Access to HE Diploma in Science: A Guide for Adult Learners

An Access to HE Diploma in Science is a course, usually taken over one year, that prepares adults without A-levels for science degrees. It's made of 60 credits, 45 of them graded at Level 3. Universities accept it for courses such as biomedical science, biology and pharmacy, usually asking for a set number of Distinction credits in named science subjects.

If you left school without the qualifications you now need, this is a well-used way back in. Access to HE Diplomas are delivered by colleges and other organisations in England and Wales, so you can look for a science course at a local college or study by distance learning. For the wider picture on how the diploma works, read our Access to HE Diploma explained guide.

What is an Access to HE Science diploma?

The Access to HE website describes the diploma as "a qualification which prepares people without traditional qualifications for study at university." The science version is simply an Access to HE Diploma where most of your graded units are in science subjects.

Every Access to HE Diploma follows the same basic structure, whatever the subject:

You must achieve all 60 credits to be awarded the diploma. The 45 graded credits are the ones universities look at closely, and they're also the ones that count towards your UCAS Tariff points.

What do you study on an Access to Science course?

The exact units depend on your college. There isn't a single national science syllabus. The QAA, which regulates Access to HE, publishes subject descriptors that set minimum content for diplomas aimed at particular degrees. At the moment there are only two: Medicine, and Nursing and Health Professions. There's no separate descriptor for science.

That means two science diplomas can look quite different. One might lean towards biology and chemistry, while another includes more physics or maths. This matters because science degrees often ask for credits in particular subjects. Looking at the 2027-entry requirements below, the subjects that come up most are:

• chemistry, which every pharmacy course in our table asks for
• biology, especially for biology and biomedical science
• a second science, which could be biology, maths or physics depending on the course

Before you sign up, compare your college's unit list with the course pages of two or three universities you like. If a course asks for 15 credits of chemistry at Distinction and your diploma only has 9 credits of chemistry, you can't meet the offer however well you do.

How is the Access to HE Science diploma graded?

Each graded unit gets its own grade of Pass, Merit or Distinction. You don't get one overall grade for the whole diploma, like an A or a B. Instead, your transcript shows the grade for every unit.

According to the QAA's grading scheme, a unit is only graded once you've passed the whole unit. A Merit means you have "generally" shown breadth or depth in your work, and a Distinction means you have "consistently" shown it.

That's good news if you're returning to study after a long gap. Your grades build up unit by unit across the year rather than resting on one final grade.

Which science degrees accept Access to HE?

Many science degrees accept it, from highly selective courses to ones with wider entry. The table shows what five universities ask for on their own course pages for 2027 entry, checked in September 2026.

A few details are easy to miss:

• King's College London says the diploma must be in "Science, or similar", and that Functional Skills and numeracy or literacy modules within the diploma aren't accepted for pharmacy. Its contextual offer asks for 30 Distinction credits and 15 at Merit, with the same subject rules.
• Bath wants your chemistry units to include at least 3 credits of organic chemistry, and it doesn't count biochemistry or "Chemistry in Society" towards them.
• Bristol names the diploma titles it accepts: Science, Biomedical, Medical or Health Science, Psychology, or similar titles.

Offers can change from year to year, so treat this as a starting point and read the current course page before you apply. If biomedical science is your goal, our page on UCAS points for biomedical science shows how entry requirements vary across universities. For pharmacy, see UCAS points for pharmacy.

Is Access to Science equivalent to A-levels?

Universities treat it as an alternative to A-levels, but the offer reads differently. Take Sheffield's Biomedical Science course for 2027 entry. A-level students need AAB including two sciences. Access students need the Access to HE Diploma in Science with 36 Distinction credits in science units and 9 at Merit.

Here's what AAB is worth on the UCAS Tariff, for comparison:

Most of the universities in the table set Access offers as a credit profile rather than a Tariff total. So the Distinction count and the subject rules matter more than your points. Hitting the right number of Distinctions in the right subjects is what gets you in.

How many UCAS points is an Access to HE Science diploma?

Your UCAS points come from your 45 graded credits. Each Distinction, Merit and Pass credit carries a set value, and your total depends on your mix. The Access to HE website notes that only diplomas awarded after July 2017 are included in the UCAS Tariff.

Rather than working it out by hand, put your grades into the Access to HE UCAS points calculator. It gives your exact total in seconds. You can also see every value in the Access to HE UCAS points table.

Work out your Access to HE points

Points are most useful when a university states its offer as a Tariff total. Once you know your likely total, how many UCAS points do I need? helps you match it to courses.

How long does an Access to Science course take, and can you study online?

The Access to HE website says most courses can be completed in one year full-time. It lists other options too:

How many days a week you attend depends on the college and the course, so check the timetable on the course listing. The same goes for start dates.

If you're thinking about an online science diploma, check it with your target universities first. Science degrees often want specific chemistry or biology units, and some name the diploma titles they accept. It's worth a quick email to the admissions team to confirm that the diploma you're considering meets their requirements.

Who can do an Access to HE Science diploma, and what does it cost?

The diploma is aimed at people who don't have the traditional qualifications a university would expect. Ask the college what it needs from you before you enrol.

On fees, the Access to HE website says: "If you are aged 19 or over you may be expected to pay full fees". In England, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover them. The website also says that if you complete a QAA-recognised Access to HE course and then complete a degree, "you won't have to repay the remaining loan". Once you're at university, our guide to student finance basics explains how funding for the degree itself works.

What should you do next?

You don't need to have everything decided today. A clear plan for the next few weeks is enough.

1. Pick two or three target courses. Note the Access to HE requirement on each official course page, especially the Distinction credits and subject rules.
2. Check your college's unit list. Make sure it has enough chemistry, biology or other science credits for those courses.
3. Confirm the diploma title. Some universities list the titles they accept.
4. Estimate your points. Use the Access to HE UCAS points calculator with the grades you're aiming for.
5. Learn the application steps. Our guide to how the UCAS application works walks you through it, and UCAS deadlines shows when to apply.

Plenty of people start a science degree this way. With the right units and a steady run of Distinctions, a biology, biomedical science or pharmacy degree is a realistic goal.