Access to HE Diploma (Science), Medical and Health Sciences Pathway at Lift College: key facts
Lift College's Access to HE Diploma (Science), Medical and Health Sciences Pathway costs £79.99 a month after a 7-day free trial, studied 100% online with no exams.
What it is: an Access to HE Diploma, a QAA approved Level 3 qualification for adults who want to go to university without A Levels. QAA says Access to HE Diplomas are accepted at over 140 universities every year.
Where it leads: Medical and health science degrees, and medicine at medical schools that accept science Access diplomas.
UCAS points: up to 144. The diploma carries UCAS tariff points, which universities accept for entry to many degrees; 45 graded credits at Distinction give 144 points.
Credits: 60 in total, 45 graded at Level 3 and 15 ungraded.
Study: 100% online, start any time, typically 12 to 18 months at your own pace.
Assessment: coursework only, no exams. Tutor marking in 3 to 5 working days, and you can resubmit to improve your grade.
Price: £79.99 a month after a 7-day free trial, £67.99 a month if you start without the trial, or £815.99 for a year paid up front. No contract, pause or cancel any time, 14-day money back guarantee on every payment.
Awarding body: TBC.
Comparing providers? See the best online Access to HE Science (Medical and Health) courses in the UK, with prices and study times from learndirect and Distance Learning Centre.
The wards, the laboratories, the consulting rooms, every corner of medicine and health science is shaped by the knowledge this diploma builds. The Access to HE Diploma (Science), Medical and Health Sciences Pathway is the route adults without science A levels take to reach the degrees that matter most: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and the allied health sciences.
This Level 3 qualification is awarded by TBC Awarding Body, a QAA licensed Access Validating Agency. It is for adults aged 19 and over who want to study health and medical sciences at a UK university but did not take science A levels, or who took them years ago and need a structured pathway back into the subject.
You will study 60 credits covering human biology, chemistry for health science, anatomy and physiology, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, and the fundamentals of pharmacology. Every unit is designed to map onto what first-year health and medical science undergraduates are expected to know. The curriculum mirrors what your target degree requires at entry.
Studied 100% online, typically over 12 to 18 months, with no exams. Assessment is through essays, data interpretation tasks, case studies, and a final research project. You earn up to 144 UCAS points based on your grade profile. Your tutor provides detailed written feedback within 3 to 5 working days of every submission.
The pathway is particularly popular with career changers from non-science backgrounds, people who have spent years in administration, customer service, or the arts, and who know that medicine or health science is where they want to be.
An important note on medicine and dentistry: not all UK medical and dental schools accept the Access to HE Diploma. Some require specific A level grades in chemistry and biology. We recommend researching your target medical schools carefully, and our team can advise you on which programmes are most accessible via the Access to HE route.
Start anytime. Study around your existing life. The pathway that leads to the NHS, to the laboratory, and to the consulting room is open, this is how you get on it.