Access to HE (Level 3)

Access to Higher Education (Business Management) Level 3 Diploma

Duration Age Group Study Start Cost Available Locations
1 YEAR ADULT FULL TIME 12/09/2024
£3,022 * Southend Campus
Duration Age Group Study Start Cost Available Locations
1 YEAR ADULT FULL TIME 12/09/2024
£3,022 * Southend Campus

Overview

This course is for people that would like to study on a Higher Education programme in Business e.g. Business Management Ba (Hons), but need to gain the required entry qualifications and skills. Previous learners have also been successful in gaining places at university to study construction management, law, languages and politics.

Entry Requirements

You must be aged 19 or above by the 31st of August 2022.

You must have at least one GCSE C/4 or above in either English Language or Maths, or a Level 2 in Functional Skills (evidence of this will be required during the application cycle).

Ideally you will have both. However, if you only hold the one, you may work towards the one that you do not have whilst studying for your Access Diploma; this will be dependent on being accepted onto a Level 2 course, either GCSE or Functional Skills.

Many universities require GCSE Maths and English rather than an equivalent. It is your responsibility to begin checking which qualifications you require with the university or college you wish to progress to.

Course Structure

You will study a range of different units across the programme, some focusing on your academic skills and some more subject specific, such as:

  • Business planning
  • Economics
  • HR management
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Project Management
  • Research Project

Assessment & Feedback

Your work will be assessed by a mixture of assessment methods which include coursework and examinations.

Course Cost

Advanced learner loan may be available

Adult, full_time: £3,022

Course fee based on 2023-24 for UK residents, but the fees are expected to rise for 2024-25.  

Non-Uk citizens will need to provide sufficient document/s confirming your right to live and study in the UK e.g. confirmation of settled status.

What Next...

You can progress onto degree programmes at college or university

Success Stories...

Access Success Story: Amanda Rowney

Access Success Story: Amanda Rowney

Course studied

Access to Higher Education (Business Management) Level 3 Diploma

The best thing about education is that it’s always good to be learning, meeting new people and having new experiences. Education offers more opportunities, career wise and socially and you get to meet people you might not otherwise.

My name is Amanda, I am 35 years old, I studied Access to HE Business Management at South Essex College from September 2020 until July 2021 and this is my story.

I studied Access to HE Business Management and received a QAA recognised Access to HE Diploma in Business Management.

After school I went to SEEVIC College to study AVCE Business studies and achieved a C/D. Fed up of learning and wanting to earn some money, I went to work for a construction company in London. I left London in 2016 when I had a young family and needed to be nearer to home. I then started working for a housing developer in Southend.

I completed the Access to HE course because I wanted to do a BSc Building Surveying degree but did not have enough previous experience or qualifications. Since finishing the Access course I have started my degree and work part-time with the same employer.

The best thing about education is that it’s always good to be learning, meeting new people and having new experiences. Education offers more opportunities, career wise and socially and you get to meet people you might not otherwise.

I would definitely recommend South Essex College as the course was easy to access/join, the college is easy to get to, tutors are friendly and helpful and information and resources that are available are excellent.

The course gave me confidence in knowing that I can still learn at my age and that it is not too late to start something new.

For more information on the Access to HE Business courses visit: www.southessex.ac.uk/course/access-to-higher-education-business-management-level-3-diploma 
 

Success story: Jon Day

I would strongly recommend anyone interested in studying in the local area to attend South Essex College, this is due to many reasons such as the brilliant standard of teaching, the high quality of the classes

My name is Jon I am 28-years-old,  I studied Access to Business at South Essex College from September 2020 until May 2021 and this is my story.

Before I started the course I had spent my career working in banking and estate agency. I am now in my second semester at University of Essex studying Business Administration.
I chose to study at South Essex College as I had studied there a decade ago and offered a convenient location with great facilities to aid in my studies.

My time at South Essex College was great preparation for my future career as it is a professional environment offering ample opportunity to gain and improve my skills relevant to the workplace.

The best thing about doing further education is that it has given me an opportunity to improve. It is challenging but rewarding and has improved my future prospects.

I would strongly recommend anyone interested in studying in the local area to attend South Essex College, this is due to many reasons such as the brilliant standard of teaching, the high quality of the classes, the great facilities and the superb approach to facilitating students of all abilities. 

I found I gained confidence in all aspects of my life and found the discipline instilled during my study at South Essex College has been useful at university.

My ambitions is to go into teaching myself, and potentially one day to teach at South Essex College.

For more information on the Access to HE Business Management course, visit: www.southessex.ac.uk/course/access-to-higher-education-business-management-level-3-diploma
 

Success story: Ben Strata

Success story: Ben Strata

Course studied

Access to Higher Education (Business Management) Level 3 Diploma

The course gives you a fantastic foundation, not just in terms of preparing you for the type of work at university and the work load but also the actual subject.

My name is Ben, I am 25-years-old, I studied Access to Business Management at South Essex College and this is my story.

Before attending South Essex College, I worked part-time mainly as a cashier at KFC. I tried multiple online A level courses but found them to be too intense and not interactive enough. The courses I tried didn’t even have online courses, they just offered you the material and the facilities to sit your exams. I worked for almost two years at KFC while trying to do Psychology and Business A levels online. 

Since completing my Access to Business Management course I’ve gone on to study Business Management at Kent University. I achieved a first-class honours in my first year and am currently in my second-year specialising in operations management, project management and entrepreneurship. I will be doing a year in industry placement around June/July to gain experience and increase my prospects after I finish my degree. 

I was informed by a co-worker about the Access course and he also studied Access to Business Management course. This was the first time hearing about the course and I was quite interested because it applied to me, there aren’t much options for mature students looking to go to university. Having attempted online classes and failing I wanted to attend actual classes, with online learning you really have to teach yourself and that can be quite overwhelming having been out of education for so long, because you have to take on the role of both teacher and student.  

The course gives you a fantastic foundation, not just in terms of preparing you for the type of work at university and the work load but also the actual subject. You cover the general fundamentals and a lot of the material I learned on the course is still applicable to what I’m doing in my second year. 

South Essex College has a ton of facilities and equipment you can use. What was especially helpful was the access I had to journals and academic databases. I’ve noticed that the college actually has more permissions for scientific journals and databases such as emerald insight and science direct compared to Kent university. 

I can mainly speak to and about the Access course I did but it is a fantastic course for mature students. Prior to the course I was lacking in confidence academically, I wasn’t happy with my job but had with very few GCSEs. The course, in my eyes, was like another chance, you only need English and maths and even then, there were people on the course without English and maths but they had the opportunity to do them again. Of course, you need to apply yourself and be very diligent and willing to learn but the course is aimed and catered for people that have been out of education for a while or are almost at a base level starting point. The facilities and teachers at South Essex College are what brought all of it together and created a motivating and encouraging environment to progress and start my academic journey again. 

I am still unsure of what I’d like to do as a career but I am definitely in a much better position now. I’d like to do something in management consulting or project management and I’m hoping my placement this year will narrow down and give me a clearer insight into what I want to do. I have applied and in the process of being accepted for a managerial position at a charity helping adults who are illiterate. I became interested in the charity because I can relate to coming from a position of a very basic level of education and I understand the importance of education. I have an interview with the pioneer for the area I’m in and the district manager and hopefully, once I’m accepted, I can help the organisation while developing myself further. 

The course absolutely helped me with my confidence academically and generally. There’s nothing wrong with working in a low-skill minimum wage job, especially if you have ambitions to work your way up. However, I never planned to work at KFC forever or to become team leader or manager. Fundamentally, having qualifications gives you more opportunities. I don’t have to work a business-related job for example. My business management degree will give me a lot of flexibility. I think that’s why I have gained confidence, I feel proud of what I have accomplished with greater prospects and opportunities ahead.

For more information on the Access to Business Management course, visit: www.southessex.ac.uk/course/access-to-higher-education-business-management-level-3-diploma