Access to Higher Education Diploma (Psychology).

As part of the Awarding Organisation requirements, to receive certification for this training course you must be subscribed for a minimum period of 9 months. The minimum subscription period is measured in total months subscribed, which do not have to be consecutive.     

This means that if your personal circumstances change (time available to study, financial pressures etc.), you can cancel/pause your study and payments at any time. If you decide to return to your studies at a later date, you can simply reactivate your subscription and continue from where you left off (we will save all your course progress). Using our subscription service you are not tied into a credit agreement.   

To study an Access to HE Diploma you must be resident in the UK and have a UK postcode.

You must hold Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths, or be working towards them alongside studying your Access to Higher Education Diploma.

University Entry Criteria

It must be reiterated that each university will set its own admission criteria. So, you must check with your desired institution if your Access to HE Diploma and other qualifications will be accepted.

In many cases, to get started on healthcare courses at university, you will need:

• A certain number of credits passed with a merit or a distinction grade
• A face-to-face interview at the university
• Literacy and numeracy assessments provided by the university
• Course-related work placements or work experience
• GCSE Grade C/4 or above in Maths and English (or equivalent Level 2 such as Functional Skills/Key Skills, etc.)

It is your responsibility to check that your Access to HE Diploma will be accepted as part of these entry requirements for your chosen degree. Stonebridge will not be held accountable if completing this Access to Higher Education Diploma doesn’t secure you a position with a higher education institution.

Minimum Age Restriction

This course is ideally suited to those who have completed full-time education but have not achieved the grades required to get into university.

Average Completion Timeframe

The average time it takes our learners to complete the course is 9-12 months.

Assessment Requirements

A range of assessment methodologies are used, including: academic report, essay, case study analysis, illustrated report, journal article, portfolio, academic poster, presentation (video and audio recording), developing promotional activity, series of questions, academic writing skills tasks.

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

Exams Required

There are no exams included in the assessment of the course.

Additional Requirements

Learners must be actively studying for a minimum of six months before results can be ratified and certificates ordered. The six month period does not start until you have completed and passed the course induction and you must be submitting assignments regularly (in line with the deadlines in your Individual Learning Plan) to meet this six month requirement. Certificates can only be issued once your course is paid for in full.

Certification Timeframe

You can expect to receive your certificate 12-16 weeks from your final assignment being marked and graded, depending on the time of year. You will be provided with regular updates throughout the certification process so that you are fully informed of your individual timeframes.

Module 1: Academic Writing Skills 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Be able to structure a written response 
• Be able to develop a structured response to a plan 
• Be able to present the response appropriately for audience and purpose 
• Understand how to apply academic writing principles to own work 

Module 2: Reading and Note Making 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand a range of reading strategies
• Understand the use of language in terms of the purpose and context of a range of texts
• Be able to use methods for developing notes from a range of sources

Module 3: Perspectives in Psychology 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand different psychological perspectives
• Understand the differences between alternative psychological perspectives
• Be able to apply psychological perspectives to contemporary issues in psychology

Module 4: Crime and Society 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand crime and deviance
• Understand crime statistics
• Be able to evaluate theoretical explanations of crime
• Know social and cultural patterns of crime and criminality

Module 5: Cognitive Psychology  

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand theories relating to cognitive psychology
• Be able to analyse the contribution of cognitive psychology research to our understanding of cognitive processes
• Be able to evaluate the effectiveness cognitive psychology theories to real-world situations

Module 6: Developmental Psychology  

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Be able to evaluate the nature/ nurture debate in developmental psychology
• Understand early socialisation and the formation of attachment
• Understand cognitive development and the ways in which children process and use information
• Know the application of developmental psychology theories in the real world
• Understand psychological changes that accompany ageing

Module 7: Social Interaction 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand theories of Social Influence
• Understand the impact of social roles and norms on behaviour
• Be able to evaluate the application of social influence theories in real-life contexts

Module 8: Biopsychology: Behaviour and the Brain 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the concept of localisation of function
• Be able to evaluate methods of investigating the relationship between the brain and behaviour
• Understand the interaction between the brain and behaviour

Module 9: Psychological Disorders and Therapeutic Strategies  

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand theoretical explanations for a psychological disorder
• Understand the theoretical basis for different therapeutic strategies used in the treatment of psychological disorders
• Be able to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments for psychological disorders

Module 10: Health Psychology Perspectives  

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the role of psychological factors in physical health and illness
• Understand the role of behavioural factors in physical health and illness
• Be able to evaluate role of social and cultural factors in physical health and illness

Module 11: Biopsychology: Behaviour and Drugs 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Know how neurotransmitters in the brain control behaviour
• Understand the effects of psychoactive drugs on behaviour
• Be able to evaluate the role of drugs in the treatment of psychological disorders

Module 12: Aggression 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the explanations for aggression from different psychological perspectives
• Understand the strategies for reducing aggression
• Be able to apply psychological theories and strategies to a real-world scenario involving aggression

Module 13: Psychological Profiling 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the main principles of psychological profiling
• Be able to evaluate application and effectiveness of psychological theories in profiling the criminal
• Understand the ethical and practical implications of psychological profiling

Module 14: Impact of Forensic Psychology in Criminal Investigations 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the roles of the Forensic Psychologist 
• Understand how psychologists have contributed to jury behaviour and eyewitness memory 
• Understand offender profiling 
• Be able to apply an offender profiling technique 

Module 15: Social Psychology 

Upon successful completion of this module, you will: 

• Understand the processes involved in interpersonal attraction 
• Understand the nature and function of attitude formation and attitude change 
• Understand the processes involved in prejudice and discrimination 
• Understand the role of situational factors in the determination of behaviours 
• Understand how social influences affect behaviour 
• Understand the role of power and leadership in social groups 

Module 16: Intelligence

• Understand the concept of intelligence
• Understand intelligence testing
• Be able to evaluate theories of intelligence

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete a course induction which comprises of three short introductory tasks to support the development of your academic study skills.

A range of units make up this qualification, with an assignment at the end of each. You will submit your work to your tutor for marking and tailored feedback. You must acquire 60 credits in total in order to achieve the Access to HE Diploma (Psychology).

Of these credits, 45 will be taken from graded units which focus on the academic subject areas included in the course. The remaining 15 come from ungraded units included to help you to improve your academic writing and study skills.

In addition to the qualification units, you will also be required to complete short introductory tasks at the start of your course to support the development of your academic study skills.

As part of your programme, you will also receive help as well as guidance on your university application and the research you need to do to get the most out of your diploma.