Access to HE Diploma (Health and Human Sciences)

Study level: Access courses
Student in a laboratory wearing a white lab coat and carrying out an experiment with long test tubes.

The Access to Health and Human Sciences course is designed to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to be able to start your journey to a rewarding career in Health and Life Sciences and Professional Health courses within the NHS.

Year of entry

Location

CU Coventry (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

1 year full-time

Course code

CUCA001

Start date

September 2025

The information on this page is for 2024-25 entry and should be used as guidance for 2025-26 entry. Please keep checking back on this course page to see our latest updates.


Course overview

The aim of an Access to Health and Human Sciences course is to enable you to acquire the academic and practical skills, knowledge and confidence to start a degree programme of your choice.

  • Studying this course could help you to fulfil your chosen career potential in the field of health and life sciences and a range of professional health courses within the NHS such as Applied Biosciences, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Nutrition, Nursing and Midwifery.
  • This diploma assists you in developing essential study skills in preparation for university study. You will complete modules in anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and immunity and disease.
  • The course has been designed with support from tutors on Coventry University’s nursing courses, with the focus on providing you with the opportunity to gain the foundation knowledge required to successfully study an undergraduate nursing degree.

Why you should study this course

  • Quickest route to Higher Education.
  • No end-of-year exams.
  • Mapped to match with modules taught on Applied Biosciences, Physiotherapy, Nutrition, Nursing and Midwifery degree programmes.
  • Open learning environment.
  • Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete an eligible higher education course (subject to SFE requirements). For more information visit the Advanced Learner Loan website.

Accreditation and professional recognition

This course is Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) regulated.

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What you'll study

You will study basic human anatomy and biology which aims to help you to gain an understanding of how the human body works, both when healthy and during illness.

Throughout the course, you should develop the ability to study independently, ask probing questions and analyse information from different sources and perspectives. You will explore how to search for information, assess the quality and legitimacy of information from various sources and develop your ability to work individually and collectively to produce academic work. All these skills aim to enhance your ability to study at degree level.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

The access course offers an opportunity for you to study for a Level 3 Diploma. The CU model of delivery focuses on one module at a time, allowing you to focus on the in-depth content of the subject. Lectures are delivered by subject experts using a variety of methods to reinforce the concepts of the topic from traditional lectures, group work, worksheets, case studies and research activities.

Teaching contact hours

Attendance is required from Monday to Thursday from 9am - 2pm.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake self-directed study of approximately 10 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods may include:

  • Phase tests
  • Essays
  • Group work
  • Presentations
  • Projects
  • Coursework

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2024/25 entry.

Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English are preferable but not mandatory for commencing the Access course. Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English can be acquired alongside the Access course as they are a pre-requisite to progress onto universities.

As part of the application process, an interview and a literacy and numeracy assessment will be required so that our tutors are satisfied that you can benefit from the course and be able to cope with the future requirements of studying in higher education.

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Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK 2025/26 fees TBC*
2024/25 fees- £5,040  
Not available

You may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan. Visit the Advanced Learner Loan website for full information and to check your eligibility. If you are eligible and awarded an Advanced Learner Loan, and successfully complete an eligible Higher Education course, the outstanding balance from your Access course could be written off.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For Home Students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For International Students, we may increase fees each year but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.


Facilities

All our facilities are located at Mile Lane. Our building has been designed to enable collaboration, creativity and innovation to flourish, and includes (subject to availability):

  • Indoor and outdoor social spaces, including a café.
  • A library that includes loan laptops, over 115,000 eBooks and a silent study area.
  • Open access IT suites and 83-inch teaching screens.
  • Engineering lab, science lab and a moot courtroom.
  • Student support and careers advice teams.

Careers and opportunities

On successful completion of this course, you will obtain an Access to Higher Education Diploma, which allows you to apply for several relevant degree programmes within the Coventry University Group* and other universities. You will have knowledge of a range of health-related topics that can help you start your degree programme. You will have also gained a range of study skills that will be useful throughout your studies and future career, including research, referencing and the correct style of academic writing.

*Coventry University together with Coventry University London Campus, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the “University”) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

Further study

Successful completion of this course will guarantee you a place onto any degree programme at CU Coventry. The most suited progression is on the following degree programmes:

You could potentially obtain a place on one of the following Coventry University degree programmes subject to meeting additional entry requirements. Please see individual course web pages for more information.


How to apply

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