Independent Colleges
Access Courses

A number of independent colleges in Britain offer Access or Foundation Courses leading to entry to degree courses at British universities. These courses typically last eight to ten months, compared with up to two academic years for those taking three A-level subjects, and are examined within the colleges, so that students do not have to wait until mid-August to discover whether they have qualified for university entrance.

The courses offer study at the equivalent of A-level in the subject areas which students propose to take at university, and incorporate support programmes such as English language tuition, study skills and computer literacy. Typically, Access Courses offer programmes in the broad areas of Business Studies, Science, Engineering, or Humanities, but there are specialised programmes for entry into degrees in Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy, for example.

These courses are ideal for students who have studied at an advanced level in their own countries, but need a bridge to studying in English within a university system that is probably less supportive than anything they have experienced in their schools or colleges at home. However, the courses cannot work miracles - if you need two years to get your knowledge and understanding of your chosen subject area and your proficiency in English up to the standard required for university entrance, A-levels and an intensive English language course may still be the best option for you.

A college offering an Access course cannot guarantee you a place at a British university. It can only promise that if you reach an acceptable standard you will qualify academically for university entrance at one or more specified universities. The college should be able to provide you with a list of institutions that have accepted students who took the course successfully. If you are in doubt, write to a university that interests you, ask whether they know of the course, and whether they would consider you for entry to your chosen subject if you had completed the course.

You should also ask the college how the course standards are assessed - if the standard is too low you might still find yourself struggling when you get into the first year at university. Many colleges invite the universities themselves to provide external moderators to ensure that the right standards are reached.

One reason why you should be cautious is that there is no government inspection of independent further education in Britain. The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC), an independent educational charity, acts as the national accrediting body for the sector, and its list of accredited colleges is a reliable guide since all accredited colleges are regularly inspected and the members of the Council are nominated by bodies such as the British Council, the university Vice-Chancellors (CVCP) and the major national examination boards.

A list of accredited colleges may be accessed on BAC's website:
www.the-bac.org

and is available at no charge from:

BAC
Westminster Central Hall,
Storey's Gate,
London SW1H 9NH.

Article supplied by:
The British Accreditation Council
for Independent Further and
Higher Education