Access Courses: What are they?

Access course is the buzzword in education these days, but what does it really mean?

Access courses are similar to bridging or pathways courses in that they offer a qualification that prepares students for tertiary education. Often access courses are most appealing to mature students, although the minimum age to be able to study for an access diploma will vary from place to place. Some access courses require a student to have been out of school for at least two years even if they are an adult.

Access courses prepare students for study as an undergraduate at university. Access courses usually offer a diploma upon completion that is specifically designed for people who would like to study in tertiary education but who left school without the usual qualifications. Once completed, the access diploma is held in the same standing as a high school graduation diploma and so it allows holders to study for a Bachelor of Arts or Science or another undergraduate degree.

Access courses are sometimes tailored as pathways to graduate courses, that is to say they prepare students with the necessary skills and appropriate knowledge required for a specific undergraduate course of study with specific future study in mind. For example, there are access courses for nursing, for law, for engineering and so forth.

The first access courses were established in the 1970s to encourage entry to teacher training by people with a wider range of backgrounds than the traditional types of students who were attracted to teaching. Over the years, the success of these early courses led to the development of courses in other areas. Today access courses are available for transition to any undergraduate course.

In the 1987 white paper Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge, the British government identified Access to higher education as one of the most important and utilized routes to higher education. As a result, the government committed to higher education through access courses by creating a framework of recognition for access course diplomas. This national framework has been in existence since 1989.

How do access courses lead to tertiary study?

Access courses provide an entry route to undergraduate degrees in the fields of Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Sciences. In other words, access degrees have been designed specifically for those who wish to undertake degree programs who do not currently meet the entrance requirements for the degree.

Study involved in an access course can be rigorous and high-grade levels must be met and ordinarily maintained throughout the course of study. To complete an access course a student must pass two full units (or the equivalent) from a specified list of subjects. The subjects included will depend on the school, and where in the world the access course is being offered.

Once a student has completed an access course to an acceptable standard, he or she can transfer study registration to the degree program they choose. Normally students can also transfer credit for the units passed to the degree course. At this stage, students will commence full academic undergraduate study just as any other student. Most undergraduate degrees will take three years. Those students choosing to go on to postgraduate study will then have that opportunity.

Access courses have changed the face of education by making education more accessible to more people than ever before. In particular, students who struggled with high school education for non-academic reasons may find a niche in tertiary education via this pathway.