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AQA is an Access Validating Agency for Access to Higher Education Diploma courses. We are licensed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to issue Access to Higher Education Diploma certificates.

Access courses are intended for people who don't have traditional sixth-form or vocational qualifications, allowing them to prepare for, and gain entry to, degree and other higher education programmes. For general information on Access to Higher Education Dipomas see the Access to Higher Education website.

People who enrol on an Access course have made a conscious decision to return to education and bring a commitment and wider life experience to their studies: the courses are designed to reflect this background.

Centres devise Access courses to meet the needs of their students. All AQA's Access to HE Diplomas include Study Skills as well as either subject-specific (e.g. Law or Biology) or vocational pathways at Level 3. All AQA's Diploma courses are compliant with the new QAA Diploma requirements. They are unit based, with units assessed at Level 3 or Level 2, and are certificated on the basis of 60 credits, of which a minimum of 45 must be at Level 3 and 15 at Level 2 or above (where one credit = 10 notional study hours).

Please note that AQA is not now validating any new providers for Access to Higher Education courses. If you wish to run an Access to HE Diploma, please refer to the list of Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) to be found on the Access to HE website or contact QAA directly.