pack option, you will be sent a set of printed course materials.
- Study online: if you choose this option, you will be sent your login details to our online portal through which you will access your course materials digitally. You can access your course via a desktop/laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Course outcome
Successful students will be awarded their Access to HE Diploma (Health) in accordance with the requirements of AIM Group.
AIM Group are an access validating agency for the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.
Progression
Once you have successfully completed your course and received your qualification, you can apply for and progress onto a variety of healthcare-related degrees, including:
- Nursing
- Midwifery
- Paramedic Science
- Other health-related degrees
Please note: you will need to check your chosen university’s entry requirements for your degree.
Once you have completed your university degree, you could achieve a career as a qualified healthcare professional such as a paramedic, nurse, or midwife within the NHS or private practice.
Q&As
No there are no exams included in this course. You will be assessed and graded through a series of assignments that you must submit to your tutor according to the course deadlines.
This course is for UK residents only. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept enrolments from students outside of the UK.
Yes, this is an official Access to HE Diploma (Health) qualification, accredited by AIM Group and recognised by universities in the UK.
This qualification provides you with a direct progression route to university and will earn you the UCAS points you need to support your university application.
It is the equivalent of three A Levels and successful students may progress on to university and study a degree in nursing, midwifery, paramedic science, or another healthcare-related subject.
You will need to check with your chosen university to ensure that they accept students who have completed an Access to HE Diploma (Health).
- Dedicated personal tutor support with email access and mentoring sessions.
- Assignment marking and feedback from your personal tutor.
- Dedicated learner services from our learner services team.
- Assignment marking and feedback.
- UCAS application guide.
- A free CV critique service and employability guide if you’re focusing on career advancement.
- A free Student Discounts membership to save you money on your favourite brands.
- A study pack including a pen, study planner, and notebook*.
For more information, click here for more FAQ’s.
It's not a problem. We offer a course replacement service, so if you get into trouble and your course pack is lost or damaged, our Student Support Team can provide you with a new set of materials for a one-time additional fee.
That's not a problem. We want to make sure you're 100% confident about enrolling on the course and starting your study. So, just give our team of education specialists a call on 03300 563 100 and they'll do their best to help.
Looking for some inspiration? Check out our Access to HE blog posts!
You may also like

Level 2 Award for Emergency First Aid for Mental Health
Single course
From £11.76 /month
or from £409 in full

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Health and Social Care
Single course
From £21.32 /month
or from £799 in full

Health and Social Care Level 4 and 5
Package course (best value)
From £55.67 /month
or from £2199 in full