Access students

At Brighton, we welcome applicants studying Access to HE Diploma courses, approved by the Quality Assurance Agency.

We recognise that if you have completed an Access course you have the essential study skills and subject knowledge required to successfully progress onto our degree courses.

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Find an Access to Higher Education course in your area

What are the entry requirements for Access students?

The minimum entry requirement for an undergraduate degree course is a Pass with 60 credits (with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 and the remainder at Level 2.)

Some of our courses have higher entry requirements, and for some you may also need to attend an interview.

To get an offer on a course you may need a number of credits at higher grades, such as Merit or Distinction.

You might also need a number of Level 3 credits in a specific subject, such as Maths or Science.

Below are some examples of the typical Access qualifications you will need in order to be considered for an offer on some of our popular courses.

Do I need still need maths and English GCSEs?

Some courses will accept Level 2 maths and English in lieu of GCSEs, but for other courses you may have to complete a GCSE equivalency test.

You will not need to meet the GCSE entry requirement for English and Maths if you have Level 3 credits in these subjects.

Check the individual course information pages for details.

Typical Access offers for degree courses

This table shows some of the typical Access offers across a range of subjects
Degree course	The typical subjects and grades needed to secure an offer
Business	24 credits at Merit or above, including accounting and finance, business or management.
Chemistry	15 credits at Distinction and 30 at Merit. Must include 12 credits in chemistry.
Computer Science	18 credits at Merit or above. Must include computing.
English Literature	Access course in English or humanities preferred. Applicants may be required to attend an interview.
Geography (BA Hons)	24 credits at Merit.
Graphic Design	30 credits at Merit or above. Access to art and design course preferred.
Humanities	Access course in history or humanities preferred. Applicants may be required to attend an interview.
Midwifery	30 credits at Distinction. Access courses in health studies, nursing or science required.
Politics	18 credits at Merit. Politics units preferred.
Primary Education (QTS)	15 credits at Distinction, and the remaining 30 at Merit.
Social Work	30 credits at Merit or Distinction, including Level 3 written communication, study skills, reading and writing skills. Access courses in social work preferred.
Nursing (Adult, Child or Mental Health)	30 credits at Distinction. Access courses in health studies, nursing or science required.

Can I apply after I get my Access course results?

Yes. Access course results are generally confirmed from July onwards. If you have not yet applied to university, not received any offers, or if you have turned down all of your offers, you can make a new application once you have your results. You do not need to wait until Clearing starts to do this. Get in touch with us to discuss your options.

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Balancing life, work and your studies

Working while you study

For most full-time undergraduate courses we don't recommend that students work more than 12 to 15 hours a week during the term. However, some courses are more time-intensive than others.

Courses where you spend a lot of time on placement, such as nursing or teaching, will require more time. Even if you only have 12 hours of teaching a week on your course, you will still be expected to do a lot of independent study, group work and assignments. As a rough guide, for every hour of face-to-face teaching on an academic course, there will be at least two to three hours of other study-related activities.

Speak to course tutors and current students when you come to one of our open days and find out what is realistic for your course.

Extra support if you have children

You could be eligible for extra support with childcare or general study costs if you have children and are studying at university full-time.

Find out what support you could get