Course content includes 11 units that have been chosen to be vocationally relevant for careers in the Social Sciences. The units include the following; Essay skills; Personal organisation and time management; Reviewing and Planning for the Future; Numeracy; Sociology; Psychology; Stress Management; Crime and Deviance; Research in a community setting; the Independent Academic Study

You will be assessed through a range of methods including essays, presentations, exams and a small-scale research project. You will be given regular tutorials to check progress, identify and support any issues, set targets and support your return to academic study and writing.

Progression/Career Path

This pathway is suitable for students wishing to move on to Social Science related Higher Education courses including degrees in Social Work, Teaching, Psychology, Sociology and Criminology. This course is suitable for career enhancement or university entrance on a wide variety of courses. Students are given support to apply for a university place through the UCAS applications process.

The access course was a very rewarding experience. It really has paved the way for me to successfully take on a degree afterwards. The focus on building the academic skills needed to manage at a higher level of education has been invaluable, giving me a bit of a head start on some of my fellow undergraduates, especially useful after my having been out of education for some years. Staff at PACA are very knowledgeable and helpful and I would thoroughly recommend the social care access course as a stepping stone towards a degree.
Tom Robers 
Access to Social Science Student