Access to Higher Education - Humanities and Teaching

Duration:1 Year Fee: Under 24 year old : £750

If you are aged between 19 and 23 and you don’t have a qualification equivalent to 2 A Levels, tuition fees will be waived. If you meet the Eligible Benefit criteria AND are aged 19-23, tuition fees will be waived. Tuition fees will not be waived for students aged over 23 studying a Level 3 or higher course, however these students may qualify for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan.
Course Content: This course will give you a good foundation to embark on English, History and Humanities Degree or other related programmes of study. Successful completion of the course will result in a Recognised Access Award which is the equivalent to two A Levels.

If your progression route is teaching it is important to note that you will not only need the QAA Recognised Access qualification but you will also need GCSE (or equivalence) English, Maths and Science.

English Literature:

This forms the biggest part of the Access English programme and covers topics such as:

• An Introduction to Literary Analysis

• An American novel

• 'Tragedy' in Shakespeare

• Short Stories

• An Introduction to poetry

• Women's poetry

• Global Literature

• The Gothic genre

Cultural Studies:

The English and Sociology tutors have collaborated together to give students an opportunity to study this as an interdisciplinary subject, which will provide a very broad base of knowledge. In English, Cultural Studies will be more textual based, with some critical theory, and will be looking at the language of the media:

• How persuasive is it

• Does it form our opinions without us realising it

• Is it a form of propaganda?

In addition, students will also look at representations of gender through the printed media, with particular focus on icons, such as Marilyn Monroe and Madonna.

History:

The course includes the following modules:-

Option 1:

a) Hitler's Germany

b) British Foreign Policy 1939 - 63

Option 2:

a) The Cold War in Asia and the Americas 1949 - 75

b) The making of the Soviet Union 1924-53

There is an emphasis on studying primary sources in order to build up sufficient skills to assess the validity of historical evidence. Entry Qualification: There are no set pre-conditions for this course. We will accept you if you have few or no previous academic qualifications. What you do need is a firm sense of commitment to learning and we need to feel confident that you have the level of skills needed to cope with the course, for example the ability to read critically and communicate clearly both orally and in writing.

When you apply, we invite you for an advisory interview where we explore your study needs and assess whether you are ready for a course at this level. We will give you plenty of advice when you come for your interview meeting. It may be that although you are keen to take this course, you still need to brush up on some aspects of study and Key Skills. We have a range of preparatory courses or you could take the course over two years. Special Features: This course is specifically designed for adults aged over 19 who have been out of education for some time. A special feature of this course is the individualised programme of support that every student receives alongside their main programme. For example some students are dyslexic, but have nevertheless succeeded in fulfilling their ambition to study at a higher level.

The course is designed to accommodate the needs of parents and people who have flexible work patterns. Progression: English: This pathway can lead onto an English Degree, Humanities Degree, Combined Studies Degree, American and English Studies Degree, BEd (Primary or Secondary), Journalism, Communication and Linguistics - to name but a few. The local universities are Manchester, Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University and Huddersfield. Cambridge University is now opening its doors to Access students! This is a link that will be pursued further, in the coming academic year.

History: This course allows for progression to History or related degrees such as archaeology.