Please note: This course is also available part-time, over 2 years.
If you live in England, you might be able to do this course for FREE. See the ‘Additional Information’ tab for more details. Apply today, and our team will confirm if you could qualify for a free place, with no obligation..
Access to Higher Education qualifications are nationally-recognised, one-year, intensive Level 3 courses. They are a fast-track route to gaining the skills and qualifications you need to study at university and begin the career you’ve dreamed of.
This course has been specifically designed to help adult learners prepare to progress onto our programme of degrees here at Merrist Wood, and other universities and colleges. It will assume no prior knowledge or experience in the animal industry.
The course gives a strong introduction to the animal field for those changing careers; it also covers a range of study skills for those re-entering education, as well as practical skills working with a range of species. Our new £4.5 million Animal Management Centre includes an exciting range of animal species, state-of-the-art classrooms and IT suite. The Merrist Wood campus provides a stunning backdrop to your studies with a rural setting, acres of woodlands and an inclusive atmosphere.
Benefits of studying with Activate Learning:
- Designed exclusively for adults (19+)
- Supportive environment provided through tutors with subject expertise
- One year programme equivalent to three A Levels, allowing you to achieve the qualification you need to progress to university
- A qualification that is widely recognised and accepted by UK universities; validated and moderated by Laser under licence from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
- Help and guidance on writing your personal statement and completing your UCAS application
- Flexible learning enabling you to study whilst working and personal commitments
- Funding with the Advanced Learner Loan is available
Activate Learning has helped Access to HE students progress to university for over 30 years. OFSTED rated us ‘Good’ in November 2022, with many outstanding features for our Access programmes.
FEES: We are waiting for the government to announce the fees for Access courses this year. We expect them to be confirmed in April and will let applicants know as soon as they are released. As a guide, fees in the past have ranged between £3022 to £5197.
Funding rates for Advanced Learner Loans, which can be used to pay for Access to Higher Education courses, are released in June.
Remember: if you go to university and complete a degree, the government will write off the loan for your Access course. Please see the ‘Additional Information’ tab for more details.
What you'll learn
You will study the following units:
- Animal Behaviour
- Animal Welfare and Ethics
- Animal Health
- Biodiversity
- Conservation
- Inheritance, Evolution and Breeding
- Animal Science
- Practical Animal Management
- Independent Academic Study (Research Project)
- Anthrozoology
- Practical Nursing and Rehabilitation
- Animal Nutrition
Study Skills will also be included:
- Academic Communication Skills
- Note taking and Note making
- Giving a presentation to an Audience
- Personal Organisation and Time Management
- Reviewing and Planning for the Future
How you'll learn and be assessed
Lessons will be primarily theory and will include lectures, seminars, group work, discussion and research activities. You will also complete practical activities on our well-equipped animal management unit and within the college laboratories.
This qualification is awarded by LASER.
Progression
This course is designed to support your progression to a range of higher education courses in animal-related subjects. Our experienced tutors will support you in tutorials and offer guidance to complete your UCAS application.
You will gain a range of transferable skills that will support progression to employment in the animal industry, whatever your chosen route.
Here at Merrist Wood, we have three foundation degrees to choose from: Wildlife & Conservation, Animal Behaviour & Welfare, or Zoo Management. You might then consider a BSc (Hons) Top-up, to achieve a full degree in your chosen subject area. Higher Education at Activate Learning.
Entry requirements
Applicants:
- must be aged over 19
- must have been out of full-time education for one year
- are advised to contact their university of choice to confirm the criteria and if relevant paid or voluntary work experience is required for their intended degree course
There are no formal entry requirements for this course, However, for university, you will need to have a GCSE at grade 4(C) or above in both English and maths, or a Functional Skills Level 2 qualification.
You will have a numeracy and literacy assessment to check your suitability to study at Level 3 and may have the opportunity to retake either a maths OR English GCSE alongside this course.
If you don’t meet the entry criteria, don’t worry! Some campuses offer a Pre-Access course to help you prepare, or our part-time GCSE maths and English classes, available at all sites, could support you in readiness for an Access to HE programme.
A wide range of support is available, including financial support and guidance.
Please note: If you wish to go on to study a degree in medicine, most universities require five GCSEs, including English, maths, and science grades 7–9 (A–A* equivalent).
Additional information
Funding Options:
To be eligible for funding, you will need to live in England. Anyone in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland will need to self-fund the course.
19+ Advanced Learner Loan
If you are aged between 19-23 when you start your programme, this is your first full Level 2 or 3 qualification, and your programme is eligible, you may not have to pay fees. Contact us to find out if you’re eligible before enrolling.
If you are studying on a full-time Level 3 or 4 programme or apprenticeship, you are eligible to apply for a loan to help you pay your tuition fees. These loans are not means-tested or subject to credit checks, and you start repaying the loan when you earn over £27,295 per year.
Loans for Access to Higher education programmes are cleared if you go on to complete a higher education programme with the support of a higher education student loan.
For more information regarding eligibility criteria, please visit the government website.
Remember: If you go on to study at university and complete a degree, the loan for your Access course is written off by the government.
